Toronto DXnext artist Colin Munroe [click to read] recently spoke with HipHopDX about his work with Dallas Austin [click to read], Skyzoo [click to read], and why a 2007 version of his debut album will never be heard.
As an early supporter, Dallas Austin was a significant figure in opening doors for Colin, including his deal with Universal Motown. Grateful of the assistance, Munroe said their work together coincides with the fact that they are very much alike. “We did two records together on my album. But besides that, we have an understanding of each other. We both are guys who came from the background of just doing everything ourselves.”
Switching to his recent mixtape …Is The Unsung Hero [click to listen], Munroe explained to DX that his work with Skyzoo on “Brick in the Wall” reinforced the notion that Hip Hop artists can create almost anything with a pen and a pad. “With that song, I wanted a lyricist who could approach a song like Bob Dylan used to; a bunch of short verses, punctuated by a refrain. I never really heard a rapper do that before, and Skyzoo rapped exactly how Dylan would write.”
Impressed by Skyzoo’s candor, Munroe stated that future collaborations are on the radar, pending schedule alignments. “We’ve talked, but the timing needs to be right. I’m on the road, finishing up the album, and I’m hoping to put out a new mixtape before the album comes out, so there are only so many hours in a day. But when the opportunity comes up, and the pieces fit, we’ll definitely do something together again.”
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With Munroe finishing up recording for his debut Don’t Think Less of Me, what many of his fans may not know is that a previous album of the same name was supposed to come out in 2007, prior to his newfound success. “Ninety-five-percent of the records from that album have been scrapped. And they were great songs, but it was a more straight-forward pop-rock sound. I thought to myself, ‘if I can lead my music in a different direction, I’m gonna do it.’ That will forever be considered a lost version of the album that you’ll probably never hear.”
While keeping most of his album information such as guest spots and tracks sealed-tight, Munroe did tell DX that the Black Milk and Joell Ortiz-assisted “Piano Lessons” has a chance to make the cut, pending a recording session next week. Also, he confirmed that a revamped version of “Cannonball” featuring Drake will be on the album, stating the mixtape version was just a “snippet” of what’s to come.
