While speaking with Vlad TV, Harlem, New York rapper Immortal Technique spoke on up-and-coming rapper Bobby Shmurda. The Brooklyn lyricist garnered swift viral fame following the release of the music video for his record, “Hot Ni**a,” and was even picked up by Epic Records.
During his interview, Immortal Technique stressed the importance of an artist like Shmurda having a booking agency that can book both domestic and international shows in order to further that artist’s “staying power.”
“What I always tell people really tells me what they’re gonna do is what booking agency they sign up to…If I see him signing with a certain agency,” Technique said. “I see him sign with a certain group and I see how they’re trying to mold him in terms of the local festivals then the international festivals. Then you know if somebody has that type of staying power. So, I mean, I guess only time will tell.”
Technique later revealed that cities and regions across the country should have been more adamant about creating a community that keeps others from dictating what Hip Hop should sound like. He then circled back to Bobby Shmurda, wishing the rapper the best and informing him that the next step is to “show and prove.”
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“We should have expanded all over the place and really built a community that didn’t allow anybody just to come in and say ‘Well, guess what? I’m Hip Hop. I’ll decide what Hip Hop is,’” he said. “Because now that’s what we have. Anybody with money can just come in here and say ‘Well, I’m inventing a new style of Hip Hop.’ And we can’t do nothing about it. Whereas back in the day we could be like ‘Woah, woah, woah, woah. That’s just not popping. We’re gonna shut that down. Ain’t nobody gonna support that.’ My job is not to judge their music, Vlad…My job is just to educate them to the pitfalls of what happened during our generation, so they don’t make the same mistakes. Whatever Mr. Shmurda ends up doing is entirely upon him and his camp. I wish him the best. Cause I’ve known a lot of kids that I’ve seen come into this business and get taken advantage of…So, when I see that I just wonder what’s the next step. And to me the next step has always been ‘Okay, you made a record. Now you gotta show and prove as an artist.’”
In addition to Immortal Technique, New York City rapper Joell Ortiz also recently offered his thoughts on Bobby Shmurda and the Brooklyn artist’s “Hot Ni**a” music video. During an interview with This Is 50 Radio, Joell revealed why he’s a fan of Shmurda.
“I love Bobby Shmurda,” he said. “I’mma tell you why. It has nothing to do with—That has nothing to do with lyricism…Cause y’all saw the video? I think that’s why that matters the most though. It’s because it’s been really, really pretty for a long time now. I’m tired of what New York has been looking like. I’m glad he took to The Ave. I’m glad he took it to plastic cups…It’s been too shiny, tight, and bright for a while now. You know what I’m saying? So, I like it. It was genuine. It wasn’t made up. It wasn’t gimmicky. It went cause it felt—Everybody liked it. For whatever reason.”
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