For the second installment of my newly created blog series Qwik Interviews, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chicago's own emcee, Tree. I'm not sure what I find to be more impressive about Tree, the
incredible amount of buzz he's generated within the last 18 months, or
the fact that he's been gathering this publicity without the help of a
major label. While some sites have been posting Tree's music since the
beginning, it seems as if ever since MTV Hive writer Andrew Nosnitski
named last year's Sunday School mixtape as one of America's "Top 5 Mixtapes of 2012 So Far," that Tree's stock has really skyrocketed. He was later named one of Spin Magazine's "5 Best New Artists of August 2012" and also earned himself a cover story in an issue of the Chicago Reader. Just one month ago, his first visual offering from his latest release Sunday School II debuted on MTV2. He's recently been invited to perform at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago this summer. From his raspy voice to his compelling lyrics,
from his work ethic to his work on the beats, in one way or another,
Tree will earn your attention. Either get on board or get out of his way
because Tree doesn't plan on slowing down for anyone.
For those who may not know you, who are you?
TREE: I am Tree. The curator of (the music genre known as) "Soul Trap" and fellow Chicagoan.
What's the origin of your name?
TREE: My granny started calling me "Tree" as an abbreviation of my real name.
How long have you been rapping by this name?
TREE: Since day one.
Do you consider yourself to be a solo artist? How would you classify your status with Project Mayhem?
TREE: I am a solo artist, yes. Mayhem is my team, my clique.
How many mixtapes/EPs have you released thus far?
TREE: I wanna say eight or nine in three years. There's an industry tape, two collaborative efforts, one where I invited my city to feature, and five solos from me.
What is the one project that you're most proud of? Why?
TREE: The whole Sunday School series. They define me properly.
What is the one song that you're most proud of? Why?
TREE: "Thankful" from Sunday School II. I'm at that point where revisiting life just fills you with thankfulness. Thankful to answer questions, thankful to be reviewed, just thankful.
When can we expect your debut album?
TREE:Soul Trap, produced by Frank Dukes and me, dropping at the top of the new year.
Are there any tracks that were intended to be on Soul Trap that ended up being placed on any of your more recently released projects instead?
Who would you be interested in working with in the future? Both artist(s) and producer(s)?
TREE: I want to work with Mariah Carey or Jeniffer Hudson and Timbo and/or Dr. Dre.
What kind of advice would you like to offer to an artist who is interested in working with you? What would be a preferred email address to provide for someone like this?
Favorite genre of music to sample when creating beats?
TREE: 70's Soul
If you were mayor of Chicago for one day, what would you do?
TREE: Kill myself.
What's the first thing you'd buy if you had the money?
TREE: Foreclosed properties around my city.
Lastly, what's something that many of your fans may not know about you?
TREE: I don't back down. Fuck 'em all.
To hear more from Tree, you can download his latest mixtape Sunday School II for free by following this link. You can also find, follow and tweet Tree using this widget right here.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down with Milwaukee, WI veteran rap artist Dana Coppafeel, in order to conduct my first interview for my new blog series, Qwik Interviews. Dana's
musical work has been recently featured on monumental music websites like Rolling Stone
and MTV. He is a staple in the local hip hop community and is considered
to be one of the greats residing within it. His work ethic alone will demand
your respect while his eccentric sound will command your attention. If
you consider yourself to be hip to the rap scene in Milwaukee, then you
would have been familiar with his name long ago. If you consider
yourself hip to the underground rap scene in America, then it will be
wise to pay attention to Dana.
For those who may not know you, who are you?
DC: Dana Coppafeel. Wisconsin native. I've been in a few groups like the
Intel Agents, Rusty P's, KingHellBastard and the House of M. I've worked
with people like Sadat X, Riff Raff, Action Bronson, Akrobatik and
Strickland from EMC.
What is the origin of the alias Dana Coppafeel?
DC: It was given to me while I was living in Madison, WI. I never really
had a rap name and I guess, maybe at the time, I was looking for one. It
happened outside of this place called Q-Neeks, which was located on
State Street, at the time. I was there with The Crest, Adam, Jack Cracker,
Mike Virus and this kid Flip Fillmore.
As we were walking out of
Q-Neeks, we saw a chick rapping outside. Anyhow, I was really drunk, and
it just kind of happened where, I palmed this girl's ass while she was
rapping. Everyone started laughing. She didn't like it, but it was
funny. The name "Coppafeel" came up and I just ran with it from there. It was an earned name.
How long have you been recording under this moniker?
DC: I've been around for a minute. Dana Coppafeel probably came up when I
was in the Intel Agents. We were recording but we didn't have names per
say. Mike Virus just went by Mike. I don't even think he had his name
yet. One day while working on the Intel Agents album, he came up with it.
With the Rusty P's, I think I just went by the names Dana or D
Invisible, or some shit like that. I went through all kinds of names trying
to find the right one.
Do you consider yourself to be a solo artist?
DC: I guess at this present moment, I'd say yes. I've been working with Uni-Fi Records label-mate SPEAK Easy on an EP that we've just recently released,
but it was more or less a Uni-Fi compilation featuring us.
How many musical bodies of work have you been a part of?
DC: I've worked with a lot of people and put out a lot of stuff. There was
an album, a vinyl and a couple of mixtapes with the Intel Agents. There
were some vinyls with the Rusty P's, a lot of projects with KHB, and a
mixtape with the House of M. Also, there's the Uni-Fi EP with SPEAK.
I've released a solo album and a couple of solo mixtapes. I've
collaborated with a couple of artists from Illinois like Michael Mic Check and Covert (Empire) artist Fresco, as well as a couple of artists
in Iowa. Collectively, I'd say I've been a part of well over 900 songs.
What have you been up to lately?
DC: As I mentioned, we just finished up the EP with SPEAK for Uni-Fi
Records. It's doing really well. We've received some national attention
from MTV, MTV Hive, and Rolling Stone. We just did an interview with
Respect Magazine. I think there's some stuff coming out with Urb
Magazine soon. AOL Music just started an exclusive streaming of the EP
today, that will remain in effect until the end of the week. There are a
few videos to finish up for the EP. I'm just basically focusing on the EP
for right now but I'm still working on music; still staying in the
studio.
We won a single deal with a company in New York called Loyalty Digital. SPEAK and I will be putting out an A/B Side with them; so
that's in the works as well. I also do a little
freelance graphic designing for artists who may be looking to have
something created to represent them. I understand the artist's plight so
I try to help fill the void in those areas. I also have a clothing
company with my girl called Royall Street. Those are my other focuses
and what I usually do with any spare time. I try to drown myself with art and not really worry about too much else.
How did that feel to have your work shown on outlets such as MTV and Rolling Stone?
DC: It felt great, you know? It feels validating. It validates your cause and
what you've been working for. To actually have these people, who make or
break people's careers, feel what you do. It feels great to break those
walls. It feels like you're winning and getting closer to what your
goal is. Just like with anything though, it doesn't necessarily mean
that it's going to turn into anything, so you have to be level-headed.
Don't let it go to your head. Just have fun and enjoy it while it's
happening. Just continue to focus on your music and ways to make it
better. Focus on how to get it into those people's hands and to keep
making that connection vibrant. A lot of my "dream postings" have
happened over this last year. Even without this stuff, I'd still be very
happy where I'm at musically and what I've done, but this type of press
and appreciation just adds that extra motivation to the process.
You definitely display a healthy relationship with your fans on Twitter. How much time do you invest in this process?
DC: I try to stay on Twitter as much as I can. I check it daily just
because Twitter has been the best way for me to reach my fans. Whether they like
your music or they hate your music, they're real people giving you real
feedback. The criticism and the critique is real healthy. Facebook tends
to be more of a local social media platform. That's the one thing that I
really like about Twitter is that people around the world, that I
wouldn't normally get a chance to speak with, can actually take the time
to hit me up.
I spend a lot of time on Twitter just trying to respond
to my followers that reach out to me. I try to follow them back as much
as possible. Instagram has also been a really useful tool to connect
with people. I enjoy Twitter and Instagram for this reason,
because it's not a localized audience like it is on Facebook.
Is there any advice you could offer to any producers who are interested in working with you? Do you prefer a certain instrument or sound?
DC: There isn't necessarily one type of style that I like. It's really more of a
sonic approach; how it sounds. What I'm really looking for is something
that sounds full, with a good full bass line. The sounds need to be
authentic. I want that Pete Rock bass. I want to feel my kick drums. I
don't want the kick to get lost in the bass. I don't like it to sound
muddy. I don't like them to sound thin, either. I don't mind if the beat
is really repetitive as long as it sounds full.
What I mean by "full"
is when I hear the track, the only thing it sounds like it's missing is a
rapper's voice. I like to try to push myself and rap on anything as
long as it sounds right and sounds good. I'm open to a lot of different
production styles. People always ask me about what kind of beats to send
me and I always respond with, "just send me what you'd think I'd like."
It has to grab a mood from me. It has to inspire me. It has to sound
authentic and it has to sound real.
Oh, and I'm not looking to buy
beats. [Laughs] Not to be a dick, but you know you're not going to buy my raps.
Are you? You're not going to buy my hook when I spend just as much time
writing that as you did creating that beat. I'm still going to write
these songs with or without your beat. Buy something from me and I'll
buy something from you. That's how it should work. Just know, that I'm
not looking for your 2-for-1 deals on beats or anything like that. I'm
looking to make music that I feel and you can't put money on that;
unless you're Premier or Mad Lib or somebody like that. If I had the
opportunity to buy a Premier beat, then yeah, I'm going to try and do
that.
What kind of advice would you like to offer an artist who is interested in working with you?
DC: Hit me up and be open-minded. Just be cool. If I'm able to do
something for you, then I'll definitely let you know that. I try to keep
my opinion as honest as possible, but at the same time I don't try and
step on anyone's toes. I don't usually like to tell people that their
baby's ugly, you know? Be open to someone who's going to give you the
truth. I'm not a "yes man."
Real artists and people who want to progress
aren't scared of critique. They're looking to be criticized because
they want to push their art to a certain limit. You have to be aware of
what each person is willing to accept. Don't be a know-it-all, because I
think I know more than you. [Laughs]
Speed Round - (Where one word answers are perfectly acceptable)
What's your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant?
DC: Spicy Tuna Maki at a place called Izumi's, I can eat hundreds of those.
What's your favorite drink?
DC: I like to juice so one of my favorite concoctions involves a mixture of carrots, apples, and lemon.
Do you watch TV?
DC: No, I don't try to watch TV. I watch TV shows but I try to stay away
from advertising or anything close to resembling anything that I can't
control.
As far as the shows though, I like The Walking Dead, Mad Men,
Weeds, Vice (on HBO), Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad and old school
Transformers cartoons on Netflix.
Do you have a favorite movie?
DC:Grandma's Boy is one of my favorite movies just because it caught me
off-guard. I wasn't expecting it to be at all what it was. Do you have an all-time favorite video game?
DC: Fallout 3, Warhawk, and the original Goldeneye for N64.
Who is your all-time favorite comic book character?
DC: The Blue Beetle and Booster Gold from DC Comics. Some people may not
know of these guys but they were old Justice League cats.
Wolverine was also a favorite of mine growing up. The 1970's X-Men were
always badass.
Longshot, actually, is one of my favorite comic book
characters. He was always in a bad situation but it always worked to his
advantage. His power was luck. No matter how shitty the situation was,
he's going to get out of it. So, as long as he was in the comic book,
and you were rolling with him, you were good to go. My dad was into comic books, so comics were kind of in my blood.
Stemming from that last question, if you could narrow it down to one
or two options, which super power would Dana Coppa possess?
DC: Either invisibility or mind reading.
What was your graffiti name?
DC: I have plenty of them. I used to use the name "Myth" or "MYIF." I used
to get into graffiti in the 90's. I mean, I never really painted a lot.
I did more bombing and tagging with a few burners here and there. Comic
books, graffiti and raps were basically my high school vices.
Who is your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?
DC:Raphael, because he was ass-kicking and the strongest.
Lastly, what's something that many of your fans may not know about you?
DC: Every now and then, I too, like a Lil' Wayne song.
To hear more about Dana, or his work, you can follow this link to stream his new EP with SPEAK Easy and Uni-Fi Records on AOL.com. You can also find, follow, and tweet Dana Coppafeel on Twitter using this widget right here.
Thank you for your time Dana, and thank you to my readers.
-QW
For your enjoyment, here is the video for the first single off of Dana
& SPEAK's new EP, featuring talented Milwaukee rapper
Prophetic, titled "One of These Kids" directed by Xavier Ruffin.
