- Let’s dive right in to your single, “Full Speed.” What was it like working with AD?
It was cool. Nothing but good vibes and good work, plus, it was exciting ’cause I listen to his music a lot.
- I really liked the instrumental intro on that one. Who produced the track?
The man behind the boards… his name is “Clevies” and I have a lot of work with him. But I’m not the only one. He has work behind his name, for sure, and anyone lookin’ for good production should tap in with him—Mando.
- It seems like you guys really took your time with that one, not only in terms of production quality, but with the approach to your verses as well. Was it intentionally ironic to name a track “Full Speed” that is so laid-back and measured?
Yeah, we sure did; especially with the production, it took a lot of work to get the right sound and, as far as the topic, it was really a random thought when it came to the subject—the song is basically saying, “Go full speed with whatever you do in life. Be ’bout what you say and show action.”
- Fans of your music will know that you hail from South Central. What was it like comin’ up in “the belly of the beast,” as they call it, and how did that affect your sound?
Well, besides the street activity and police brutality, it was pretty cool to me. Never really had complaints. If anything, I was mostly into sports; didn’t really pay attention to street activity unless I had to defend myself. As far as my sound, it came from all the West Coast artists I listen to.
- Can you give us a Top Five favorite rappers from the old school?
Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Ice Cube, Kurupt, E-40.
- That’s a great list. It’s very similar to Kendrick’s. What about a Top Five new school rappers?
Definitely Kendrick, Nipsey Hussle, RJ, AD, and this guy named ‘gi joe omg.’
- Okay, dope, I’ll have to check him out. I also heard that you grew up on oldies. Are there any artists that we might be surprised to find out you listen to from that era?
Of course, all day, but I’ma start with: Earth, Wind & Fire. There’s also The O’Jays, Charlie Wilson, The Temptations, David Ruffin, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, James Brown, Jackson 5, you name it.
- Awesome, that’s music to my ears. I love the Motown Era. Moving forward, I don’t want to forget to mention that you have a new video dropping soon, for your single “Fuck Off.” Did anything specific lead up to the creation of that track?
Well, the single’s already out. You can check it out on SoundCloud. The video will be coming soon and I also have a new single out now called “Bad And She Kno It,” on SoundCloud as well. And, yeah, it did. On all of my ad-libs I always use the term, so as I was thinking of what I should come up with. I thought about it like, “I say it a lot… Why not come out with a song called ‘Fuck Off’?” And it turned out pretty good, but […] when the video drops, it’ll be even better. The producer who handled the production goes by the name of Krash.
- And what was it like filming a video with Neighborhood Films?
It was cool. Great person to work with. And how we met was random. He’s actually from Minnesota. One day, he came to LA. He posted a status saying [he needed herb]. I helped him out then he blessed me with a video, and the rest was history.
- On the flip side of that coin, you have a more sentimental track called “Bad And She Kno It.” I like how you can jump between those different extremes. In the verse, you ask “What’s your sign?” I was curious, what’s your zodiac sign?
I’m a Leo, and when you’ve been in different situations when it comes to relationships and life, you can come up with anything. It’s all about what you’ve been through. When you’ve been through it, it’s easy to rap about it. If you got the talent, it’s easy. But, on “Bad And She kno It,” I was basically describing what I do for a lady that I’m into and comfortable with.
- Do you associate with your sign? Or do you think it’s all made up? How do you think your sign affects the way you make music, if at all…
In a way, yes. At first, no, but once I got older and seen the action on it, that’s when I looked it up. With Leos, we’re one-of-a-kind. Plus, it’s like we’re good at whatever we put our mind to; even if it’s something we don’t want to do.
- Besides the upcoming music video, what else can we expect from you in the near future?
You can expect more videos and features. I’m working all day and you can catch me on a new song called “Leave me Alone,” with Cool V & Yelo Bank Frank—out on SoundCloud right now. It’s fire. Video on the way.
- And lastly, where can One West readers find you online?
You can catch me on Twitter at: @famegoinsane
On IG at: @westfamemalone
On Facebook, SoundCloud, and YouTube. Tap in!
Dope ?