In this interview, we spend a few minutes with –ToBy– discussing new projects, influences, and surviving as an indie artist in a digital world.
Full Q&A and stream below.
We’ve featured you before but let’s dive a little deeper into the artist and the music. What attracted you to this genre or style of music?
Believe it or not I used to dislike hip hop. The like first song I liked was “Gold Digger” by Kanye West and I had heard it off of my friend’s iPod while rehearsing for a school play in 8th grade. Then a buddy of mine in high school showed me like Nas, MF DOOM, Nujabes, Lupe Fiasco, we got into Odd Future together it was crazy. I learned about Childish Gambino back when he was doing his I AM JUST A RAPPER mixtapes and like his Cul De Sac album (i was obsessed with him [still am] and I like retraced his catalogue down to the like first MC DJ projects he did when he was in college with DC Pierson and stuff, you know how Tyler the Creator stans Pharell? Well yeah.) Long story short, I like crash coursed my way through hip hop. Once I found it I couldn’t get enough. Then um there was this situation where we heard a kid from another school make a rap song and it was making its way around our group of friends and we all thought it was really bad. So I, being the drama kid class clown that I am, was like “oh I could make a better rap song than that” and I hit up my long time best friend (we’ve known each other since kindergarten) and told him to produce a track for me and record me making a diss song about this other kid. It went horribly, the song was shit, he hit back way harder with a much better song, it didn’t go well at all. But what I took away from it was that it was fun, it made me feel unique, and I really liked writing so I just never stopped.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
I’ve been making music since I was 17, I like compiled a bunch of MF DOOM beats and put together a little EP called the DOOMed EP which I pray to god isn’t floating around on the internet somewhere. Then I made another little EP called What’s Your Name where I rapped over like Exhibit A and C by Jay Electronica, and, oh my god, fucking Moment 4 Life by Nicki Minaj. But yeah, 17…and I’m 23 in August so that’s something like 6 years or so? I’m still a baby technically haha.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
Um it’s the cliché answer for sure but, life heavily influences my writing. But not like “life” in general, but my life you know? I always had a different perspective on the world and found myself existing at these sort of social intersections most of the time so I use those varied experiences to fuel my art. And the constant overlooming fear of waking up one day at like a desk job surrounded by people I hate to make ends meet motivates me to keep going. That’s not a diss to desk jobbers though, if you like what you do more power to you, I just can’t imagine myself being forced into a corner trying to survive for the sake of surviving and not being able to do what I love, which is music.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
On SEITEICOS I think I was really trying to establish myself to the world. Like, “this is me: Reggie and this is me: -ToBy- and this is what I do and this is who I am.” It touches on a lot of like really personal stuff, I had a friend of mine pass away shortly before I wrote a lot of the material on it plus I was fucked up over an ex and not getting along with my family all that well, AND ON TOP OF ALL THAT there was what was happening with the state of Black America and the staggering number innocent lives lost; so it was really just like a purging process. Most of it is in the past and those issues are long over with but it was really a glimpse into how I translate personal and societal struggle into music. Got a lot off my chest with that one.
What was the last song you listened to?
It was a rough mix of a new track I’m working on. Top secret.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
FLAC.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I got that student discount Spotify hookup thooooooooooo. 5 bucks a month for all the kaki king I can shove in my ears? Yes, please, thank you.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
Well I live in Miami, which has a HORRIBLE local rap scene. Not talent-wise, the talent is dope but It’s just like shady promoters everywhere you turn and for whatever reason they love like dealing in “exposure” like it’s some form of redeemable currency? Without naming names there’s a super popular event company that throws a majority of the rap shows down here and every so often I get an email saying “Hey so-and-so is playing in your city, if you’re interested in performing reply to this email with an offer of $500-$1000 dollars in return for 5-7 minutes of stage time as their opener.” Like what??? Do you know what I could do with $500-$1000 bucks? That’s a trip to LA. That’s hella Facebook advertising. It baffles me. So yeah, I think the hardest thing about attracting listeners at least where I’m from are the roadblocks set in place for artists by people who are only in it for the check.
Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you perform?
I used to perform a lot more back in the day. Now I’m just focusing on creating content. Videos, projects, collaborations. My group BARIKUDAxDEATHWISH has a periscope account that we’re on sometimes when we’re in the studio but until I start getting booked it’ll be a while before you see me on stage.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
All of my music can be found on the BARIKUDAxDEATHWISH Soundcloud and Youtube. It’s all free to download too so, as they kids say, peep my soundcloud fam:
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Thank you guys for having me on! Expect some more dope music to come out and to whoever’s reading this I guess I have to say always follow your dreams unless they involve like fucking with people cuz idk that’s not cool and stuff. Shoutouts to Hymmel for always driving me to the airport.
