just a interview i came across .
Hobo Tone interview by Scott Bejda
How many projects do you have out right now?
I got a total of about five projects. I got Incognito, Hollow Point, Underdogs to the Mid West and my first solo project which was Hobolavirus. Incognito and Hollow Point were my groups and Under Dogs was a compilation. My new one that I got coming out is called Species.
Has your style changed from when you first started rapping til now?
I think you have to change your style to keep up with the times. In 2004 you can’t be rappin like you were in 1991. My style has changed since ’91, but I only have got better. Way better.
What is your new album like?
I’m more on the production side. I’m trying to be a credited artist on the production. I have already worked with Lil Flip, Tech N9ne, Spice 1, E-40 and a lot of local artists. A lot of local artists come to me for production, but I’m still not a credited producer. I haven’t sold 100,000 units yet.
How long have you been rapping?
I can say for sure since ’88. I have been in the game professionally doing this business getting paper since ’98. It’s all been hip hop and fun and just doing what I do. In ‘97-’98 is when I went professional with it.
What did you want to achieve when you went professional?
I just wanted to be known in my city. I just wanted to be respected for doing word play and putting words together and putting them over beats. I just wanted to be known for what I could bring to hip hop. I started meeting famous rappers at my early start like Scarface, Ice Cube and Naughty by Nature. I also met Chuck D from Public Enemy. I started meeting rappers in my career and I didn’t even have a CD out. I always knew that this game was for me. Chuck D told me if I ever stop rappin then everything that I worked up to at the point would have been for nothing. That’s why I drive myself, trying to get to where I’m trying to get.
How did you meet all those artists?
I was sneaking in concerts, sneaking backstage and pretending to be part of the entourage. I was just a pure fan of hip hop. I heard Scarface on the radio station one time in Kansas City and instead of me just listening I just went up to the station.
How did you get in there to meet him?
They thought it was a bunch of girls at the back door, but it was just me. I got a chance to meet Face and because of that meeting I met him like three more times.
A lot of people would have liked to go down there to meet him, what made you actually go there and do it?
It was my hungriness for hip hop. They were a new urban rap group from Texas. I was just hungry and young. I ran down there and I didn’t know if I was going to get turned away, or if security was gonna rush me. I just rang the buzzer and they came to the door. They were new so they were looking for fans anyway.
Is your new album finished?
This new album is not finished yet, but the production is hella tight. What I have been doing with my earnings from Hobolavirus was built me a studio. I wanted to build a home for my company which is Chocolate Boy Entertainment. I wanted to be able to record in a comfort zone and not have to worry about studio time and costly efforts.
Do you do any touring?
I’m one of the only rappers in Kansas City that tours with Tech N9ne. There is only about three of us that tour with him. We just did a 56 city tour last year. That was the 2003 summer. We moved from city to city. It started in St. Louis and it ended in Kansas City. We went all over down South. We went to Dallas, Houston, Arizona and all the cities in California. We hit San Diego, LA, San Jose, Oakland and in northern California. We hit Seattle Washington, Portland, Denver and just about every where.
You and Tech are pretty cool!
Me and Tech are like friendly rivals. We both respect each other. He’s from Kansas City Missouri and I’m from Kansas City Kansas. We have a mutual respect for each other.
How did you meet him?
I met Tech at the Black Expo in 1990. We were the two dopest rappers that were there. My first time ever seeing Tech, I was a fan of his. I can remember him coming to me telling me that he really liked my music and my style. One thing that makes Tech respect me is he knows that I’m not gonna imitate him.
Were you born in Kansas City?
I was born in Cook County Hospital in Chicago. I moved to Kansas City at the age of ten years old. All of my teen age summers I was in Chicago.
What was the change like from moving from Chicago to KC?
Kansas City was a way out of the ghetto for my mother and father from Chicago. We learned quickly that the ghetto is every where. We moved to a ghetto that some people might say is worse than Chicago. We moved to the Choutoue projects. My life has been urban ever since I was young. It was instilled in me to stay in school so I got my education. I feel like we are basically reporters so I just report what I grew up on.
How did you get the name Hobo?
The reason I say my name is Hobo is because I travel a lot. I have traveled since I was little. I used to live with different relatives. I feel that I overcame, because I could have been in jail or dead. I overcame all that. Hobo is not necessary bad, it can also mean good. You have surpassed all the badness. I used to ride trains when I was in Chicago and catch them all the time from point a to point b. That’s when I came up with the name when I was in Chicago riding the El trains. In Chicago you always see homeless people that is always on the trains. Add that to traveling
Did you grow up in Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas City, Kansas?
I used to live in Missouri, but I claim Kansas because I kind of grew up on this side. I live in a real Urban rough area called Wyandotte County. It’s very, very rough. Drug dealers and murders. We don’t have beaches and water. We don’t never get to see nothing but bricks. Everybody knows everybody, but it’s very urban here. It’s basically like a baby LA. All the candy paint that they have, we have out here. We just don’t have beaches and sand.
How did you start in doing songs for independent films?
It’s through my management that used to manage Tech N9ne. I’m real close to Strange Music. Tech helped me out in a lot of ways. There was this guy that I worked with named Crow and Tech introduced me to him and formed us into a group. We became Hollow Point! The manager that used to manage him helped get him his first deal with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Now shit manages me! Her name is Miling Poole and her company is called Exact Image.
How did she get you making music for films?
She landed me a deal to do some music for this movie called Breaking & Entering. The guy loved my music so much that he used about four tracks for his film. This movie is a romantic comedy.
Are you going to do more music for other movies now?
Right now I’m working on music for the new movie called Halfway Home.
Who is putting these movies out?
The guy is Vin Morales with VSM Productions out of Louisville, Kentucky.
How does it make you feel to be doing soundtracks?
I went to an early premier on it and I was basically sleeping through the whole movie because I’m from the block. I didn’t really have no interest in it except that I wanted to hear my music come across the screen. When I heard my music come across the screen then all of a sudden that White American movie became everything to me. It was like the movie of movies because I could hear my music behind this scene. I was more than thankful to Mr. Vin Morales because I never experienced that ever.
Did you ever think of doing any acting?
We are currently trying to get me a small acting part in the next movie. My music will be in the movie too.
Will this be your first time doing any acting?
I was in the video with John Amos from good times in my video for Hollow Point. We re-enacted the player’s club! This will be my first time ever with dialogue. I think I can pull it off.
Do you think acting is something that you want to do more of in the future?
I want to get into that real big! If anybody will give me a chance to act, I think I can pull off a Denzel. I think I can take the game to the next level.
You mentioned Scarface and Chuck D, but has there been one person that really made you want to do this?
That one person has always been who ever hip hop is. I can’t really say just one person. That one person has always been the change of hip hop and who ever hip hop is.
Who are your favorite rappers right now?
Kanye West, Ludacris, Eminem, 50 Cent, Lil Keke, Slim Thug and Lil Flip. There are a lot of people coming out of Houston Texas right now.
What do you think this Murder Dog Compilation will do for Kansas City?
It’s going to make the rest of the country realize that there is some talented brothers here that has been feeding for years off of the West, East and the South. We have a sound that’s collaborated of all those sides, that’s right here and bangin. If I were to make a million or five million dollars, then all of my talent would come right here from Kansas City. I wouldn’t go no where else for artists if I were to start a label. Everybody that would be on my label would be from Kansas City. One thing about Kansas City is there are a lot of people that is From Kansas City doing things behind the scenes that are making other people famous.
Can you give me some examples?
There are people that are writing on Joe’s album. My man Bishop was in R. Kelly’s first group which was Talent. He writes for Joe and Cisco. We also have Shea Jones from Kansas City. Tech N9ne is from Kansas City. We also have Vell Bakardy who is the first guy to ever have a video out there. Eddie Griffin is from Kansas City. He’s a big time comedian and movie star. St. Louis is right next door to us and I feel it is our turn.
Hobo Tone interview by Scott Bejda
How many projects do you have out right now?
I got a total of about five projects. I got Incognito, Hollow Point, Underdogs to the Mid West and my first solo project which was Hobolavirus. Incognito and Hollow Point were my groups and Under Dogs was a compilation. My new one that I got coming out is called Species.
Has your style changed from when you first started rapping til now?
I think you have to change your style to keep up with the times. In 2004 you can’t be rappin like you were in 1991. My style has changed since ’91, but I only have got better. Way better.
What is your new album like?
I’m more on the production side. I’m trying to be a credited artist on the production. I have already worked with Lil Flip, Tech N9ne, Spice 1, E-40 and a lot of local artists. A lot of local artists come to me for production, but I’m still not a credited producer. I haven’t sold 100,000 units yet.
How long have you been rapping?
I can say for sure since ’88. I have been in the game professionally doing this business getting paper since ’98. It’s all been hip hop and fun and just doing what I do. In ‘97-’98 is when I went professional with it.
What did you want to achieve when you went professional?
I just wanted to be known in my city. I just wanted to be respected for doing word play and putting words together and putting them over beats. I just wanted to be known for what I could bring to hip hop. I started meeting famous rappers at my early start like Scarface, Ice Cube and Naughty by Nature. I also met Chuck D from Public Enemy. I started meeting rappers in my career and I didn’t even have a CD out. I always knew that this game was for me. Chuck D told me if I ever stop rappin then everything that I worked up to at the point would have been for nothing. That’s why I drive myself, trying to get to where I’m trying to get.
How did you meet all those artists?
I was sneaking in concerts, sneaking backstage and pretending to be part of the entourage. I was just a pure fan of hip hop. I heard Scarface on the radio station one time in Kansas City and instead of me just listening I just went up to the station.
How did you get in there to meet him?
They thought it was a bunch of girls at the back door, but it was just me. I got a chance to meet Face and because of that meeting I met him like three more times.
A lot of people would have liked to go down there to meet him, what made you actually go there and do it?
It was my hungriness for hip hop. They were a new urban rap group from Texas. I was just hungry and young. I ran down there and I didn’t know if I was going to get turned away, or if security was gonna rush me. I just rang the buzzer and they came to the door. They were new so they were looking for fans anyway.
Is your new album finished?
This new album is not finished yet, but the production is hella tight. What I have been doing with my earnings from Hobolavirus was built me a studio. I wanted to build a home for my company which is Chocolate Boy Entertainment. I wanted to be able to record in a comfort zone and not have to worry about studio time and costly efforts.
Do you do any touring?
I’m one of the only rappers in Kansas City that tours with Tech N9ne. There is only about three of us that tour with him. We just did a 56 city tour last year. That was the 2003 summer. We moved from city to city. It started in St. Louis and it ended in Kansas City. We went all over down South. We went to Dallas, Houston, Arizona and all the cities in California. We hit San Diego, LA, San Jose, Oakland and in northern California. We hit Seattle Washington, Portland, Denver and just about every where.
You and Tech are pretty cool!
Me and Tech are like friendly rivals. We both respect each other. He’s from Kansas City Missouri and I’m from Kansas City Kansas. We have a mutual respect for each other.
How did you meet him?
I met Tech at the Black Expo in 1990. We were the two dopest rappers that were there. My first time ever seeing Tech, I was a fan of his. I can remember him coming to me telling me that he really liked my music and my style. One thing that makes Tech respect me is he knows that I’m not gonna imitate him.
Were you born in Kansas City?
I was born in Cook County Hospital in Chicago. I moved to Kansas City at the age of ten years old. All of my teen age summers I was in Chicago.
What was the change like from moving from Chicago to KC?
Kansas City was a way out of the ghetto for my mother and father from Chicago. We learned quickly that the ghetto is every where. We moved to a ghetto that some people might say is worse than Chicago. We moved to the Choutoue projects. My life has been urban ever since I was young. It was instilled in me to stay in school so I got my education. I feel like we are basically reporters so I just report what I grew up on.
How did you get the name Hobo?
The reason I say my name is Hobo is because I travel a lot. I have traveled since I was little. I used to live with different relatives. I feel that I overcame, because I could have been in jail or dead. I overcame all that. Hobo is not necessary bad, it can also mean good. You have surpassed all the badness. I used to ride trains when I was in Chicago and catch them all the time from point a to point b. That’s when I came up with the name when I was in Chicago riding the El trains. In Chicago you always see homeless people that is always on the trains. Add that to traveling
Did you grow up in Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas City, Kansas?
I used to live in Missouri, but I claim Kansas because I kind of grew up on this side. I live in a real Urban rough area called Wyandotte County. It’s very, very rough. Drug dealers and murders. We don’t have beaches and water. We don’t never get to see nothing but bricks. Everybody knows everybody, but it’s very urban here. It’s basically like a baby LA. All the candy paint that they have, we have out here. We just don’t have beaches and sand.
How did you start in doing songs for independent films?
It’s through my management that used to manage Tech N9ne. I’m real close to Strange Music. Tech helped me out in a lot of ways. There was this guy that I worked with named Crow and Tech introduced me to him and formed us into a group. We became Hollow Point! The manager that used to manage him helped get him his first deal with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Now shit manages me! Her name is Miling Poole and her company is called Exact Image.
How did she get you making music for films?
She landed me a deal to do some music for this movie called Breaking & Entering. The guy loved my music so much that he used about four tracks for his film. This movie is a romantic comedy.
Are you going to do more music for other movies now?
Right now I’m working on music for the new movie called Halfway Home.
Who is putting these movies out?
The guy is Vin Morales with VSM Productions out of Louisville, Kentucky.
How does it make you feel to be doing soundtracks?
I went to an early premier on it and I was basically sleeping through the whole movie because I’m from the block. I didn’t really have no interest in it except that I wanted to hear my music come across the screen. When I heard my music come across the screen then all of a sudden that White American movie became everything to me. It was like the movie of movies because I could hear my music behind this scene. I was more than thankful to Mr. Vin Morales because I never experienced that ever.
Did you ever think of doing any acting?
We are currently trying to get me a small acting part in the next movie. My music will be in the movie too.
Will this be your first time doing any acting?
I was in the video with John Amos from good times in my video for Hollow Point. We re-enacted the player’s club! This will be my first time ever with dialogue. I think I can pull it off.
Do you think acting is something that you want to do more of in the future?
I want to get into that real big! If anybody will give me a chance to act, I think I can pull off a Denzel. I think I can take the game to the next level.
You mentioned Scarface and Chuck D, but has there been one person that really made you want to do this?
That one person has always been who ever hip hop is. I can’t really say just one person. That one person has always been the change of hip hop and who ever hip hop is.
Who are your favorite rappers right now?
Kanye West, Ludacris, Eminem, 50 Cent, Lil Keke, Slim Thug and Lil Flip. There are a lot of people coming out of Houston Texas right now.
What do you think this Murder Dog Compilation will do for Kansas City?
It’s going to make the rest of the country realize that there is some talented brothers here that has been feeding for years off of the West, East and the South. We have a sound that’s collaborated of all those sides, that’s right here and bangin. If I were to make a million or five million dollars, then all of my talent would come right here from Kansas City. I wouldn’t go no where else for artists if I were to start a label. Everybody that would be on my label would be from Kansas City. One thing about Kansas City is there are a lot of people that is From Kansas City doing things behind the scenes that are making other people famous.
Can you give me some examples?
There are people that are writing on Joe’s album. My man Bishop was in R. Kelly’s first group which was Talent. He writes for Joe and Cisco. We also have Shea Jones from Kansas City. Tech N9ne is from Kansas City. We also have Vell Bakardy who is the first guy to ever have a video out there. Eddie Griffin is from Kansas City. He’s a big time comedian and movie star. St. Louis is right next door to us and I feel it is our turn.
