Interview with Fess Gotchu

Interview with Fess Gotchu

Philadelphia is known for many legendary musicians with great talents. That includes Fess Gotchu who made himself a strong household name in the game. He made many collabs with Access Immortal, Verse Essential, Knon Sense and engineered for many artists. While honing his writing craft, his music hits the listener with countless work including the well-developed “My Momma Made Me Dope” EP. Fess Gotchu shed light with Intrigued about how he got started, his engineering role, his tour experience in Exxxotica and his upcoming projects.

1)            You know me, what it is. Fess Gotchu in the building with Intrigued. What’s going on my dude, what you been up to these days?

I’ve been doing real good man! I just came off a very rough year on a personal level had to put down music for a few months but I kept my focus and here I am back on my grind!

2)            For those who don’t know about you, tell us how you got started?

I was born right outside the City Of Philadelphia, been into music my whole life from the age of 13. I was a skateboarder when I was younger and being one you are exposed to a lot of different subcultures such as urban fashion, hip hop and punk rock. I was in a few punk/hardcore bands when I was younger but always developed a knack for rhyming as I got older so I put down the bass guitar picked up a mic and came with it. My first gig I rocked at a BBQ when I was 13 I got paid 200 bucks. It was great because I did a mix up set half of it was a punk rock set the other half I rhymed and people loved it!

3)            The name Fess Gotchu, catchy artist name. How the name came to fruition?

Well, my original name was Profess as in “I profess to the world” people just started shortening it and calling me Fess it stuck so I ran with it. The gotchu I added as in “I gotchu on whatever you need” Im gonna give it my all at 100 percent. Doing a little back research on the word fess I discovered it is old latin FESSE it’s a term in heraldry for a horizontal stripe across the crest of a shield. I thought that was dope because I interpreted that as an insignia, brand name, logo, etc etc which gave my name more depth. A lot of rappers have mobster names and things of that nature so I’m glad I came with something original that also has a back story to it!

4)            Listening to your music, you got me because the music is dope!

Thanks a lot man! I try to go the distance and give the people quality music so I appreciate the feedback!

5)            Philadelphia is historic on the hip hop scene with artists like Steady B, Cool C, Gillie the Kid, Major Figgas, Beanie Sigel, Philly’s Most Wanted, the Youngstas. Is there a distinctive sound in Philly that no other state has? 

True indeed Philadelphia’s musical history and culture runs deep and not even just on a hip hop level but soul music period. The legendary Uptown Theatre was pretty much a mecca for soul music BEFORE Motown. It’s a shame it’s boarded up and not many know the history of it as they should. Philly has a rawness to it that separates it from other styles. I guess its cuz these are rough streets to come up on but it also has a soul to it so I’d have to describe a Philly style as raw soul.

6)            What separates your style from many other artists?

The thing that separates me from other artists here is that I don’t run with the pack or try to sound like whoever is poppin here right now. I pretty much just stay in my own lane and make the music that I feel!

7)            What made you decide to say to yourself, music is within me, I want to do this?

I guess it wasn’t really a decision as more so a calling, I just say I wake up with it. It’s in me to do it so I do it. Not only is that but the feeling you get when you get your props a high like no other whether on stage, in the studio, or on the web. The love I get is great and the money helps too lol.

8)            As an emcee, producer, engineering, how do you flip so many roles and still execute good music?

Great question! Coming up I never had much money so I couldn’t afford studio time….so what I did was save up enough money to buy my own gear then I sat down and studied a few school educated engineers and watched what they do to certain tracks to gain desired effects. I’ve always had the ear for music and knew how I wanted mine to sound so once I picked up on the technical side of things and could lace my own shit properly I quickly saw that I had a talent on the boards for making an artist’s music sound exactly how they wanted it. I love ebbing an engineer/ producer too because it allows me to work with fresh talent and help shape their sound for em. I’ve done everything from play instruments in bands, to rock mics so it’s only natural with a diverse self-taught musical background that I gravitated towards being an engineer too. When u love what you do your gonna do it all the way so really juggling those roles is easy it’s like Nike I just do it. lol

9)            What are the advantages of becoming an engineer?

The advantage of being an engineer is if you’re good at what you do and affordable you will never run out of work because there are 8 billion rappers out there so there’s plenty of clientele. The other good thing to it is Intellectual Property Rights meaning if that record don’t sound the way it did before I mixed it that means I get publishing on it too for the arrangement of the record. This then means if the song blows up I get residuals. It’s also a more stable career, rappers come and go but those names in fine print in album liner notes they are around for 20-30 years. Plus, it actually gives me free promotion for my music because my name is already getting spread for the amount of behind the scenes work I do so I can easily plug my name in to any lane presented to me.

10)         On the engineering tip, what do you look for in an artist?

I look for someone who is easy to work with and whose music jumps out at me and if it gets the gears turning in my head it means the product gonna be good. I don’t just want to push buttons for someone paying me by the hour. I want to work hands on with an artists to a product we can develop and take to a company and get us a check to what we do, that’s better than paying by the hour.

11)         Has becoming an emcee/producer/engineer brings out the best out of your work ethic?

Yessir…..I love it, love it, love on a good week I’m in the studio 100 plus hours during the winter but really this is a 24/7 365 grind I stay on the web promoting and networking even during my downtime watching movies and shit. You have to!

12)         Take us to a Fess Gotchu studio session. What is your writing process?

My writing session involves me playing through all the different music I have on the table. I have a rule of thumb….if I have to think about what to write then I set that aside for later. I play through beats till something jumps out at me then it’s like I have a ghostwriter in my brain just whispering the song to me in my ears. I’m a real energy based person meaning I gotta feel it…if I gotta pick something else!

13)         I bet you are very picky when it comes to picking beats and working with other artists, which is a good thing!

As far as picking beats goes, nah I’m actually not that picky. I like to jump all over the place with it and make records for everybody! I am picky about what artists I work with because not everybody works well together. I try to work with people I enjoy making music with and can have fun with and definitely no big egos allowed around here can’t deal with that shit lol.

14)         From all your solo projects you got out, which ones do you think is your best project and why?

I love all my projects but my personal favorite is My Momma Made Me Dope Mixtape. It was very fun to record all different style records over industry beats from Drake to Too Short to some 90’s and 80’s style boom bap beats and then to top it off hearing my homie DJ Bionik cut and scratch everything together. That project set a bar for me; I told myself nothing less than this on production or content!

15)         What was the experience like working with Empire Nation?

Working with Empire Nation has been a good experience. My bro Access brought me on board and me and him always do good work together. It’s very easy to work and contribute with the click, drop verses when needed mix when needed write songs when needed, really just doin what I do I’m very easy to work with.  I’m a point and shoot kind of guy if there’s a move to be made just tell me and I’m on it.

16)         You did work with Belgium’s producer Toma Beats. What kind of sound did he bring to the Fess Gotchu writing process?

What kind of sound did he bring to the Fess Gotchu writing process? Soul! United Nations was my debut project and it really helped me grow as an artist…we did it all from scratch….that project showed me what growth I needed and what strong points I had. It was a solid debut project and a good platform to build on. I still get love to this day.

17)         You worked with Knon Sense and Access Immortal on many projects. How did you hook up with those guys?

I hooked up with Knonsense through a mutual friend; he heard some of my work I heard his we live close by let’s get it. I hooked up with Access through a mutual friend; he came to my studio when he was in Philly for a weekend. We banged out a few tracks that day and he said he liked my work ethic and said when I get home I’ll email you some music to work on with me. The first record we cut was Where We At, it was fire. I recorded it and sent it back the same day he sent it to me from there we been smashing records ever since, rockin shows and shooting videos. Access one of my best bros in this music grind to date. Matter fact it’s more than music it’s a family affair anytime we get together.

18)         Talk to us about the “My Momma Made Me Dope” EP. What was the fans reaction to this mixtape EP?

The best part about My Momma Made Me Dope is that not only did I give the fans a 20 track mixtape of me crushing all different industry beats accompanied by a dope DJ (DJ Bionik from France)…I also went the extra mile and dropped a Bonus EP with 10 original tracks the next week. And it was all for free. That’s a great project that to this day still gets love. It’s just a good project to give to first time listeners like hey this is me and this is what I do. Anyone who downloaded it loved it, haven’t heard a single word of bad feedback!

19)         What was the experience like performing with Access Immortal and Verse Essential at Exxxotica 2011?

Great! Being backstage with half naked chicks ready to do a lingerie show while u perform was a classic moment in my life. Even better was the fact some of my coworkers were there. They didn’t even know I made music so for them to see me hold it down they were shocked. It was an all-around winning experience and I’ll do it time and time again if the offer is on the table!

20)         Take us to your music production company Fess Gotchu music!

Fess gotchu Muzik LLC is a company I am launching early this year. It’s just me taking my grind to the next level. I spent a lot of years building myself up to this level so I said I have the clientele as an engineer of make it happen and plenty of my own music to funnel through it so it’s time to brand myself and make moves for real!

21)         What new artists are you feeling right now?

Kendrick Lamar and the whole Black Hippy movement, Joey Badass is dope too. It’s great to see young cats get a buzz off LYRICISM makes u feel like the music still has soul left!

22)         Any artists that you haven’t collaborated with, you want to work with!

I don’t really set my sights on certain people; I’m a very spontaneous on the spot kind of dude when it comes to collaborating. If we cross paths and I think your music is dope and you feel mine, I’m like let’s do it.

23)         I got a couple of artist’s names of the head and say what would you think when they want you to engineer for their music. For example Meek Mill!?

Its funny you say Meek Mill cuz I remember last year this time he was on twitter asking for a dope engineer in Philly. Mad people were tweeting my name to him but never got a response. I guess he was lookin for a trendier name but me I would’ve laced his production up all crazy but in this industry a lot of times it’s not what you know but who you know. As far as Meek music goes I don’t really feel it that much but would’ve still done the damn thing to it for a check.

24)         Beanie Sigel?

Loved Beanie in his Roc days, sucks he fell way off and can’t get it back together. Today I’d work for him for a check but back in his ROC days that would’ve been amazing to get down with him in the studio.

25)         Young Jeezy?

Love some Jeezy Ill rock with him all day.

26)         Will Smith?

Will Smith does what he does I’ll work with him no problem. I’m a huge fan of his old music not so much his movie soundtrack stuff but hey if he needs to cut a record for a blockbuster film soundtrack and wants me in, I’m on it lol.

27)         Where do you see the direction of the music going?

I think that the direction music is going is great, the internet gives us more of a control over our own fate. The web is the new streets so u can really put together your own little team and release quality music and videos and get it out to millions if your product is right and the quality is right!

28)         What do you think makes a classic album? Is it the quality, quantity, mainstream artists or the chemistry?

I think fans make an album classic; they are the ones who support the music so if the fans stamp it a classic it is one bottom line.

29)         Do you have any new projects you’re currently working on?

Yessir I have a follow up to United Nations with Toma…..United Nations 2….we are still workin on a subtitile…I have a double disc concept album with my boy Juan Lobo beats WORLDWIDE GRIND that literally flows like a movie for your ears and tells one hell of a story and a third LP NO COMFORT ZONE with one of my fave producers Juice 100 Proof. I love all three of these projects because they are all completely different. On top of these three things u already know I’m gonna be engineering my ass off for mad other artists and of course I’ll be dropping plenty of verses on collab records to anybody who offers. Gotta get your name out there and grind grind grind.

30)         That’s what’s up, definitely good interviewing you. Where can headz get at you for beats or collabs?

Hit me up on facebook www.facebook.com/fess.gotchu, twitter www.twitter.com/fessgotchu , subscribe to my youtube www.youtube.com/fessgotchutv or hit my personal email fessgotchubiz@gmail.com Good look on the interview peace!!!!!!!