Here for the Hustle

To some, hip-hop may appear to be all about big money, success and glamour. But those who have chosen to make this music for a living know the truth: It takes hard work, hustle and sacrifice in order to have that ultimate payoff. Local rappers Kontrast & Fo Chief know all about this struggle, and are succeeding despite how many others are trying to make it in the rap game.

“I started writing and recording music in 2006,” Fo Chief told us. “A longtime friend of mine, Paul Junior, had a setup that he was using to record his group at the time, On Point. It was then that I decided to start focusing on my own future in music. Not long after that, a member of On Point stepped away from group so I decided to join the group and fill the space. Within a year or so after joining On Point, myself and seven other musicians collaborated to create a supergroup we called Fresh Breath Committee. In 2008, Fresh Breath Committee took off and that’s where it all began.”

“[I’m] always working on new music,” Kontrast told CULTURE regarding their drive to succeed. “Music is something that I feel that I can’t ever really stop doing. As far what’s next, I think another main focus of mine and Fo Chief’s is creating visibility for our album, Cannonball Soup: The Last Supper. This body of work is the result of a good two years of us in and out of studios, just making different songs that feel good to us. Now that we have this album out there, we want to make sure that this album is seen and heard.”

“[Cannabis] expands my limitations of creativity as well as helping me find my center line on a day-to-day basis. It has so many good qualities that are extremely helpful in the creative process.”

In addition to being driven to make quality music, play shows and represent the local culture, both Kontrast and Fo Chief are also big advocates of legal cannabis, as well as big smokers.

“Cannabis plays a key part in the creative process for me,” Fo Chief explained. “It expands my limitations of creativity as well as helping me find my center line on a day-to-day basis. It has so many good qualities that are extremely helpful in the creative process.”

“Chief and I are both avid users of cannabis, and for me, personally, I’ve always seen it as a social thing,” Kontrast added. “Sure, I smoke by myself to relax, but my comment pertains more to the social atmosphere that it opens up for each individual. The actual act of smoking, passing a joint or a blunt or bowl around in the circle, and connecting with other people . . . it’s no different than cracking open a beer with someone at the bar. Creatively, I like to use it at the beginning of sessions. It allows the mind a little bit more detachment to float and think freely upon different social and cultural scenarios and truly analyze them from a non-objective standpoint, and it also makes the door for expression that much bigger to put onto the page when I write.”

Watch for Kontrast and Fo Chief playing local shows this spring, and touring this summer, and look out for their new record, Cannonball Soup: The Last Supper, which came out at the end of last month.

www.cannonballsoup.com