24: It’s been a little while since our last interview and I know you took some time off  and a close friend of yours had passed which you spoke about during a Ustream video so can you speak about that a little more for our readers?

Rocko: Yeah, I was actually talking about my buddy who signed me to Def Jam Records, Shakir Stewart(R.I.P.).

24: It’s good that you mention that because a lot of people including myself actually thought that Jermaine Dupri actually signed you to Def Jam?

Rocko: No, that’s false. JD showed interest in signing me to Def Jam but we wasn’t able to close the deal and than Shakir came and we closed the deal.

24: With all the time that you took of do you feel any added pressure to get back in the mix or do you feel like once you put out a few good records the rest will take it’s course because this music industry has a very short attention span?

Rocko: Yeah, that’s basically how I feel. With my music I feel like I can comeback and do this when ever I want because they will always be room or a fan base for what I’m doing. That’s another reason why I love making music with substance in it. Of course I make a few records for the “Trap” but outside of those I make records with substance such as “Lord Have Mercy“, “Rainy Night In Georgia“, and if you bought my first album Self Made I have records like “Karma” and “Hustle Fo“. I like to make records that mean something so I feel like my music is timeless. Than on top of that I’m a chameleon I can adapt to my environment!

24: A few of the readers that may not know your story may think your just your average artist but you actually started out as a CEO with your own label and actually had Young Dro signed to your label who is with Grand Hustle now. You then decide to take matters into your own hands and put out “Umma Do Me” and took the streets by storm and earned a 1,000,000 deal with Def Jam and a label Rocky Road Records so is that one of the reason you just did your Ustream telling your story?

Rocko: No, I actually did the Ustream because it was just something I was doing daily for my fans and just getting back into the market place where people could actually interact with me directly and get to know me. From there a lot of blogs and website picked it up and it was pretty shocking because for me it was just a way to speak to my fans.

24: You recently put out a mixture but I’m going to call it a street album called “Wild Life” with DJ Scream so talk about that for the readers who have not yet checked it out and let them know why they should go download it?

Rocko: Well, I spoke to Scream and we talked about linking back up again for another tape. We were going back and fourth with a few names because I was going in a different direction with this project and a few records in I did a song called “Wild Life“. After that it just clicked and I said that’s what I’m going to name it “Wild Life“. The title actually has a double meaning to it because I lived the “Wild Life” but out here in these streets it’s just like living in the wild. You got the rats which is the snitches, you got the snakes out here can’t wait to stab you in the back. You got the leeches that can’t wait to stuck you dry. It’s a beast out here and that’s the whole concept of it pretty much. These streets is a “Beast”. This project was really based on how I was feeling at the time. I have a  record called “Wings” and it doesn’t mater if your sober or your on that oil your going to vibe to it. Sometimes you just feel flyer than everyone else or that your just on another planet and you got “Wings“. I also have a song called “4 Minutes” and I break down the whole Def Jam situation and I salute a few people and talk about my life. I named it “4 Minutes” because I wanted it to go on for four minutes but it ended up coming out so crazy I put to be continued(lol). Another song like “It’s Over“, I liked the track a lot and I felt it was a good record for me coming back off a hiatus to comeback with. Than of course I have the real records like “Rainy Night In Georgia” and “Lord Have Mercy“. With those records I get real up close and personal because that’s how I feel.

24: I wanted to speak a little on the chemistry between you and DJ Scream because it’s like every time you two get together it’s another classic tape for the streets?

Rocko: That’s who I came in doing the mixtape thing with so I felt like it was only right to comeback with Scream again. I got a lot of DJ’s that want to do projects with me that I’m sure I will need up doing but Scream was like we got to go back in for the streets after what the first tape did. I’m always working on music and in the studio so I’m just got to be strategic on how I release it out to the people. With “Wild Life” I really didn’t want to put any singles on the tape. I just went through the music I had and picked a few records that fit what I wanted to do for that tape. I really want people to think that’s all I got(lol). An then I’ll catch them with the left hook!

24: When should the streets be expecting your sophomore album and is their anyone that you didn’t get to work with on the first that you would love to work with for this project?

Rocko: Yeah, I definitely want to work with Kanye. I just want to do some different type of records. I got a record I’m about to put Mavado on and another with Eyrkah Badu.

24: What should everyone be looking forward to from you from this point on?

Rocko: Really, I’m just trying to relate and catch my core audience to where I can stay on the road and continue to live my lifestyle the way I do. An just trying to stay in the streets and keep warming it up until my album drops. The name of my album is “1 of 1” True Story! I named it that because with me I feel like they broke the mold when they made me. It’s a lot of people they may compare me to but it’s no one in this world like me and I say that for a number of reasons and some of them I can’t even speak on. My homie use to tell me all time your 1 of 1 your 1 of 1 and I’m actually dedicating this album to my homie Shakir(R.I.P.)! Regardless of where you look dudes like me are extinct.

24: Is that one of the reason why you kind of got behind the mic and decided to invest in yourself because now of days most artist speak on topics they were never around or been apart of?

Rocko: That’s one of the reasons but its’ a couple more than just that one. For a minute I was cash motivated, than it was apart of me that I was tired of hearing the music that was out there. Another part of it was when I would go to the club I’m partying a celebrating bigger than the actually artist who’s there is doing it to his own music. So I might as well do it like this to my own music. I’m throwing money and buying bottles and I thought to myself like what’s the sense in that I’m breaking their songs, you feel me. But more so I was investing money into artist which I can’t complain about because from every investment I made I made money off of but it really wasn’t what I wanted. When you are investing in something you have to believe in it, so I figured who better to invest in than myself because I know what I’m capable of! I never failed at anything. I have enchanted defeat but I have never been defeated!

24: What’s the best way for the readers to keep up to date with you and check out new music etc?

Rocko: You can definitely just google me or check out www.itsrocko.com and follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rocko4real.

24: Any last words for the readers?

Rocko: Stay tuned and I really appreciate the support. I appreciate everyone who downloaded the mixtape. I have a lot to learn and a long way to go so just stay patient and ride with me. You can see the transition and you can see I’m working on my craft trying to get better and better everyday. Be on the look out for my new album “1 of 1” and a few more mixtures called “BaRocko Drumma” and I got a new artist called  Future with his mixture called “1000” so be on the look out for  him.

Wild Life Mixtape Download:http://www.sendspace.com/file/2g2b8f

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