Indy hip-hop mainstay Rob Sonic recently dropped a new album named Defriender, released on his own label, Skypimps Music. We spoke to him about the new project, his studio process, the classic Telicatessen, his time on Def Jux and more. Words by Matt Horowitz.
Defriender is your second full-length release on Skypimps Music, correct? After 20+ years in the business, what finally prompted you to start your own label imprint?
Necessity really. No body expressed much interest in getting behind my solo stuff after Def Jux and I wanted to keep releasing my music so I kind of had to release it myself.
Now, I’m sure you get this type of question all the time… but once and for all, what’s the current status of your groups Hail Mary Mallib with Aesop Rock & DJ Big Wiz, as well as Sonic Sum with Preservation, Fred Ones & Eric M.O.?
Currently I am not doing any group projects, HMM was more of a fun side project and Sonic Sum was like 15 years ago or something like that.
I’ve read that an ARo Odyssey, ARP Little Brother, Mini-moon, Yamaha SK-20, Roland Juno-106, Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, Korg MS-2000, Akai MPC 2000 XL, and Technics SL-12000s were all used to help create your 2004 solo debut, Telicatessen. Would you mind briefly walking us through your production/beat-making process, at the time?
It has always been sort of more of a collage with me, I tend to vary the way I approach each song individually. It would be hard to summarize an overall process or theory as much as it being whatever works for whatever notes I have written down and what fits rapping wise, that is usually most important to how I make beats. It’s one of the pluses of making your own beats.
How would you personally say your overall sound, style delivery, production process, etc. has changed and progressed between Telicatessen and Defriender?
I might have just answered this to an extent, but I’ve sort of just become more aware about what works for me best. I don’t consider myself a natural or even particularly talented so understanding what I was capable of was a huge part of my progression over the years.
What would you say would be the greatest lessons or most meaningful advice you received from El-P, Aesop Rock, Hangar 18, etc. during your time spent at Def Jux?
We didn’t really give each other “advice” per se as much as look out for each other as friends. I think El (as the head of the label) told me to stop being a knuckle head and short sighted musically once, that was good advice.
You have previously mentioned within our emailed conversations that Defriender was close to not being released at all. Would you mind briefly getting into some of the specific reasons and circumstances why?
Because I’m older and have had some real bad experiences in the business, and I literally do not give a fuck about being the biggest turd in the cesspool anymore. The craft of rap music is what is and has always been the most important thing to me, making it public was… for a long time but not so much anymore. My focus has sort of done a 360. And that is not to be taken out of context or as to say I don’t want to share it with anyone. It’s just I don’t focus on that 100% anymore.
How exactly did Mr. Dibbs get involved to provide his “All The Drugs” (Ohio Dirt Mix)? Do you have any particular insight into his beat-making/remixing process(es)?
Dibbs is doing some amazing shit with Circuit Bending these days and I love it, so it was only right to ask him for the heat since he did the cuts for the song already.
How would you say, the Dave Correia-designed album cover and artwork Design for Defriender directly ties to the themes and matters discussed within?
I don’t really think it does, but that wasn’t the goal. I wanted him (and every other artist I’ve ever worked with) to interpret a series of basic ideas I gave them. I’ve always reached out to artists I’ve already been a fan of for my cover art, from Dan Lang, to Remi “Rough”, to Dave Correia because of those specific people’s existing artistic approach and style, I want them to do them basically.
Do you have any immediate plans to tour behind Defriender? Now that the album has been effectively unleashed into the terribly unsuspecting world, what you have planned next?
Indeed I am touring for it, ha, “unsuspecting” world, it certainly does seem that way doesn’t it? It’s as if people never knew who I was at all. Pretty crazy but I’ll take it. As far as plans? I mean your going to get some very different stuff from me from now on, my approach to the business, people, my music, and the world has changed.
I’m always curious as to how featured artists and associates get involved in artist’s projects. How did you decide to recruit Mr. Dibbs for cuts and scratches throughout Defriender and Milk Gold with vocal assists on “All The Drugs (Do Nothing)” & “JJ SAD?”
I always wanted to work with Dibbs, he’s been a favorite of mine for years and we share a certain appreciation of raw sounding music. I’m glad he was down. Milk has a super unique, sultry voice, I needed that for both of those and luckily she agreed.
Aside from your solo discography and series of note-worthy releases with Sonic Sum & Hail Mary Mallon, what might you deem as a few of your most important/widely “slept-on” featured appearances?
I don’t really do many features, I’m not sure why that is, nobody really hits me up for that (unless they already know me). Hell, judging by the response to Defriender, maybe my entire catalog is the “slept-on” feature.
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Defriender is out now and you can get it here. Follow Rob Sonic on Twitter.
Matt Horowitz has been a hip-hop fan ever since he first heard Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) back in the mid-90’s, which positively or negatively changed his life ever since, depending on who you ask. He single-handedly runs online music publication The Witzard, and has been fortunate enough to interview Eothen ‘Egon’ Alapatt, Guilty Simpson, Ice-T and Mr. X, Dan Ubick, Career Crooks’ Zilla Rocca & Small Professor, Cut Chemist, and J-Zone, amongst countless others. He enjoys writing about and listening to hip-hop, Punk/Hardcore, and Indie Rock on vinyl with his lovely wife, while drinking craft beer, red wine, or iced coffee. To paraphrase both Darko The Super and the Beastie Boys: “Already Dead fans, they want more of this… I’m a Witzard like my man Matt Horowitz!”. Follow Matt here.
