Top $ Raz’ new album, The New Flesh, opens with an impressive, theatrical track entitled Mountains. Much like the grandest film pieces, you don’t want to miss this opening. Raz takes the listener on a musical journey with relaxed (Don’t Mind), chilling (The Plague), and entertaining (The Man) wordplay throughout. iHEARTDilla spoke to Top $ Raz regarding his origins as an MC, his new album The New Flesh, his goals in hip-hop and much more. If you haven’t listened to the man, here’s your chance!
A-TRAIN: Lets start off with the basics, how did you get the name, Top $ Raz?
Top $ Raz: Well, Raz is short for my real name Rasheem. I used to be just Raz, but that name was too common so I added the Top $ around my senior year in high school.
A-TRAIN: Where are you from?
Top $ Raz: I was born, raised, and still reside in Far Rockaway Queens. Not the best place to live, but the experience definitely adds to the music I make. My struggle in my music is genuine and comes from a real place.
A-TRAIN: How and why did you start rhyming?
Top $ Raz: I started rapping in the 2nd grade just for fun. It seemed like something I could do and I wanted to impress my older brother who loved hip hop very much.
A-TRAIN: Word, so who would say are some of your musical influences?
Top $ Raz: My biggest musical influences are Jay-Z and the [A Tribe Called Quest] album, Midnight Marauders. The Midnight Marauders album changed the way I rhymed back in high school. I hadn’t gotten my hands on the album ‘til about 11 years after its original release when I was about 16 or 17 years old, but after I heard it I would never rap the same. That album showed me I could be myself and make good records.
A-TRAIN: Let’s talk a little bit about your new album, The New Flesh. How did you come up with that name?
Top $ Raz: I knew I wanted to name the album The New Flesh after I saw the [David] Cronenberg movie Videodrome. After some thought, I made the title work and have its own meaning within the framework of the album. The New Flesh for the album means being stronger. The new flesh is like the scar after the cut, it is stronger than the skin that came before. This album is stronger than the album before it.
A-TRAIN: Walk us through the process of recording this album. What stands out to you?
Top $ Raz: This album was extremely fun and extremely stressful to create. Along with executive producers Coole High and Thinker, I believe we crafted the greatest product possible and that wasn’t an easy feat to complete. A lot of recording and re-recording took place and we pushed our limits. What stands out the most for me is the process behind Better Days and War and Peace. The original beats of those tracks are nowhere near as intricate and outstanding as the final products and that was a result of us pushing each other. Thinker added the outro to War and Peace after we discussed it sounding incomplete and even after that there was a completely different outro to the song. For Better Days, I brought in my bassist and guitarist to complete the sound.
A-TRAIN: If a new listener could only listen to one track off The New Flesh, what track would you want that to be and why?
Top $ Raz: I’d probably go with Golden because it’s probably the most emotionally captivating song on the album. My strength is definitely telling those kinds of stories that cut right in to the soul. So I think that would be the perfect song to show my strength at its peak.
A-TRAIN: Who collaborated with you on The New Flesh?
Top $ Raz: I got a lot of producers on this album. Of course we got Coole High and Thinker doing the bulk of the production, but I also have DJ Flow out of Sacramento, J57, J Monopoly, Dr Khil, The Aqua League, Spills, and KO Beatz. Singing, I’ve got Grace K and Alvietron. As far as MCs I have my favorite rappers in underground hip-hop which include Cavalier, Mic Blaque, Ciph Diggy, and YC the Cynic.
A-TRAIN: Nice, so moving forward who is one artist you would like to collaborate with, whether indie or major?
Top $ Raz: I definitely want to do an entire album with Danger Mouse. That cat is a genius and brings the best out of everyone.
A-TRAIN: Let’s talk about the state of the game right now. If you could change one thing in hip-hop, what would it be?
Top $ Raz: We got to stop callin’ women bitches. We’ve come too far for that, it’s like come on guys. Really?
A-TRAIN: What are your goals in hip-hop? What would you like to accomplish with your music?
Top $ Raz: I want to support myself, give my family a worthy and peaceful life. At the same time I want to make music that inspires people to do more. I need people to believe that they can do it all if they work hard. If I inspire anything, I want it to be that.
A-TRAIN: A fact your fans may not know about you is…
Top $ Raz: I’ll be graduating college this semester.
A-TRAIN: Dope.
A-TRAIN: Finish these sentences:
A-TRAIN: NY hip-hop is
Top $ Raz: Not dead.
A-TRAIN: The future is
Top $ Raz: Now.
A-TRAIN: Success is
Top $ Raz: Not guaranteed.
A-TRAIN: Anything else you would like to add?
Top $ Raz: Twitter me at @topdollagotit and visit the website www.topdollagotit.com. Keep April 7th open, I’ll be at Southpaw in Brooklyn opening up for M.O.P! Also, look out for the video to my first single, The Man shot and edited by Noisemaker media.
For more information on Top $ Raz:
Twitter: @TopDollaGotIt
Buy The New Flesh: http://topdollaraz.bandcamp.com/album/the-new-flesh
You should listen to:
Top $ Raz – The Man
Top $ Raz feat. YC The Cynic – The Plague
Top $ Raz – Spilled Milk
