Interview: Las Vegas Based Rapper R-Stonze Talks About His New Single/Video "Baghdad"
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“I drew inspiration from what I experienced from being involved in the streets of Cleveland, and different environments that I’ve been around. Nonetheless, “Baghdad” is more like a POV from my perspective. ”
Salute to you on the release of your new single/music video, "Baghdad". What initially provided you the inspiration to write the track and how did you end up selecting the instrumental?
I drew inspiration from what I experienced from being involved in the streets of Cleveland, and different environments that I've been around. Nonetheless, "Baghdad" is more like a POV from my perspective.
The beat was perfect for the vibe that I was looking for to match what I wanted to drop on the track. Now that I'm living in Vegas, it's the same shit, different toilet. The overall sound and feel of the track came out dope to me.
The video is the perfect accompaniment of the song; how did you and the director, J1, come up with its treatment?
My boy J1 already knew what I was on and I told him I wanted to tweak out a little bit in the crib with this one. I wanted to keep it simple and not overcomplicate the song visually.
Congratulations also on the release of your new EP "Lucky"; how long did it take to complete that project and what are you most proud of with it?
Thanks for the love; "Lucky" is one of my favorite projects because I took it back to my grassroots on every track. I came up listening to guys like Jada & Styles, 50, Dipset, so witty and grimy bars aren't foreign to me. I felt like I had to address certain things on this project, and speak on certain things that have transpired over the years.
Tell us about your experience as a MMA fighter; when did you get started with training and what is more difficult to be proficient in, Muay Thai or Jiujitsu?
I've been training MMA for 8 years now. It's a part of my lifestyle and I enjoy every aspect of it, from training all the way to competition.
The level of proficiency in Muay Thai and Jiujitsu is extremely different. There are so many different techniques that are used in standup striking but Muay Thai has to be the most devastating considering the use of elbows and knees.
Jiujitsu on the other hand in a totally different world because this is basically grappling on crack. There are at least 5 different ways to pull off the same submission, tons of offensive and defensive techniques, and more. This is why I built my fight game around both so I can be devastating on the feet and the ground.
With "Baghdad" and the "Lucky" EP both released, what's next for you musically?
Musically, I'm wrapping up more visuals for “Lucky”, getting ready to drop some new heat with my boy Kid Dre out of Chicago, and take this from there.
Stream and Share “Lucky” on: Spotify | Apple Music