Smoke Chapo
Smoke Chapo, Is One of The Most Versatile Artist Leading DC’s Emerging Underground Scene, As One of The Leaders of The New Wave, He Touts Lyrics That Give A New Swag To Trap Music.
Smoke Chapo, Is One of The Most Versatile Artist Leading DC’s Emerging Underground Scene, As One of The Leaders of The New Wave, He Touts Lyrics That Give A New Swag To Trap Music.
Q: How was your upbringing ?
A: “I grew up like everybody in the hood, I had it hard, trying to make the struggle look good. Growing up, I really came from poverty, a lot of people wouldn't know, but I really had times where I had to stay in a shelter. I feel like I've experienced every struggle DC has forreal. As I got older things got better, mom started figuring things out and so did I.”
Q: How did you start rapping?
A: “I rapped for fun when I was young. As I got older, I was around a lot of people I saw rapping, and I'd give them advice to make their work better. After a while I got tired of giving out game and not seeing people take advantage of it, and through that I began to do it myself. In 2018,I had a lot of time in the house when facing my gun case, and I just spent a lot of time tampering with my sound, remixing a lot of old hits. It was Mike James who saw my drive and would let me rock out in the studio and allow me to experiment with my craft. The sessions with Kidd (Upt Kidd) and my cousin Lee (Migo Lee), where I would see how comfortable and locked in they were recording. I became more comfortable. Whenever I was bored, I would go fuck with Kidd and practice my flow and get it in. I prolly wouldnt be who i am if it wasn't for him, in a way he made Smoke Chapo.”
Q: How do you stay on top of your game and keep a steady buzz as one of the city's leading rappers?
A: “It's all about perseverance. At the beginning it was hard, when everybody started to know about me and my name was buzzin all over the city. When I started to go anywhere, people used to notice me, especially being in the ghetto, I could tell people would see me and salute me. I acknowledge people and appreciate people showing love as my humble self, I had a lot of moments where people were starstruck by me or asked for a picture. It's really been crazy because I remember when I used to practice these moments in the mirror. However, You can never get too caught up in your status, your time is everything.”
Q: What is YGM? Or “Youngins Gettin Money”?
A: “Me and my friends started YGM in 6th grade, at first we were just kids who loved to stay clean at school. We got inspiration from Swipey and the trouble squad back then,and spiraled from that. A couple of us rapped back then, but eventually it died down. Fast forward 2020, I started shooting videos and I got back on it, YGM the label. I went ahead and put it on paper, so we really YGM incorporated, I'm standing on it.”
Q: Artist you wish to work with?
A: “On the industry tip, I wanna work with Babyface Ray or Brent Faiyaz. On the street tip, I wanna work with my man Leek OTG, it's not out of my reach, but we be so caught in the grind we don't get music. Another artist I wanna hear more music from, even if we don't work together, is Deemuney.”
Q: What are three songs you suggest people check out to get a good idea of your sound?
A: “I’d say “FatSwagg”, “Fraternity” and “Fuccn Da Goat”.”
1. “FatSwagg”
2. “Fraternity”
Q: What are your plans for 2023?
A: “2023 Ian gon lie i got some important features on the way, working with some major platforms and YGM exotics and apparel otw. I'm pushing my men this year.”
Q: Pass the torch who are 3 artist we should watch out for in 2023 in your opinion?
A: “KP Skywalka (@skywalkalaflarekp) , Leek OTG (@leeky13th) and Paco Panama (@paco_panama) for sure.”
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Paco Panama
Paco Panama, is one of the most notable names responsible for ushering in a new DMV underground wave, breathing fresh air into the local rap scene. We sat down with him to learn more about his music and the inspiration behind his sound.
Paco Panama, is one of the most notable names responsible for ushering in a new DMV underground wave, breathing fresh air into the local rap scene. We sat down with him to learn more about his music and the inspiration behind his sound.
Q: How was your upbringing ?
A: “Growing up everything was cool for the most part, I really leaned on my mother and my grandmother. My father was incarcerated most of my life, he just came home about two years ago. I was more into sports coming up, mainly basketball, I jumped off the porch in my teenage years.”
Q: Who are the artists who influence you?
A: “Growing up my family was into music other than rap, it was my aunt Jamie who introduced me to rap, letting me listen to Natural Born Killer By Scarface, I was only 5. Throughout the years, I would look to her to know what was new in rap, 2pac would be the man of that time. Everyone in my family would love listening to his music, by the time i got older, I would know songs word for word from them playing him all the time. When it would come time for me to find the artist that i liked, I ran into the “Hotboys”. Really the whole cash money wave would inspire me, in 8th grade my friends and I would swear we were the hot boys. I also listened to a lot of Jay Z .
Q: How did you start rapping?
A: “I started off with poetry, while my father was incarcerated, I would write him letters containing poetry. I would also often write my mother poems expressing how I felt about her, it was cool and I know they still have a few to this day. Combined with my love for music that would help me transition into writing my own raps.”
Q: How has it been being an artist rapping for a while, just beginning to see your buzz?
A: “Professionally I started rapping in 2014, I had played with rap before I decided to take it seriously and honestly I felt like I was holding myself back with inconsistency. It feels good because I know where I come from, where I’m at and where I’m going. It feels good to be recognized as one the hottest in the city, some people rate me #1 but it feels good to even be in the conversation.”
Q: What helps with your creative process?
A: “I try to find things that I like, not specifically what everyones trying to hear. I'm a creative person, and I know what I like and I have a specific ear for it. I truly put passion in my music, a lot of it is like diaries forreal, when I rap I really want to paint a vivid picture. I pride myself on that my style grabs the attention of the older and younger crowds, because I didn't expect such a reaction. I was going against the current trends of the city and I’m happy to see the reaction from everyone. When I dropped “1008 Grams", the reaction was like it was a breath of fresh air, everyone described it as different. I just want to take that old rap sound and mix it with our new style.”
Q: How has Washington, DC been key in your upbringing and how does it contribute to your music?
A: ““Hell yeah, the city gives me everything I rap about for real. It turned me into the man I am today. I feel like if you can make it here, you could make it anywhere.”
Q: What is STR8 DROP Music?
A: “It's Str8 Drop Records. It's a record label. Me and my brother are co CEO’s on that label. There’s no paperwork, but we got a lot of names under our umbrella - Smoke, OTG Leek, Deemuney, KP and me. Everybody’s coming different, but we all have a similar vibe, and at the same time, ushering in that new sound.”
Q: What are your plans for 2023?
A: “2023, Im dropping a tape called “The Wire Vol. 1” (OUT NOW), after that we're coming with a bigger collective tape with everybody on that joint.”
Q: What are three songs you suggest people check out to get a good idea of your sound?
A:
2.”Spawn”