Who Is Annimeanz?

Let’s hop right into the single / video for “Air BnB” — Tell me about this particular track? How did it actually come to fruition?

I’ve been working with a producer named “Mike D Exclusive” for about a year now. I was going through his catalog, and I heard the beat and was like, “This is dope!” I just happened to be in the studio later that week with my man, FlightMob, and played it for him. He felt the vibe off top, and it just came to life from there.

“Air BnB” comes courtesy of your semi-recently unleashed solo project, Crack Rock Bounce — Conceptually, what does that title represent both to and for you?

Before …Bounce, I released an EP called Crack Rock Soul about a year ago, and that got a solid response. I knew it felt like a series, but I wanted to change the vibe somehow so I decided to make it a specialty series where each volume had a different sound to show versatility… so I started recording over all these Southern bounce type beats. That’s why it’s called Crack Rock Bounce. The first volume was done over all trap soul beats. This one is over all bounce beats.

Now you’re a Los Angeles, CA, native, correct? So growing up in the ‘City of Angels,’ who all did / do you consider to be your strongest musical influences?

Yes, L.A. born and raised, in the city of Cudahy. It’s funny ‘cause I started out listening to Eazy-E, NWA, Too $hort, but it wasn’t until I got older that I just fell in love with East Coast Hip Hop, and the lyricism and gritty sounds the beats had. My main influences are Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep.

Where does the moniker Annimeanz originally derive from?

It comes from the phrase “any-means necessary.”

With that being said, how do you classify your overall sound and / or style?

I like to think of myself as a West Coast MC, with a touch of East Coast style lyricism, over West Coast instrumentals.

Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?

The story of my city, Cudahy. It’s a small city in L.A., but is notoriously known for drugs and violence. There’s a lot of corruption in the local government in my city, too. We are also a sanctuary city for illegals, so the poverty level there is real. I want people to understand the struggles of my city, and just give a voice to a place that hasn’t had one thus far.

If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I would love to do something with Havoc of Mobb Deep on the beat, and it would be dope to collaborate with C-Bo. I came up on both of them, and just love their vibe, ya know?

If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?

The Key Club, mainly because that’s where I came up; from passing out CDs and sneaking backstage watching all the big doggs in the city kill it. Every artist in L.A. who’s been someone, at some point rocked that stage. I just wish it hadn’t been shut down. The Key Club in my opinion was Los Angeles’ version of the Apollo.

In terms of longevity, what do you feel it is that will continue to sustain you in this grueling industry?

Just staying active and understanding that the industry changes every so many years. A lot of artists don’t like to change with the times and they are still stuck in the boom-bap era. That’s why it was important for me to make the Crack Rock series .

Do you have any other outside / additional future aspirations, maybe even completely away from entertainment?

Yes and no. I want to put more time into my clothing brand, American Dopeboy, and I also have a strong calling for managing artists; I don’t know, it’s just in me I guess, because I know the artists’ struggle.

To date, what has been your biggest career moment(s), at least thus far anyway?

Having a single on FM Radio, “Like The Westside,” featuring Jake and Papa. At its height, we were on 35 stations in 35 markets around the country. I was able to tour and just see the difference between home and the rest of the country. It was probably the best time in my life as far as my career is concerned.

Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?

Having a successful run as a manager with a young artist that can take ITSDA1ST Music Group further, and just being able to give people opportunities.

As for the immediate, what’s next for Annimeanz?

I’m working on the second Spanish Fly project with the rest of the group, Ese Daz, Johnny D and MoC. MoC also has a one album deal with ITSDA1ST, with an option to continue after the first one. He’s a dope talent, so I’m looking forward to seeing where that goes. A group project with Big Sick Nasty, and my last installment to the Cudahy Dopeboy series which is Cudahy Dopeboy 3.

Any “closing” thought(s) for our readers?.

Man, shout out to the whole ITSDA1ST camp: Andrew John and my muthafuck’n brother, Big Sick Nasty. Shout out to the whole Spanish Fly clique; Johnny D, Daz and MoC. Love y’all, man, y’all definitely inspire me. Big up to Tim Sanchez, my partner in this journey. We have had our ups and downs, but true friends always come back together so I know what we have is real. My mom, she keeps me grounded and humble and always reminds me that without my Lord and Savior nothing is possible. My cousin, DJ Lous, without him I might have never taken this journey. I will always love him for that. My two sons, LatinbeastTV, Glasses Malone for motivating and teaching me how to survive in this game and, last but not least, the Lord Jesus Christ!