Get Local, MN! Interview #3
-Trip City-
Today we are sitting down with Trip City of Midwest Sickness Entertainment. First things first, what's with your name? I understand
you are a one man act, is there any deep significance behind the moniker
Trip City?
HAHA! Well, first things first, the initials is what it was originally based around. "TC" which is the same as Twin Cities, so I'm always reppin' where I was born. "Trip", I felt was prefect because of how different I am from everyone else with my music. I mean, I'm a TRIP with all of the different styles in my music. You can hear from hip hop, to a rock, to a blues type feel. And "City' is because I'm a solo artist, and I feel I AM like a metropolis of different kinds of lyrics, and the many ways that I deliver them. It's more or less to stand out from the crowd, you know?
I see, complex meaning from a deep artist. How long have you been in the
game and what made you want to start rapping? Also give us some of your
major influences and what they mean to you.
I recorded my first rap song only about 3 years ago. But I always wrote
rhymes in high school, on paper. I never had a beat though, you know? I
didn't know where to get one, so I just wrote for fun. I was in choir
too. I met my friend Charlie in about 11th grade and from him I learned
how to play the guitar. I loved to sing and the guitar was my beat. So i
just wrote songs and sang. And I did that for about 4 years. Until I
met the Northern Litez. They were doing the local hip hop thing, and I
was blown away! They told me how they get beats and record, and it was
on from there. Once I wrote a few songs and came up with a name, they
pointed me to the stage. As far as my influences go I'd had have to say
in high school I listened to people like Eazy-E, Tupac, Fat Joe, Nas,
and Eminem. Then later I found Tech N9ne, Wu-Tang and Mobb Deep. Now
most of my time I listen to other locals. Like Prof, M.C. Rentz, Professor Fresh, Ill P.O.E., Izzy Dunfore and now Dopesic. And what they
mean to me? They mean not the radio...I hate the radio...
We here at GLMN like to say F*!# the Radio, Get Local MN! There is just
so much more freedom and diversity in what artists can do in the
Underground. Its insane. What does the Underground mean to you as compared to Mainstream music and what are you're plans? Do you mean to
rise above the Underground at any point in your career?
Hmm...To me the underground is music that's real. Mainstream is a game of
popularity, and greed. Yes, the underground has more swearing and dark
lyrics, but that's life. The mainstream now, is just about money and
material possessions. That's not what its like for 99% of the people
listening, its just a dream. That's where we come in, and talk about what
its like to stress to pay rent, or live in a broken home. The
underground has so much more reality and heart than anything that's
mainstream. And there is diversity, like you said. The stuff on the
radio is made "to get on the radio". But the underground has so much
more to offer because theres no rules, no out of bounds. It's an art. I
never plan to go mainstream. It's just one big popularity contest that
I'm not entering.
You have a lot to say on many topics and it shows in your music. You
seem to effortlessly convey any messages you want to get across with
ease. Explain to the people that haven't yet got a chance to listen to
your new project "Life's a Trip" what the album is about, and is there
any more projects slated to drop in 2013?
Yea! Life's A Trip, man. And that's exactly what its about. Moving
through different stages of life as you get older. Like getting my own
place, working a 9 to 5. In my song "Friends" I talk about how it feels
as if my friends and I are drifting apart. Which I know everyone deals
with, because people have kids, move away or just work all the time.
Life changes like chapters in a book, man. Another song from it "In The
Mirror" I talk about what its like to realize I'm getting older and
things are changing around me. It's a lot deeper then my 1st album "To
The Streets" which was louder and more in your face. This one I wanted
to express my thoughts more. Let people get to know Trip City. I also
took "Life's A Trip" to an East Coast type feel, because I like how real
it is. That kind of music you can just kick back with a blunt, and just
vibe, you know? And I got some "Screwed Up" tracks on the end. Those are
like chopped and screwed, but without the chopped. Like some South Park
Mexican type shiz, I love that! And yes, I do plan on coming out with
an EP called "Str8 Beastin'", hopefully by the end of summer. I'm kind
of taking it back to my 1st album feel, with 8 tracks of loud and in
your face rap. AND I've been working with the group I'm in as well,
Midwest Sickness, with Paystee Whyt and Stratta G. AKA Northern Litez.
We got an album called "tErMinal illneSs" and that stuff is just SICK!
Its like 3 different worlds coming together to create one crazy insane
album. I'm excited to get that finished, which should be out VERY soon,
within the next couple of months.
Sounds great, I like diversity in my music and it sounds like these
albums has something for everyone. Now let's take a look into the
distant future of Trip City, where do you see yourself in 5 years, and
what dream collabs would you liked to have finished by the time you
reach that point?
I guess I haven't really thought too much about that. I would really
like to keep upgrading my studio with every album I record. Since I give
my stuff away for free, everything there comes out of my own pocket.
And in about 5 years, I would like to see myself have about 5 more
albums haha! Right now I'm just focused on making as much music as I
can. As far as collabs go, I was hoping to do some tracks with people
like Professor Fresh, Ill Poe, M.C. Rentz and Izzy Dunfore. Those dudes
are local legends to me, man. On Life's A Trip, I was able to pull Lil Mic-E and that song was dope! I plan on havin him again for sure. And
basically anyone I can, because I think that's what its all about. Makin
good music, with good peoples, you know?
That is true, unity is a huge part of what we do and it brings everyone
further. Now let's get personal.. What is the average day in the life of
Trip City?
HAHA! well that usually consists of work. 2nd shift from 3 to 11pm. I
work with my fiance at the same place. A metal foundry. After work I
usually work on my music or just watch netflix. Nothin crazy. Since we
work Monday through Friday, our weekends are pretty busy. Hangin out
with people, doing errands. Sometimes we'll get down on some Call Of
Duty (That's right, my fiance plays COD). A lot of my music is usually
wrote while I'm at work though. I have my headphones on, playin the
beat, and I'll just write line for line down as I think of it. It's
pretty efficient! When I get home I'll re-write it out and try to record
it. That's how I did my whole Life's A Trip album. If you watch my promo
video for it, you'd understand. Its up on our website
MidwestSicknessEnt.com. I did that, showing that life can be pretty
ordinary, even if you're an artist.
Yes, life in the shoes of a local artist is usually fairly ordinary
during business hours, and like life the game is full of ups and downs,
what are some of the highest moments in your career thus far? Also, take
us to the darkest places in the history of Trip City, what has been the
biggest let down or the hardest obstacle to overcome?
That's tough. I'd have to say my biggest "disappointment" is the way
people look at rap. Everybody just hears whats on the radio and compares
every artist to that. Any rapper will tell you, there's a lot more to
it. Some people accept it for the poetry it is, and the skill it takes.
Others just think it's crap, and that's my obstacle to work past. And as
far as my highest moments, it was a pretty great step for me to get my
own studio and record myself. But it's only the beginning for me, with
every song I do, it gets better and better....I guess you could say I'm
high right now!
Being an up and coming artist the work is never done. All the work we do
builds up through the tracks, the promotion, the albums, and ultimately
the live stage performance. What is the show to you? Is there a method
you use to get amped before you take the stage, and when can we expect
Trip City to be live again?
Oh I love shows for the energy and just doing the music live! I love
getting out there to new people and hearing other people perform as
well. As far as the pre-performance rituals I'll usually smoke one with
the homies first. Gotta get the head right. I've never really been
nervous before going up on stage, I just get up there and do it. I'm
usually excited to get my music poundin'. And I'll be live next with the
Midwest Sickness crew for the tErMinal illneSs album release. That's
going to be a big show, I can't wait for that! And I'm hoping I'll have a
show for my Str8 Beastin' EP not too long after. I'm gonna get loud!
Indeed, you recently sent us a sample track Hard In The Paint off the "Str8 Beastin' EP" and it is night and day different from anything we heard off "Life's a Trip" what are your plans with this next project? Also, tell us more about this "tErMinal illneSs" project your label is about to drop.
Str8 Beastin' is going to be exactly what it sounds like: 8 tracks of
lyrically beastin' on em. But that doesn't exactly mean fast rap, just
that hard flow and clownin' type shit. I definitely perfected my words
since my debut album To The Streets. Str8 Beastin' will be a lot like my
debut but better, because I'm the one recording it and perfecting it
the way I want. And I hope to have a lot of features (which I can't
discuss just yet). It's only 8 tracks so I'm going all out! The tErMinal
illneSs project is nuts. It's got some older music from us and some
newer music no ones ever heard. But it's just packed with sick tracks.
It's great working with the Northern Litez because the electricity they
have together is mind warping, and we make an unstoppable team. Like I
said it's only the beginning, there's so much more to come! That's all I
can say right now.
Well, we will have to catch up sometime for another interview for sure! As we round out this one, I have just a couple more questions for you. Fans are the driving force in any musicians life, do you have any messages for your existing fans or anything to say to people just learning about you for the first time?
Stay real. Listen to the music YOU want to listen to. Explore outside
the television and radio. That shits like 1% of the music out there in
the world. Find that music that moves YOU and not everyone else. Oh, and
then support that artist by buyin their shit!
I like that, you are a humble man. Lastly, do you have any advice for anyone thinking about trying their hand in the rap game?
Just do it. It's worth it to be able to look back on and have to show to
your kids or even grand kids. And it's a way of keeping productive. And
BE ORIGINAL. Don't try to be like anybody. Make your own style and rock
that bitch!
That about wraps it up for us. Thank you for your time Trip. We wish you good
luck in your upcoming projects, and look forward to speaking more with
you in the future. For all the fans, and Get Local, MN! This is J.
Zarins saying "Get Live, Get Loud, Get Local, MN!"
Don't forget to check out the extra links!!!
Download Trip Citys albums for FREE here
Watch Trip City Videos and listen to Trips Screwed Up Tapes here
