Courtesy of RCA RecordsOur special guest this week was Rob $tone from San Diego, California. You might know him from his smash hit Chill Bill which has gained over 150 million listens alone. The track helped put Rob $tone on the map and got him signed with RCA records earlier this year. Rob $tone has changed the hip-hop scene in San Diego, and as he rises from the come up, the changes he makes for his city just keeps getting better.
We got the chance to talk about Rob’s upbringing, the music his parents introduced him to, the crazy day Rob had before he recorded Chill Bill and the commonalities that San Diego and Toronto have. Here’s an excerpt from our interview, play the podcast to hear more.
Music made me happy
[@2:45]
Chedo: After you went to school in Atlanta you realized that school wasn’t really for you, what made you decide that?
Rob: I just felt like I wasn’t really learning anything. Well, I was learning a little bit in classes I never took before, like media communications and stuff like that but general ed shit was wack. I felt like I really wasn’t learning anything so I just felt really frustrated every day at school. I felt like I was wasting my time. I knew I could be doing something more. Especially when I was heavy into my music, I dedicated everything to my music, and I felt like school was taking it away from me.
I just sat in front of my computer one day and I was like yo I’m going to do this shit, I can be anything I want, as long as you dedicate everything you are to it.
[…]
Rob: I was always thinking that I didn’t want to be working a job like that, where I wasn’t going to be happy. Especially when I got into music, I was all in. After that conversation, there was no stopping it. The only person that was going to stop it was me.
Music scene in San Diego
[@7:00]
Rob: Everybody just wanted to be that one, but nobody was that one in San Diego. I’m the only one that came about and now everybody else is like ‘the whole city needs to be on’… somebody else needs to pop, whoever the fuck it is, somebody needs to pop from the city. But before everyone wanted to be the one that did.
I wouldn’t say it’s pressure from the city, cause I want to do it for my city. Other people would probably feel pressure, but it’s like, I want the city to be turned the fuck up anyways. But it’s nothing to me, it’s just exciting. It’s a rush, I just want to make shit happen.
It’s all about passion
[@11:45]
Chedo: what would you say to all the creatives out that that are on the come up?
Rob: Just do it because you love it, man. You’re not going anywhere without true passion, and don’t do it because you want to be famous. It’s all passion, it’s the love of the music or whatever your art is.
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