Interview: roqy tyraid + definition of fresh + dunn deal promotions

Phoenix, Arizona rapper RoQy TyRaiD presents the self-directed music video for “Nonpareil”, another single dropping in anticipation of The Dichotomy Of RoQy TyRaiD, his forthcoming album set to feature Mega Ran, Mr Miranda, Big Penny, and Mystic Blu as well as production from Oddisee, Hezekiah, Slopfunkdust, M Slago, Jimmy Flight, Nameless, Nabeyin, Ill Maestro, Phoenix’s Arza, and Tunesmith. Since the release of his debut album The New Millennium Man, RoQy has sold thousands of CDs hand to hand, appeared on AllHipHop’s Top Artists Of The Year list four years straight, has appeared on The Wake Up Show and has performed at SXSW, DIllaDayLA, A3C and has toured nationally. “The video can best described as a snuff film meets a lost footage flick”, RoQy says about the new record. “Menacing, aggressive, demanding visual interpretation of the song’s creative lethality. In the video, I stalk and kill my only form of competition, then bury it in the mud, There Will Be Blood style”.

How are you adjusting musically and personally since the release of The Dichotomy?

Man, musically, I feel like it's like witnessing a tree start to take form after putting so much labor into the field. You work on something so diligently that you don't necessarily fathom what it's like to "complete" the project. I mean, because, what purpose is it to set out to create something for the sole goal of "finishing" it? That's not what art is. I'm always performing, always recording, always thinking of new ways to visually express my art, that there really isn't an "adjustment" musically. Personally, however..it's a whole new game for me. I've essentially been a free agent this entire time: from The New Millennium Man, The Podium, festivals, The Wake Up Show, up until pre-A3C. It's awesome to have aligned with Soulspazm, like minded individuals who believe in what I do and give me the creative freedom to just be "me". So, there's no longer the burden of that! Barely into week one and it's looking great!

How do you feel this album differs from your previous releases?

This is my first traditional album. I've put out two projects; well, technically three if you count the Synopsis cd, which is a tour merch only, preamble to Dichotomy sort of deal. But with The New Millennium Man, it was basically a street tape, some original joints spliced together with mixtaped beats of joints I've wanted to rhyme over since a teen. I called it an "Artistic Test of Strength", basically just showing cats that I can take out their favorite rapper [laughs]. The Podium was a political current event series which was eventually turned into a retrospective project. With this, you have a balanced artist giving you his often shifting perspective of himself and the world around him. It is the first album where I've finally put the ego down and decided to be myself and be as honest at that as possible. And it's delivered in such a universal way that I have no doubt people will be able to relate to it. Plus, it's just more advanced to begin with so [laughs] 

Who do you think is the most underrated rapper in hiphop and why?

Myself...? I feel this was an expected response but I just have so much to give this culture with The Dichotomy, that it's a relief to finally have the tools to disseminate this art. Whether it's lyricism, average joe connections, hilarity, romance, politics, social issues, daily life, introspection, leisure, geek "culture" if there's such a phrasing; it's offered right here. There's been forces bent on sabotaging the journey, but all that was accomplished as the maturation of a perspective of lyricism I feel is practically proprietary, at this point. Can't just make this interview about me, so if I had to pick another artist, I'd say Mega Ran. Just google dude.. CMJ #1 lists, Billboard, multiple international tours all off the merit of his own solo work. Go check him out!

What do you think are the pros and cons of the hiphop scene today?

Going to start with the cons so we can end it on a good note. Negatively, the culture is so inundated with "rappers" that it's incredibly and increasingly more difficult for the average emcee to stand out. With me, I've been blessed with the prerequisites to do such a thing. The standard of creativity has been both raised in the sense of the average spitter being more advanced than those of the so-called golden year; and lowered because "originality" and "creativity" 's decline has run concurrent with the aforementioned Average's rise. People just aren't that impressed with run-of-the-mill spitting, anymore. People in the US just don't respect rappers like they used to. So, if you aren't finding ways to organically push your creativity to a level that will command respect, you're basically wasting your life chasing ghosts. Unfortunately that is the case for the majority of rappers. Now, for the pros! On the opposite side of that same coin, you still have an entire nation pockholed with demographics which appreciate the hell out of some dope hip-hop. Promoters, college stations, imprints such as you guys here at D.O.F. still cater to that "real". And when they stumble across shining examples, they do whatever they can to disseminate it to the masses. We've truly started to personify the "underground" experience. It's almost like a form of creative resistance, and it gives you chills knowing you're contributing to it; whether rhyming, djing, writing, promoting, marketing, dancing, painting, etc! I absolutely love how genuine the love of a underground hip hop crowd is. You don't get that at most mainstream shows. They go because they are told to like it. Heads go to indie shows because that is the best way to enjoy an evening of entertainment. Don't get me started on all those ill shows and festivals outside of the United States. You know where a wealth of my objectives lie! Hit my email, promoters! [laughs] Hip Hop is alive and readjusted to fit the information age. We aren't going anywhere but up and out, baby.

What line of yours do you think you should go down in history for and why?

At this point in time, I'll have to run with two bars off of the first verse of The Dichotomy's "Idiot Box", which goes: "Why are politics so black and white, left or right? / Politicians push the same messages in different lights; same religions, different christs" . The world is such a self-defeating civilization, that it's almost humorous. Really, while we have this innate need for community, as it spurs the possibility of procreation; we're also equally self-destructive, fearful, and biologically driven to ensure our genes are passed on, no matter what. How is this often done? Through control. What's a tried-and-true tactic of domination? Divide and conquer. We are so divisive, so bent on asserting dominance over the next person, which is often fueled by subtle differences; that we fail to see that we are all the same and there is enough room for us to thrive. Our leaders know this, moguls know this, why do you think they play up stereotypes? Why do you think they destroy urban areas with drugs, zoning laws, perpetuate gang violence with documented cases of infiltration, and then gentrify the hell out of the land? Why do you think they constantly depict Mexicans as "illegals stealing jobs" or Middle Easterners as "terrorists" in Hollywood?? To keep the next person ignorant and weary of their neighbor instead of the savages at the top of the food chain, playing us all for puppets. Instead of "right or wrong, my way or the highway " we should be displaying and embracing the wonderful subtleties of the subcultures of humanity. Not tensing up because a brotha walks by in a hoodie. Exceptionalism is so American is ridiculous. No such thing as only "your way". Just thinking out loud...