New York Rap on the Comeback - GORILLA CONVICT

Straight out of New York comes the hottest new rapper with the songs that will leave you wanting more. The Bronx native is New York City born and bred. He honed his chops on the cities mean streets and is now bringing his in your face style to the masses. Not just content to be a rhymer Mr. Klutch is the the real deal and full package. He took his time to learn the ins and outs of the business. Developing skills as not only a rapper, but a songwriter and producer.

Mr. Klutch, the Chief Executive Officer of 4th Quarter Entertainment, is often referred to as the next big thing to rise out of New York City. The Bronx MC perfected his skills as an audio engineer in 2013 by graduating from the Institute of Audio Research & is certified in Pro Tools 10. Mr. Klutch has been developing a local New York City buzz while also playing pivotal roles in multiple international projects such as the Kaiyzernomics 2013 collaboration as well as The Global Takeover.

After displaying his skill and work ethic with Kaiyzernomics, he was appointed as an Executive Producer for The Global Takeover. While handling the executive production of the project, featuring on 4 of the tracks as an artist, he was also appointed to mix and master the project himself. Both projects combined for over 30,000 downloads on multiple websites and received nothing but positive feedback.

As a rapper his versatility and ability to designate the perfect flow on every track is said to be his greatest asset. He says working with Kool Keith of the Ultramagnetic MC’s has been one of his greatest experiences thus far. “Just being in his presence was such an honor, getting to collaborate with Keith on a track changed my life and helped me develop a new appreciation for the generation who started Hip Hop.” Klutch has been vigorously working and has over 60 songs written. “It’s funny because a year back I lived at Penn State, and nowadays I’m living off of what my Pen States…” He says. And now for the exclusive, the Gorilla Convict interview-

Where are you from and where do you rep?

I’m Mr. Klutch, a Hip Hop artist from the Bronx in New York City. I started a team called 4th Quarter Music which I plan to turn into an independent record label in the near future. I was born and raised here my entire life and I’ll definitely make that known throughout my career as a musician.

Why did you start rapping and what is your music about?

When I first started to write lyrics it was just a small hobby of mine in high school. I would just write lyrics to instrumentals for the fun of it until I realized that I was really talented. I have always loved music but it didn’t evolve into a passion until a couple years later. Back then I was striving to become a professional football player, however ironically my idol was still Michael Jackson and I could never shake that. Once I realized that the love for music was getting deeper I started taking it serious and started using it as a platform to change the lives of those around me. My music is so diverse I could never box myself into one category. I am just a strong advocate of making good music. Plain and simple. If it sounds good and feels good to me in my head, I will re-create that experience sonically.

What do you think the state of New York hip hop is today?

I think that New York Hip Hop is not in a bad place right now. I feel like just because we aren’t dominating the entire industry does not mean that we can’t still be in a good place. Most the very successful artists with longevity have come from New York and I don’t think that’ll ever change. Jay Z has become an icon and so has 50 cent in many ways. The biggest recent influence out of New York City is Nicki Minaj. I feel like she’s doing so much for the Hip Hop community but doesn’t get the respect she deserves. She has been consistent with her first two albums going platinum and has been building a crazy buzz recently. She broke the Youtube record for most views in a week and just put out a monster collaboration with Beyonce who is also an icon. I’d say New York hip hop is still in a powerful force in the industry and my team will only strengthen it.

What are you doing to put your city back on the map hip hop wise?

I am developing a new sound that will give life back to my city. I feel like too many New York artists try to re-create the past and that never works no matter how hard you try. In order for New York to make a real comeback we need to develop a sound that is fresh. The Golden Era is something very legendary and should live on its own in the history books. I also have put together a team of diverse artists which makes us a lethal force by broadening our fan base.

You do production and make tracks also? Explain.

I mix and master records. I graduated from the Institute of Audio Research for their audio engineering program so I am very well involved in the mixing stages of our music. I decided to master the art of mixing because it will make me a triple threat in the field of being an artist as well as a CEO and engineer. Becoming a master of the art allowed me to become very precise when planning out my songs creatively and gave me so much more versatility. Now I know what effects to use on particular parts of songs and can write accordingly.

What rappers inspired you?

I am inspired by so many rappers. The five that inspired me the most are Eminem, 50 cent, Jay-Z, Big L & King Los. To me each of these artists has their own styles and they are the greatest at each particular style. Studying these artists allowed me to become very diverse as an artist.

Where can people see you perform and when is the video coming out?

I have been performing at various venues throughout New York City. The best way to stay in touch with me for shows is to follow me on Twitter @Official_Klutch that is where I announce most of my performance dates & times. You can also join my mailing list on my website www.officialklutch.com. I will be releasing the music video for “My Niggas” in November 2014. That will be the first major visual and that will initiate the rollout for upcoming singles & my mixtape “Guard Ya Beat”.

When does your album come out?

I am planning to release my mixtape “Guard Ya Beat” within the next couple months. My first official album will most likely come around June 2015.

How would you describe your music and you style?

I would describe my music as very diverse; I plan on making it very hard for people to categorize my music. The five artists that I named earlier have very diverse music and that is what I pride myself on creating. Everything from lyrical slaughter to club songs to love songs, I will tackle them all and actually perfect each one. I will not stretch myself thin and try to make a type of record if I haven’t perfected that particular category.

Give us a little about your background and how you came up?

My first major move was linking up with Jerry Kaiyzer through twitter in 2013. After we met I let him hear some music and he featured me on his international project Kaiyzernomics which accumulated over 9000 downloads. After that we worked on a couple more international projects while I worked on my first mixtape “Guard Ya Beat”. I released a radio single called “The Test” on July 04, 2014 and shortly after I was contacted for a distribution deal with Universal Music Group. I recently inked the distribution deal and I am now planning the release of my second single under their distribution while also finishing up my first promotional mixtape Guard Ya Beat. I am also back in school at the Institute of Audio Research getting educated on the Music Business side of things. I am receiving many opportunities I just need to make sure that I am mentally equipped before I really take that first major step into the music business. Right now things are looking pretty good I am grateful for everything that has come in such a short amount of time.

Check out Mr. Klutch’s music at-

https://soundcloud.com/official_klutch/mr-klutch-ft-mix-the-prince
Also check him out on social media and support the movement-