A year ago, I would have had to open this interview with a paragraph explaining who Chance The Rapper is. Now, of course, you don’t need that introduction.

One of the main reasons for that – that being Chance’s skyrocketing success and fame – is Austin Vesely, the director responsible for a handful of the 20-year-old Chicago emcee’s most popular videos that earned him the spotlight he needed to truly shine.

I discovered Austin the same day I discovered Chance. I stumbled across the video for “22 Offs” (see below), a joint that would appear on Chano’s debut mixtape, #10Day, a little over a month later on April 3rd, 2012.

The video, directed by Austin, was like something I had never seen before. It was fun. Risky. Undeniably entertaining. It had an artistic aesthetic that I felt like music videos had been lacking as a whole for a long time. I was hooked.

After watching “22 Offs,” I immediately went back and found the January 2012 video for “Fuck You Tahm Bout,” which to this day is still the song that gets me out of bed and ready to attack the day quicker than any other. After watching that, not only could I not wait for the next Chance The Rapper record, I couldn’t wait for the next Austin Vesely video. He made videos with a style that stuck with you so much that you remembered his name – not just the name of the artist whose video it was. That’s how it happened for me, at least.

Shortly after the release of #10Day, Austin’s video for “Brain Cells” – probably my favorite track off the tape – blew me away. For a while, I would introduce Chance to people by showing them this video. It spoke volumes for his personality and brand, and it was a visual that, put simply, separated him from the crowd.

Chance The Rapper is one of the most unique, talented artists on the planet. I’ve been preaching that since the day I came across “22 Offs.” For an artist to rise at the speed and success level Chance has over the course of the past year, though, there has to be a perfect storm surrounding him/her to make it happen. As I quickly discovered, Austin is a key component of that storm.

Aside from videos for Chance, the Illinois-based filmmaker has done all kinds of work with (the now defunct) Kids These Days, Vic Mensa, Joey Purp, and other members of the SaveMoney crew and the Chicago hip-hop scene in general. Additionally, he’s crafting a future in the narrative film world and working on a screenplay and other forms of writing in his downtime.

I had intended on interviewing Austin for a long time. After kicking it with him for a while at this year’s SXSW and watching his most recent work – the video for Acid Rap‘s lead single “Juice” – blow up along with the tape as a whole, now was undoubtedly the right time.

Read below as he touches on his past, the present, and the expectedly bright future.

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TFH: How old are you? Where were you born/where’d you grow up?

Austin Vesely: I just turned 23. Glad to finally arrive at my Michael Jordan year. I grew up all over the place because my dad worked for the army my whole life. I lived in Iowa, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Germany, to name a few. My official hometown is Hanover, Illinois.

TFH: When was the first time you picked up a camera? What are some of your first memories of using a camera/filmmaking?

AV: I must’ve been six years old or so when I first got my hands on a camera. It was my grandma’s and she had left it at our house for some reason. I had seen a behind the scenes feature about the original Star Wars on the special edition VHS. It opened my eyes to the fact that movies were something people made, and that they didn’t just exist in the world. They made all the big action sequences with models, which I saw as very elaborate toys, basically. So my sister and I started making movies with action figures and stuff (not stop motion or anything, we weren’t that advanced).

TFH: Was there a specific point where you realized filmmaking was something you wanted to pursue or was it just a gradual development?

AV: I guess I’ve always known that I wanted to do it, but it took a few things happening to really commit to it. I remember making a video for class in high school and people responded really well to it. That was a watershed moment because I loved that feeling of entertaining people. I ended up going to to college for journalism but felt creatively stunted in that field, so I started focusing more on film classes and making videos with my friend Elijah Alvarado. He ended up moving to Chicago to go to Columbia for film and was really stoked about the program so he recommended I do the same.

TFH: What was the first music video you directed or worked on?

AV: The first video I directed on my own was “Clear Eyes” by Nico Segal and Vic Mensa of Kids These Days. I had been working on a lot of stuff with Davy Greenberg and the Elephilms team before that, so that’s really where I got my feet wet as far as music videos are concerned. But I didn’t feel totally comfortable with any artist until I met Kids These Days, and so when they needed a video I finally found the opportunity to do something on my own.

TFH: How did you meet Chance?

AV: I actually met Chance at the “Clear Eyes” shoot, which was pretty fortuitous. He had sent me an early cut of “Prom Night” before and I saw him perform “Nostalgia” at a youth event, but I didn’t actually meet him until that shoot.

(L-R): Pat The Manager, Chance The Rapper, Austin Vesely: The Money Team.

TFH: And how has the relationship (business and/or friendship) you’ve developed with Chance helped you professionally?

AV: Working with Chance has been an incredible opportunity. He’s a really creative person and he’s always been willing to trust / help me grow my vision and to take risks. That quality lent itself to a long working relationship where we can collaborate and grow as artists alongside each other. He’s basically a success machine so it’s been amazing to be able to be along for that ride and watch it happen. I’ve had great opportunities come my way because of it and I’m really grateful for that. He’s given me a platform for my art.

TFH: How do you feel you’ve been able to help Chance (and other Chicago artists) grow through your own craft?

AV: I think if there’s anything I’ve been able to offer to artists I work with it’s just a willingness to think outside of the box. There’s a million music videos out there these days because anyone can make one. What I try to bring to the table are ideas that will set an artist’s work off from the rest of what’s out there because it’s something new or different or just interesting. I wouldn’t take credit for the success of these artists, but I love hearing from people who enjoy the work.

TFH: What are your aspirations in the filmmaking/music video business? And how about outside of it? I know you’ve been talking about a screenplay you’re working on.

AV: My ultimate goal is to work less in music videos and get more into narrative stuff. I will always love to work with artists I’ve built relationships with and whose music I love, but the place I feel I’m best suited for is narrative film. I have been writing quite a bit in my down time, so I’m hoping to get something moving on a short film in the near future.

TFH: What does the Austin Vesely brand represent? When people see your logo or name on a project or just on Twitter, what do you want it to represent?

AV: I really hope that it elicits excitement. I think that would be the coolest thing is if people associate my stuff with not only quality, but a sense of excitement wondering what the hell kind of weird thing we’re doing next. And also I hope they associate me with nachos and fart jokes and shit like that, because LIFE’S TOO SHORT BRAH.

TFH: What’s a video you’ve done people might not have seen before? Or anything you’ve done that people would be surprised to find?

AV: I made this really weird short film on 16mm when I was in college about this guy who loves ice cream. I’m really proud of it to this day. I also used to make ridiculous comedy shorts in college with Elijah Alvarado that I think people would be amused by. One was called Cat Snatch Fever and it was a ‘70s buddy cop drama about these two dudes who snatch up the city’s stray alley cats. There were no cats in it and I almost failed that class.

TFH: How have you grown in the time between #10Day and Acid Rap? How has Chance from what you’ve observed?

AV: Personally I’ve just been growing closer to figuring out what I want and how to attain it, which is really all I can ask or hope for. It’s been an unbelievable year and the things I’ve gotten to do and the people I’ve gotten to meet, with Chance in particular, have been invaluable. As far as Chance goes, he’s just continually becoming a more and more well-rounded artist. He is more confident in his vision because his choices up to this point have panned out really well. He’s still the same dude but at the same time he’s becoming a superstar. It’s amazing to watch someone become who they’re gonna be. And he still bums too many squares from me.

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Check out Austin’s entire body of work on his Vimeo channel, and stay updated with him and his new projects via Twitter – @AustinVesely.

This past weekend in New York City, I had the chance to interview Rome Fortune, one of Atlanta’s hottest up-and-coming artists.

The young emcee dropped his most recent project, Beautiful Pimp, in February, and it’s been buzzing heavily since. I caught up with Rome at his “Get The Guap” video release party at Santos Party House right after he screened the video for a lively audience and performed that and the Childish Major-produced “Balcony” off Beautiful Pimp.

In the interview, Rome touches on the making of Beautiful Pimp, the process behind the creation of the Jack Stillz-directed “Get The Guap” video, his recent (and soon to be more) collaboration with Gucci Mane, where he ranks in the best beards in hip-hop list, and much more.

The official video for “Get The Guap” drops tomorrow at 2:20 PM on Dazed Magazine and on Rome’s website, cowboypimp.in. Trust me, it’s not one you want to miss.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the video HERE, download Beautiful Pimp below, and stay tuned for more from Rome Fortune.

DOWNLOAD: Rome Fortune – Beautiful Pimp

Interview shot and edited by Goodwin. Shoutout to Mike Boyd.

There are some similarities between rappers and producers. Both can sign deals, both can earn names for themselves, both can make a lot of money.

But there are differences too. Perhaps the biggest difference is that the average hip-hop fan has no clue what their favorite producer looks like. The average hip-hop fan might not even have a clue who produced their favorite song.

Well, one of the hottest songs out right now – and I can say that with no hesitation – is the Rocko/Future/Rick Ross hit “U.O.E.N.O.”. Thanks to Rozay’s infamous Molly line, the track has been shrouded in controversy, but aside from that, it’s been remixed a hundred times and word on the street is there are even more high-profile verions coming. The last couple times I’ve been to the club, “U.O.E.N.O.” turned the spot upside down.

You might not know if you don’t pay attention to credits, but the man behind that beat – which is also undeniably one of the hottest beats out right now – is none other than Childish Major, one of the most talented up-and-coming producers in hip-hop.

This past Tuesday, I spent the whole afternoon running around New York City with the Atlanta-based producer and Rome Fortune prior to Rome’s “Get The Guap” video release party at Santos Party House that night. After Childish’s DJ set, we sat down for a few minutes and talked about everything that’s going on in the young producer’s life right now – from “U.O.E.N.O.” and how life has changed since that song dropped, to his upcoming single with Young Jeezy called “Talk That,” to the weekend in NYC with Rome and much more.

Watch the video above, and you’ll likely draw the same conclusions about Childish that I did after spending a day with him. He’s on the brink of something very special, he’s got some incredible music in the works, and most importantly, he’s one of the most humble, down-to-earth people I’ve gotten a chance to interview since I’ve been doing this. Talent is one thing, but when you have the drive and positive energy to match it, the sky is the limit.

Stay tuned for much more from Childish Major. Hit the links below to visit his Soundcloud and also download Rome Fortune’s Beautiful Pimp mixtape, which features six tracks produced by Childish.

Childish Major Soundcloud: CLICK HERE

Rome Fortune – Beautiful Pimp: CLICK HERE

Interview shot by Goodwin. Edited by Goodwin and T.Ru.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Chicago hip-hop has taken the national scene by storm over the course of the past year or so.

Chance The Rapper just shook up the entire game with Acid Rap, the rest of the SaveMoney crew is moving full speed ahead, Chief Keef‘s been making headlines weekly for one reason or another since last summer – and that’s just scratching the surface. Chicago is no longer hip-hop’s hidden secret.

While I was at SXSW this past March, I had a chance to interview one of Chicago’s next up. Maybe you’ve heard the name, maybe you haven’t. But whether or not this is your first exposure to Martin $ky, I promise it will be far from the last.

The 18-year-old emcee has been heavy on his grind for the past year or so, but I recently caught onto Martin when I stumbled across the Dinero Dynasty track “Upper Echelon” on Ruby Hornet on which he and Kembe X, another one of my favorite young Chicago artists, were both featured.

I was so impressed with Martin’s verse that I had to dig for more right away. It turns out he had dropped a new video for a song called “Invitation” that same week (WATCH HERE), and the video is still one of my favorites of 2013 so far four months later.

I was able to connect with Martin while we were both in Austin a couple months ago. We kicked it for an hour or so, chopped it up about everything hip-hop, SXSW and more, then found a spot by the river to shoot the interview. As you’ll see in the video, he touches on the Chicago scene, the story behind “Invitation,” what fans can expect from his forthcoming mixtape #timeLESS, and more.

I had faith in Martin as an artist before meeting him – the quality of the music is undeniable – but after sitting down with him and getting to know him a bit as a person and understanding his mentality behind his approach to the music-making process and the game as a whole, I have no doubt he’s going to make major waves in the next year.

Head over to martinskyXL.com to check out his latest material, and stay tuned for more.

Edited by Goodwin and T.Ru. Instrumental by J. Dilla.

Chicago up-and-comer Martin $ky sat down with the good people at Visual Mecca Ent. last week and talked a little bit about his recently and rapidly growing buzz as well as his plans for the future.

#timeLESS coming soon (4/12). Look out for a TFH x $ky interview coming out of SXSW next month as well.

Check out his latest video here: Martin $ky – Invitation

Visit MartinSkyXL.com

The Pilot Nation machine rolls on.

Jeff Replay, Stizzy and Nick Gray invaded Midnight Marauders 89.3 FM radio show and went in live on-air for nearly 20 minutes.

Watch above, hit the links below to keep up with the latest from the Nation.

Jeff Replay: Twitter || Facebook

Stizzy: Twitter || Facebook

Nick Gray: Twitter || Facebook

Pilot Nation: Facebook

WATCH: Jeff Replay – The Runway (Official Video)

The homie Alex Wiley, one of Chicago’s hottest up-and-coming spitters, called into Ruby Hornet‘s Closed Sessions Radio Friday night to talk about his recent #ClubWiley Listening Party and details about the forthcoming mixtape.

In the ten minute talk, he speaks on his appreciation for his fans, the craziness that went down at the Jugrnaut for the listening party, and his excitement for the project that includes features from Raekwon, Freddie Gibbs, Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa and more.

Alex says he’s waiting on a final mix to set a release date, but expect #ClubWiley sometime in the near future. Listen to the interview above, and stay tuned for more.

Original post via Ruby Hornet HERE.

Check out his recent track/video, “Mo Purp” featuring Chance and Kembe X, below.

This has been an incredible year. So many good things have happened in my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the people I’ve met and the opportunities that have come my way. All that, though – which I’ll go into detail about either later on or in a separate piece – has led to me being more busy than I’ve ever been before. So, what does that mean?

It means it’s been a while since I sat down to write.

I’m gonna take a few minutes to write right now, though, because I have a story to tell. Well… I don’t know if it can really be classified as a story. I’m not sure how it’s gonna turn out yet. I know at least part of it will be a story. The rest might just be some rambling, but I promise it will be entertaining. And hopefully you’ll be able to take a lesson or two from it.

This story is about how I met Ian Steinbach (@GoodwinWinsgood) and the rest of the Decriminals (a production company based out of Emerson College) crew through Charmingly Ghetto. For anyone that hasn’t kept up with The Fresh Heir or my personal moves this year, this story doesn’t sound interesting yet. But for anyone that has… this is everything. This story got me to where I am now, and it’s going to carry me well into the future. It’s a story about three people moving forward individually and joining forces through positive energy to create something so much bigger than themselves as individuals. It’s about destiny… not one that was written in the stars, but one that was created. Lemme get into it.

Above is an interview from back in February that I did with Charmingly Ghetto – better known around the city as simply CG - one of the most talented, well-respected emcees in Boston. I couldn’t tell you how I met CG. Everyone asks me, but I never have a definite answer. The funny thing is, everyone I know that has a personal relationship with CG seems to be in the same boat. No one quite knows how or when they crossed paths with him for the first time. In my eyes, that’s a product of him just constantly grinding his ass off. What’s the use of a formal introduction when you’re always ready to work? I know I had talked to CG for the first time at least a month prior to the interview, but all I can remember is his phone call from the night before.

CG called me and said he was getting up with a few kids from Emerson the following day to plan his next music video. He told me he had recently met and connected with them (of course) and that they had access to great camera and audio equipment. Knowing I was still working to get my site off the ground, he asked if I’d want to do an on-camera interview with him that would benefit both of us. I said sure, and later that night I got a very formal email from Ian introducing himself as a co-founder of Decriminals and confirming that we’d be collaborating on an interview with CG the following afternoon. The professionalism of the email made perfect sense at the time – looking back at it now that Ian and I have become good friends, it’s hilarious that our relationship started off so business-like… but that’s also a huge reason why we were able to build such a positive working partnership. We built the right foundation.

It was rainy, dark and cold when I woke up the next morning. CG texted me some random address in Cambridge where we’d meet to shoot the interview. I seriously debated telling him I had a headache and that we should reschedule for another day. I just wasn’t feeling it. But something made me get up, type the address into my phone, and hop on the T with nothing but my backpack and a few questions scribbled on a sticky note.

Lemme pause the story for a second. Remember when I said I don’t know how I met CG? And how most of our mutual friends and colleagues say the same thing? Well, as I came to learn a month or so after the interview, Ian knew exactly how he and CG crossed paths, and it’s because he chopped and screwed “Niggas in Paris” and published it on his Soundcloud that the three of us ever found ourselves in the same room together.

That leads me to bring in a fourth character into the cast. Andy Bustard, one of my personal favorite writers (SoulCulture, Prefix Mag, etc.) I’ve gotten to know this year, found Ian’s chopped and screwed “Niggas in Paris” and blogged about it last fall. Naturally, Ian began surfing through Andy’s site after his track was posted, and there he found Charmingly Ghetto – specifically, his acclaimed Study A’Broad mixtape, which Andy had recently written about. Ian realized CG was from Boston and immediately reached out as a co-founder of Decriminals to connect on visual content in the near future. One thing led to another…

Fast forward to February of this year. I walk up the steps of an old white house on Prospect Street and knock on the door. Ian answers. I walk into the living room and there setting up camera equipment are Evan Mann, Will Finnegan and Sam Dubin – Ian’s partners in Decrimeinals. CG was sitting on the couch in his normal getup – jeans, a black coat and a backwards Red Sox fitted. After a little smalltalk, we got the interview underway.

I was out of there within twenty minutes. Right before I left, though, Ian handed me a Decriminals business card and reminded me that he was eager to work more in the future and willing to cover live events or shoot video interviews for my site free of charge. I’d heard that before. I didn’t think anything of it. Dapped him up, stuffed the card in my wallet, and went on with my life. So did he. And so did CG. We came together, did something cool and all went our separate ways.

Turns out Ian and I didn’t go our separate ways for long. Enter Next Anyextee, CEO of Amalgam Digital.

Next and I had started building a relationship a month or so prior to the day I met Ian. Next hit me up later on in the week with an offer. His video director, Brian Petchers, was shooting a new set of visuals for Cam Meekins in Boston in just a few days. Next asked if I wanted to do a video interview with Cam. I was thrilled. I had just gotten my first interview under my belt, and now I was getting asked to interview a kid who had a video on YouTube closing in on a million views. This was big.

I remembered Ian handing me his business card and expressing how much he’d love to collaborate on another project. I gave him a call and told him about the opportunity – he told me he didn’t care if he had class that day, he was one hundred percent down to bring his crew and make the interview happen. It did, and it was a great feeling. The future had truly begun.

It’s now the last week of 2012. The amount that Ian (and Decriminals as a whole) and I have accomplished together since we met ten months ago is absurd. We’ve done six more interviews (including this one with Logic that’s about to hit 50,000 views at the time I’m writing this), collaborated on our #12For12 project – which has been an incredible success (and which CG is a part of), developed working relationships and friendships with the majority if not all of the top up-and-coming hip-hop artists in Boston, and are now employed together as part of Cam Meekins’ visual and marketing team. And that’s just scratching the surface.

The bottom line is, Ian has become one of my closest friends, and both the Decriminals and Fresh Heir brands have benefitted hugely from the unplanned partnership.

And this is all because of Charmingly Ghetto. And Andy Bustard. And Next Anyextee. And Ian… and myself.

Here’s what I’m trying to say with this story:

You don’t necessarily have to see the future – at least not every step. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” CG, Ian and myself all did that as individuals. We could never have foreseen us meeting up that cold February day. Our futures as individuals and as a trio changed forever that day, but all we knew was that we were shooting an interview. No strings were meant to be attached. Shit, I almost didn’t show up.

But I did, and I’m so thankful for that. We had worked so hard prior to that day to build our brands as individuals, and through coming together for one project that benefited each of us in a small way, we did something so much bigger. The pieces all fell into place. We created our own destiny.

I ran into CG at the Boston Music Awards three weeks ago. He was nominated for hip-hop artist of the year. So were two other #12For12 artists (Moe Pope and DutchReBelle). So was Cam Meekins. Ian and I arrived with Cam, but we were there to celebrate with everyone no matter who took home the crown (and you better believe I was thrilled for Moe when he did). That night was special… the type of special that words can’t describe.

CG had a huge smile on his face. We fought our way through a ridiculously crowded room and dapped each other up. He rubbed my head and said, “I’m proud of you.” I said the same thing right back. We went our separate ways. Back to business as usual.

I’ll never forget those words. It all began ten months prior when CG asked me if I wanted to do an interview with him filmed by a few kids from Emerson. Little did I know, that day would change my life forever, and it really hit me the night of the BMAs. We were all there together at the biggest music awards show in the city of Boston. Not just CG, Ian and myself… but Dutch, Moe Pope, Cam, Next, and no less than a dozen other artists, journalists, bloggers and more that we’ve built relationships with together in the past ten months.

I owe Charmingly Ghetto a huge thank you – for his timeless art, sure. But more importantly, for his inspiring ways and for the fact that through his own hard work, he changed my future for the better in indescribable ways. It’s become the ripple effect that some people can only dream of. I consider myself blessed.

2013 is going to be a monumental year. I can’t speak for the city before I arrived here in 2009, but since then, the Boston hip-hop scene has never been in a better place. Not even close. And I’d like to think that gloomy February day when I did a five-minute interview with CG and a few kids from Emerson has something to do with that.

Work hard, do things for the right reasons, follow your heart, and the pieces will fall into place. If you don’t take anything else from this piece, please remember that.

Anyone who read this, thanks for playing your part in making 2012 such a special year for me. I couldn’t be more excited for the future.

Michael Christmas – one of the fastest rising young rappers out of Boston – is prepping the release of his debut project, FXCK AN EP.

The Fresh Heir is proud to present the first installment of a new video series, “Breakfast Bars with Michael Christmas,” documenting Christmas’s journey as an up-and-coming artist through… well… breakfast.

We linked up with Michael Christmas (AKA Bob Hanukkah, AKA Baby Huey, AKA Young Dirty Bastard, AKA King Koala — see poll below to vote for your favorite name) and visited the Silver Slipper near Dudley Station in Boston for the first episode.

In the video, Christmas gives an update on his life both relating to and outside the music world while he sips on iced tea. Then, as will be the same with each episode, he spits some new heat off his project to wrap things up.

Enjoy episode one of “Breakfast Bars with Michael Christmas,” and stay tuned for more.

Anyone that’s familiar with this site knows that although TFH is based in Boston, we have a pretty good grip on what’s going on in Chicago. In terms of the sheer amount of fast-rising hip-hop talent, there might not be a city that’s ahead of the Windy one right now. From artists like Chance The Rapper to Kembe X to Cashflow Ellis… the list goes on for a while… Chi-Town is killing it.

Pavy, a 21-year-old emcee from the same city, hasn’t made as much noise as some of the biggest names – not yet at least – but he’s steadily proving himself as one of the brightest young talents a city filled with buzzing artists has to offer.

I caught up with him several weeks ago and got to speak with him about everything from his latest project, Middle Class Ignorance, to his affiliation with S.U.H. Entertainment, to what the future and the album he’s currently working on – Theory of Defiance – has in store. Pavy also touched on he and Sir Michael Rocks’ joint track, “Heroin,” which is dropping THIS WEDNESDAY.

Pavy is an insightful, unique and above all, extremely talented artist who has a bright future in store. Enjoy the exclusive interview presented by The Fresh Heir, and be sure to stay tuned for more.

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TFH: Who are you? Introduce yourself for anyone who might not be familiar.

Pavy: I’m Pavy, a future cultural icon that really just wants to leave a legacy and doesn’t focus on too much else in life.

TFH: How did you get started rapping? And when did you realize it was something you really wanted to take seriously?

Pavy: Honestly, I just came home one day after my freshman year of high school and thought to myself, “You know what, I’ma write a rap today because I need to release from all of the problems I’m going through.” But after a while it became a daily thing, and I really started to take it seriously around the age of 16. I basically clocked out of everything else in life to rap then.

TFH: Who are some of your inspirations in rap?

Pavy: No artist ever inspired me because growing up, no one spoke on issues that pertained to me. So my influences literally just come from everyday life and history. I’m a huge history buff.

TFH: What’s the scene in Chicago like?

Pavy: It’s cool, I don’t really submerge myself too deep in the scene here because my find is focused on taking over the world and not just one city, but it’s cool I guess. It’s a lot of people with buzes so that’s always great. It’s always good to see people prosper.

TFH: What’s been the defining moment in your career so far?

Pavy: I don’t think I’ll have one until like, I win a Grammy or stand on a stage in front of 100 thousnd people. Right now I’m pretty numb to everything. I don’t get happy or excited about too much because I really haven’t done anything, so I’m still waiting for that moment.

TFH: There was a good amount of buzz surrounding the release of Middle Class Ignorance. What was your goal with that album? How did you feel about the general reception to it?

Pavy: Honestly, when I started I just wanted to prove to myself that I could make a project and actually have it be good. But as time progressed, I really wanted to create a culture with the album and speak to people that hadn’t been spoken to in hip-hop before. As far as the reception, it was cool. I feel like a lot of people didn’t take the time to fully understand it, but the videos definitely helped a lot.

TFH: Do you have a favorite track off MCI?

Pavy: “The Uprising,” which is the intro, because it’s so personal to me… like, that’s literally my whole life put on a record for you to hear.

TFH: Talk a little bit about your label and your affiliation with The Boy Illinois, who’s now a part of it.

Pavy: It’s great man, everybody at SUH has their own sound and style. Like a lot of labels have five artists that are basically the same, but us we’ll all just do whatever the hell we want to do. And picking up Illi [The Boy Illinois] was great, man. He’s a great artist that I respect and it’s really cool to work with him. We’re actually working on a compilation called The Syndicate that we just recorded for tracks for. So look out for that.

TFH: Theory of Defiance, your next project – what can people expect from that? What are your goals? Any major features people can look out for?

Pavy: People can expect more energy, more personal lyrics and just overall progression. Like, people don’t know I finished MCI five months before it came out, so I’ve been working on TOD since August. And hell, I want this project to put me on the map. With the way things are, you never know what might happen so hopefully it gives me a much bigger fan base and stamps me like, okay, this guy right here is for real. As far as features, yeah, the first official single features Mikey Rocks. It’s called “Heroin,” and drops this Wednesday, August 8th.

TFH: How about the webisode series leading up to TOD? Can you give us some info on that?

Pavy: Yeah, basically it’s just my everyday life but in TV form. It won’t just be studio footage either because I don’t do rapper things all day. I’m a regular person. I chill and play video games too.

TFH: One of the first shots of the “Pointless Rap Song” video is you in a bumblebee suite holding up posters of Dikembe Mutombo (watch below). Talk about that track and what it means to be able to have fun with hip-hop.

Pavy: Yeah, I do a lot of serious videos but I just wanted to give the people something to laugh at, and Vic [Spencer] is hilarious anyway as a human being so I had to do something funny. As far as the track , I think people lost the message with the video. The song actually had meaning to it, I just thought it would be cool to name it our “Pointless Rap Song.” But basically the meaning was for all you other artists out there to SOP MAKING POINTLESS RAP SONGS!

TFH: Are there certain artists or producers you’ve really enjoyed working with?

Pavy: Yeah, as far as artists, just everyone that’s on SUH so that would be D2G, The Boy Illinois, Capital K and Mr. Gage. As far as producers, I’d have to say DC and Coop are my favorites to work with, they challenge me a lot sonically.

TFH: Outside of rap, what do you do? What’s your life like?

Pavy: A lot of history channel and a lot of staying at home. I don’t really like going out, like I hate parties and stuff like that. I’d rather just sit and chill.

TFH: What can people look out for in the near future?

Pavy: Definitely look out for that “Heroin” record with Mikey Rocks, then TOD later this year. Also, random records and hella videos as well as my webseries in between there.

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FOLLOW: @PavyWorld || @TheFreshHeir

LIKE: Pavy || The Fresh Heir (Facebook)

DOWNLOAD: Pavy – Middle Class Ignorance

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Interview flyer by @GoodwinWinsgood