Pancho Rucker
St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF
Music
Press
P RUUUUUUUUUUCKEEEEEEER ( I always gotta say his name like that) has got some more shit to talk through your stereo. The 4th installment of his mixtape series I’m Better Than U On Ur Shit just came through. This Volume is a heavily serious/heavily clownin foray into life as a young artist, the good and the bad. Poncho smashes through 23 (+2 bonus) self-produced tracks with laid back and triple time rhyme schemes. Host Dutch Jackson of DVNworld.com adds a lot of flavor to the project as well. On track 15 Consultation Prize the duo question whether they have a moral line anymore and then continue to clown about relationships with a hilariously morbid twist. On the harder side of the project Track 22 Mighty Long ft. Geon Pancho walks you a mile in his shoes as he finds a higher ground in the Midwest streets. P Rucker reps Saint Louis hard and we’re standin right behind him. Check out the video for Track 1 Curtians Open and this is just the project intro. ~ Hensley - Locash Magazine
Pancho Rucker has been here before. His new album, Kurt Cobain Music, follows a long string of releases: From The Dirt To The Throne, FUQ, I'm Better Than You On Ur Sh*t Volumes 1 and 2, The Kim Jong Il Mixtape, F*ck The Radio, and No Bullsh*t Allowed. The St. Louis native has learned the ins and outs of hip-hop in this city in his time, and he credits his hometown for exposing him to all kinds of music and instilling in him a relentless work ethic. But he knows there's work to be done here, too. "We are not working together or supporting our scene as entertainers or consumers," he says.
Kurt Cobain Music has Rucker tired of apathy, of passing the blame, of accepting frivolous music. He delivers his passionate verses over beats (many of which he produced himself) that draw from a huge range of influence, from rock to soul to classical. Listen below and read the rest of our interview with him.
Kiernan Maletsky: In what way did Kurt Cobain inspire this project.
Pancho Rucker: Actually Nirvana inspired the entire project with the deep rooted subject matter that they always talked about. From love to pain, even to politics. And the more dark undertones of the songs were more tied to Kurt's genius and ultimately his demise.
Where and how did you find the producers for this project? I saw they're from all over the place.
Well I am the main producer on this project. I did ten of the sixteen tracks (not counting the two skits). I just don't like putting Pancho Rucker beats on everything. I'd rather put a company stamp on it. However, Trifeckta turned me on to 14KT in Detroit. I reached out to his people and I got his blessing. And I came across Ola Beats from Italy through YouTube. I contacted him and he immediately wanted in.
What do you think is the role of emotion in writing music?
The role of emotion is huge in music. Emotion is what makes you want to party, laugh, cry, fight, make love, etc. If there is no emotion in your song why do you make music?
How do you think being in St. Louis has helped your music career and development as an artist?
Being from St. Louis has helped me because it taught me about the independent grind of it all. We, as St. Louis artist, really have to bust our butts to make $1 literally. Also being from the middle of the map you can get a taste of all genres from all areas unlike the coast or down south.
How do you think being in St. Louis has hurt your music career and development as an artist?
This is a touchy question so I'll answer as honest as possible without stepping on any toes. Yes St. Louis as a hip-hop scene has been a hindrance to my and a lot of artist's careers. We have a station that does not support its homegrown talent -- that has been proven by the cancellation of STL Home Jamz -- and plays nothing but the trash of the industry for the most part. The separation of the backpacker crowd and the commercial crowd is ever-present, when it is nothing but music with metaphors or music with a good beat. We are not working together or supporting our scene as entertainers or consumers, venues don't give hip-hop a chance when the metal shows are just as rowdy, and the crabs in a barrel mentality is too much. In other cities that I have been to the indie talent are the superstars there, and the radio and local scene recognizes them as such. We claim that we want join St. Louis together but no one is stepping to the plate and that is the reason all the artists that made it from here actually left St. Louis to get it, as far a development that comes with experience and practicing your craft.
Who are some of your favorite artists, local or national (or international)?
Jay-Z, Nirvana, System Of A Down, Biggie, Pac, TIP, Tyler The Creator, Skrillex, TechN9ne, The 808 n Heartbreaks Kanye, Lauryn Hill, Beriut, Amy Winehouse, Issac Hayes, Eminem, Project Pat, J. Sloan, Lil Smurf, Trajik and Drake to name a few. - River Front Times
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Starting off writing R&B and promoting for local artist, Pancho Rucker saw that the rap game was starting to become tarnished and unreal. He begun to convert his true thoughts over to rap form and lace them over high hats and beats. Influenced by the greatest to ever do it, along with his deeply rooted love for the North side of Saint Louis, he follows in their footsteps by creating something that the majority will like but is still real and not "bubblegum nonsense". In 2004 Pancho Rucker decided to take on rapping full time as an escape from all of the negativity that was surrounding him and make a better life for himself. He chose the first name Pancho as a lifetime dedication to his late stepfather James "Pancho" Dixon, who was brutally slain in the streets of Saint Louis the year before to always keep his memory hovering around. Faced with the realities of life he chose to talk about the issues put before him and not indulge in something that he does not have yet, such as big houses, rims, etc along with the competitive verses that make all others have no choice but to respect him and his abilities.
In March of 2008 he finally released his debut album From The Dirt To The Throne as a cry out to world stating that you don't have to make typical music to be popular. As well as, a shout out to the world that Saint Louis is not only a place for tourist to see the Arch and the Cardinals, but it is a place with real issues and problems that need to be addressed. In February of 2010 he released his sophomore project FUQ. The controversial album cover pushed him further into the spotlight of the Hip Hop scene in Saint Louis. In Cube Magazine he stated The black-face album cover is my interpretation of the game and were it is headed. He has also put out a vast amount of mixtapes in 2010 to prove that along with the talent he has the work ethic to bring out consistent and quality music. Along with the popularity from mixtapes and radio spins regionally Pancho was nominated for a Traffic Music Award for Collaborative Song of the Year for the song S.T.L.O.U.I.S. from his critically acclaimed project No Bullshit Allowed in 2011. Pancho hasn't stopped yet, continuing to release mixtapes along his critically acclaimed album entitled Kurt Cobain Music.
Entertaining you with a sound far from the imagination's boundary line Rucker has been in love with music for over 10 years. In fact, he created a melody for the St. Louis Symphony when he was in the 4th grade. He has created beats for many artist of the country Pancho has a hunger that isn't greedy though. He wants to work with all artist in every spectrum of the music industry. He not only does rap and r&b, Rucker writes alternative, country western, etc. He also writes lyrics for people who have the talent, but don't have a writers touch to create their own.
Pancho has also spread out to internet radio with his own segment PR Radio (BlogTalkRadio.com) and also co-hosted Block Radio (RiverfrontRadio.com) where he was able to confront the issues of today's society and be an ambassador for the St. Louis Underground Music scene. He host local Hip Hop showcases throughout the city, provide his services as graphic designer and media duplicator through Shogun Distributions, directs videos, and even still has time to give back to the community as Co-Founder of Operation Clean Neighborhood started with child hood friend Kenneth Jones to give back to the streets to make a change instead of being apart of the problem.
He has also spread his wings to show his entrepreneurial spirits by creating Shogun Media Duplication. Within a year Shogun Media Duplication has provided its services to national recording gospel recording artist Faye Mosby to platinum selling artist Chingy.
Now as the CEO and Chairman of Shogun Music Group LLC, Shogun Media Duplication, seasoned artist, producer, and songwriter he plans to spread his talents even further to show that St. Louis has talent like none other. "To be honest 99% of the game is wack because they are just trying to sale and not put any heart into it. I am not knocking any body's hustle, but I have to state facts as facts". The self-proclaimed "King of the Midwest" brings a light into the hip hop world that will prove him, soon enough, to be one of the greats of the game and a swagger that you would love to hate. Get ready world......
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