It’s hard to speak on the underground Hip-Hop music scene without mentioning the 23-year-old Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn reppin’ Dominican Republic native emcee Radamiz. Culminating tens of thousands of views on his YouTube video cyphers as a featured TeamBackPack artist and streams on his Soundcloud artist page, Radamiz is an independent artist worth knowing! After receiving raves reviews from top music critics on this latest project Writeous, the Mogul Club founding partner is arguably one of the most influential active unsigned rappers.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Radamiz about his highly acclaimed project Writeous, his musical upbringing, working with TeamBackPack and more. Check out the full interview below!
After speaking with a lot of emcees, growing up wanting to be a rapper was frowned upon in their households. Was this the case for you? How was your upbringing as it relates to music? Who did you listen to? What was the first CD you purchased?
Music definitely was not the intended career when I grew up but after a while my parents realized this is all I really give a fuck about. My family were always music goers and listened to a lot in the house but usually it was Tipico or Bachata rather than Hip Hop. I listened to Hip Hop mostly outside of the crib: in the streets, at school, whatever my friends put me on to, day care, whatever. Of course on TV too. But it wasn’t until I bought my own Biggie, Jadakiss, Nas, Eminem, G-Unit, and others that I started writing my own work. Afterwards, I started growing up and the honesty in my life paralleled with the honesty in music, which brings me here today. Hip-Hop helped me grow up, it held a mirror to who I really was.
A lot of new fans may not understand the significance behind your movement, Mogul Club. Tell me about Mogul Club! What’s the mission? Who’s on the team? What’s the goals?
Mogul Club is a collective of creatives that care about Hip-Hop, culture, New York, and just representing wanting to be the best in the world at whatever you put your mind to. We show a lot of love so we get a lot of love, we move with peace you know? When we’re all on that stage it may look like chaos and an Us vs. Everybody mentality, which it usually feels like, but don’t get it twisted: we can acknowledge the greatness in anyone cause we know we’re great. King Critical pitched the idea initially to me, Madwiz, and History and then slowly but surely we gathered all our other brothers. We grew up on The Roc, Dipset, LOX, Bad Boy, G-Unit, all that. We know what a powerful New York presence means to the culture. We’re the chosen ones.
Rap fans all around the world know your name, you’ve racked in tens of thousands of views on YouTube and you’ve torn down stages all across the country. Some of your exposure can be credited to your breakout cyphers with TeamBackPack. Tell me, how did you become involved with TBP?
Honestly, I was a fan of TeamBackPack just like everyone else but fate brought me and them together after one of the co-founders moved to New York and started focusing the efforts on exposing dope NY MC’s the same way they did in Cali. We would drink coffee together, talk music, talk ideas on how to push the culture forward, and naturally we just got cool. They’ve done such great things for my career and support me in a major way and I’m super grateful for them. I believe in what they want to represent to the game the same way they see my vision so its just good vibes anytime we get work done. We’re all just human beings with a vision, God will always put people on your path to help you realize it.
Rap critics have proclaimed your latest project, Writeous, to be one of the best rap releases of the year. In hearing that how does it feel? What was the inspiration behind the project?
It feels beautiful but we’ve got so much to do. Love and support is the only reason any of us have some kind of career. To have people react to “Writeous” the way they do, include it into their life, play with their girl, smoke to it with their friends, use it to cry and as motivation music….man. I treated “Writeous” like mapping out the DNA of what my beliefs are, what I stand for, point my listeners towards the kind of content I want to bring to the game. It took 4 years of wins, mistakes, writing and scrapping songs, spiritual endeavors, moments of anxiety, talking to God directly to make. I just try to represent whatever is truth to me or what seems necessary. All the compliments, praise or whatever has nothing to do with me, that’s up to my supporters to give.
You’re always one to speak out about social injustices. Even the cover of your project Writeous speaks to gun violence and tracks like Am I Black Too? touches on a lot as well. Some artists don’t take accountability for their content, but you do! You take the extra effort to make music with a message. Why is that?
I think after a while you realize that the GOAT’s in any medium of creativity just stood true to what they were naturally passionate about. I see so much people give up on their dreams. I see so much people still flirting with evil, lose hope in love, lose hope in the things their hearts speak. So much people resort to violence because it seems like the only choice. I just have to be the light if no one else is going to be. I speak about whatever seems necessary, no matter how outlandish or crazy it may seem. I’m not scared to speak my mind. I hope I become even more fearless too. Look at Pac, look at Ali, look at Dave Chappelle, Malcolm X, Basquiat, Amy Winehouse, Gil Scott Heron, so much more too. Those are some of my heroes.
What’s next for Radamiz?
A new EP, more singles, a video for “poweR” with History, collaborations, and just a more confident direction. I think I’m finally realizing what I was born to be, what I was born to represent, how strong I truly have to be. I break down a lot, I have my moments where I’m not at 100%. More importantly, I’ve learned that if I wake up at 30% of myself, I’m going to be that 30, not 5 or 29. I can’t take you all the “rewards”, that’s up to God. All I know is that I have a path I’m following and I’m grateful to be on it.
Stay connected with Radamiz on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Take a listen to Radamiz’s full project Writeous and be sure to let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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