Tyrese
Stemming from his unforgettable Coca-Cola commercial to his growth into a multi-platinum success and blockbuster acting career, Tyrese has always made massive impacts. This Fast & Furious multi-talented entertainer is now about to embark on the next step of his career, an emcee. Check out this article as he speaks about his transitions between his career and the upcoming collaboration with Bishop Lamont for his new heated mixtape “Best of Both Hoods.”
interview by Rob Schwartz
WHO?MAG: Being that you already have experience in the entertainment industry, if you could change one thing about the industry, what would that be?
TYRESE: I would like to meet people and not their representation. What I mean by that is be who you are and stop fronting. I’m tired of meeting people who say they want to do something and were going to make it happen, but only speak for that moment and don’t mean anything they are saying. Then they walk off and leave the other people that are hungry and want to get in the game in limbo. It leaves people frustrated. Then the other people walk off like the conversation never happened.
WHO?MAG: Between rap, R&B, and acting, what do you feel most comfortable doing?
TYRESE: Singing is my first love all day, although I have been rhyming before I was singing. Singing came fast for me. So it’s singing, then acting, then rhyming. The reason why I say I love it in that order, is because that is the order in which things came my way. I can’t say that I have a passion for hip-hop because I haven’t experienced it as an individual. I love hip-hop , but I have never put a hip-hop album out or put a dent in the game or had a buzz cracking. My passion for rhyming will grow or it will be like this is a long fantasy of mine that I had to get out there and let people hear what I had to say and see what happens. But I am into surrounding myself with first class soldiers.
WHO?MAG:: Tell me about this mixtape you have coming out?
TYRESE: The mixed tape is with Bishop Lamont. We’re in-between two titles. We have “Alter egos.” Both of us have alter egos and we have the “Best of Both Hoods.” He’s from Carson and I’m from Watts, which are right next to each other. It’s all west coast, but it’s music we feel that everyone around the world can enjoy. In my mind, I love west coast hip-hop, but sometimes people limit themselves to music that only tends towards the west coast. I’m a west coast nigga, but I want my music enjoyed worldwide. I have been playing my music for Andre 3000 from Outkast and R. Kelly. I have confirmation from all of the right people and no one believes that it’s me rhyming. They have this image of who I am and musically what I normally do and it’s going to be hard for a lot of people to accept this side of me. I think that a lot of people will jump on board when they see everyone else jump on board.
WHO?MAG: What are some of the differences in the studio between recording a rap song verses an R&B song?
TYRESE: I can get 2-3 records a night done rhyming and one record in 2 or 3 days singing. There are so many harmonies, background vocals, then the main track and ad-libs. I probably did the verse on “Change the World” in twenty minutes “I remember many nights you was there home alone.” I wrote that so fast and it was crazy cause it was exactly what I was going through when I was writing the song. I feel challenged when it comes to a west coast record. The “New World Order” is a west coast joint all day, but it’s something that people can play anywhere. It feels like a Dr. Dre type song and it’s crazy. I think when it comes to the west coast, I want to make sure that I’m saying all the right stuff. There are a lot of artists out here rhyming, but their voices will never be heard. When I jump on a record that I know will be great on the west coast, I get so under pressure and it becomes so hard for me to write and becomes that much longer to write than I feel comfortable with. It took me a minute to write the verse on the “New West Order.” I still didn’t get my verse done on this other record that me and Bishop did, but on all the other records, I’ll blaze my lyrics fast. I grab a pen and it’s all over. I grab a pen and then it’s done.
WHO?MAG: What do you enjoy most about recording?
TYRESE: Music is fun for me. I love seeing people react to my music. I don’t drink or smoke, but music is my high. I get off when I’m in the booth and a fresh ear or fresh energy comes around me and is really feeling it. The first person to come out with a dis record about me, I’m going to laugh at him. I’m not going to get into all of that banging on wax. That stuff is corny. I already know that there will be people coming at me because this is a transition. They may think that I’m trying to take food off their table and want to shut me down. I just want to have fun in every aspect of music. This is a blessing to me and every blessing taken for granted becomes a curse. I’m just going to do records and let them do what they do. I have a lot in store. I’m going to take them to Jamaica, then take them down south, then on some R&B, have Bishop on the 16 and let me do what I do, MY GOD!!! But music is fun for me, it’s just fun.