RESPECT. Interview: Detroit’s Own Supakaine Talks New Project ‘Scholastica Park,’ Working With Chuck Inglish, Detroit Being Next Up & More

In 2015, Detroit rapper Supakaine dropped a great project in the form of Ghetto America, and then fell away from the spotlight for a little while. Since he’s been gone, he’s watched Detroit turn into a hotbed of music, and soon he’ll be back to join the festivities. He’s currently readying his new project Scholastica Park, which is set to drop around the fall. All the singles he’s dropped have been stellar; just listen to “Dear” and I’m sure you’ll keep it on repeat.

RESPECT. was able to sit down with him and discuss the new project, who’s producing and featuring on it, whats up next for Detroit and a lot more. Enjoy it below.

RESPECT.: Why so much time between Ghetto America and Scholastica Park?

Supakaine: Basically, cause I was tryna hone in and make it sound like me. When people hear the music, I want them to hear it and identify with me.

RESPECT.: What makes the two albums different from each other?

Supakaine: Scholastica Park, this s**t got like a lot of live instrumentation on it. It’s real hip-hop, the content the same, I’m telling another story but other than that..

RESPECT.: What producers you got on it?

Supakaine: DaG, of course. W$ Kharri. Icepic and RJ from Slum Village.

RESPECT.: Out of those producers who’s your favorite to work with?

Supakaine: It gotta be the dudes I just named, but fasho DaG and Icepic, we just got that chemistry.

RESPECT.: What artist do you think influenced you in your music right now?

Supakaine: The past couple years it gotta be Nipsey. Not even so much the music but just how he move. I wanna get my s**t like that, real boss s**t, owning everything. The way he set his whole brand up inspires me.

RESPECT.: With so much buzz coming from Detroit, where do you see Detroit going and who are some of your favorite artists?

Supakaine: I think Detroit about to have one of them surges like how it was with Chicago and Chief Keef and all them. They was getting deals. LA done had they time, Atlanta have had theirs, I think it’s Detroit’s turn. Everybody about to be getting on. Payroll, he my favorite artist in the D. Babyface Ray. Chav (Chavis Chandler) too. I just was on the phone with him yesterday, I told him how he inspired me to go down this lane. He been on the soulful route.

RESPECT.: So, what Detroit artists do you got on there?

Supakaine: I got Payroll, I’m bouta drop a single with him and Guilty Simpson. Guilty came up like in the last decade like with Dilla and s**t. I got Chuck Inglish obviously. I got a record with Slum Village. I got a record with Ye Ali we might be putting on there, and that’s all I can giveaway right now. Working on a few bigger ones too.

RESPECT.: What was it like working with Chuck Inglish?

Supakaine: It was crazy because I used to listen to them n***as in middle and high school. Cool kids was on my iPod every day. So, we was in LA, I met him through Earlly Mac. He was just showing me mad love; it was crazy cause this was a n***a I looked up too. It’s dope having him on a record with me hearing his voice next to mine.

RESPECT.: If you had to describe your sound as something to anyone who never heard it what would you describe it as?

Supakaine: With this new album, it’s Hip-Hop, it’s gritty, grimy, lot of emotions in the records, stories that everybody can relate too. And basically, s**t that everybody been through, and that’s what I was focusing on with this project. Trying to make everybody relate to it, everybody ain’t got 100 racks. A lot of these n***s be talking and don’t got what they say they got.

RESPECT.: What steps did you take on the album to make it more relatable?

Supakaine: Really allowing myself to go back in time, and put myself back in them situations, and getting out how I felt in these situations. Expressing how I was feeling and what I want to say. Before, I don’t think I was doing the best I could.

RESPECT.: I know you had ran into a few problems with the police so what was your personal experiences with them growing up?

Supakaine: Man. The police in the D, from my encounters, they not even really like the police. It’s kinda just like you in a situation with a n***a you know supposed to listen to. Them n***s just do whatever. I done been pulled over, had a pint of lean, quarter of weed, all type of s**t. They a just take all that s**t. Impound the whip, and not give you a ticket or nothing. They just want some bread, they hungry just like the n***s in the street.

RESPECT.: Why the name Scholastica Park?

Supakaine: Right over there off Outer Drive, 6 mile Southfield area, that’s where I grew up. It’s like a church, like a catholic school. And that’s what it’s called. St. Vincent, St. Scholastica and It’s a park right at the end of my street on Ashton. All the kids used to be up there, so it’s really just setting the environment. It’s like the setting of a movie or a play or something like that.

RESPECT.: Are you going do a tour anythime soon?

Supakaine: Yeah I can’t talk about how with who right now, but we definitely got a run for the end of the year we tryna get together. That’s when I’m dropping the project, like end of August-Septemberish so we in talks right now trying to put that together.

Respect.: What impact does your team have on your career?

Supakaine: A lot of people be having managers, but they not really involved. But Joe different he be in the studio with me. Running the streets together. Couple years ago we a scramble up our last, fly to New York both in the streets just talking to whoever we know. And outside of music, I think that’s the most impactful. I can get the music done with the creative guys but this n***a Joe we really just growing as men together, and n***s really need that in this industry. Icepic too, producer, engineering all my stuff, we been working for years. Just stay tuned.