Behind the Mic: Truth407

K-Mo: To me, the first obvious question is: Why do you call yourself Truth?

Truth: Just for clarification, I never called myself Truth. After people would hear me spit bars, the first response would always be “you are the Truth” so after hearing that so much, I just stuck with it and it grew on me. Now I embody it and try to live up to the name to the best of my ability.

K-Mo: Makes perfect sense. How would you describe your style and sound for someone who has never heard your music before?

Truth: I like to describe my sound as “Top Echelon”. My style is very versatile and I love making soulful music because of my roots and my musical background. I have a strong, raspy delivery and my southern drawl peeks on different tracks, but I am very lyrical. My sound has a wide range from hard street records to social conscious records as well. My beat selection is full of variety so I create music that consumers like regardless of their preference, whether it be uptempo, club & bounce, or laid back smooth tracks. I’m Universal.

K-Mo: I think the best artists are well-rounded, as you described. You recently tweeted that you write songs for all genres of music. Do you ghost write for other artists or is it more of a hobby?

Truth: No, I don’t ghost write for any Hip-hop artist at the present time. I definitely would if the opportunity arose though. I do write songs for R&B singers, Pop, & Rock artist. 90% of the hooks that are sang on my records by other artist are usually written by me as well. I wouldn’t call it a hobby because I’m so dedicated to it and I see it as a part of my job description as a musician & artist.

K-Mo: Your bio on truth407.com says that you hail from Louisiana…what made you choose Orlando and how long have you been here?

Truth: Yes, I was born and raised in a little country town in northwest Louisiana called Minden. I’ve been a resident of Orlando for like 10 years now, so this is home to me! I had a couple of friends that had relocated and lived here. At the time, I had dropped out of college and didn’t know what direction I wanted to take in life. I was just running the streets in Louisiana with my cousins and hustling out of a shoe store. One of my friends told me that i was welcome to come down and try to get on my feet, so I moved and slept on his floor until I could finally get my own place after a few months. I felt that there were definitely more opportunities here for me compared to what I was previously doing. Shortly after I met my business partner Big Dox, who immediately made me apart of the Colab Entertainment Music Group family.

“Rolling”

K-Mo: We’re glad to have you. In reading your other interviews and tweets I noticed you are quite articulate. To what do you attribute your vast knowledge?

Truth: I would definitely have to credit that first to God for giving me the ability to clearly communicate with others through speech. Next, my mother and father. They always raised me to equip myself with as much knowledge as possible and to speak educated and with conviction. I was always an avid reader and spoke with older individuals my whole childhood. That helped develop my word choice and usage as well as my ability to hold an intelligent conversation. Not to mention, I was a pretty good student in the subject of Language arts!

K-Mo: Reading is fundamental! It can help you create more lyrical songs when you have a wider vocabulary for sure. What can you tell us about your next project?

Truth: Well I have a few projects in the works. I recently finished my Brown Liquor & Swishers mixtape, which is hosted by Dj Greg G. It will be released this month. This tape takes you on a journey through my life and explains the Southern culture aka (the 3rd Coast culture) that I grew up in. Deeply inspired by UGK, Outkast, Scarface, Master P, 8ball & MJG to name a few, I stayed true to what my heart felt. I wanted to bridge the gap between the new and the old generation and
fuse both worlds. It is definitely a collectors edition and classic mixtape. I’m currently in the studio working on 4 or 5 other mixtapes that will immediately follow up so stay tuned!

DOWNLOAD TRUTH’s LATEST MIXTAPE BROWN LIQUOR & SWISHERS

K-Mo: We look forward to that. How do you feel about the state of underground/indie hip hop in Orlando?

Truth: I feel that the state of Orlando Hip hop is thriving more than ever! If we can become more unified, greater things can happen but we don’t live in a perfect world. We all are adults and have our own destiny to fulfill so everyone has to walk in their own light. I’m personally proud of all of the artist that I have relationships with in the city and fully support and wish them the best and continued success!

K-Mo: Hopefully ROHH can play a part in unifying the scene just as RPHH did in Pittsburgh. What impression do you hope to leave while you’re here?

Truth: I hope to leave an “Indelible” mark everywhere locally and internationally. A mark that can’t be erased and that will never be forgotten. I hope that my struggle inspires those after me to never give up on what they believe in. If i never sell a million records in my lifetime that’s fine. I make music because I love music. Because of music, I’ve experienced things and saw places that some of my closest associates and friends will never get to see, and I’m thankful for that!

K-Mo: When you’re passionate about what you do, it shows in your product. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Truth: In 10 years I see myself with a lucrative empire with my best friend and business partner Big Dox ! In 10 years I see a successful label of artist, musicians, entertainers, producers and songwriters. I see myself beside some of the biggest moguls in the world through my music and fashion. I see restaurants, clothing lines, shoe lines and apparel, colognes and any other type of endorsement that you can imagine. In 10 years I see myself being able to provide and change the lives of everyone around me, especially my family, my kids, and my homies who were there from day one! I see big investments and a major non-profit charity organization to give back to the community! In 10 years I see “Truth” C.E.M.G WORLDWIDE

K-Mo: Word. If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

Truth: I am a fan of a lot of different artist but If I could collaborate with any artist it would have to be Jay-Z . I feel that he is one of the best to ever do it and that he definitely elevates the performance level of any artist put in his presence. Being a young Mc, I would have to colab with a living legend who has accomplished so much musically and on a business level.

K-Mo: What do you do when you’re not creating music?

Truth: When I’m not creating music,, I’m thinking of what music I’m gonna create next. But outside of the studio, I like to enjoy my kids and family. I also paint a lot, so I would definitely be painting. I free my mind and escape when I’m in front of a canvas!

K-Mo: I’d be interested in seeing your paintings. Who is your favorite Orlando hip hop artist?

Truth: My favorite Orlando artist is Me. period..

K-Mo: Any final thoughts?

Truth: I would like to thank God first. I would like to thank ROHH for reaching out to me for an interview. Thanks to my label, Colab Entertainment Music Group & to the big homie Dox again for executive producing all of my projects as well as mixing and mastering. Thanks to Bangoutboyz Films for blessing me with great visuals. Thanks to my A&R Sunny Barret. Big Thanks to the CEMG executive staff Reece Rolex, Authentic, J Chunn, Osti, Shorty Fresh & Qaadiru Rashaad. Thanks to all of the talented producers and artist that help enhance my projects. Personal shout out to the homies Dj Greg g, Dj Dstrong, Dj Nasty, Dj Caesar, Dj Et, Dj Chino, Dj Msquared, Dj Baby Lac, Dj 4000, Dj Dissco and all other djs who have been supportive. Thanks to the whole staffs at 102 jamz, and 95.3 for recognizing good music and hard work. Special thanks to Men’s Closet clothing store, Detour II clothing store, Wildside clothing store, Jimmy jazz clothing store, Jah Love Jamaican Restaurant, Press Play Cd shop, 5star Barber shop, and all other retail outlets that carry my music. Thanks to Bloodline productions for photography work and upscale graphics for providing all of my print material. Last but not least, thanks to all of my family, friends, and fans who continue to support and encourage me to follow my dreams. Love you all!