In the Phone Booth with Tru-Ace

September 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

@medafORACLE:  In life everything is cerebral, calculated by time, in some circumstances blue printed and for the most part; judged on some scale before put under a microscope to magnify the grand portrait of things. “What does this have to do with this column you ask?”….everything. Today I speak to a man who understands this first hand as an artist. Today us here at TheTitleFight.com cordially invite, Tru-Ace in bridging the assumed, never ending gap between boxing and Hip Hop music. Let’s step “Inside The Phone Booth”.

 

@medafORACLE:  First off congratulations on having your song selected for fight song of the week. As you can expect in every interview the infamous “How did you get started in the music industry?” explain to those reading how that came about.

 

@TruAce:  I wrote my first song in high school when I wasn’t allowed to go to the homecoming dance.  My cousin was living with us and he got in some trouble and my parents grounded him from going to the dance, and me being the homie, I said if he couldn’t go then I’m not going either.  That night while chillin’ at the crib, we collaborated together and wrote the lyrics to my first song—then a few weeks later I was in the studio recording it.  It’s crazy to look back and think of that moment and see how things progressed from that point.

 

@medafORACLE:  Who were some of your major influences growing up musically?

 

@TruAce:  Well let’s start at the beginning. One of the biggest influences is my big brother “Skee-Lo” of course I was bumping his songs and  “I Wish” was always being played in the house. I got to see so much at an early age it was a blessing. He always was on his grind so it was good seeing that. I always appreciated conscious rap also. Rappers like Common tell painting pictures with words you can see. Of course performance wise thinking of artist like Naughty by Nature, Busta Rhyems and Onyx comes to mind, their high impacted performances keep the crowd going; its crazy. Watching the current tapes and old shows teaches you allot.  P. Diddy, Jay-Z, Master-P, Birdman and Lil Wayne are not only great artist and entertainers, but I want to follow their business example, because they laid the road map for how it should be done.  And in my iPod right now I’d say artist like Childish Gambino and King Los, fast spitters with an iconic point of hunger in every record.

 

@medafORACLE:  Every artist always has a love for the music itself but the passion to pursue it always comes later. What sparked the moment of passion for you?

 

@TruAce:  I’ve had a love for the music for as long as I can remember.  It’s hard to say which moment sparked everything; the long studio nights, smiling faces of the audience, the shows, the sponsors, the labels, the grind, everything has sparked my passion. Vlado Footwear has always been a big factor in my ongoing success. They are big on helping the community, and in every show I do I’m always wearing my gear from my sponsors. It’s cool that not only the passion of music can exist but also coexist with community out reach stuff from talking to kids in schools and giving back to the community.  It’s one thing about garnering the buzz and attention in this industry it’s a whole another dynamic when you start to use your “celebrity” to truly help kids and put smiles on their face and set an example. Vlado Footwear has supported me and helped me do that in my career.

 

Also, November 2010 when I performed in the CaliDanceFest at the Los Angeles Sports Arena was a big turning point.  It was during that performance that the passion was realized and I knew that this was meant to be.  It was at that time that I realized that I could control the mic and stage as well as any artist in the biz. Performing was no longer something I wanted to do, but something I was meant to do.

 

@medafORACLE:  Obviously we are boxing site so what would be an interview without such questions, right? Who were some of your favorite fighters to watch in the past and who are some of your favorite fighters to watch currently?

 

@TruAce:  My #1 favorite is of course, Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all time.  His intelligence in the ring, his speed, his grace, has never been duplicated.  He wasn’t just a great fighter, he was a great entertainer. This is something every boxer and rapper strives for. When I watch videos of his fights, I’m amazed how he could stand in front of his opponent and slip punches like he was the matrix.  Another favorite from the past is Sugar Ray Leonard, he combined speed with power that frustrated all his opponents.  You know I got to mention Mike Tyson he dominated for awhile, brute force — killing the game with raw fearlessness.  Then I mean lets go to Roy Jones Jr. he was a character in the ring, the entertainment was there and people were captivated.  My favorite fighter no doubt today is Floyd Mayweather, he definitely got the world on pins and needles, big ups to the “Money Team”. Lately of course I’ve been following Adrien Broner, definitely making his way up the ranks and making a name for himself.   Yea, AB got some tight flows on the mic too.

 

@medafORACLE:  Now that we’ve gotten the “feeling out” process out of the way, let’s make it interesting. Now most casual boxing fans would say there are two sides to the coin of a boxer. You have the pure boxer, who is defined as boring and then you have the brawler who is defined as exciting. Do you believe this plays a part in Hip Hop as well from a mainstream stand point? As far as the technical rhyme writers (boxers) who focus more on precision and timing and then you have the basic rappers (brawlers) who focus on blunt and simple bottle popping songs.

 

@TruAce:  Well I think the pure boxers with speed and grace are by far the most interesting. From the hip hop stand point, the technical rhyme writers (boxers) who can come in with crazy metaphors, speed it up and then change the rhythm on a dime, are the ones who add the most flavor to the track. You got to be able to switch up keep the audience guessing when they think you’re going one way you move an weave the other direction.   When I watch tapes of Muhammad Ali, his strength was that he would hit you with the combinations and then kill you with the jab—I like that style.  That same concept works on the mic.

 

But don’t get me wrong, I’m also a big fan of the basic rappers (brawlers) who hit you with blunt simple jaw dropping rhymes.  We need all those styles in the rap game, it increases the element of excitement and interest.  The hip hop culture is best served when all these styles come together.  When you get your shot on stage or the ring, you better bring your “A” game.

 

@medafORACLE:  Now this brings me to my next question. As an artist yourself and understanding what it takes to compose a song, which fighter would you consider yourself in the boxing world, musically? For example you have a very technical Floyd Mayweather who could be compared to an Elzhi or Nas as far as timing and precision or you have Alfredo Angulo who can be compared to a 2 Chainz as far as having lack of angles and timing, willing to take one to land three. Who would you compare yourself to in the boxing world?

 

@TruAce:  Oh no doubt if you make a musically comparison with the current boxing world, it would have to be Floyd Mayweather.  He can sit in the pocket and rip you with combinations or hang out side and pick you apart with the jab.  I can drop a speed flow with the best in the biz, kill you with metaphors and then change up the rhythm before you know what happened.  Like boxing I’m ready to make contact, hit ya where it hurts.  Boxing is a competitive contact sport; the competition in the rap games brings the same competitive excitement.  Rappers are constantly in the lab writing, recording and preparing for the main event the same way the boxers prepare in the gym.  I come in expecting to land three, but if I gotta take one, I’m all good with that; that’s how it is in the boxing and rap game—you only as good as you give.

 

@medafORACLE:  In boxing every fighter needs solid management, excitement and a very strong campaign to get to the Pay Per View stage. Do you think that in today’s industry it’s a tougher road for an up and coming artist to get to that grand stage compared to today’s average fighter?

 

@TruAce:  Well a solid management is no doubt important.  I’m glad that the people who are supporting me behind  the scene are there.  Big ups to the new people getting involved with my situation and elevating my career to new heights– you got to love it.   My sponsor Vlado Footwear has been supporting my performances and events from the beginning.  Of course collaborating with legendary Tommy Boy Records is an exciting time for me; it’s a Pay Per View stage. Persistence in both the rap and fight game pays off.

 

In response to your main question, in today’s music industry it is extremely difficult for an artist to get to the main stage.  In rap like in boxing, the secret ingredient is “Persistence”—this is a rough business.  Can you take all the “No” jabs that are thrown at you, in order to get that one “Yes”?  Can you get up if knocked down, and continue pushing forward with the same intensity?  If your answer is “Yes”, then the main stage is right around the corner, but like in the fight game, no one is gonna give it to you; you’ve gotta take it.

 

@medafORACLE:  They say “styles make fights”. Career wise you have to know what opponent to pick to either make money or make the fight exciting. Do you have this same thought process in choosing producers and production for projects or do you choose what feels right stylistically for you at that moment?

 

@TruAce:  Yea, “styles make fights” and “styles make the rap game”.  When I listen to tracks, I pick the track that feels right stylistically for me at that moment.  The best style or track is the one that works best for the individual.  Now when speaking of style we have extra considerations like the tracks, fashion and your squad.  Every rapper’s journey is different, but with me, fashion and style came into play also when I got all these sponsorships from clothing companies.   Vlado Footwear put an exciting touch to my career and walk by gearing me and my crew up for the show.  An of course your crew around you brings an extra dynamic; with our crew we “Aiim Hiigh” for everything.  Rappers are like fighters, when you step on that stage or in the ring, you gotta deliver your game, your style; hitt’em with what you do best; no imitation, no duplication.

 

@medafORACLE:  So now for arguably the most asked question on the internet right now. In two weeks we have “The One” showdown between Mayweather and Canelo. What are your predictions on the fight? Who will be “The One”?

 

@TruAce:  Challengers and contrasting styles make fights.  It’s gonna be a good fight fo sho, but my prediction is that no doubt; Mayweather will be the “The One.”  You can say I said it first.

 

@medafORACLE:  Thanks for stepping inside the phone booth. We appreciate your time. What can we expect from Tru-Ace in the future and what final words you would like to leave us with?

 

@TruAce:  I’m currently working on a collaboration project with the legendary Tommy Boy Ent. We been spicing up stuff in conjunction with the label, all I can say is be on the lookout for my first project with.  I can’t say it enough, I’m humbled with this honor to be aligning myself with them; the project will be crazy.  Tommy Boy Ent.  is legendary, and everyone over there is super supportive, We gone be hitting you with combinations and metaphors on the inside, and tagging you with jabs and solid rythmes on the outside.  So be on the lookout, it’s gone be take ova.

 

My sponsor Vlado Footwear is right the mix, providing the fly kicks and gear for my videos and public appearances—big ups.  More importantly, 1st and foremost thanks to God, fans, supporters and family.  Because of you all, I’m in the position I am today, living my dream and making my way up.  And of course big ups to @TheTitleFight ya’ll been watching me for awhile so it’s good ya’ll see the true progression of how things are moving.  All the fight and rap fans can follow me @TruAce on twitter and instagram.  Letz get ready to Rumble!

 


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