T-REXZ
Interview with T-REXZ
SBS: Dude! Homie! Brother! Thanks so much for taking some time with us TREXZ! Stoked to be able to talk music with you today…or…well…at least I’m assuming we’re going to talk some aren’t we? I noticed in your bio on some of the pages reads ‘don’t talk about it be about it’ – but I’m hoping we’ll get at least a few words from you today! Actually…maybe that’s the perfect place to start… For those that don’t know you & your music T-REXZ, give us an idea about who you are and what you’re all about…and how does this phrase in your bio come into play when it comes to concerning your music?
T-REXZ: I’m a vessel hoping to be used for the greater good of humanity. When I say “DON’T TALK ABOUT IT , BE ABOUT IT” I mean show and prove instead of talking a lot of mess you can’t make manifest. A lot of people talk the talk but they can’t walk the walk. I’m a loyal person and I will support your cause til the end but just be true to the yourself and the cause.
SBS: Noticed a lot over the course of my research into you T-REXZ…and I’m hoping you can take a few of these concepts of yours & notes of mine a little further for us all today. You’ve got yourself listed in predominantly Hip-Hop as your genre of choice, of course as opposed to Rap. Was that an important distinction for you to make or just an honest reflection of your music? As far as the two genres are concerned, on a personal-level – do you have just as much love for Rap-music as you do for Hip-Hop? Why/why-not?
T-REXZ: Rap is a part of emceeing, which is an element of HipHop.
SBS: A lot of people continually recognize Hip-Hop & Old-School as being one & the same. That being said…if it’s looked at as anything ‘Old-School’ – it might leave people wondering who has come along to innovate & change the game throughout the years…or if anyone has since the original masters of the m-i-c. Who do you believe was instrumental in helping innovate the genre of Hip-Hop to help pave the way for what you create today in music T-REXZ? And once again taking it all further…how do you personally find new, creative ways to get innovative with your music and how do you challenge yourself as an artist when making rhymes & beats?
T-REXZ: The artists that are instrumental in paving the way for the music I make today; KRS ONE,Tupac, Lauryn Hill and RUNDMC. What I do to stay innovative and creative is live life. The more experiences I get in life the more vivid my views are painted in song. I challenge myself by not conforming. It’s easy to stay in the box, It’s harder to stay outside of the box, and maintain my abstract point of view. I always listen to what’s not being said and I go from there.
SBS: Now…this next detail I caught onto might just be a small one…but it also might be a clever-distinction, so I figured I’d ask… When looking you up at your Facebook page…I’ve always paid attention to ‘what’ the page itself is listed as. Generally, I run into pages that are created for ‘artists’ or ‘bands’ – but in your case, it’s listed as a ‘public figure.’ It could be a longshot I suppose…but I have the feeling you chose ‘public figure’ over artist for a reason…so here I am, asking about that. Is that a hint towards the fact you feel you’ve got more to offer than
perhaps the label of ‘artist’ would imply?
T-REXZ: Yes I have a lot more to offer and the other platforms that I use to express myself puts me in the public eye. I have been apart of the Orlando music and art scene for years, so people rely on my opinion and support. Truth be told my personal page is more popular than my artist page, lol. It all gets managed the same in the end.
SBS: I know I’m getting a lot of this information from what I read and it’s not like we’ve shaken-hands or met each other…apologies on seeking so much clarification from you! In the press-release that I was reading for your Prehistoric album, I noticed it says that you’re one of the ‘vetted stars in the local scene.’ What does that mean specifically…’vetted?’ Are we talking street-cred here?
Who’s doing the vetting? Have they been vetted themselves? What led to the confirmation & confidence you have today and pushed you to believe in yourself…to know that you can really do what you do – and do it better than the rest.
T-REXZ: “Vetted” basically i’m a veteran in my city. If you put your ears to the streets it will speak for itself. I’ve been grinding out here for years. I know a lot of people and a lot of people know of me. Being better than the rest, i don’t know about that. I’m a fan of so many other artists in my city. I’m the best at being me.
SBS: I’m coming up on my 1000th article in early next year…but no one’s really ‘vetted me’ – I am just another A-hole with an opinion I figure, personally speaking. That being said…I’ve written, said & examined a lot…and one of the things I completely remember writing at one point, perhaps about 1-1.5 years ago now…was about the amount of Hip-Hop/Rap-music we were getting out of Florida specifically, right where you’re at & based out of yourself. Yet…again…here I am reading this PR article on you, and it mentions that Hip-Hop is still ‘uncharted territory’ where you live…which I’ll totally admit, was not the impression I had. But of course, I don’t live there…so all I know is what’s been coming through the speakers…but of all places in the world I thought to be
depleted of their Hip-Hop resources, Florida was nowhere on that list. So tell us like it is and give it to us from your perspective T-REXZ…is it ‘uncharted’ or ‘unexploited’ or ‘non-existent’ – you get the idea…it doesn’t have to be any of those three at all; but what does that statement of Orlando, Florida being ‘uncharted hip-hop territory’ really refer to and what does it mean? Is it
something that can be changed? How do you see yourself & your music potentially playing a role in that bringing about that necessary change & put FL on the map for Hip-Hop?
T-REXZ: Uncharted…….well basically saying on a mainstream standpoint. Orlando hasn’t made enough consistent noise as far as artists, I mean who have we had? Magic Mike, 69Boys, Smiles and Southstar and Shaq. We have a lot of work to do but there is a lot of talent here. It’s time to bubble up and really put Orlando on the map consistently. If we can get a fair shot we would surprise a lot of people with the amount of talent Orlando has. With opportunities like this, being interviewed by media outlets outside of Orlando, will invite the world to take a listen.
SBS: Seems to me…this might be the perfect time to ask you about the Prehistoric mixtape. What was important to you when making this record? Obviously time has been spent on both the beats & the lyricism…but what did the tracks, content, delivery & production all have to have in order for you to be satisfied with them enough to make the cut for Prehistoric? When it came time to
making cuts and leave a few tracks behind…what were the criteria you used for really knowing the material was meant to be on the Prehistoric mixtape?
T-REXZ: Prehistoric is a dope project. It’s me giving you my view of where I am in life right now. Due to current events it stirred up an old sleeping dinosaur. I’m expressing my frustrations through art. As far as what makes the cut, my manager and I wrestle with each other on what goes and what makes the cut, we don’t always agree, lol.
SBS: Also seems like you’ve put together a whole talented crew of people assisting you on this mixtape…I’m in promotions brother, so I say take a moment or two to name-drop some of these key people that helped in the production and the performances on Prehistoric! How did you find them and how did you know they’d have the sound or skill you needed to make the songs come to life? Were they all vetted as well?
T-REXZ: Right now I’ll just shout out The Dirty Bakerz. I have other people on the team but they want to remain anonymous for now, but this individual is key component to my team. Me and the Dirty Bakerz have been working together for my whole career. We are family.
SBS: I also happened to notice that Prehistoric comes along with its own shiny ‘Parental Advisory Explicit Content’ sticker on the front cover! T-REXZ…lay it on us man…was this ever a necessary thing? I don’t just mean your music, but all music. In today’s world with internet access and street-smart kids…if they want it, they’re just gonna find a way to get it; I’m living proof and I’m old as fuck now – but I used to record-over horrible tapes of bad 80’s artists with like, the new albums from Snoop Dogg and Dre as they were first coming up, just to keep it out of view of my moms. So…I guess what I’m wondering is…what does that sticker actually do? Is it just another marketing tool at this point, honestly? I’m a firm believer that my man Ice-T got it right…way, way back in the Body Count days on a song that ended the first album…a song called “Freedom Of Speech” where they ditched the typical Body Count sound for a moment and just let Ice take it back to the old-school and speak his mind closer to how he typically did on his solo-records…but I quote: “Yo, you gotta be high to believe that you’re gonna change the world by a sticker on a record sleeve.” That’s always gonna be kinda true, isn’t it?
T-REXZ: Well the sticker is just business. That’s out of my hands. I didn’t even know there was a sticker on there until you mentioned it. Lol, I’m busy in the booth creating and I admit there are some songs with curses in it so I guess that sticker is necessary. Kids will get to it if they wanted to however I bet they will learn something useful or inspiring.
SBS: In making Prehistoric, was there something about the experience that you learned throughout the process that will go on to help you out on future records? What obstacles did you face when putting this mixtape together, and ultimately how did you get around or overcome them?
T-REXZ: I was at a crossroad in my life while making Prehistoric. I had a decision to stay still or move forward and I decided to make a move forward. This was the thought that birthed Prehistoric. My team made this a smooth process, everything is in house and functioning how it should.
SBS: You’ve experience multiple forms of confirmation & success along the way T-REXZ, including awards & radio-play from all-over…and now with Prehistoric out…well…what’s next? Where do you take it all from here? Do you feel like there’s a defined path or plan for your career? How do you get to where you want it to go to…and ultimately, what defines success for YOU personally when it comes to the music?
T-REXZ: Well at this point I finally feel I’m on the right path. I’m in the process of crossing that bridge. There are so many things I want to do but I have to cover one base at a time. From here I take a step forward and keep it moving in that direction. With my team in place we can take it in any direction from music, art to radio personality, fashion and eventually acting. Success is being able to enjoy the fruits from your hard work and being able to share that harvest of good fortune.
SBS: Websites brother-man…you got’em and the people want’em! Where would you like the people to go online to find out more about you and your music? Will they actually find YOU there? Are you accessible to the public & fans, like as in, responding to comments & e-mails personally & all that?
T-REXZ: You can hear me, see what i’m up to and contact me at: www.facebook.com/trexz44 twitter: @trexz
I’m totally accessible to all. Any artist that would like to get music on my radio show hit me up, any collab’s or advice needed and feedback “Get at me dawg”
SBS: You made it T! Thanks again for your time brother, it’s much appreciated by us and I’m sure the fans out there as well. At the end here, our tradition is to put it all on our guests…and offer you the SBS ‘Open Floor’ to mention anything else you’d like to have mentioned during the interview or anything else at all on your mind. Keep up the grind homie – it’s been real – cheers!
T-REXZ: Follow me on twitter (@trexz) for info to tune into my radio show, be on the lookout for my “Black Gold” video dropping soon and support indie artists. We can only continue to do this if we have your support. Share a song, Hit the like button, better yet take it beyond the like button, purchase an album or 2. Thanks it’s been real!
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