When did you first start working on this album?
:Initially TruCipher sent me a beat pack back in June of 2025 but wasn’t in the right mind state I wanted to be in to write to the beats so I held off for about 3 months then I blitz thru those beats in October. In November bones heard what I had going on showed me some of his beats and started working together, got those done within a day or two before thanksgiving. Really after that was waiting on features and working around the guys schedule to get them to record you their versus.
In deciding who should do the production. What made you choose half BONE and half True?
:It worked out that way just smoothly so at first I was already done with TruCipher’s part of the album and bones showed me his beat chapters (what he calls his catalog of beats) and I hand picked the beats you heard. After I finished I thought I could put the two together cuz of the closeness in time of my recording I was still in that mode then I had the conversation with TruCipher and bones and they agreed to the blend but because the beats where so different we decided to do side A and side B it gives the audience the feel as if they got two albums in one.
I see you had a lot of tracks with a lot of other MC’s why decide to do that? Was it just for feature sake or was there a deeper meaning behind it?
:I love having features especially when it’s an emcee that I respect their pen I could have no features but I feel like the fans like to have their opinion on who ate the beat more while we have fun swinging the sword around. My next album is going to be just me 8 tracks give or take ,beats produced by me definitely keep in tune
Was there any songs left on the table that didn’t make it?
:there was only one song called modern pirates a beat produced by Bones. It was used to go on the album Bones came out with in January called the Vault as a showcase to what was to come
Is there any song that you found harder to record than the others? And if which one and why?
:Lol usually when I write my lyrics I go off into dimension, the only way to describe it, to the point when I come back I’m like holy shit why did I do this to myself then soon after say “”well fuck it I chose this life it’s no one’s fault”gotta buckle up and make it happen and to be honest I don’t look at it as hard it’s more of a challenge in its self and I accept it because I challenged myself for that push
So, would you say your in a different mindset then you were when you dropped albums such as -CHRONIC EBONIX & -INZ AND OUTZ? How do you mentally prepare yourself from one album to the next?
:Most definitely was in a different mind set similar but different at the same time only similar because of the creative process is me vs myself and the Microphone. Strive to getting better than I was on the last song I wrote or album released. For me to get my mind set right from album to album is like how you prep yourself in the gym to get the workout done you have to trust in the fact you’ve been putting in work to be able to lift the weights and depending on how consistent you are determines how smooth your next run is and open to learn from people who have been doing these said work outs for fundamentals and techniques used in the dojo
How important was it for you to release this album now in today’s current landscape? Is there any special reason you chose to drop now or didn’t give much thought about it?
:I’m not really to worried about the days landscape God comes in due time as one to fertilize the landscape. Initially I wanted to drop the album sooner but waiting on features pushed it back which I’m ok with cuz I’d rather not rush the process a plant doesn’t sprout out overnight it takes time and really after that there was wrapping the album up with the esthetic that you hear in it as the art work concept I was inspired by a picture I saw and INF who rapped on the song FINAL BELL made the drawing come to life after be heard the idea.
What’s your relationship like with the 23 Incredible crew? As I see you have most the players on this album!
:Man being around these Brothers is an inspiration in itself it’s like being at a dojo of the best of the best coming in from all different places and walks of life with similar views doing what they come to do, sometimes collabs happen we don’t force anything. We show each other what we got going on at the moment and usually sparks the inspiration and that’s thanks to EsteeNack for providing the space for us to build and be creative without him there no 23 the way it is so most Gratitude to him.
Do you have any traditions or set things you have to do before you start a new project? And if so what is it?
:Besides smoking me a fronto leaf with some herb in it and life to be the guide of the lyrics that’s about it.
And finally, you’re stuck on a dessert island. You can only keep one album with you to listen to for the rest of your life from any genre, time period or artist/band. What do you choose and why?
:I’m going with the essentials of the Isley brothers has 34 songs on it of their hits reasons why is the soul and grove that comes with their style would probably make the time past by smoothly plus since im on an island I might as well have it be a Tropical Funk time lol
https://hyroglyphx7.bandcamp.com/album/swords-by-the-sphinx
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 