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From djlowkey.com: I first heard MC\/DJ Theo Martins<\/a> when he seemingly feel on the hip hop scene out of nowhere (Providence, RI actually) with his Okayplayer-backed mixtape “The Birth”<\/a>, which dropped with instant acclaim across the interwebs.\u00c2\u00a0 Shortly after that, I met Theo in person while DJing for Tanya Morgan on the Hieroglyphics Freshly Dipped Tour in 2008, but somehow didn’t make the connection in the shuffle.\u00c2\u00a0 Later on, Theo started traveling more and ultimately moved to L.A., taking on more DJ gigs while taking his MC career to the next level.\u00c2\u00a0 In 2009, I caught up with him again when he was on tour with U-N-I and Warren G during a party we threw with Akomplice at Shag<\/a>, leading to me and Sounds Supreme premiering the very dope track “Kirby’s Airwalk”<\/a> on The Solution Tape #1<\/a>.<\/p>\n A year later, Theo dropped a great EP called You Can’t Do That On Television<\/a> with super talented producer $port, featuring the official release of “Kirby’s Airwalk” and the Wu-inspired “Good Will Hunting (RZA ’94)”<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 He followed that up with the Channel Surfin’ mixtape<\/a> with Asher Roth’s DJ, Wreckineyez, and featuring the likes of U-N-I, CurT@!n$, Christian Rich<\/a>, Jesse Boykins III<\/a> & more.\u00c2\u00a0 These days you can catch Theo<\/a> making everything from dance-friendly tracks like “For Helena”<\/a> and his Sincerely Yours, The Dance Floor<\/a> project to indie type joints like his collab with Wakey!Wakey!<\/a> to straight hip hop joints like “Mario Kart”<\/a> and features with the likes of Fresh Daily<\/a>, Laws<\/a>, Ced Hudges & Donwill<\/a>.<\/p>\n Don’t miss a chance to see Theo Martins<\/a> rapping and spinning on Sunday, 7\/29 at the DenverFrank.net 4 Year Anniversary Party<\/a>, along with DJ Low Key, DJ Chonz, DJ Ear Attent, guest hosts DenverFrank and Jessica Simmons and more at Goodness<\/a> on the Meadowlark’s incredible patio (2701 Larimer St<\/a>).<\/p>\n Check out this excellent interview with Respect Mag<\/a> from earlier this year to get more familiar with Theo and we’ll see you at the show:<\/p>\n Exclusive Interview: Theo Martins Speaks on His New Sound and Upcoming Album\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Posted by DiskiBusiness on Wednesday, February 29, 2012<\/p>\n Theo Martins is an emcee that hails from Rhode Island. Four months ago, he visited Los Angeles, and on a whim, decided to stay and crank out his debut LP, Wonderland. <\/em>He insists on breaking through the breadth of uninspired sameness in the game, and wants to change the world through music, by making tracks that move you \u00e2\u20ac\u201d emotionally, spiritually, and physically. While putting the finishing touches on his album, he took time to talk to RESPECT. about how he got into rapping, how he finally settled on his stage name, his new sound, his album, and the importance of being accessible. Hit the jump for the full interview.<\/p>\n So you started out as a DJ and called yourself S-Class, right? How\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d you decide to make the transition from spinning the records to making them yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always performed. I have an older sister and we both would make up songs in the house and perform them as little kids, so\u00c2\u00a0I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always had the urge to perform music on a bigger scale, and taking the first step as a DJ was great because I loved playing records and controlling an audience through just playing music, but I knew I wanted to do more \u00e2\u20ac\u201d it was a process of evolution.<\/p>\n Why did you decide to use the name Theo rather than S-Class?<\/strong><\/p>\n I started running with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153S-Class.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I was gaining popularity, and\u00c2\u00a0I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d traveled a lot under that name, so I thought it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be cool just to use that. But around the time, I remember Wale had just started emerging, and I was really inspired by how he just used his real name. And I thought to myself: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Man, I think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be cool if I just go by my name.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shortened, clearly \u00e2\u20ac\u201d my full name is Theophilus, but I go by Theo, and I figured that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be cool.<\/p>\n Rather than coming up with something random that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll want to change eventually?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah. I really love cartoons and the idea of stage names and stuff, but I guess Theo is good enough.<\/p>\n Your first two mixtapes seemed to have more of that classic hip-hop feel with tracks like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sweetest Language<\/a>,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Kirby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Airwalk<\/a>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sincerely Yours, The Dance Floor<\/em> was a marked change in your sound. What brought on that change?<\/strong><\/p>\n I wanted to do more sonically. When I first came in, it was a lot of me mimicking my influences \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Pharrell, and N.E.R.D. I was just mimicking my way until SYTDF. I was trying to take a full step into something that was new, that had more life to it, that had color, that had more of a pulse to it. I wanted to try things that really excited me. That was the jump. I needed something bright. And you could see that in the artwork \u00e2\u20ac\u201d It was neon pink! [laughs<\/em>].\u00c2\u00a0I just needed to set a contrast. Rap music now, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s great but sometimes I feel it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a bit dull.<\/p>\n Yeah, you do tend to see more and more of the same.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, you know, it tends to be contagious, and it sets this wrong pattern for people to follow. So you can feel when someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s doing something really genuine or if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really just another aim to be popular.\u00c2\u00a0You can do anything you want, and I really like that about being an artist. I could do something super underground, and then come back and do something poppy. And around that time I was trying to get my footing and find what works for me and what sounds good.\u00c2\u00a0I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t where I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m at now, but I was heading there, and it was a good start.<\/p>\n One of the things I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found that set you apart is how personal you are with your fans. Do you think that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contributed to your expanding fan base?<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a human too. I fight the same fight that they fight. And if we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re fighting the same fight, then let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s join. In my music, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m always expressing this sense of empowerment and freedom for people to do what they want and be who they are, but if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m gonna be locked away in this fortress and can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t communicate with anybody, then what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the point?\u00c2\u00a0It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m approachable, come say hi to me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n So, you said you were taking a hiatus from Twitter until the album was wrapped. Now that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re back, can we assume that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s almost done?<\/strong><\/p>\n My friend, yes. Lordy, Lord [laughs<\/em>]. I feel like it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard sometimes to take people seriously when they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hey man, listen, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got something great\u00e2\u20ac\u009d every five minutes. I really had to buckle down and\u00c2\u00a0separate from everything and have this album sound the way I want it to sound.\u00c2\u00a0It was like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153this is my life in the last year, and I want it to be told perfectly.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n You also don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tend to flood the internet with large volumes of music. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re selective with what you put out. <\/strong><\/p>\n I look at it like a great product. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say, Steve Jobs and the iPhone on Apple. These people, they know what they have and they know that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really good.\u00c2\u00a0 And because they know that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth something, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to make sure that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s right first. And when it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s right, and they give it to one person, they know that one person will turn into two, which will turn into ten, 50, 100, and eventually, 1 million. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really see the need in spamming someone with my stuff. I know its good, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m working at getting better and better, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure if it really moves someone, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll share it. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want it to be because\u00c2\u00a0I told them to tell 8 friends. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what changes the world \u00e2\u20ac\u201d I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe in that.<\/p>\n You said you hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t planned on making the album until you moved to LA. So how did you end up there? <\/strong><\/p>\n Being from the East Coast, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d never visited California. I figured I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d visit, and then once I got there, I just figured, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m just not gonna leave.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d It was so random, but it was just what I needed.<\/p>\n Where did the title,\u00c2\u00a0Wonderland,<\/em> come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n It was originally influenced by the film, Alice in Wonderland. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of my favorite movies. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a big Disney buff.\u00c2\u00a0 It also correlates to my life as far as where I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been, where I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m at now, and where I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the point in life where you start to recall and reflect on what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important to you and what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not, and if you want things to change or you want them to stay the same \u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwondering\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 where you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcland.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s deep, man.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah \u00e2\u20ac\u201d it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 something. It was just a process of\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0getting everything in my heart and mind into music form, and working with a team of producers to create something that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life-changing.<\/p>\n So, is Wonderland<\/em> going to be more pensive than your past work?<\/strong><\/p>\n It is. It gets a bit pensive. And even more introspective.\u00c2\u00a0Just really thinking to myself about a lot of the frustrations that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had and a lot of the questions that I want answered.\u00c2\u00a0It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very much a smile with a grin\u00e2\u20ac\u201c very Tim Burton-esque.<\/p>\n You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve sampled a lot of Indie Pop groups like Foster the People, Miike Snow, and others.\u00c2\u00a0Can we expect to hear more sampling on the album, or is it going to be more original production from people you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve working with before, like Kris Fame and $port?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actually going to be more original. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only one song on the album that contains a sample and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because $port is really stubborn, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s too great of a record. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The The Flowers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s my farewell to a relationship I know I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t change and he has crafted the perfect soundtrack.<\/p>\n Are there any other producers we should know about?<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Kris Fame who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s from Rhode Island, and Austin White who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Chicago-bred, amazing, and so eccentric. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m also working with this production group out here called Earth Moon Earth that makes really good instrumentation, and two other good friends of mine that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll hear and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll love.<\/p>\n Dope. When can we expect to hear it?<\/strong><\/p>\n Maybe 2013. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m totally kidding.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m actually trying to have it out by April. I should be done by the next week. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sitting down with my creative director, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Tomas Whitmore, who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an extraordinary man. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been working with like will.i.am for some time now. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re finalizing a lot of ideas. The music\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s already done. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just a few finishing touches, and voila.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n From djlowkey.com: I first heard MC\/DJ Theo Martins when he seemingly feel on the hip hop scene out of nowhere (Providence, RI actually) with his Okayplayer-backed mixtape “The Birth”, which dropped with instant acclaim across the interwebs.\u00c2\u00a0 Shortly after that, I met Theo in person<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2043"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2050,"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043\/revisions\/2050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.djlowkey.com\/theo_tv_front.jpg\")
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