Post by Adam B on Jul 19, 2005 11:06:20 GMT -5
Tay Luchino Interview
by Adam Bernard
(L to R: Stiltz, Tay Luchino, Starlin & D. Whispers)
If you're in Connecticut and you haven't heard of Tay Luchino yet you're just not paying attention. His remixes with Lumidee and Ashanti have been spinning on college radio for the past year plus and Tay's put himself in the drivers seat as one of Connecticut's hottest up and coming artists. Recently Tay took some time out of his day to chat with us here at The Reality Box and fill us in as to how he got started in Hip-Hop, what inspired his remixes, the potential problem he sees stemming from them, and what it's like being a rap artist in New Britain.
Adam Bernard: Tell us a little bit about your history. Where are you from? How did you get into Hip-Hop?
Tay Luchino: I'm from New Britain. I got into Hip-Hop just because my cousin was always DJing and I was listening to him DJing so when I got into Hip-Hop I used to want to be a DJ. I remember on Christmas I asked my father for a turntable, but he got me a mixer and a mic, my cousin had the drum machine and I just started rappin. People used to come around and say I was nice. I used to freestyle, I didn't write till 1998.
AB: What led you to start writing?
TL: What led me to start to write was me and another cousin, DNP, I just came home, I had to do a little bid and I came home and he wanted to start a rap group up, Devil's Advocate. There were eight of us altogether. Everybody was writing except for me. I would freestyle first, record it then take certain things I like out of it and that's how I started constructing my first rhymes. I freestyle in my head a lot, pick up lines and add on to it.
AB: Did you just say you did a bid?
TL: Man listen what happened was, being out here I didn't grow up well, my father made pretty decent money, but he wants you to go out and work and sometimes you want to make the easy way of living. I got caught up with gun charges, drug charges and you can only run away for so long as all those charges build up. I had to go away for a minute.
AB: Other than your cousins, who have you main influences been?
TL: I used to listen to a lot of Nas because he was a lyricist, I liked how he brought his raps to the table. His lyrics had a meaning to them. He influenced me into the style of writing I started with. I wanted to write about life, nothing about what I didn't see. Just try to give people my view, my perspective of life.
AB: Tell me about the songs w/ Lumidee and Ashanti?
TL: The way I looked at it was like this, if you want people to catch on to your name, there are artists in the industry that are doing it still, you hear these unofficial remixes. How else would people just listen to you? Lumidee, I put it out there, Lumidee's new single. Automatically everybody wanted to hear what she got because nobody has heard her since "Uh Oh." That got me known from Connecticut to Jersey to Texas. It picked up real quick. Then the same thing with the Ashanti song. People want to hear it just to see what it's about anyways. "Let me see what this person's doing with Ashanti."
AB: Do you think either artist has heard your remixes yet?
TL: I didn't push the Ashanti like I pushed the Lumidee. I wanted Lumidee to hear that. I might get jacked with that, though. If you hear that with my words but without my voice, you'll know I got jacked.
AB: So you're a little worried about getting a writing credit?
TL: I got it copywritten a little after everything went down, I don't know if that'll save me, but I got playlists that show it was getting spun.
AB: And you said the reaction's been good so far?
TL: Right now the reaction is good, I got a lot of people right now that's liking my music and it's surprising the responses I'm getting. When you're around certain people and they always listen to your music and they tell you you're nice you feel that but it don't really feel as promising as when you hear it from someone who's never heard your music before. They almost make me feel like I am signed. I'm getting good responses from everybody so far.
AB: What opportunities have you seen for yourself being in New Britain?
TL: In New Britain I don't see anything that's why, honestly, people know I freestyle, there's nothing out here in New Britain, I had to go out of New Britain to start making moves. The closest thing we got is Hartford. No shows, no battles, nothin. People don't just get up in a little club and freestyle. It's just a whole lot of hate.
AB: So would you say you're trying to get out of the area?
TL: Not necessarily, but I mean, as I'm speaking right now I'm getting ready to be making some moves overseas. I started off in Connecticut, I got out here in June, that's the first time started marketing myself. The way I looked at it was Connecticut, when you go out there you want them to see at least your own state is backing you. If your own state isn't feeling you why should they feel you? Connecticut, we're not like Houston where you got a Lil' Flip out there where people will say they're trying to be like him. I think it's good for me coming from Connecticut because I get to show my own style, I don't have to worry about anyone saying I'm trying to sound like anybody. You get to come out here and be original, that's a good thing about Connecticut.
AB: What's been your proudest moment so far?
TL: Going out to like and event, for instance a record pool meeting or even just going to see a DJ and then you see somebody else there when you say your name and they say "oh you're Tay Luchino?" That keeps me moving, they know who I am. It feels good when you go out there and you introduce yourself to somebody like a DJ you're trying to connect with, the excitement makes me feel real good.
AB: Experience any hardships yet?
TL: Yeah, you go through those, too. The hardest part with me, I came out with Advocate and happened to go my own direction. That was hard. Some people feel you're trying to take over just because you have your own ideas and marketing. I really wish I could have stayed Advocate.
AB: What are your long term goals in music?
TL: Right now my real goal is just to get on the map internationally. I want people to know who I am, know my face, so I can come back and build up Black Rose Entertainment.
AB: You can start with that now. Tell everyone what Black Rose Entertainment is.
TL: It's an independent record label. Black Rose Entertainment, an alliance I'm trying to form with nothing but unsigned talented artists. Rap artists, R&B artists, DJ's, people who do graffiti. We started in December. It's a big movement for me. We're looking for people on the grind who are serious about it.
AB: Finally, do you have any advice for other aspiring artists?
TL: What I like to do, I like hands on, I like meeting people, going to radio stations and handing DJ's my music. I like networking parties, and a lot of research. Artists think you put a CD out and they'll get airplay on all these radio stations, they don't know about following up. Always be out there, that's what I've found to be the best way. If you go to one spot and it's not working out for you don't let it get you down, there are a million other spots.
by Adam Bernard
(L to R: Stiltz, Tay Luchino, Starlin & D. Whispers)
If you're in Connecticut and you haven't heard of Tay Luchino yet you're just not paying attention. His remixes with Lumidee and Ashanti have been spinning on college radio for the past year plus and Tay's put himself in the drivers seat as one of Connecticut's hottest up and coming artists. Recently Tay took some time out of his day to chat with us here at The Reality Box and fill us in as to how he got started in Hip-Hop, what inspired his remixes, the potential problem he sees stemming from them, and what it's like being a rap artist in New Britain.
Adam Bernard: Tell us a little bit about your history. Where are you from? How did you get into Hip-Hop?
Tay Luchino: I'm from New Britain. I got into Hip-Hop just because my cousin was always DJing and I was listening to him DJing so when I got into Hip-Hop I used to want to be a DJ. I remember on Christmas I asked my father for a turntable, but he got me a mixer and a mic, my cousin had the drum machine and I just started rappin. People used to come around and say I was nice. I used to freestyle, I didn't write till 1998.
AB: What led you to start writing?
TL: What led me to start to write was me and another cousin, DNP, I just came home, I had to do a little bid and I came home and he wanted to start a rap group up, Devil's Advocate. There were eight of us altogether. Everybody was writing except for me. I would freestyle first, record it then take certain things I like out of it and that's how I started constructing my first rhymes. I freestyle in my head a lot, pick up lines and add on to it.
AB: Did you just say you did a bid?
TL: Man listen what happened was, being out here I didn't grow up well, my father made pretty decent money, but he wants you to go out and work and sometimes you want to make the easy way of living. I got caught up with gun charges, drug charges and you can only run away for so long as all those charges build up. I had to go away for a minute.
AB: Other than your cousins, who have you main influences been?
TL: I used to listen to a lot of Nas because he was a lyricist, I liked how he brought his raps to the table. His lyrics had a meaning to them. He influenced me into the style of writing I started with. I wanted to write about life, nothing about what I didn't see. Just try to give people my view, my perspective of life.
AB: Tell me about the songs w/ Lumidee and Ashanti?
TL: The way I looked at it was like this, if you want people to catch on to your name, there are artists in the industry that are doing it still, you hear these unofficial remixes. How else would people just listen to you? Lumidee, I put it out there, Lumidee's new single. Automatically everybody wanted to hear what she got because nobody has heard her since "Uh Oh." That got me known from Connecticut to Jersey to Texas. It picked up real quick. Then the same thing with the Ashanti song. People want to hear it just to see what it's about anyways. "Let me see what this person's doing with Ashanti."
AB: Do you think either artist has heard your remixes yet?
TL: I didn't push the Ashanti like I pushed the Lumidee. I wanted Lumidee to hear that. I might get jacked with that, though. If you hear that with my words but without my voice, you'll know I got jacked.
AB: So you're a little worried about getting a writing credit?
TL: I got it copywritten a little after everything went down, I don't know if that'll save me, but I got playlists that show it was getting spun.
AB: And you said the reaction's been good so far?
TL: Right now the reaction is good, I got a lot of people right now that's liking my music and it's surprising the responses I'm getting. When you're around certain people and they always listen to your music and they tell you you're nice you feel that but it don't really feel as promising as when you hear it from someone who's never heard your music before. They almost make me feel like I am signed. I'm getting good responses from everybody so far.
AB: What opportunities have you seen for yourself being in New Britain?
TL: In New Britain I don't see anything that's why, honestly, people know I freestyle, there's nothing out here in New Britain, I had to go out of New Britain to start making moves. The closest thing we got is Hartford. No shows, no battles, nothin. People don't just get up in a little club and freestyle. It's just a whole lot of hate.
AB: So would you say you're trying to get out of the area?
TL: Not necessarily, but I mean, as I'm speaking right now I'm getting ready to be making some moves overseas. I started off in Connecticut, I got out here in June, that's the first time started marketing myself. The way I looked at it was Connecticut, when you go out there you want them to see at least your own state is backing you. If your own state isn't feeling you why should they feel you? Connecticut, we're not like Houston where you got a Lil' Flip out there where people will say they're trying to be like him. I think it's good for me coming from Connecticut because I get to show my own style, I don't have to worry about anyone saying I'm trying to sound like anybody. You get to come out here and be original, that's a good thing about Connecticut.
AB: What's been your proudest moment so far?
TL: Going out to like and event, for instance a record pool meeting or even just going to see a DJ and then you see somebody else there when you say your name and they say "oh you're Tay Luchino?" That keeps me moving, they know who I am. It feels good when you go out there and you introduce yourself to somebody like a DJ you're trying to connect with, the excitement makes me feel real good.
AB: Experience any hardships yet?
TL: Yeah, you go through those, too. The hardest part with me, I came out with Advocate and happened to go my own direction. That was hard. Some people feel you're trying to take over just because you have your own ideas and marketing. I really wish I could have stayed Advocate.
AB: What are your long term goals in music?
TL: Right now my real goal is just to get on the map internationally. I want people to know who I am, know my face, so I can come back and build up Black Rose Entertainment.
AB: You can start with that now. Tell everyone what Black Rose Entertainment is.
TL: It's an independent record label. Black Rose Entertainment, an alliance I'm trying to form with nothing but unsigned talented artists. Rap artists, R&B artists, DJ's, people who do graffiti. We started in December. It's a big movement for me. We're looking for people on the grind who are serious about it.
AB: Finally, do you have any advice for other aspiring artists?
TL: What I like to do, I like hands on, I like meeting people, going to radio stations and handing DJ's my music. I like networking parties, and a lot of research. Artists think you put a CD out and they'll get airplay on all these radio stations, they don't know about following up. Always be out there, that's what I've found to be the best way. If you go to one spot and it's not working out for you don't let it get you down, there are a million other spots.