In this interview feature, we chat with BOXGUTS about influences, the newest projects, the digital music era and much more.

You can find the full Q&A as well as links and streams to videos and more below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?

It’s challenging, creative, competitive, illustrative, and aggressive.  Those adjective resonate very well with me.

What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?

I was always making up songs since I can remember..As far back as the age of 3.  As I got older I kept making up my own songs for myself, and wanted to learn how to play an instrument and be in a band.  I attempted to learn several instruments, and was not able to connect with any of them.  I remember taking a log road trip with my Dad,when I must’ve been about 12 or 13, and I had brought Enter the 36 Chambers for the drive.  My Dad, who was probably not feeling the music too much began mocking it by freestyling over the emcees on the cassette tape.  When I realized how natural of a rhyming wordsmith my father is, I started to chime in and freestyle with him..this then became an obsession, freestyling every day until I began to see that my voice is the instrument that I have the most natural abilities with.  When I saw the reactions I would get from people with my freestyles, I thought “ok shit, I must be somewhat decent, I should take this farther”.  Eventually I ended up getting into writing rhymes and developing concepts that turned into recorded songs.  My drive to push what I do to the public is that I want to do this for the rest of my life and live strictly off of my art, and I know in order to do this I need to create a following so I can sell my work to those who are proud to support what I do.

Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?

Aside from friends and family, I would say nature influences my creativity the most.  There are so many amazing things that happen on a day to day basis that when taken note of, provides enough creative fuel to fill an ocean.  My music tastes have become more developed a lot as I’ve grown older, but I wouldn’t say they changed, just broadened.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?

Make all the tracks as bangin as possible, different from each other, different from anything on my previous releases , and to continue to do shit that is true to me so that I’ll always be able to enjoy what I’ve created.

There are two projects I released recently in the last few months. Trippin Down Melody Lane – an album I recorded last year with my homie Scvtterbrvin on the production, and Fossil In The Brothel – an album I recorded about 3 years ago with my homie Ebbineeza on the beats.

Working on TDML was a dope experience.  Scvtterbrvin had just moved to the Bronx from San Diego and wanted to link to work on some music.  At the time I wasn’t aware he was a producer, but I liked the tracks of his I’d heard a lot n thought he was a super sick emcee.  On our first meet up he told me he got into music with makin beats n that he’d been makin beats longer than he’d rhymed.  He started playing me some stuff he was working on, and I was blown away.  Shit clicked with me immediately, and I ended up recording two tracks with him that day “Diesel Barker” and “Landslider”.  We were stoked off of our first session n decided we should keep it rolling n stack tracks for a project.

Making FITB was a blast too.  Ebbineeza and I are in the same crew j23, and had been already working together on music for a few years.  One week he came by with his MPC and let me check out a gang of his work and raid the beat barrel for my favorites.  I started writing notes n rhymes as he was playing the beats, and I knew in my head it was gonna be a sick project.  A few months later we took a trip to The Poconos and bugged out for the weekend working on beats while I wrote to them.  A few weeks after the trip on a hot summer week, I decided to lay the joints down.  I was amped off of what we had created and wanted to put it out right away, but Ebbz and I were at totally different places in our lives and we had to put the project on ice for a while until we felt the time to release it was right.

What was the last song you listened to?

Sean Price – “Director’s Cut”

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

Vinyl’s the shit for collectability.  I’m an illustrator, so I always like to create n look at album art.  Having it in the largest printed format is where it’s as for me, plus I like the sound of records (and cassette tapes)..But for convenience mp3’s are great..My favorite to sell is CD’s tho..Easiest to sling something physical and just about anyone has access to a machine for playing them, plus I feel there’s more merit in your work if you have a real tangible version of it.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

Bandcamp, because I like to sell CDs and merch.  Plus it is very easy to manage your own account, and stay organized with orders.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?

Misunderstandings.  Humbleness being mistaken for weakness, and showing kindness being mistaken for friendship.  Some fans really are friends, don’t get me wrong, but most are acquaintances or just straight up fans of the music, and when they show a lack of respect online I’ve had some annoying misunderstandings with them. I like to handle my shit in person, and don’t like playing games..especially on the internet.  I try to treat everyone with respect, but not everyone is respectful or knowledgeable enough to know that humble artists are rare gems because the one’s who are always showing out like they don’t give a fuck about anything are usually the weakest and have the most insecurities.  Many young folk and ignorant people often don’t know how to talk to someone who they admire that is humble because they feel if the artist appears to be “down to earth” that they are “less of an artist” than the show off who is compensating for their lack of originality or ability with their god complexes.  When this line of respect is crossed they are no longer fans, they’re irritants.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?

• https://www.facebook.com/Boxguts/
• http://twitter.com/hotbrefboy
• https://boxguts.bandcamp.com
• https://soundcloud.com/boxguts
• http://mybedofnails.com
• https://www.instagram.com/boxguts/

Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?

Big ups to everyone who’s shown love and supports.  Shouts to the teams BoxReb, j23, B.A.G., UTC, MC and all my affiliates. Stay on the look out for the 2UGLi x Boxguts EP produced by Veto Mega (Peep the single – Kung Fu), G U T S 2, and Hot Bref Boy volume 4…Always more heat in store!!  Stay original and be good to one another.