Q&A With Danny Twelvetree
What was the earliest hip hop memory you can recall?
My uncle used to play cassettes of Nas on his boombox whenever I’d visit my grandmothers as a shorty. One of my earliest memories but an important one because it was my introduction to an artist who is a phenomenal storyteller and would later become my favorite artist.
When was it when you realized that rapping was for you?
In High School we used to have cafeteria cyphers and it made us extremely competitive. During these years I used to watch URL/Smack dvds and started writing like the battle artists and that’s when I figured out that’s what I wanted to do.
Where did your moniker originate, Danny Twelvetree?
My trip to England actually, I was watching rugby in Lakenheath and there was a player by the name Billy Twelvetrees. I thought the name was dope and since I have a very rough rapping style with no filter no pads so to speak the name Twelvetree just stuck. Danny was a friend of my Uncle who stayed out there so the name gained its ascension when I came back to the states.
What was the title of your first track? Is it still out?
It was a remix track to a 9th wonder instrumental. Not really but I probably have it somewhere one my harddrive.
How are you coping with this whole Covid 19 situation? Has it delayed any new music production by any chance?
Just working through it everyday like the next man. It has definitely been a blessing in disguise though. In the beginning it canceled some shows that the team was very excited about but it helped realign ourselves. New music also stemmed from it but that was inevitable.
Please breakdown the creative process of your new album “What a Life”. Tell us a little about the album cover concept!
So I wanted the album to be something everyone could relate to but have a variety of different sounds. It has about 5 producers on it and it speaks about my travels, relationships, family issues, as well as my affirmations. I generally isolate myself during the writing process so there are no distractions with nothing but my laptop and headphones. The vibes just come to me then I link up with my engineer to make magic.
Who is your personal favorite all-time best Hip Hop producer? Also, who is your ultimate MC collabo?
9th Wonder is my favorite producer and my favorite MC collabo is Nas & AZ.
Any new music we can expect for the rest of 2020?
I’ll be releasing a single for my next project this fall with my bro Recoechi.
We have to ask, with all this social discourse and revolt, protesting and rioting, exposed police brutality toward blacks and BLM, how do you feel about this? We would love your perspective on the climate we are living in right now.
It’s been happening for centuries and everyone should be sick of it, not just black and brown people. We have a very important role in the success of this country. Honestly we have the most important role and no change was ever made overnight. We should continue to fight but we should also look for other ways to affect the system and not get complacent. If they don’t hear us then we’ll make them feel us so I support the marching and protesting.
What is your definition of “underground hip hop”?
Underground hip hop to me is the world of purity. Meaning it is the foundation of hip hop and the platform where you can express yourself without any label interference generally.
Where can people find you on the web? Drop all the vital links.
Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/tw3lvie/
https://www.facebook.com/DannyTwelvetree/?ref=bookmarks
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu745fRO7gKxP5OMbKdBZqg
Streaming:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/danny-twelvetree/1475404622
https://tidal.com/browse/artist/16469394
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu745fRO7gKxP5OMbKdBZqg
https://play.google.com/music/preview/A2muwrmrprpxfejqj4657oki3q4?play=1&u=0
