The self proclaimed ‘best rapper in Charlotte’ is also one of the best rappers full stop. His love for the culture and investment in the genre have led to many quality projects, and his output only gets better and better. It’s definitely an honour to be doing this interview him.
1. How long have you been interested in rap? It’s easy to tell you’re heavily invested in and a large part of the culture.
I’ve been interested in it for quite a while now, I would say since I was a youngster. Growing up with a young mother in the 90s hip hop was heavily played around me. My two older cousins who would baby sit me at the age 9 or 10 did music too so I was always really in this.
2. Who influences your style? You made your own lane completely, but who was the first people you looked up to and may have inspired some of your early shit, if anyone?
My earlier music didn’t sound like it does now, I was more on some mob shit rapping on generic fruity loop beats around that time I was listening to lil Wayne, jarule, John cena, AZ, young dro, young jersey, fat joe. Just a bunch of radio shit.
3. How did the ‘Best Rapper in Charlotte’ thing start? Do you feel like you’re not recognised in your city to the level you should be?
Nah Charlotte don’t give me the recognition, all my fans from overseas Germany, London, Paris. I started the whole best rapper in Charlotte campaign to take raise some eyebrows and no one else was saying they were the best so I said fuck it that’s me.
4. You’re a big fan of single producer projects, it seems. Is there anyone you’d like to do an album with that you haven’t already?
It’s a lot of producers I’d love to work with iman Omari, quelle chris, daringer, dj muggs, ahwlee, kankick, budgie, alchemist, roc Marciano, ohbliv, foisey, jinsang, tuamie, ewonee, the ravada all those underground cats.
5. Jewelry Rap and Alkaline Water are both killer projects that really define you as a rapper, what’s your next move from here going to be?
I’m sitting on 4 more projects, videos, traveling. at the moment I’m working on a album with Graymatter. I have a lot of shit though, I’m about to focus on advertising for a while though.
5. If someone was looking to get into your music, where would you tell them to start in your discography? There’s quite a lot of stuff to go through on your bandcamp, but people should definitely take the time to do so.
I would tell them to start at my project Brunch that’s when I found my sound and got more comfortable with my shit. That’s gonna open the door for you and draw you in, after that it’s endless jewels.
6.Who else is rapping as well as you, or close to it? You don’t seem to do many collabs with other rappers but there must be a few you’d like to work with?
A lot of people I want to rock with Koncept jack$on, Rigz, Mach hommy, Rome streetz, ankhle John, eto, westside Gunn, Daniel son, underground shit.
7. What does ‘Fuck Callis’ mean? There’s a lot of stuff in your branding I don’t really understand.
Fuck callis is just something I care up with to throw people off. I know when I started calling myself the best rapper in Charlotte I know a lot of people were saying “fuck callis” so I thought that’d be a great way to brand for clothing.
8. How long does it take you to write all the lyrics for a song? Your pen game is crazy but I’m not sure what methods you would use to achieve such amazing verses and hooks.
It’s back and forth for me, sometimes it take a while sometimes it’s quick. For me it’s all about staying in my pocket and my lane so jewelry rap was easier for me to write because all those beats were easy for me to get in my pocket on. Some verses can be 30 minutes some songs make a take a day or two I’ll leave it alone and come back to it.
9. You’re big on visuals, and I’m currently working on a writeup for one as we speak. Do you think having quality videos for your songs is important?
Yes it’s very important to be consistent with the visuals especially if you’re in a market where a lot of people aren’t hipped to you. Once you keep pushing them visuals out the right people will notice and things will start taking off.
10. Glad I got to send you these mate, is there anything else you’d like to add?
Peace to 108 mics for the love and support you help me out in so many ways hope I take this shit global so we can really work on another level
Listen to Jah-Monte on Bandcamp. Follow him on Twitter at @jahmonteogbon.
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