Brooklyn’s own Torae has gone from “Tor-who?” to one of New York’s top prospects in just a matter of months. Simply put, if you don’t know about Da Young Veteran by now you need a late pass. With affiliations as random as The Justus League and Cam’s (or is it Jim’s?) Dip Set, the Coney Island representer has earned a rep for bodyin’ beats by the likes of DJ Premier and Marco Polo and kickin’ jaw-dropping freestyles in his radio appearances. Daily Conversation, Tor’s debut mixtape/street album with DJ Vega Bennetton was recently released to rave reviews, with songs like “Switch” and “Callin’ Me” legitimizing his buzz. OS got with Torae to talk about his come up, his crews and his upcoming projects.
Interview by Sam Cadet
Congratulations on Daily Conversation.
Thank you, thank you you’re far too kind.
How did you guys come up with the idea for the “inflowmercial” on youtube?
My partner Mike from Science Project, he also did my video for “Calling Me”, he’s been my videographer for the past few years. When we sit down and come up with ideas we just throw shit at the wall and brainstorm and just come up with it. When I told him I wanted to do something to promote Daily Conversation I didn’t want to do the normal thing. I said I want to do a commercial. He said if we’re going to do a commercial, and it’s going to be Daily Conversation, we should do a infomercial. I said even better, we should make it an “inflowmercial”. And then we just started coming together with ideas. We were staying up until four in the morning watching QVC and stuff like that. Mike is brilliant man. We’re actually cooking up something right now, something new for the people. So be on the look out for that. So me and Mike again we got good chemistry. We work well together. He’s a creative person, I’m a creative person, and the end result is the inflowmercial and “Calling Me” video that you just saw.
What’s your favorite song on Daily Conversation?
Daily Conversation is like my baby. There’s different things about my baby that I love. So for me to pick one song out of the 16 on there would be very hard. I could give you my favorite three and the reasons why they’re my favorite. I think “Get it Done” is one of my favorites because that record single handedly changed a lot in my life. When that record touched down people started to pay attention. So “Get it Done” definitely will be one of my favorite records and one that I hold close to my heart. “Click” not just because it’s another Premo joint, but click because I just love the swing on it. I love the way Premo approached the beat. I love the way me and Skyzoo went right to it and it’s just one of my favorite joints. It’s just one of my all time favorite joints. Even if I wasn’t a part of that record it would just hold the same feeling like “Dwyck” or “Manifest” or “Mass Appeal.” It’s just got that feel to me so that’s one of my favorite joints. And “Tayler Made,” because I did it with my daughter. I wrote it about my daughter and that’s real, that’s real life. So those are my top three off Daily.
Your album features a whole bunch of producers (DJ Premier, Khrysis, 9th Wonder, Marco Polo etc.); how did you manage to link up with all of them?
I had relationships, my man Vega Benetton had relationships, just you know being out there grinding, people getting’ familiar with your work. It’s a small network once you get in. The object is just to get in and grind, then you find yourself working with like-minded people. So getting the producers, the bulk of the producers, wasn’t a hard task because I have relationships with all of them or I built relationships with them over the years. So when it’s time to do work it’s easy. Khrysis is a good friend of mine. We’ve been friends for a couple of years now. Eric G, he’s been sending me beats for a couple of years so we got real cool. Of course Premo, we’re not like friends anything, or best friends, but he was somebody who had his ear to the street and liked what I was doing. We had mutual friends and we had met a bunch of times so it wasn’t hard to get that situation neither, same with 9th. Just being out there, being in the mix, and meeting people and all of that.
Speaking of Khrysis and 9th do you have any features lined up with anybody else from Justus League?
I got some stuff I’m working on now with the Justus League. Khrysis is actually working on an album that I’m featured on. I’m on Chaundon’s new album. Big Pooh is working on an album, I’m supposed to be featured on that. I think I’m supposed to do something with Phonte and Big Pooh [of] Little Brother as well.
Can you tell us about the Double Barrel project that you’re doing with Marco Polo?
Yeah, you know Marco Polo, again is another producer friend of mine. We just vibe man. in the studio we have good chemistry. We like to work with each other. We went on tour together. When you spend that much time around somebody and y’all vibe, y’all get connected and get real cool. We got good chemistry in the studio so we [did] 12 to 13 records.
When is it coming out? Is it even done?
Right about now I would say [it’s] 70% done but it’s really no rush. There’s a lot of labels asking about it, inquiring and things of that nature, but we don’t have a rush. We just want to make the best possible music that we can make and this is the best way to do it. We’re not on a calendar as far as labels’ scheduled releases’ wise. So if we want to take another two months or finish it tomorrow we got that freedom to do so. But I would say realistically speaking, 3rd, 4th quarter [of ‘08] it should be ready to go.
Do you have any planned features on it or is it just going to be you and Marco Polo?
Yeah initially it was just going to be me and P but certain things kind of worked out and worked into our favor. There are a few features there but I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag yet. So I got some Browns-villains on there. So we got some stuff, we got some things.
You’re a rapper that with a lot of buzz on the internet. I wanted to know what that’s like as opposed to coming up on the radio or on TV.
Yeah you know me, I wouldn’t say that I’m old school, but I’m a baby that came up in hip-hop. It’s weird, it’s weird getting used to the buzz because I’m used to coming up from the street and then turning into radio spins and things like that. But you know we’re in a new millennium, we’re in a digital era, and if digital is the way to go then there’s no other way to usher yourself in than through digitally. And if the mp3’s and downloading and the internet is a way for people to become more aware of my music, and that’s the [wave] of the future, then I’m right where I need to be.
So do you feel that you are setting new trends as far as getting your name out there on the internet?
Yeah I mean there’s definitely a few guys like Blu and Wale, shout out to those brothers and Jay Electronica, and there’s a few others who’ve been really making their name via the internet. Shout out to everybody. Much success to everybody that’s doing and has something relevant to say. You know digital is the way to go. I just checked my statements on my digital sales and it just amazes me that people buy the music when you just click it on the computer and it’s right on your joint. It’s just new to me and I think it’s new to everybody. But it’s dope, man. I embrace it.
Who are you really into right now as far as rap is concerned as far as underground and mainstream?
I’m a big Mos Def fan, I got a chance to hear some records at a recent show [and I] can’t wait for that [album]. Definitely a big Common fan, love Little Brother. You know I love the whole Justus League. What other emcees? Of course my brother, Skyzoo, Chaundon, Kil Ripkin from The Coalescence. You know they never cease to amaze me with new material. There’s definitely a lot of dope dudes out there. Sha Stimuli, he’s a beast lyrically, that’s a little bit of the mainstream. Pharoah, a little bit of the over and underground.
It seems that from your records and your features that you stray away from what’s popular in rap right now, like drug rap.
Me, I’m an individual, I’m a person. I’m multifaceted, I like girls, I like clothes, I like sneakers, I like to see my community look nice, I like to live in a nice place. I like to see intelligent African-American people held in the same light as people of different races that are of equal intelligence. So there’s so many things that make Torae as a person, I wouldn’t just limit myself to being one thing on a record or one person. I don’t care when people call me underground or conscious or whatever. People like to put labels on me, that’s fine but I like to make music that means something. That doesn’t mean every song that I rap one is about consciousness and upliftment. Hip hop is also fun, it’s also braggadocious. It’s so many things and I like to try to bring that in the music. You might hear a record from Torae, I may be talking about the Presidential election on one record, I may be talking about my daughter the next record, I might be talking about how I spent half my royalty check at Flight Club because these things are part of my life, part of my make up. So I’m always going to give you the real no matter what. And I know that’s cliché, but I can’t be something I’m not. I’m not going to be something [on a record that] I’m not in person.
I remember reading that you rolled with Dip Set for a little bit. Could you tell a little about that?
When I was with the Dips, and this was years ago, about 10 years ago, Cam was working on his second album. I had the opportunity to rhyme for him and he liked what he heard. Like I said he was doing promo and recording the second album. All I ever wanted to do was music so the opportunity presented itself and I jumped on it. So when he went to the studio I was there, promoted some shows, I was in and out of state for that. Everything I did in music, the first time I did it was with Cam. The first time I did radio was with Cam. The first time I went on the road to do any types of shows was with Cam. So I owe [those] brothers a lot. They embraced me. I didn’t grow up with them or knew them from the neighborhood. I was just a dude could rap and they respected that. Cam took me to his house where is son and his girl was. So that means a lot to me. Any time a man brings them into their home-their castle-that in itself means so much to me. So I owe this dude a lot. That being said they taught me how to be independent, and do for self, and never depend on anybody. So that was also a valuable lesson learned. I’m still cool with those brothers. I don’t know if people copped the XXL I’m in but Duke Da God took time out of his schedule to make sure that he put a quote in my first print interview. That was dope. So those brothers mean a lot to me. They’re a part of my history and I like to see that all of them became to be what they were aspiring to be. All those brothers talked about “We’re going to get out the hood, we’re going to take care of our families, we’re going to do better for each other.” Cam, he said, “Jimmy I’m gonna help you get up out of [apt #] 5H.” So it’s good to see their success and it lets me know I can attain that same success if I work as hard just as they did.
Did you happen to record with them at all?
The one joint that we were on [together] we never put out or finished so I don’t have anything with them as of right now as far as an official recording. We did a lot of radio and stuff in the past but no official recording.
Are you happy being indie right now or are you looking for a major?
It depends. Independent is definitely cool right now. Independent definitely gives you more creative freedom. So I don’t have an A&R breathing down my back, telling me what beats to select and who to feature on my project so in that aspect. Of course I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to be on a major label or at least have that major exposure because as a human being that’s just what you want. For as many people that do know me right now there’s so many that don’t. I would love for my grandmother to turn on the TV and see me on television. So major labels can help you in being famous but I’m not necessarily in it to be famous. I’m in it to make a change, make a difference, make money, and just have a comfortable life and be able to do something. Change people’s lives and maybe even change the world. That’s what it’s all about. And If I can do that, continue to do that on an independent level then I’ll stay independent. If a major label feels my vision and feels that I can make an impact and make a change the that’ll be something that I’ll consider once I get into it. But right now I’m fine with my independent.
Any last things that you want to say? Any people that you want to shout out or things that you have coming up?
Just shout out to everybody that’s been supporting the music. People don’t have to do it but they do do it and that means a lot to me. People that take time to interview me, people who take time to read the interviews, the comments. It all means a lot from me. I’m just a kid from Brooklyn who only wanted to do music and now I’m seeing that dream become reality. At times it’s just overwhelming but it’s dope, I just appreciate it. Genuinely I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. So I just want to thank everybody, I don’t want to get down to naming names. Everybody that helped me get the record into stores. Thank you to everybody that helped me get the record out of the stores and keep checking into Myspace. New music coming, me and Marco coming 3rd, 4fh quarter, that’s going to be something special. The shows, I definitely to try give off a lot of energy at my live shows. People have been commenting about that. If you here about Torae in your town come check it out. I’m pretty sure you’ll be pleasantly pleased with what you see on the stage. And thank you, I can’t say it enough, thanks for the support I appreciate it.
BONUS: Torae Freestyle on POW! Radio