Johnny Ciggs – Q&A Interview
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? How long have you been making Hip Hop?
Names Johnny Ciggs, I am the founder of Gritty City Records. I am from Richmond Virginia and I’ve been making hip hop music since February of 2010. I like to drinking, fat asses, whitesnake and beer.
What influences you in making Hip Hop?
My City, my friends, my experiences, my booze.
Describe your music, and what separates you from other MCs?
I don’t know. I just rap. You all tell me. Nothing maybe?
Who have you collaborated with? Who would you like to collab with in the near future?
Fan Ran, Skweeky Watahfawls, Pandemic, Ben FM, Sirus the Virus, Swerve 36, Fugitive 9, BC Music First, Sleaze, Due Justice, Big P.R.E.M.E., William Q. Drugman the 8th, Devious Kanevil, Rah Scrilla, Reppa Ton, and a bunch of my other favorite Virginia rappers. I recently reached out to Blaq Poet and did a joint that I’m fuckin pumped about that should be dropping at some point as well, but I don’t really have much interest in collaborating with people outside of my circle for the most part. I got a few favorites like Blaq Poet that I’ll get at some point, but it isn’t a priority. I feel like while a lot of rappers these days are spending all their time copping features from bigger named artists, they aren’t working on developing their own sound. Gritty City, we have developed a way we sound, a way we do things, a way we are perceived, a way we relate as a crew, etc. I feel like people can feel when two artists are vibing to the track together and kickin it n shit. It makes for a cohesive track. When me and Skweeks jump on a track together, the shit is dope, because I’m rhymin with one of my favorite people in the world. It’s easy. There is a chemistry. I got a lot of family in the rap game so I prefer to work with them I guess you’d say. I just like the idea of bringing a little light to my city rather than borrowing light from elsewhere. You know, show motherfuckers what we doin round here. I would love to do a joint with Raekwon though. Thats a career goal I guess. I got the beat picked already actually. Fan Ran joint. I need to have my people call his people.
Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?
People rapping who don’t get mainstream attention. That about sums it up.
Production wise, who are your influences? Who does your production? And who would you like to work with?
My Last album “Elegance” was entirely produced by Fan Ran. He is a very talented producer and also a great friend and my right hand man when it comes to running the label. He knows what I’m looking for when it comes to beats and always delivers. He’s also good at pointing out other producers that I should link with. Right now I’m working on finishing up another album completely produced by my homie Poe Mack that I haven’t named yet and another album called “Cadillac Jean Jacket Music” produced entirely by my dawg Profound 79. He and I both fuck with 80’s r&b and 80’s rock samples so that project is gonna be some whole other shit. I don’t think the people are ready. It’s gonna get real fuckin ignorant. I also recently started getting beats from D.R.U.G.S. Beats out of NC. Ant the Symbol and I recently met up to do some shit for the Gritty City Album, he’s been a favorite of mine around here for years so I’m stoked on that. I just met up with some young kids just startin out who are fucking killing it, the homies Justice and K.J. Justice is actually the son of Divine Profitz founder/ Richmond legend Chadrach who passed away in 2012. It’s amazing to see how making incredible beats can be passed on from father to son. That kid is on the right track. But yea. My computer stays full of heat.
My all time favorite producers are pretty much the standard hip hop head choices. I love Premier and Alchemist, I’ve always loved Just Blaze, I could go on forever. I’ll Just leave it at that. One of my goals from 3 years ago though was to get a beat from DJ Premier somehow within 5 years. Clock’s tickin, I gotta get on that.
Any current or future projects you are promoting?
My newest record ” Elegance”
“See us on the Dancefloor” by me and my man Skweeks
Skweeks new album “The Death Of…”
Ben FM “Comes Alive” and “WorldPeaceMotherFuckers”
The Gritty City Group album coming sometime between now and 2023
Cadillac Jean Jacket Music
My Joint coming soon with Poe
Anything new poppin over at Gritty City
My man Ben FM got a new joint comin soon
I dunno… grittycityrecords.bandcamp.com, there are like 16 free full lengths on there, also we released a new song every Monday from June 2013 to June 2014. They’re all on there as well.
Can you give us a brief description of the creative process of Elegance? Also/ tell us a little bit about the concept and idea behind your Album/Mixtape Cover Art.
I started writing that record in fall 2013 right after 2 members of Gritty City had passed away a couple of months apart. R.I.P. Seap One and Joe Threat. My head was in a bad place obviously after losing two close friends and therefore the material early on was very dark. The only track from those days that made the album was “How a Grown Man Cries”. I wanted my first full length album to be a little more up beat than what I was writing and also once I decided to go with Fan Ran as the only producer, that cut out a lot of other joints and they are now going onto other projects that are still being worked on. I’m known around town for joking around and always bein up to some wild shit, so I tried to get back on my shit talk and reflect a little bit more of the side of me that people know and love. I finally broke out of the depression with “Lead Pipes”. That’s why I say “back on my filthy shit” in the intro. That fuckin beat just made me want to shit talk so thats what I did. I’ve been told by many that that is their favorite joint on the record. Whatever. After “Lead Pipes” it was smooth sailing, just balanced working on “Elegance” with other projects I had in the works and when Ran thought he had a joint that I would like for the record I got a phone call to come cop the beat. Easy enough. It’s just some Richmond ass shit. Exactly how I wanted it to be. He only lives about a mile from me so the shit was cake as far as he and I linking up went. During the recording sessions I just drank beer and ate pizza, smoked a lot of cigarettes and that’s about it. It was fun.
The cover art is just some shit I thought would be funny. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not the most elegant dude around, but I got a certain on top of the world bop to my step. That’s kind of the concept of “Elegance” as a record. I’m not living elegantly by the normal definition of the word, but I’m out here livin it up in my own way, feel me? Big bar tabs, paisley robes for the fuck of it, crab legs and steak for breakfast with a side of grape nuts, bein loud and acting a fool with my friends. Just acting up and doing whatever the fuck I want because I can. So me in a dirty bath tub, taking a bubble bath, eating chips and smoking cigarettes on the cover of my album titled “Elegance” was just kinda fitting. I don’t like taking myself too seriously, life is too short for that. The idea made me laugh, so I called my homie Christian and he took the photo. Skweeks did the lettering. He said he wanted it to look like a baseball players signature. Still not sure what that has to do with anything. Fuck it.
Where can we find your music and info?
grittycityrecords.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/johnny-ciggs
Search “Johnny Ciggs” or “Gritty City Records” on You Tube and you’ll find a ton of stuff
Google me.
Any shout outs?
Mom, Dad, Richmond VA, Ten High Bourbon, Colt 45, Camel Lights, chicks with nice asses. PEACE!!!
