COOLIE COKE CONVERSATION

 

Here$ Johnny Questions:

1 The Album title Coolie Coke Pen is striking. Is it a metaphor for the gritty, street-level storytelling on the album, or is there a more personal story behind the name?

Here$ Johnny: So it's a TRIPLE entendre going off of me being of East Indian descent writing about drugs. Also, I refer to the cola pen, which is a homemade calligraphy pen, as a coke pen. The homemade pen also signifies the originality of crafting what I write to what I know. 

2 Working with a single producer for an entire 11-track project creates a cohesive sound. How did the creative process with Clifton Neal differ from working with other producers like Sketch Turner or WILDERNESS?

Here$ Johnny: So nothing really changed. Just the vibe of the beats. When constructing a project, if there is no real direction, you let the beats take you where you need to go with it regarding lyrical content.

3 The track list has some vivid titles like "Jason Kidd in 02" and "Life Over A Couple Bricks". Can you break down the inspiration behind one of them and how it fits the album's overall theme?

Here$ Johnny: Those were all named after the songs were constructed. I put not only abstract and creative thought in my bars and choruses. In real life situations, I've been around as well. Those two titles happen to be about what I've seen in the street or incarcerated. 

4 You've been described as an "architect of the abstract," blending horrorcore with experimental territory. Does Coolie Coke Pen continue down that path, or did this project push you in a new direction?

Here$ Johnny: Everything that I make has potential to be abstract if I choose to make the rhyme pattern a certain way. So that being said, even though these are more traditional boom-bap soul beats my cadence and bar structure still give it that abstract and original flavor.

5 The physical releases are incredibly limited and "lovingly unhinged" - a "Coke Brown" cassette in a metal can, among others. Who came up with these concepts, and what do you want fans to feel when they hold one?

Here$ Johnny: DITCD came up with the idea of the coke can and the cola brown cassette. Czarheel designed the cover are for both the CD and the Vinyl. I just wanted people to feel like they have something personal from me whenever they are holding on to it. 

6 The underground hip-hop scene has been praising the album. What does that specific validation mean to you, compared to more mainstream recognition?

Here$ Johnny: That is ultimately who I make records for, so I wouldn't want it any other way. I can just elevate with each release in hopes to bring my audience classics.

7 Looking ahead, what's next for you after this release? Can fans expect more collaborations with Clifton Neal?

Here$ Johnny: Absolutely, Cliff is a soul genius and very enjoyable to work with. Expect more from him and I in the near future. Up next I have a 10 track project dropping around the 19th of August called, "Buzzerbeaters!" With Luca Brasi 753 on Fat Hippie Records! Vinyl and CD's will be available. Go get that when it drops you heard! Thank you for your time and dedication to the culture as well Marquis. Salute!

Clifton Neal Questions:

1 You produced all 11 tracks on Coolie Coke Pen, giving it a signature sound. How did you approach the production to match Here$ Johnny's grit and abstract lyrical style?

Clifton Neal: First of all, I appreciate these questions. Thank you for putting this together. Honestly, I wasn't really trying to fit his style specifically, I was just approaching the production how I would normally. When I make a beat, I aim to create something that is emotionally evocative, before any lyrics are laid over them. If I can put together a composition that makes me feel some type of way, then I know it's got potential.

And Johnny, man, Johnny is an amazing lyricist. Bars for days. We started talking about doing a project together back in November, and initially I just sent him some loosies, to sort through. "Bigfoot", "Snatch, Grap, and Clap PU$$Y$', and "Life over a Couple Bricks" ended up coming from that batch. And that kind of laid the foundation for the rest of the project.

From there, we just tried to round it out. I'd send him a few unfinished ideas and we'd have a lot of back and forth about it. On "The Sendoff" for example, it was his idea to throw drums on the second verse, and I sent him like five different variations of that, until we found the one that ended up on the album. It was really dope to have that feedback loop.

So, yeah, I wasn't really trying to make the beats with his style in mind exactly. We did build a lot of it together though. It all happened naturally and I think we did a good job blending our styles together to create something special.

2 Your previous work has been described as pairing conscious hip-hop with hard-hitting Boom-Bap beats. Does that description fit Coolie Coke Pen, or did you experiment with a different sonic palette here?

Clifton Neal: Kind of similar response as the last question, but I don't really classify my work as "Conscious" or "Boom-Bap". I just try to create music that I fuck with and that I would be interested in listening to if I heard it in the wild. With my beats, I aim for emotional compositions, something that could really kind of transport the listener. Naturally, I think that Might put me in a more soulful lane, but yeah brother, I just let the music move me.

With "Coolie Coke Pen", Johnny called it something like "Soul-Bap Grime", and I like that shit. I think it's accurate. I do think there is a conscious element to many of the joints on there, and there were a few experimental ideas that came into the mix too. I was definitely in a slightly different bag on this one with the drum work we got going on, on a few of these. I wanted to have some hard-hitting joints to match his vocal delivery. In the end, I think we did a good job sonically of balancing each other out.

3 Were there any specific records, producers, or eras of hip-hop that you drew inspiration from while crafting the beats for this album?

Clifton Neal: Excellent question Man. A few projects that are always on my mind when I'm cookin' are Cam'ron's "Purple Haze", "Blue Chips" 1 & 2 by Action Bronson. Also from Bronson, "Party Supplies". Then Roc Marciano's "The Pimpire Strikes Back", "Aziatic" by AZ to name a few. 

Also, some other joints that get me fired up are, "Surrender to Me" by Lil B, the Big Body Bes "On The Radar" freestyle, "Poppy Seed" by Gabe 'Nandez & Thomas Maggart, Westside Gunn's "Love U", Gucci Mane's "Intro" off the "Trap God" mixtape and the list goes on forever. These the type of songs that make me wanna run through a brick wall. 

But yeah, in general, it's producers like The Heatmakers, Just Blaze, Kanye, and a lot of the Dipset-Type sound that had a big influence on my production style early on. Sprinkle some DJ Premier in there too. Then add The Alchemist and Roc Marciano into the mix and my sound definitely shifted a bit. Then in the last few years, dudes like Conductor Williams and Nicholas Craven have had influence on me as well. So, where I'm at now, I feel like I'm drawing inspiration from a few different eras, with both maximalist and minimalist approaches. But, I try not to put myself in a box, or compare my work to much to others to the point that I've lost the plot on what I'm trying to create or accomplish.

I would say, all of the above served as inspiration while crafting the beats for "Coolie Coke Pen". Throughout the process, I was going back through Johnny's discography too, and using that as kind of a grounding point for mixing and things like that. In particular, I was really messing with that Hollow Man, M.D. record with him and LUNAR. Definitely drew some inspiration from that. Shoutout to the whole Blakuza Family man, a lot of dope artist over there.

4 Give the raw and "grimy" vibe of the project, what was your studio setup like? How did the recording environment influence the album's final sound?

Clifton Neal: I'm not gonna lie to you, my life has been in kind of a constant state of flux these last two years. Losses in the family, the birth of my first child, moving around a lot. It's been tough to carve out time to focus on the music the way I wanted to. Being in a transient state for so long, I've gotten real comfortable whippin' up with nothing but a laptop and some headphones. When I am able to have my full setup though, I primarily use an MPD232 for beat making, a few monitors, but there's not much more to the studio setup than that.

That being said, whenever I had time to work on this project, I felt like I had to be deliberate and purposeful with it. I'm so hungry for this music shit man, so I really felt like I needed to get this out into the world. I needed to prove myself as a capable producer, you know? Maybe that hunger can be felt across these 11 tracks. As far as it being "grimy", I think a lot of that is Johnny's lyrics and delivery too. But let's be honest man, life is grimy. We just translating that into art. It is what it is.

5 You've worked with a variety of artist like Don.Hundred and Elcamino. How did you collaboration dynamic with Here$ Johnny compare to those previous projects?

Clifton Neal: Shouts to Don, that's my guy. Na man, I've worked with quite a few artist at this point and the collaborative element isn't always there, you know? Sometimes it's just a cold transaction without a lot of back and forth, so it's not like we are really getting to know each other or anything like that. Don't get me wrong though, it's all very professional, and I'm grateful to be in a spot to make art with these amazing artists.

With Johnny though, I gotta say, one of my favorite things about collaborating with him is the level of communication. He's a thorough dude. And we've covered it all throughout the making of this album. Rap shit, life shit, and all that, like that's my homie at this point. He's dropped a few gems on me along the way too. But yeah man, all that back and forth and those organic interactions really helped solidify our chemistry on the artistic front, and I think that comes across when you listen to the album for sure.

6 The album is being praised in the underground hip-hop scene. What do you hope listeners take away from the production after a full playthrough?

Clifton Neal: That's a great question. Hip-Hop is really like my best friend brother. It's been with me through so many ups and downs throughout my life. So to make a contribution within that space and have it be well received, means the world to me. Hopefully, this tape inspires a few listeners to dive deeper into mine and Johnny's respective catalogs. I hope it can create some renewed interest in underground hip-hop for those that have lost it, and make the rotation form some die-hard underground heads as well. I hope the production resonates with people, and strikes them emotionally the same way it did me when I was putting it together. Shouts out to everyone who has been showing love and supporting the album. I appreciate all y'all for real.

7 With the album now out, what's next for you as a producer? Are there other artist you're looking to work with or new sounds you're eager to explore?

Clifton Neal: Just gonna keep it going man, as best I can. I got an LP with Heartbreak Julio and a few other things on the way before the year closes. Got joints with Elcamino and Fahim in the works. I've also started working on "Goin' off the Cliff, Vol. 2" - with songs from Griot Noy and STADIX already secured for that. There's a few other specific artists I want to get on there, but I'm keeping it under wraps for now. Johnny and I will likely run it back eventually too. Shit we working hard everyday man, best believe this is just the beginning. Thank you again for putting these questions together and helping us promote the album. Appreciate you!

Ceverely Yours,

Marquis Walker