Artist Spotlight: Emilio Rojas

With a hot new video making rounds on the Net and two new projects on the horizon, Brooklyn emcee Emilio Rojas is about to take us by storm!

I had the opportunity to cut it up with Emilio recently.  Here’s what went down…

Kevin: What’s goin on man?  Thanks for taking time out to chat.  First of all I gotta say the new joint with M-Phazes is absolutely nuts!  Congratulations… I think that song is destined to be a hit!

Emilio: Aha what’s good? It’s my pleasure man. I’m glad you like the joint. The video has gotten me a lot of attention and great feedback. Lots of major BDS radio has been hitting me up to run the joint on their playlists. It really put some life back into an older song.

Kevin: So “That Time” is the lead video off your project called Nouveau Slick. Can you tell us a little bit about what we should expect?  When’s it set to drop?

Emilio: The Nouveau Slick is an EP I’m putting out as an iTunes only release through Coalmine Records.  There’s no theme to the EP really, just good music. It’s a lot of quick spitting slick talking shit over cleaner production. I got Illmind on there, M-Phazes, Reality, Croup, and some others. I’m excited about that dropping.

Kevin: So this project is totally different from the album you’re doing solely with M-Phazes, right?  How’s that project coming along?  If the new track is just a preview, then I can’t wait to hear the heat you two have to bring!

Emilio: Yeah they are completely different projects. The Nouveau Slick is more fun and lighthearted, and the record with M-Phazes, Phaze One, is a very conceptual record that goes into a lot of personal / real shit. We have all the songs recorded right now, and they are being mixed by a very talented engineer, Ariel Borujow.  Sidenote — Ariel is Argentinean and he thinks Argentina got Venezuela on some soccer shit, but his gaucho ass is buggin. Word up.

Kevin: I heard another track off your new album, which was produced by Illmind.  Illmind is amazingly talented!  How did that collabo hook up?  Who else you got on the album?

Emilio: Haha damn JMaster sent you the Illmind joint huh. Haha. Illmind is family to me. He’s always looked out for me over the years. He’s one of the most genuine and talented people I have come across by far so big shouts to him!!  The record he and I did is CRAZY too. That’s going to be one of the next joints we leak, so be on the look out for that!!!
I didn’t reach out for any features on the record, but my production line up is crazy – Illmind, M-Phazes, Reality, and Croup so far. It’s a great record – I’m excited about it.

Kevin: Listening to the new track and then to some of your older material, you seem to have really perfected your craft.  How do you feel you’ve grown since the release of Breath of Fresh Air?

Emilio: Ahaha well – A Breath of Fresh Air was something I just put together.  This new joint I have a lot more resources available – and I took advantage of all of them. I’m showing my ass a little more on this one too – I just stopped caring about how people were going to react to things I said and did what I wanted to do. There are a couple cats that lurk around and talk their shit about me – so I figured this time around I’ll give them more of a reason to be mad. Fuck em.

Kevin: Your flow reminds me a lot of a young Talib Kweli.  What hip hop influences did you have growing up?  Who in the game now do you give props to?

Emilio: Honestly – I sound nothing like Talib Kweli. He and I have similar vocal tones at times, but my flow and subject matter is completely different. It’s like night and day. I respect him though and appreciate the comparison. As far as influences – I listened to a lot of Big Pun, Kool G Rap, Pharoahe Monch – cats with chain fire multi syllable flows. The people I see out now that are bodying it are cats like Torae, Elzhi, Stimuli, and Joe Buddens.

Kevin: What’s your main inspiration when you write?  How do you select what topics to rhyme about?

Emilio: The beat just has to talk to you. I usually come up with a chorus and then tailor the verses around the hook.  I like to figure out my rhyme pattern before I write too so its extra in pocket. I hate when the flow is off.

Kevin: How do you select your production? Is it the general “the beat just calls to me” type of feeling or do you go for a particular sound to fit the theme of the album or lyrics?

Emilio: I mean it’s a little of both. I’m blessed to be surrounded by a lot of very talented producers and beat makers. We all work very well together. Lately I have been trying to do shit that I wouldn’t ordinarily do – challenge myself a little bit more. I think people have the wrong idea of what I’m about sometimes so I’m trying to keep them on their toes.

Kevin: You’ve done your share of shows on stage.  Which do you enjoy more, cuttin it up on stage in front of your fans or in the studio creating new music?  Which is more important to you?

Emilio: Ahhh I love doing shows. That shit is so fun – especially when you got the crowd in the palm of your hand – there’s nothing like it. But it’s also cathartic to create. I like them both differently I guess you can say. The best is when you rocking a show where no one knows you and you STILL get people bugging out over your shit. Outshining the headliners and whatnot.

Kevin: Aight, I ask everybody this… desert island hip hop… what one album would you want with you and why?

Emilio: Ahh I’d probably bring Illmatic or Internal Affairs. Those are records I still give a lot of burn to even to this day. Those cats were so ahead of their time.

Kevin: What does Emilio Rojas bring to the game?  What’s your contribution to hip hop?

Emilio: What do I bring to the game?  I’m nice – like actually.  Cats today suck at rap.  They write a catchy hook and say some corny ass punchlines and we label them the second coming of Rakim.  All these fad following dudes are getting by on swag.  But I GOT swag – and I can rap for real.  Plus, you put on my music and it moves you – you can relate to the shit I talk about.  That other shit has no replay value – I’m over it as soon as the shock value wears off.  I can do what they do – they could never do what I do.

Kevin: That’s real talk… Yo, thanks for hangin out with us!  The new track “That Time”… crazy joint… off Nouveau Slick. Anything else you wanna add?

Emilio: It was my pleasure.  I just wanna shout out M-Phazes and Illmind, Court Dunn, JMaster, Matt Diamond, and all the fam and thank them for the support.  Thanks to all the blog sites that showed the video love – Legend and Onsmash, Nahright, – Heather at herfection – everybody.  Be on the lookout for “The Nouveau Slick” dropping in early October on Itunes.  Holla at my myspace!

• Emilio Rojas on MySpace