Interview with Black Clique’s Charliee Royal
[@ names of the people mentioned in this article @inNovawetrust, @OfficialKeezXXX of @SwampPosse, @Djdeekidd, @_freshjones, @itsAdolla, @TheHempClub, @WifisFuneral197, @fuckSMOOKIEEE, @maxp___, @OG_SKY of @SwampPosse, @BlackClique, @LordFresco_, @DannyTowerss, @CeazeDaVillain, @Distortedd_, @MoreLessNation]
[Photography credits for Charlie’s photos : Sk8 aka @Sk8boardt]
How long have you been rapping for?
Started rapping when I was 12.
Who’re your rapper inspirations?
Off rip I’ma say Kanye, because he’s a producer before rapper and his whole come up story is different and he came up out of a time where gangsta rap as cool, baggy tees was cool, and he went against the current norm and still won.
Who’re your producer inspirations?
I can’t say inspiration, but I can tell you who I do like. I just like producers who make a different sound with different artists. I feel like a producer should cater to the artists, not trying to boost his own stuff, like help me out and we can help each other out. When you’re crafting a beat from scratch, I feel like a producer has the super vision of what they want it sound like, but I believe they should cater to their artists. Me personally I like sitting down with producers and going through their beats, I’ve had sit downs with Serious Sound and he made it up from scratch to cater to me, which Is what I love, that’s hard. But I feel like with producers, I feel like they just need to cater to the artists more. It’s not always going to happen, but I believe the producer should do homework on this artists, not just throw a folder of beats at you and have you pick. Fresh Jones, he’s a street executive producer and that’s a studio and management company out in Orlando. I like messing with him for a simple fact, that’s he a real dude, he’s a dude that has big credit names but still comes and fucks with indie artists, not necessarily indie but less known. He got 2 chainz credit, Bankroll Fresh, and then Skooly. Fresh don’t give me the beats for free or nothing, but we have a good working relationship, I’ll go out to Atlanta and he’ll mix it right in front of me. Two of my hit songs “Lotto”, and he engineered “Day Ones”. The Day Ones video is coming out Friday, Christmas Day.
What was your last favorite performance?
For me personally, this wasn’t even the most packed show, my Surf Tour Orlando performance in the summer was my favorite. Dj Deekid, and hype men. Swamp Posse and Wifisfuneral was there, it was their show. It was in August to be honest ha-ha. Max P was there, Smook, and everybody else I really didn’t know. That was definitely my favorite performance, feeling the energy on stage their felt good. It feels good when the crowds rocking with you, It makes you feel wanted, not just like when the Dj and hype men are vibing it. Feels good when people on stage are vibing, and people in the audience as well. Gives you more energy as a performer. I also loved 40 OZ Bounce, because it was an art, music, and fashion event. Artists such as Distortedd (interview with her happening at #CD4), Sebastian Of MoreLess and different brands their, like TheHempClub.
What would you say is your best project?
The one I’m about to drop that’s not out, to be honest. I’m a sophomore in college and haven’t dropped a project since senior year in high school. The project I’m boutta drop has best music I’ve dropped, ever to date. It’s called Royal Lifestyle EP, only feature on it right now is ItsAdolla.
Are you big on collaborations?
I’m big on collaborations, just not right now to be honest. Right now I’m really focusing on how I’m being portrayed, I want you to hear me, I don’t like listening to other dude’s projects and only hearing mad niggas. My old projects have had a lot of features, like now especially I’m putting a lot of money in studio time and beats, so it needs to be all me. I just feel like I could kill the track myself, don’t get me wrong sometimes you might need someone on the hook. Other people need to work with other artists, I don’t. I can kill the song myself. The thing is for me, I want me to appreciate me for me. I’m at a very critical point of my buzz, where I want people to like me for me. I don’t want my song to get overshadowed because of someone else like “yo I really like that dude on the hook”, if the songs only me there’s no other person to like.
So last Friday I was with you at SquadyFest in Miami (December 18, 2015) with Keez and a few other rappers, so how’d you enjoy it?
Their was a fucking half pipe in the middle of the venue, like how lit was that? We were performing on the top of the ramp while the crowd was at the bottom of the ramp, mad hypemen surrounded every performer, hell even you were on the ramp.
When’s your next big performance?
Going to Denver January 9th for Rojas Fest (insert flyer), Ken Rebel’s going to be there, Lamb$, Danny Towers, itsAdolla’s going, OG Layla Johnson, Playboi Carti’s the headliner. Ian Connor’s hosting it, alongside with Rojas. The Slumps, Reggie Mills, SlumpGod and a few others will be there too. My next local performance is alongside Danny Towers and CeazeDaVillain & OnGodRecords. It should be fun, it’s at the same spot as last time that I pulled up to (November 13th, 2015).
How long has it been since you started taking this seriously?
The day I knew I wanted to take rap seriously, I was 14. But I didn’t start dropping quality music ‘til I was 16 in high school.
Do you write/rap/record under the influence?
Nope, I’m a sober guy. I smoke weed a little bit, but not when I’m doing important things. I can do those things under the influence, but I know it’ll be better and I’ll have more control of it. Especially if I’m paying for studio time, that’ll just slow me down. I don’t even be smoking at my shows. There’s dudes that love to get fucked up and do it better, but that’s just not me.
Who’s your main producer?
I don’t have a main producer, but I’ve been working with Fresh Jones a lot.
Do you rock with any of the local brands/musicians/performers/people doing their own thing in this city?
Brand wise, obviously I’m affiliated with TheHempClub so I’m going to say them. After that, we can say MoreLess, cause I know him personally, we’re cool he shows love. LaCrxz’s brand does their thing too, Market and NoXscape, I think those are the only brands I really know that are making noise. Musicians, I feel like the city’s really rich with a lot of musicians, that make different type of rap. And then theres the other dudes the rap and sing, and there’s dudes who sing and play instruments within the scene.
Where were you born and raised?
Born in the Bronx, than I moved to Kissimmee at age 8. And then I moved to St. Cloud, and funny thing is that’s when I picked up hip hop. Currently I reside in Daytona, because that’s where I go to school (Daytona State, great music college).
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
5 years man, I see myself doing a few things. What I want to do is, eventually headline shows, recording music, recording different genres of music, I don’t want to always be in front of the screen. I want to just not do things rap wise. Not just make music, period. I don’t know where this music shit is going to take me, I could see myself being in a lane that isn’t even rapping, still doing something relevant to music. I love music, I don’t just love rap. Me being a music technology major really opened my eyes up to other music.
Any last minute shout outs?
Shout out my team #BlackClique, shout out TheHempClub, shout out Nova my manager, shout out Fresh Jones. Shout out to every Dominican on the scene including me, Nova, Lord Fresco, OG SkyXXX, and I guess you Ricky, but you doing the interview so you don’t really count haha.
