TIME STAMPS:
3:35 — Pete Rock gets a big shout-out at the top of the show as they get into his Instagram feed and how his posting Coast Contra’s ‘Never Freestyle’ brought attention and acclaim for the group to new heights. They also discuss the lyrical prowess of rapper JID, why they chose to use his ‘Never’ beat for their freestyle, and the crew’s conscious decision that 2022 would be the year to make a statement. They also get into their being inspired by how Biggie approached his performances as well as why they felt compelled to do their homework on all the legends that made their bones a generation before them.
9:15 — The group is asked about their experience performing at the Hollywood Bowl, the same night Dave Chappelle was attacked. They discuss Dave becoming an instant fan after seeing their freestyle, the surreal experience of doing a set at the venue and witnessing the chaos that ensued. They go on to talk about the process that eventually led them to performing their freestyle at a roundtable and Eric Jamal speaks on meeting his fellow Philly emcee Black Thought and how much he’s looking forward to making his own mark in the industry and repping for the city of brotherly love.
14:05 — Talib brings up his first meeting the group at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas nine years ago and they speak on when the group became official. They also discuss Taj and Ras Austin being second generation emcees with their father being Ras Kass and their mother Teedra Moses who is a singer and recording artist. The twins are asked what kind of pressures have come with being the sons of well-known performers and they get into the blessing of having early insight into what it takes to make it in the industry.
19:15 — RioLoz is given gratitude for the shout-out to Talib in his freestyle and Talib tells a story about running into Conway when he grabbed the wrong Uber. Loz is asked about his immigrant experience being born in Colombia before later moving to Miami where he met the rest of the crew in high school. He talks about feeling grateful for his multi-cultural upbringing, learning English from watching the Simpsons, missing the “extra sauce” that comes with speaking Spanish back home and listening to mainly salsa until he moved to the states.
23:20 — The group speaks on all of them, originally linking up while living in Miami, in the 10th grade while attending Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School. They are asked about the spark that brought them together as they discuss their bonding over love for hip hop. They also talk about when Eric Jamal came into the fold and what he brought to the structure, being from Philly as well as the elder of the crew. Eric goes on to tell what he learned from the other three about the power of communication and respecting the feelings of one another.
28:27 — The group gets into their years of building in Apt. 505 after moving out to LA together in 2015. They go on to talk about the symbolism of the Hollywood sign that they would look at through their window and the many phases they experienced after half a decade of living together there including dealings with roaches, rats, and mushrooms growing on the walls. They also get into all the positives that come with living in such close quarters with the ones that most inspire, motivate, and reinforce your dreams.
34:58 — The group is asked about how they all wound up working at the My 2 Cents LA soul food restaurant when they first landed in Los Angeles. Ras talks about how his Aunt forced him to get a job as soon as he started living with her, his reluctantcy at first and being hired on the spot by Chef and owner Alisa Reynolds. They discuss how being employed at My 2 Cents became a huge part of the Coast Contra come-up story as they get into the creative epicenter it was and all of them being motivated to get on their game as they would see well-known rappers roll through there often.
39:49 — The group is asked what’s behind their focus on financial literacy that’s on display in songs like ‘Get the Worm’. They discuss how more people should be on a constant quest for knowledge with all the modern-day tools available and how having the right people around is essential for positive growth. They also get into learning from the trials and tribulations of rappers that came before them and wanting to do the same for the next generation. This leads them into a discussion about what 2Pac and Biggie might be doing today.
48:18 — The group speaks on the things they’ve done to keep such a strong foundation over the years of being a collective. They get into the “Festivus” that the four partake in to air out their differences and their utilizing the motto of “protect in public, correct in private.” The romantic side of Coast Contra is also explored with their crafting of songs like ‘My Lady’. They discuss being raised to respect women, having positive female examples growing up and Ras’ evolution of becoming more romantic after becoming a husband.
55:11 — The movie ‘Queen & Slim’ is brought up as they discuss the group’s making of the title song for the soundtrack and how great of a steppingstone the opportunity was. They go on to discuss the spiritual side of Coast Contra as they get into Uncle Mike’s cameo in ‘Get The Worm’ about them speaking to the god in themselves. The group talks about becoming more in tune with their spiritual side every day, how that’s helped them detect when there’s something off with one another and the “becoming process”.
1:00:52 — The group is asked what it is about their come-up story that sets themselves apart from so many others. Ras talks about his imagining of a door to success that wouldn’t open unless he made the right moves. They go on to speak about coming to the realization that a person’s character can always change, learning lessons from the book ‘As a Man Thinketh’ written by James Allen. They also discuss the group’s conscious decision of a 7-year plan, where the number came from and the group’s “Coast Guards”.
1:06:17 — The group speaks on their plan to execute the next level of their prophecy by utilizing resources that have come with their recent success and feeling that travel will be a big part of Coast’s evolution. They talk about the excitement of bringing a whole new sound and energy to the industry and note RioLoz’s superstar status when performing. Finally, we get to hear a rare People’s Party freestyle session with each member of Coast Contra taking their turn to bar-out. Talib also takes the opportunity to give us something new and even Jas gets her chance to shine on the mic.
Speak On It!