Milwaukee is without a doubt one of my favorite regions for hip-hop right now, including Chicago, and one of the main artists making serious waves has to be MKE upstart, Reggie Bonds.
In the brief moments of interaction that I’ve had with him on Twitter, Reggie Bonds has continuously shown his true character — a selfless, focused individual that is trying to shine light on an emerging scene that most know nothing about.
Filled with violence and grit that remains unseen, Reggie Bonds has remained calm, dropping record after record as he tries to place himself in the middle of what seems to be the biggest emerging scene in the country. After chopping it up through Twitter DM’s and email, Reggie Bonds discussed with DC about his plans for next year, his MKE upbringing, his Rebel Nxtion Records imprint, and much more.
DC: First off, where are you from originally and how did you get into Hip-hop?
RB: I’m originally from Milwaukee Wisconsin, and I first started making music to get away from certain surroundings. Writing was like a therapy for me.
DC: How old are you now and how old were you when you first released your music on the internet?
RB: I’m 24 and I was about 20 the first time I officially released music on the Internet.
DC: With such an emerging scene, do you feel inspired or threatened by all the talent that’s going through Milwaukee?
RB: No not at all, I embrace it. I help as much as I can. I mentor the younger artist, and I have a lot of things planned for the younger artist that they can benefit from.
DC: What are your plans for the rest of this year?
RB: To make great music, learn life a day at a time. Help the homies around me escape some of the harsh reality we see everyday. And just stay focused.
DC: What is Rebel Nxtion Records?
RB: Rebel Nxtion Records is a stepping stone, it’s here to help its here to develop artist not only into better musicians but also business man/women.
DC: One of my favorite videos by you is “Menace II Society,” how long did it take you to make the visual — post and pre-production.
RB: Thanks by the way. But the song was done for about 5 months before I shot the visual, I was performing it like crazy everywhere A3C, SXSW, back home, and people was just catching the wave they was messing with it tough so I just shot the visual it only toon about 2 weeks to shoot, but it was mad fun! The whole squad was out there besides some of the homies that’s locked up or dead.
DC: Do you plan on releasing a project in 2015? And if so, who do you plan to work with on the forthcoming project?
RB: Really I’m not in a rush to drop a project, But I want to. I scrapped about 2 projects already this year. I want to formulate a great sound for my self that people will love I make music for people’s everyday enjoyment so the full length has to be a good product.
DC: So your latest song is an ode to the late A$AP Yams, what was the inspiration behind the single, and what kind of impact did Yams have on your life/music?
RB: The inspiration behind it was my homies knowing how much I fuck with A$AP and Yams and how much I studied what they did for the culture and when I do shit it’s always about my squad getting them better I eat they eat! And when I was out in NY just recent we realized how much culture power Yams and A$AP have on certain sides of NY the same me and my squad have back home an when I meet Yams about three years ago he told to my face I had a vision and to follow it, and when he died that shit shook me up like I knew homie for 15 years that’s how much effect he had and that’s the effect I want to have on the younger homies.
DC: Who would you consider your biggest inspirations? Music or non music. Who do you currently listen to? Who is currently your top 5 out right now?
RB: Biggest Influences: Nipsey Hussle, A$AP Yams, Lil Wayne, Kanye West
I listen to, Travis Scott, PND, Carti Bankx, Job Jetson alot of the homies from my hometown is mad jiggy and talented! But I listen to all up and coming artist, and the big homies like Nipsey and Dom I’m always listening to them.
Top 5 dam lol umm,
Kendrick Lamar
Mick Jenkins
J. Cole
Travis Scott
Earl Sweatshirt
DC: What 3 albums shaped you as an artist?
RB: Tupac- All Eyes On Me
Jay-Z- American Gangster
Kanye West- Graduation
DC: You carry yourself completely different than average “rappers,” would you say you’ve always had a unique style, or did you just want to match your unique style as an emcee?
RB: Um growing up I always had a different style, being where I’m from everything I did people didn’t always like it at first but I made it cool, cause they a see me and be like “dam he him and he ain’t changing that shit.” My big homie who first put me on this rap game got indicted about 3 years ago told me like “you need to tell your story and how you really see it everyday and after that convo I vowed to tell my story and how it really is.”
Artwork by DJ Kellz.
