Q&A With Rising Underground Hip Hop Artist From NY Mitch Penn

Hey Mitch Penn! We appreciate solid underground music, especially form true up and coming NY based MC like yourself. Please tell me how long have you been rapping? Where are you from? Do you remember where you were at exactly when you wrote your first track!!??

I’ve been rapping for about 9 years.  I’m from Jamaica Queens New York.  I don’t know where I was when I wrote my first track. Maybe in Queens in the crib. Or with my Homie Kash.

Your style and rhyme scheme is super raw, smooth and really ORIGINAL? How important is it for your to stay ORIGINAL? I’m sure you hate it when fans say you sound like ???…LOL

It’s truly important to me; It takes longer, I write it all myself And I think originality is what’s moving the culture forward. It’s part of the writing challenge we face. Seems like Almost every flow has been used. Coming up with new ones or paying homage to the culture by recycling a line or theme is the right idea.

Tell us about your Hip Hop and/or music influences? Any Queens, NY influences? Was there anyone in your life that motivated your to STEP IT UP when it comes to making dope Hip Hop?

Yea I’m influenced by everyone young and organically growing their presence. I look to my peers. But if I talk established then Lox in there/Lupe/Huge Lloyd Banks fan. Pretty loyal in those terms. G Unit definitely influenced me growing up. Looking back I can’t believe they were so young.

But these days it’s more of your Nipsey Hustle/ Trae Tha Truth/ Tee Grizzly / NBA Young Boy.

Please breakdown the creative process of your album Southside.

I have several friends send me beats. Either from producers they know or just random finds. You gotta really listening to my music knowing the stories are genuine.

I made as much music I could and began to consolidate them into a track list explaining my life at that time.

I wanted to create music to let my fans know me. Deep thoughts to ignorant behavior. We all humans n all got s lil Southside in us.

Rappers nowadays think by throwing up a few videos up on social media and pushing quick projects, they can blow up overnight! Give us your view on how over saturated the market is right now with so many MC’s/Producers but not to many quality music.

I literally took down my social media for reasons in that area. Like honestly people forget hiphop is something for a people person. Your supposed to connect with ppl. N become the artist along the way. Basically paint the journey with the Kraft.

Social media takes away from the art of the “behind the music” aspect of ones career. If you look now I have no social media. Just content (Spotify iTunes tidal SoundCloud youtube MITCH PENN)
. I’m not some online spoof. So I want people to know the music first.

Social media almost forcing people to be fake. Or forced people to hate cause everyone on there not really living like that.

I’m really still in the hood / studio / club / job …

N social media allows you to slip n get personal. Just go Download my music brah.

Out the box type question, If it came down to 1 ALBUM only, what underground Hip Hop album would you consider THE BEST OF ALL TIME!!!???……One 1 album you can choose.

Damn. Just one ??? I gotta Say Wiz Khalifa Kush X Orange Juice.

Lloyd Banks V5 is really my favorite but the first thought was wiz. That project changed my whole life. He was the first rapper that I could clearly tell was dumbing down his content to become a different icon.

Like listening to him he taught our generation how to cross over n still make great songs. I began smoking by the Oz off that fucking tape. !!!

Here it is! Our most popular question! What is your definition of “underground hip hop”?

Underground simply means you have a greater goal than commercial success. This Genre was created to save the world. All that main stream shit now is killing our people children – elder

Underground music talks about what we face today as a people.

Think a real railroad vs Harriet’s Underground Railroads

That’s what we got today. My question to rappers today is … “which train you conducting?”

Where can people find you on the web? Drop all the vital links.

iTunes Spotify YouTube Tidal SoundCloud bandcamp… All you gotta do is type in MITCH PENN

Lastly, and shout out? (friends, family, management, etc)

My moms. Hope one day I look back n read this n we cool by then.

My Wife. N my two kids.