photos by 10Photos
It’s been exactly a year since the release of Rockie’s Modern Life, the debut mixtape from Chicago’s Rockie Fresh. “It’s great when you get to work with a young artist who has a good team and good head on his shoulders, and Rockie fits both categories,” I wrote about the experience of working on the mixtape. 12 months later and Rockie is back with his sophomore set, The Otherside. Whereas RML was fairly scattered, similar to the project’s cover art displaying Rockie’s various possessions and mind occupations, The Otherside is a more centered and focused effort.
“The last project was me speaking on things that influence me or things that were a part of my life,” Rockie told us about his freshmen release. “This project was made more specifically to fit my current situation. It touches on what I’m going through, the ups, the downs, and the people I’ve come in contact with… this mixtape is more personal than the last. Rockie’s Modern Life was a start to getting to know me, but this project is truly what defines me.”
What we get when listening to The Otherside, is a maturing and contemplative artist. Rockie displays growth throughout The Otherside. It is present in the musical choices he makes alongside The Cartoonz (the production duo who produced the full album) as well as the stories he chooses to tell and ways in which he tells them. “I’ve definitely narrowed the vision to something that just seems more true to me,” he said.
Read on to get a sense of that vision in this new and in-depth interview with Rockie Fresh. Here he talks about working towards excellence, getting advice from Naledge, and finding himself on The Otherside.
RubyHornet: So about a year ago you released Rockie’s Modern Life. The first thing that jumps out to me on The Otherside is a real sense of personal growth and refinement. It felt like during RML’s you were learning the ropes, and finding your pocket, experiencing the life of being an emerging artist. It feels like on The Otherside you have narrowed your vision a little bit as far as what you want out of this, and your own direction. Is that the case? Where are you at now as compared to RML?
Rockie: Yeah, I’ve definitely narrowed the vision to something that just seems more true to me. I’ve always wanted to make the kind of music I’m making now, but with Rockie’s Modern Life I didn’t necessarily have the resources. The last project was really a mash-up of different producers and beats. This one was done entirely with The Cartoonz from start to finish, which allowed us to really create a vision and bring it to life.
RubyHornet: In the album’s trailer you say that “the Otherside” is a place “where only excellence is allowed”. What is excellence to you, was there a time over the last year that you felt you were close to achieving this excellence to hitting this space of “the Otherside”?
Rockie: Excellence to me is a product of work ethic. I believe that if I continually put in the time and effort necessary to make great music, then the rest of the dream will come true. I definitely haven’t fully reached “The Otherside” or the level of excellence that I ultimately strive for, but I live my life day-in and day-out with the goal of making a good living in music and being recognized for the art that I make.
RubyHornet: You also say in the promo that it is a place where “quality is valued over quantity”. In the very fast paced music scene it is very easy to want to just keep producing, producing, producing, what is your patience like and did you ever grow impatient while creating this new material, or feel as though your absence would hurt you?
Rockie: I definitely felt like my absence would hurt because this is such a competitive market, and hot artists on both the Chicago scene and national scene change constantly. When I wasn’t putting out music though, I kept playing shows, kept traveling, and kept getting the word out any way I could. Between SXSW, CMJ, and the shows in-between those in Chicago, DC, Baltimore, and some others, I really didn’t grow too impatient with the project because I kept extremely busy and I know good music takes time.
RubyHornet: The artwork is very simple, crisp, and clean. On RML, the artwork was a snapshot of items one would find in your backpack or on your desk. Here it is just a picture of you. How does the artwork reflect your growth and represent this project the way it represented RML?
Rockie: Well, with the last project it was me speaking on things that influence me or things that were a part of my life. This project was made more specifically to fit my current situation. It touches on what I’m going through, the ups, the downs, and the people I’ve come in contact with. I didn’t want people to look at this cover and try and draw a hidden meaning from it. I wanted people to be able to look at this cover and understand that this mixtape is more personal than the last. Rockie’s Modern Life was a start to getting to know me, but this project is truly what defines me.
RubyHornet: One thing that impressed me when I worked on RML with you, was your attitude and approach to the release. You showed a humbleness and willingness to learn, you became a student of Chicago’s music scene so to speak. What have been the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from RML and the last year? What role does that attitude play in your success?
Rockie: The most valuable thing that I’ve learned is that there is always someone else you can learn from. In making great music, you can’t always just look inward. You have to work with the right people, take input, and learn from them. Whether it be my producers, managers, friends, or other artists, I’m always taking into consideration what other people think I can do to improve, because in the end, this music is about other people liking it, it’s not about me.
RubyHornet: You worked with The Cartoonz exclusively on this project. This is a duo that was also a part of your music from the jump. What has it been like continuing to move w/them? It seems like they are also going through their own musical growth.
Rockie: It’s been a real good experience just having people that are extremely focused on helping you make the music you want to make. Every rapper needs a producer, and every producer needs a rapper. But our relationship is also much more than that. I consider both of them my family. We are constantly learning from each other, and I plan on working with them as long as I’m doing music. I believe they’re actually working on their own project right now also, which is purely instrumental. But not like beats for rappers, an actual instrumental album, so look out for that, it’s going to be crazy.
RubyHornet: “Living” featuring Naledge and Phil Ade is a stand out track on the record. On the track Naledge says, “Told Rockie Fresh, ‘man, this life ain’t typical/ If you’re built for it, keep it tight, never let the stress get to you.” Tell us about that track, what was the inspiration behind the song and how much were you listening to Naledge’s advice? Are you built for it?
Rockie Fresh: “Living” featuring Naledge and Phil Ade
[audio: http://rubyhornet.com/media/rh/music/rockie_living_naledge_phil_ade.mp3|width=180]Rockie: The track really came about naturally. Naledge has continually shown support for my situation from the jump and we came to the conclusion that we really needed to work together. I originally made the track with just me on it (maybe some day soon I’ll pass that on to you guys to leak). Anyhow, Naledge sounded like he would fit the record real well, so he laid his verse and it just clicked. Then Phil Ade came in town a few weeks later and laid his verse. Both of them just seemed like a real good fit for the record and it turned out dope. I definitely have been absorbing and listening to Naledge’s advice from the jump and realizing that this life isn’t the same as most peoples’ lives. You don’t work 9 to 5. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easier life. That means it’s a lifestyle. You really have to live and breathe rap 24/7 to make real progress and see any hints of success. As far as being “built for it”, I really do think I have what it takes to succeed, but it’s all about what you put in. Jay was built for it, but if he didn’t work for it as well, we wouldn’t even know his name.
RubyHornet: Another stand out track is “The Worth” featuring Mike Golden. I’m told this was the last song completed for the project, and was a late edition to the mixtape. What was it like working with Mike, and what made “The Otherside” complete after the completion of this record?
Rockie: I’ve wanted to work with Mike for a while, and was waiting for the right track. We have extremely good chemistry and he’s real talented and fun to work with in the studio. A major part of this project was to make sure every song was a full song (no freestyles over beats, no straight up spitting tracks. When The Cartoonz made the beat, I knew instantly it had to be a part of the project. It had that alternative vibe, so Mike seemed like the right person to put on the hook, and when the record was completed it just felt good. Like “this is the one we need”.
RubyHornet: The project shares its name with a song from The Red Hot Chili Peppers, which is sampled on the LP’s title track “The Otherside” featuring Rich Hill. Did the RHCP track serve as an impetus for the project? Where was this song done in relation to the project as a whole?
Rockie: We were sitting in the studio early on in the year, and Gift (1/2 of The Cartoonz) was playing through records. He pulled up this crazy sample he was working on, which happened to be from RHCP’s song “Otherside”, and it just clicked. I knew I wanted it on the project, and when I recorded it in July, the content just seemed to true to my life and to the project as a whole that I made it the title track. Rich Hil came into town once the verses were layed, and put his hook on it, and that kind of just sealed the deal.
RubyHornet: What was the goal for Rockie’s Modern Life? With The Otherside about to drop, did RML do all you wanted?
Rockie: The goal of RML was to get people familiar with me as an artist. And it did that, so that was cool. For me, it was a springboard onto the music scene. It got some solid recognition in Chicago, and went a bit beyond helping me really break into the hip-hop circles of other cities as well. However, from the jump I knew it wasn’t my defining project, and moving on to “The Otherside”, I really wanted to make something to carry with me. Something I could play for the rest of my life and be happy with.
RubyHornet: What is the goal for this project? What is the hope for this?
Rockie: The goal for The Otherside is to show people that I’m a real artist and not just a rapper. I’m hoping it can take me to a place where I can do what I love, which is making music, for the rest of my life. And not only that, but being able to bring that music to the masses, and really share it with the world.
RubyHornet: You have a release party coming up at Reggies, tell us about that, and anything else planned.
Rockie: The release party is on December 21st at 9 PM Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago, and there are a ton of surprises in store. It will definitely be a memorable night. Reggie’s only seemed like the right place because of how much fun we had at the release show there last year. This year, we’re taking it to another level. We have Mikey Rocks, Naledge, Hollywood Holt, Vic Mensa, YP, and a slew of special guests performing (some from out of town that you will not even expect).
In terms of future plans, the next project is already underway and I can’t really speak much on that yet. The Cartoonz will still play a major role, along with the current team, but we’re bringing some more pieces into our situation and you’ll be hearing about all of that soon enough.
But before we get into that, there’s still so much more to come with The Otherside. Expect a video for almost every song on the mixtape and some crazy footage from the past year that we’ll finally let loose that was taken by my homie Justin Oh. Also look out for a record I recorded with GLC, Mike Golden, and producers LDB and The Tyrant. It’s definitely fresh a fresh record that’ll turn some heads. “The Otherside” drops on December 16th via 2DopeBoyz and HotNewHipHop.
Learn more at RockieFresh.com
