In "SOUND CHECK", we check in with some of our favorite musicians.
Experimental hip-hop is having a major moment right now, and Rockie Fresh is one of our favorite artists leading the charge. The Chicago native is the youngest rapper ever signed to Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group, and he's making his mark with ultra-smooth rhymes backed by beats that incorporate a myriad of musical influences. We caught up with Rockie recently; check out what he had to say below while cueing up his latest track, "Headquarters Freestyle" featuring Lunice.
Rockie Fresh (Feat. Lunice) - HEADQUARTERS Freestyle by Rockie Fresh
Fill in the blanks: I am ____ and my sound is like ____.
I'm Rockie Fresh and my sound is like a mix of all the music you like––put into a hip-hop track.
Do you think growing up in Chicago influenced your sound?
Definitely. I grew up all over Chicago, so I came across a lot of different types of people from different races and classes, hearing so many types of music. I definitely think that comes out in my tracks.
What kind of music did you listen to growing up?
I listened to a lot of gospel through church. For awhile, that was the only thing my parents let me listen to. In the eighth grade, I started listening to Twista, Kanye, and Jay-Z. Lil Wayne was always a favorite, too––he really motivated me to become an artist. He took himself from being just a rapper who was part of a group to being one of the best artists in the game. And on top of that, I listened to John Mayer, Fall Out Boy, Paramore... I was listening to a lot of different stuff.
Where there any artists you looked up to?
I was always a Michael Jackson fan; he was never scared to do anything, and always put out different types of records and really amazing videos. He was always doing something new.
What was the first album you ever bought?
I think my first CD ever was the Space Jam soundtrack. That was a dope album. It’s still a classic in my book.
I’m a huge fan of your mixtapes. Have you started working on the next one?
Yeah definitely. My next mixtape is really to let people know how my life is still similar to theirs. Things have been kinda crazy, but I still remember where I came from and how much work I still have to do, and I wanted to share that. It’s also going to be about things I’ve learned through it all, and situations that have made me smarter. I’m really just laying it all out on the table.
Whose style did you
Experimental hip-hop is having a major moment right now, and Rockie Fresh is one of our favorite artists leading the charge. The Chicago native is the youngest rapper ever signed to Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group, and he's making his mark with ultra-smooth rhymes backed by beats that incorporate a myriad of musical influences. We caught up with Rockie recently; check out what he had to say below while cueing up his latest track, "Headquarters Freestyle" featuring Lunice.
Rockie Fresh (Feat. Lunice) - HEADQUARTERS Freestyle by Rockie Fresh
Fill in the blanks: I am ____ and my sound is like ____.
I'm Rockie Fresh and my sound is like a mix of all the music you like––put into a hip-hop track.
Do you think growing up in Chicago influenced your sound?
Definitely. I grew up all over Chicago, so I came across a lot of different types of people from different races and classes, hearing so many types of music. I definitely think that comes out in my tracks.
What kind of music did you listen to growing up?
I listened to a lot of gospel through church. For awhile, that was the only thing my parents let me listen to. In the eighth grade, I started listening to Twista, Kanye, and Jay-Z. Lil Wayne was always a favorite, too––he really motivated me to become an artist. He took himself from being just a rapper who was part of a group to being one of the best artists in the game. And on top of that, I listened to John Mayer, Fall Out Boy, Paramore... I was listening to a lot of different stuff.
Where there any artists you looked up to?
I was always a Michael Jackson fan; he was never scared to do anything, and always put out different types of records and really amazing videos. He was always doing something new.
What was the first album you ever bought?
I think my first CD ever was the Space Jam soundtrack. That was a dope album. It’s still a classic in my book.
I’m a huge fan of your mixtapes. Have you started working on the next one?
Yeah definitely. My next mixtape is really to let people know how my life is still similar to theirs. Things have been kinda crazy, but I still remember where I came from and how much work I still have to do, and I wanted to share that. It’s also going to be about things I’ve learned through it all, and situations that have made me smarter. I’m really just laying it all out on the table.
Whose style did you