Haastattelussa Stockton-veteraani Ren Da Heatmonsta

Tekijä(t)

23/10/2017

Haastattelussa Stockton-veteraani Ren Da Heatmonsta.

What’s up, G? Let’s start at the beginning. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Stockton, Cali, East Side.

Tell us a bit about how your connection to rap started. Who influenced you the most back in the day, and do you have any musical background?

To be honest, it was Run-DMC that influenced me to do hip hop, and Prince as far as music goes. At a young age, I was forced to take piano lessons, haha, not knowing it would benefit me later.

How did you get the name Ren Da Heatmonsta?

My original name was Young Ren, and Heatmonsta was my production name. Time went on, and I wasn’t getting any younger, so I combined it and took off the “Young.”

When did you officially decide to go all-in on your rap career?

After the first album “Hard On Da Grind” did well in terms of sales and fans, it basically blew up, and then I knew it was serious business.

What do you think of the hip hop scene in Stockton?

We have a lot of talent, but the market we’re in doesn’t allow us to grow. It’s like the NFL; we’re a small market area, so no one is looking this way, but they should, because we have dope artists here.

Are there any artists in the game right now that you look up to?

I wouldn’t say I look up to them, but I respect a few. I like Kendrick and a few others.

What’s your writing process like? Do you write with a pen and paper?

I used to write that way, but now I use my iPhone to write my raps.

How do you get inspiration to make your music?

Life and haters, haha, and good music; when I hear dope, I want to create dope.

When you went on stage for the first time performing, where was it, and how did it go down?

Probably when I did a talent show at school. I lip-synced Run-DMC’s “Raising Hell,” and that feeling of being in front of a crowd made me want to do it for real.

What’s the weirdest interaction you’ve ever had with a fan?

When I was doing a video shoot and some haters stabbed some homies, I was in the mix of kicking heads in, and this fan wanted me to spit a rap from “Speed Kills” right during the scuffle, lol. I’m like, do you see what’s going on? He wanted to pay me on the spot as I’m trying to funk with people.

Let’s talk about your and Brotha Lynch Hung’s new album “Premeditated.” How did you guys meet?

We met at Chicken Hill. We worked on some music, and I whooped him in Madden a few times, and we became good friends. The rest is history.

What does this team-up mean to you?

It means a lot, because we’re both legends, and that’s Brotha fucking Lynch Hung, haha. Not many get to do a whole album with Brotha Lynch like that, so it’s special.

How long did it take for you guys to put this album together?

Give or take 6-8 months. It was a dope process because we got to do it together in the studio; that’s rare nowadays.

How did the recording go? Were there any disagreements during the recording?

Nah, it was smooth. I basically came up with most of the songs; he came up with “ID Channel.”

What do you do to unwind?

Smoking on that Doja, man, listening to good music, and maybe taking a drive to the Bay.

What are you working on right now? Anything we should be looking out for?

“Chicken Hill Project 2” I’m all over that, and I’m re-releasing Doja Clik’s “Speed Kills” 20th anniversary remastered. Then I got “Heatrocks EP” and then “Mudvillain” in 2018.