Crown & Coke Artwork
I had the chance to interview up and coming hip-hop duo Stik Figa & D/Will. The two will be releasing their fourth album together entitled Crown & Coke on the 16th of August.In the interview you will see us discuss the album,other rap duo’s,dream collaborations,and even the best spots to get a bite to eat in Topeka,Kansas. You can read the interview in its entirety after the jump. ENJOY
Yoh:First off I wanna thank you guys for taking the time to speak with me. For the ones unfamiliar give us a little introduction.
StikFiga:My name is Stik Figa from the small KS capital Topeka, ks 1/2 of Stik Figa and D/will whutupwidit?!
D/will:No doubt. Im D/WILL a producer outta kansas city missouri. whats good
Yoh:Now correct me if I’m wrong but the team Stik figa x D/Will have 3 projects and 1 dropping soon under your belts. What brought you two together? And what’s the biggest difference working together than doing a solo project
StikFiga:All of that is correct, we’ve collectively released Hello and Goodbye, Alive and Well as well as Happy Hour, all currently available at www.stikfigaxdwill.com and we are releasing Crown and Coke on 8/16. D and I had both been active in KC scene for a while. and we ended up goin on tour together a few years back, and just ended up becoming good friends. And decided to make a record and BOOM! Now were 4 records deep!
Stik Figa x DWILL
D/Will: Yea– kinda crazy we four albums deep! Feels like we just made hello and goodbye a few months ago. Met stik while we were on tour a few years back. We really hit it off– became good friends then figured we should make a album. On solo projects I write songs while making the beat so its more of an organic process. Stik provides a whole different process– I send him beat skeletons and then finish producing the song after he records.
Yoh:So if someone wanted to get into you guys music which project would you recommend them?
StikFiga:Great question, and kind of tricky, personally, and D may disagree, but I would say the upcoming Crown and Coke! Its definitely the most diverse sounding record we’ve done. But if its a record that is currently available, I have a soft spot for Hello and Goodbye. Its a very honest and personal records, and perferct captured where my mind was at that time, both musically, and lyrically. Its kinda dark, but, I think it would be the best place to start, to get to know what were all about. And that’s creating what is in our hearts and minds at that time.
D/Will: I would tell them to got to stikfigaxdwill.com– close their eyes and pick one.
Yoh:Very nice response. While it’s brought up,the upcoming Crown & Coke diverse sound. Can you go more in-depth on what fans will be getting on the 16th
StikFiga: Man! This records is everything I could have ever wanted it to be, and that is mostly due D/Wills belief in me, and his intense work ethic. We did what felt dope, not what we thought folks wanted to hear or whatever trend was hot or none of that! We did exactly what we wanted. Very liberating, I told him I feel like its lightening in a bottle.
There are vast influences on this sound wise from pop music, rap music, soul, indie, dubstep, u name it is on there. And lyrically I started dealing more with stories, and creating the scene and putting the listener in that space. And lots of entertaining just fun, b-boy raps as well. I believe it is very well rounded project.
And we made it for those that actually support us, and what we do, weither that is for our cities Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka, and all the folks on the internet, like The Tapedeck and others! It also features Carlitta Durand which I am very excited for people to hear! As well as OneBeLo, Richard Wright, Louiz Rip, Dominique Larue and Ubi from Ces Cru.
D/Will
D/Will: As a producer I am happy to say that the ideas and sounds I hear in my head I can finally get out! Took my time with this record and assumed all mixing duties! Which is really exciting because it opened up my production. If I tell you any more you wont imagine…
Yoh:That’s what I like to hear! From your description it’s nothing short of a must hear! Can we expect a slew of visuals after it drops?
StikFiga:Yep! We recently shot a video for Space Madness, which, all I can say is inspired by Japanese horror films, Alfred Hitchcock and Wolverine lol its gonna be dope, weird, stupid fun, scary all that! And I plan to drop a new one from the project every month, I wanna gauge it by what people respond to first tho. But we got a lot of good response from Space Madness, so we shot that junt ASAP! Its directed by my friend Josh Browning who shot Imjussayintho as well.
Yoh:That sounds insane be sure to be on the look out for that! Now with you covering the rapping and D/Will covering the production,you guys ever thought about doing a vice-versa project with him rapping and you producing?
D/Will: Ive never thought about that!!!! But im working on my next solo project “Name Recognize Name” — woooooo so hype for that jawn!!
StikFiga:Lol man, I like that idea! Been thinkin bout learnin production for a bit now, but I’m focusin on the words for the time being. But who knows, there’s limitations when I comes to art and creating
Yoh: @Stik I feel you! Do you have any solo projects in the works/planning?
@D/Will word can you give us in information on the solo tape? And any chance we gonna get a cartoon emporium pt 2? Also a question for you both,Since you guys are a MC/producer team who are some of you’re favorite MC/Producer combos?
StikFiga:I wouldn’t say I have solo planned, but I have a few ideas for one, so you may see that in 2012, if the world don’t end first. My favorite duos man, Gangstarr is who first come to mind, something special about how Premier and Guru worked together.
D/Will:Name recognize Name is to random for me to describe! There will be a beat emporium 2. Also a project with one be lo, les izmore, and Dominique larue before the year is out! Beat emporium will prolly come out next year doe.
Yoh:Classic duo. Now Stik you’ve worked with other producers and done projects(Example Oddisee) any other producer you wouldn’t mind working with & doing a entire project.& Any artist you’d like to producer a full length project for D/Will?
StikFiga: Hmmmm tough question, I feel like my man D is one of the best to ever do it, and I know me and Oddisee have some more work in the future and he’s also a great talent. If I were to say a dream artist I wanna work wit, it would be Juicy J and DJ Paul, and I think D would agree with that…maybe Cory Mo or DJ Toomp as well. KRIT got some joints too
D/Will: The homie les Izmore up next!! Can’t wait. My favorite duos? Of course premo and guru I also loved the guilty Simpson and madlib combo.
Stik Figa
Yoh:Word I think Juicy J x Dj Paul x Stik Figa x D/Will combo would be dope.Now you two both been doing music quite for sometime. If you weren’t doing music then where would Stik Figa & D/Will be?
StikFiga:To keep it 1000 with you, I would be full-time student, trying to be a scholar, either that or working on launching my own animated series, I am bit obesessed with cartoons and animation. I think Pixar is making better films than Paramount at this point. Something else creative tho…
D/Will: Alot of people dont get this but stik and i are like the classic rap duo– hahaha outside of this rap ish we are really tight. I have alot of love for him and his family and thats the back bone of our music and friendship. So… if we weren’t doing music I would be over his house teaching his 5 year old how to program the mpc.
Yoh: @Stikfiga That’s pretty dope and I agree even though I feel the quality of animated films has been declining. Alot of sequels not much creativity. Any chance it would be a animated series with the main character being a aspiring rapper? Haha
@D/Will that sir is dope!
StikFiga:Ahhahaaha you never know man if I come on some real paper, ain’t no tellin’ what can happen!
Yoh: Alright guys i just got a few more questions for you and it’s a wrap
1. If you had to pick your single Favorite Stik Figa/Dwill track to date which would it be and why?
2. Biggest accomplishment thats been fulfilled through music to date?
3. Will we ever get the Stik Figa D/Will WTT!?
4. Best place to grab a bite to eat topika,kansas
5. And what’s the meaning of success to Stik Figa & D/will?
D/Will: 1.”Well” the final track on “alive and well”– I actually made that track for Amanda Diva but she ended up passing on it. When stik heard it he snapped and wrote like 80 bars. We trimmed it back and added the song to our sophomore project. The raps on “well” are some of the best raps ive ever heard– EVER.
2.Being blessed to make music with my homeboy– having cats run up on us at sxsw knowing the sample of certains songs but not knowing where i chopped was really dope! Im the type of cat…i never chase the “biggest” accomplishment– thats not why i create.
3.Im sure we will have a joint were we both are rapping! That would actually be alot of fun.
4.I dont live in the top so i dont know! But in North Kansas City there is a spot called Jersey Boys! WOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!
5.I’ve been blessed with the ability to make sounds make music– and for as long as im blessed with this gift I will use it.
StikFiga:1. My favorite song so far is “Happy” from Hello and Goodbye, all just how I was feeling, and its almost like a personal mantra, have to do it at every show!
2.Still more things to achieve, but I would say, knowing that there are people who are actually interested in hearing our music, in one way or another, at home and everywhere else.
3.If we ever get rich enough to clear any sample we want and cut open a maybach in our video, I say, assuredly, yes! If u mean both us rappin! I say I hope so!
4.Prize Package Eastside by default best hamburger in America I stand by that, second choice would be Tortilla Jacks, central Topeka, my neighborhood, taco burgers and all kinda madness, and a new spot in the Highland Park neighborhood called Cora Lee’s for soul food, and James Lemonade! Yep!
5. The meaning of success for me is just making sure people feel the music, and it means as much to the listener as it did to me when we created it. And that it move them in some way. Weither 10 people or a million one day, I just want it to mean something to em, then, that music is successful.
Yoh:Again I want to thank you guys for taking the time out to do the interview. All I need know is your social network info & where our readers can check out your music. Much success to the both of you guys & looking forward to Crown & Coke!
StikFiga: www.stikfigaxdwill.com
Stickthefigure.tumblr.com
Twitter.com/Stik_Figa
Facebook.com/StikFiga
And I’m on that Google plus somewhere!
Crown and Coke 8/16
D/Will: Twitter @dwillbeats
Iknowdwill.com
Dwill.bandcamp.com
Stikfigaxdwill.com
Thanks for the support folk!
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