Dude Reppin Knowhere Talks ‘MOMA’ Ft. Ace Marcano

You didn’t know it, but you’ve been looking for these vibes your entire life. Rapper, poet, and anything-you-think-he-can’t-be, Dude Reppin Knowhere is just on another level. And he’s calling you in. Let’s get a sense of the scene: ten years ago on the Lower East Side, he blasts off such energy at an otherwise tame poetry house that the stage is swarmed and the sound system blows out. Maybe they chased him out of town. Maybe he followed divine signals. But after criss-crossing the nation, the savant adopted Burlington, Vermont as a temporary home base. There he flips cars, draws, paints, and muses in the bustling local scene until another surge sends him into his ever-expanding adventures through space, time, and mind. Sometimes an emcee, sometimes a yoga teacher. Always a creature/creator in creation. Now exhale. After releasing a few sunny psychedelic EPs, the Dude’s making his next move with the nine-track, cushy-vibed, full-length album entitled MOMA. Read on down to see what that means.

Nice, you made it. So, “MOMA” – or, More Organic More Authentic. Yes indeed, it’s Dude Reppin Knowhere’s new single and soon to be the titular track of his pending album. But it’s also, as the dude himself says, “a movement. If I were to get behind a movement, yeah, it’d be this.” The song itself is a shining example of what that means. After tinkering together the catchy retro beat and hook at the heart of the song, producer Ace Marcano just threw “MOMA” down as a temporary title for the track. Then, after hiking Vermont’s highest peak together, the acronym fleshed itself out into our main man’s noggin organically. And a bit later, they decided to nail down the entire song and video in a single day – for authenticity’s sake.

What resulted was a tasty, funky window into a mind and life lived “MOMA.” The song calls listeners to “Pay respect to the Earth / Because the Earth is dope.” The music video (again: shot in a single day) also opens us to the world of Dude Reppin Knowhere. Shot-by-shot, we get an earthy and aerial tour of Burlington through the eyes of the artist: backyard beat-making, mountain-climbing, and donuts in muscle cars – it can’t get much better. Pop on the song or daze out on the video to start steering your life towards “MOMA.”

“MoMA” has a sick retro sound! Where do you draw inspiration from during the production process?

Thank you! I’m glad you picked up on the funky retro groove. Ace and I draw inspiration from every era of musical soundscape, and MOMA started with a funky sample sounding like 70s funk. Inspiration comes from all over- it can be a thought, a conversation, sounds in nature, activities…

There are various entertaining scenes & locations in the “MoMA” music video. What is your favorite scene from the video shoot, and why?

My favorite scene is the abandoned bridge over the highway. I went out to scout locations in my neighborhood and got back to my house saying “guys, let’s go.” I had a basic vision and we executed it better than I imagined. We brought the big screen, the Jackery power pack, my Coleman burner, and some blue lotus tea in a pot and just set it all up pumped the beat, and jammed out.

What was it like working with producer Ace Marcano?

Ace and I are used to entering magical realms of flow and seamless original creation together. He is more like a brother at this point- we’ve made a lot of music over the years and been through many experiences together. At this point we have so much to draw from that the process is like an open flood gate. Though this time around I did notice that the longer we hung out (later songs in the album) even more magic and alignment would be present in the sessions. And our subject matter became deeper as well.

“Pay respect to the Earth/ Because the Earth is dope” are some of the impactful lyrics off of “MoMA.” What was your intention when creating the song?

My intention is to promote a process of creation that is both organic and authentic. There is so much fabrication in the branding and visual content in the music industry and that doesn’t resonate with my brand and style. And that Earth line is one of my many personal beliefs that I like to weave into the rest of the song so I’m not just out here preaching or giving off that kind of vibe.

Can you share any upcoming projects that Dude Reppin Knowhere has in store?

Yes. Following ‘MOMA’ the album I will be releasing a self produced album. There are production and vocal features but I am ‘at the sticks’ or at the helm of the artistic direction of each track. My process and therefor my sound is moving into a more boundless and experimental space.

Follow Dude Reppin Knowhere:

https://www.facebook.com/Knowhere-259175874942903/
https://www.instagram.com/dudereppinknowhere/

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Tags: Ace Marcano, Conversations, Dude Reppin Knowhere, Interview

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.