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Hyphy or Not, Here He Comes
Turf Talk on success and the exploding hyphy movement
By Corey Bloom. Photo by Amanda Lopez.
The day before the following interview took place, Turf Talk appeared where few rappers have been before, the cover of the USA Today. Joined by his cousins E-40 and Droop-E, the statement was clear: This is the future, these individuals will take the spotlight and bring attention back to Bay Area rap after nearly a decade of nation-wide neglect.
After stepping on the field two years ago with his debut, The Street Novelist, Turf is preparing to release his sophomore effort, The West Coast Vaccine, on June 28th. With the majority of the production taken on by the "King of the Hyphy Sound," Rick Rock (Federation, Jay-Z), as well as joints from the King of Crunk Lil’ Jon, The West Coast Vaccine is shaping up to be bigger than Balco's Silverback. Timing couldn’t be better; as labels continue to lurk and watch the Bay's "hyphy" movement, and attention from media outlets continues to soar, it’s Turf’s chance to establish himself as one of the most versatile, charismatic and potent spitters in the Bay. So talented, so gangsta, deserving and hard working—that’s Turf Talk.
With your debut The Street Novelist there were a lot of songs that people wouldn’t really expect from a Bay Area rapper coming up under this Hyphy movement. Are you gonna stay with that for the West Coast Vaccine?
Yeah, this next one is gonna really shock people. I really opened up on this one, some songs don’t even sound like me. I got some more stories, more songs for the ladies. I got a lot of songs on this one people wouldn’t expect.
What direction do you see yourself growing, as a lyricist? A songwriter?
When I first came out I was trying to murder every track. On this album I’m actually trying to make a song so that people can really know it and put it in their book as a classic instead of just hearing a bunch of rap.
It seems the new DJ Shadow single “3 Freaks,” which features yourself and Keak Da Sneak has the potential to really introduce you to the world. Talk about how that went down.
Shadow said he wanted to step into a different market with his career, and he felt like me and Keak Da Sneak were the two tightest rappers out of the Bay Area—this comes from his mouth. You know Shadow only wants to fool with the best, so he came and snatched us up, and it’s been big ever since. It’s been a pleasure working with dude. I didn’t know how big he was until I started mentioning his name to people, and watching their faces light up. Since then we created a good relationship, going on a huge tour of the country with him in June to Europe, Japan, China, France. You know it, we’re there.
With all the attention on the Bay right and you being touted as one of the brightest stars, do you feel any pressure to live up to anything?
Nah, I’m just ready to get in there with the big boys. I don’t feel pressure, I’m just anxious. I’m ready for the big labels to come in, let's get these contracts out, let's get these bank accounts filled up, and let's showcase my skills to the world. I’m not nervous, I’m just ready to get in there and represent what part of the game I can for California.
Has all that started already, big labels bidding for you and everything?
Yeah man, I just been having meetings the last couple months, having numerous sit downs with A&Rs, flying me out to New York and LA. We’re just waiting for them to pull out those contracts and like I said, get these bank accounts right.
How are those meetings going? You know a couple years ago, or even less, these labels weren’t really paying attention to the Bay, but that's changed. Do you find these record companies get it and understand the music and culture, or do you see it as them jumping on whatever is hot right now?
Yeah, well obviously they’re jumping on the hyphy movement, and people want to be the ones to break it, and that is a major reason they’re looking at the Bay. But I’m one of the cats in the Bay that came out and sold some cool independent units, so regardless of the hyphy movement I still have proven myself through sound scans and showing them that I can sell records. They’re looking at the movement, but they also want to know that you can move units too.
It’s like you're coming into these meetings with a nice resume to back up the hype.
Exactly, it’s not like we’re walking up there saying ‘Yeah we’re part of the hyphy movement’ and blah blah blah. We’re going up in there like yo, we’re some of the first from the hyphy movement, and we’re selling the most units. Now lets talk.
Are you starting to see people abusing what’s going on, or cats that are exploiting what’s starting to take off on a national level?
Yeah, that’s coming up everywhere. You got cats that never said hyphy in they life, or never was really feeling the movement, but now everybody has hyhpy this and hyphy that, t-shirts, drinks, hyphy whatever. That’s gonna happen, but as long as people keep pushing it man, because that’s what the labels want to see. Anyone going against it is gonna miss the boat, and that’s just real. Like I said, I’ve been in these meetings, and they’re loving the hyphy movement right now. If you’re going against that, you're burning you're bridges and cutting yourself off. Everybody is jumping on it, and it’s a good and bad thing, but right now we just need everybody to be with it.
Turf Talk's The West Coast Vaccine drops on June 28th.
nicht verpassen ihr alten schnarchsäcke!!!
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turf talk - west coast vaccine wurde vorverlegt, kommt jetzt am 25 APRIL 
bitte nicht!!!
Aber solche Sachen will ich jetz auch nich unbedingt von Turf Talk hören...
