Teflon: In The Zone
Now let’s hop right into this latest single, “It Is What It Is,” feat. M.O.P’s Fame — Tell me about this particular track; how did it come to fruition?
This song is very dear to me because this was the very first song that Jazi Moto and I recorded…and as it turns out, it was the first of many to come. This was “tying the knot” on what would later become 420 Music.
“It Is What It Is” comes courtesy of your forthcoming solo LP, 2 Sides to Every Story — Conceptually, what does this title represent both to and for you?
2 Sides to Every Story illustrates two very different producers, both with their very own unique styles.
For it, you enlisted both an up and coming producer, Jazi Moto, as well as the legendary DJ Premier to split production duties — What prompted this decision?
Jazi Moto brings a more musical and diverse style to the table. Her concepts and ability to turn them into full blown compositions astonishes me; she’s a true complete producer. DJ Premier, as everyone knows, is also a brilliant producer. His experience, expertise and ear for music is remarkable. He has a way of putting this knock into his mixes that just makes his tracks stand out. When Preme heard the music we had started working on, he offered to mix a song. I believe it was “No Fake Love,” which wound up becoming the first single we released. After which we decided to go full steam ahead with a full project with 1/2 of the songs on the album being produced by DJ Premier, and the other half being produced by Jazi Moto. Preme is also a fan of good music, so he’ll listen to a record and know exactly what it needs to bring out the best in it, sonically.
Who exactly is Jazi Moto?
Jazi Moto is a classically trained musician, and has grown up in a musical atmosphere since childhood. Her father and uncle were both Jazz musicians who, after seeing her affection for music and her desire to learn, began to groom her, teaching her how to compose and conduct musical arrangements. Her creativity led her into Hip Hop, where she started making beats, using her knowledge or music theory, to create a style that is very much her own. Very diverse, but signature! 420 Music is a production company and home of the world’s 1st Female “Super”Producer, Jazi Moto, whose primary goal is to become a one stop shop supplying music for Hip Hop / R&B and Pop artists, as well as television / film placement movie scoring, gaming, etcetera.
2 Sides to Every Story is a 420 Music project — What are your future plans and / or goals for the imprint? And, who all else, besides yourself of course, currently makes up its artist roster?
Anywhere that music is needed, we want to become a viable resource to be reckoned with. We do intend to branch off into other areas, such as fashion and sponsorships. As of right now, 420 Music is only comprised of myself and Jazi Moto…but we do intend to expand our talent roster down the line.
As an emcee, when you sit down to pen your rhymes where do you draw your inspiration from?
The music! That’s what moves me primarily…I haven’t written any rhymes in years now, it’s just in my head and when I hear music that moves me, the words just come together.
Reflecting, tell me your whole inception into music — When did you first become interested in it? And, how did it all begin for Teflon?
And since you’re a native of Brooklyn, New York, growing up in “The Borough of Trees,” who all did / do you consider to be your strongest musical influences?
Well, I was first inspired when I was a young kid when they used to throw the Jams In the parks; block parties where guys would have their DJ equipment set up with mics. We would get on the mic and take turns rhyming. But my inception into the game came from my home-team, M.O.P.. As far as musical influences, there were a lot, but Rakim, Run-DMC and Kane were amongst my favorites. But like I said, there were many more.
In having said that, how do you classify your overall sound and / or style?
And, where does your moniker, Teflon, originally derive from?
Hmm…that’s a good question…my previous stuff was more hardcore and gutter, linked only to the streets.. Now I have evolved into a more rounded artist, with more worldly views. You know, on some grown man shit. That’s what I love about 420 Music, it’s more multidimensional, and allows me to go out the box without losing who I am. Kinda like the saying, you can take the man out of Brooklyn, but you can’t take Brooklyn out the man. Now I like to think of the music as the canvas for me to draw out this marvelous portrait using my voice and wordplay to illustrate a picture. That was a name given to me by my older brother, Erik, who has since passed on.
What particular string of events actually led to your initial linking up with Billy Danze and Lil’ Fame [M.O.P.], and later inking with Relativity?
Well, we all grew up together; those were my peeps way before music even came into the picture. I was away when the first LP, To the Death, was recorded, but when I came home they made sure they made a spot for me on the second LP, Firing Squad, and from there Laze (E Laze) was able to broker a solo deal for me over at Relativity where M.O.P. was in the process of signing to at the time.
If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Well right now, I’m a say Lil Wayne because I just got a track from Jaz that I know we can make into a killa song; already got the concept, Lol. Besides, ole boy could spit!
If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
Coachella, because that’s where all the biggest artists perform, and where 420 Music would probably have the biggest light shined on us to let the world know what we bring to the table talent wise.
On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of Hip Hop?
I’ll be truthful, I’ve been so wrapped up with building up 420, and our catalog is thick, that I haven’t had time to listen to anyone else’s music. The zone we’ve been in is so crazy, that it’s just been a continuous string of bangers being made…and when your chemistry is crazy like that, you’re focused, so you don’t have time to pay attention to anything else. I will say this though, anybody not happy with the state of Hip Hop is in a state of disarray and needs to come fuck with 420 Music, Lol! We got that!!
What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?
I think that being experienced, not just in music but in real life scenarios, gives me a wide array of subject matter to dive into. And, having the ability to use the wordplay to create a picture makes it easy for me to breathe life into any given scenario, vividly.
Do you have any other outside / additional (future) aspirations, maybe even completely away from music?
Well, 420 music does plan on moving into fashion, film, merchandising, accessories for the ladies. Jazi’s most passionate goal is to get into scoring movies, which she’ll be great at, and music conduction, both of which are where her true roots are. In the interim, we’ll just continue to make beautiful music, build our brand and see what the future has in store for us.
To date, what has been your biggest career moment(s), at least thus far anyway?
I think that to date my biggest career moment is finally releasing this upcoming LP under my own imprint because it allows me to be in control of when and what I release, and it also allows me to show my versatility and to introduce Jazi Moto, who is bringing a whole new sound of music into the game.
What’s an average day like for you?
My average day starts with me getting up, working out, training my clients…then hitting my computer to catch up on emails, deal with social media, make business calls…and then hit the studio. Pretty boring stuff right now, Lol! But all necessary work. It’s hard work building a company from the ground up, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans…
Well, getting acquainted with the logistics of running a company and still dealing with everyday bills and such hasn’t allowed me much time to interact with fans, and I know that I need to be more proactive in that regard. But I do occasionally reach out and thank fans for their support.
What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
My favorite part is the creative process because it’s organic, be it in the studio or wherever I’m at, when it’s me and the music I’m in my happy place. My worst part is having to deal with the politics of it all; it can be draining…and nowadays everything is on the internet, so it’s very impersonal; so many scams. And the payout on these streaming platforms are horrific.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
As far as following in my footsteps, I would say surround yourself with a solid team that shares your passion and understands that this is a business, not just music.
Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you all see yourself?
In 5 to 10 years, I see myself running several successful businesses; both associated and not associated with the music business. Real Estate, for instance, is something that I’ve had my eyes on.
As for the immediate, what’s next for Teflon?
Well, 2 Sides to Every Story will be available everywhere on June 30th, the single, “It Is What It Is” is out now, along with digital pre-order…and Jaz and I are currently wrapping up our follow up album, Higher Ground, release date TBA.
Is there anything I left out or just plain forgot to mention?
Lookout for Jazi Moto, the 1st Female “Super” Producer, and 420 Music coming at y’all soon…and thanks in advance for the love and support!
Any “parting” words for our readers?
Salute! And thanks again for everything, and feel free to check us out on IG:
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