RESPECT. Interview: MadeInTYO Talks Being Inspired By Pharrell Growing Up, Fatherhood & Debut Album ‘Sincerely, Tokyo’

MadeInTYO has seen it all in the industry, as he experienced a high-level of success with his smash hit ‘Uber Everywhere’ in 2016. The track was then remixed by a few but most notably, Travis Scott. He went onto tour with Big Sean and also released five new projects since that time frame. As he continues his new journey being a father and rapper wrapped in one, he explains why this experience has changed his outlook on life. We go in-depth with him on a various of topics and we also got his opinion on the King Of R&B debate.

The super humble MadeInTYO talked about his life, debut album ‘Sincerely, Tokyo’ and the journey of being a new father. He says his plans remain that he will move back to Tokyo as long as he can find a way to also bring along his son one day. We get into that and much more as he talks about the time he recorded on his tour bus with ASAP Mob, which is how the track with him and ASAP Ferg titled, “Ned Flanders” came about. We also got in-depth on why Pharrell Williams was such an inspiration for him growing up as a kid. He also ditched on his desire to collaborate with M.I.A & Skateboard P in the future. We talked about some of his favorite tracks off the album and why this album is so special. The album comes with 14-tracks with features from artist like Gunna, Tinashe, 24hrs, Blood Orange & more. Production comes from K.Swisha, Ronny J, Bizness Boi and more.

Get to learn more about MadeInTYO from our interview with him below.

RESPECT.: Why is Sincerely, Tokyo’ Such a Special Album To You?

MadeInTYO: I feel like anything that I put out is special, anything that I work on and put time into is special. So, it’s another project to me like my first album. To my fans it’s another project. I feel like everything that I put out is special, like it’s my new s***.”

You Worked With 24hrs & ASAP Ferg On This Album, How Was it Working With Those Two?

Well, 24hrs is my real brother so it’s always fun working with him it’s easy and it’s natural. It’s normal, he’s like the first person I started doing music with. Ferg has always been a good guy ever since I met him. We did that record off my album on my last tour that had dates aligned with ASAP Mob’s tour. Just so happen we landed in the same city with our parked buses around each-other and I woke up to be on sirius radio recording like everybody from the Mob came on the bus and dropped verses on different songs. Ferg came in and that was actually his birthday too, so it was dope. Like I said Ferg is super humble, down to earth, super creative. Both of those guys are super dope and they make it easier to work with them.

Image Credit: Instagram

You Mentioned That Pharrell Was An Inspiration To You Growing Up, Explain Exactly Why He Was Such An Inspiration?

I think when it comes to style from wearing graphic tees, stripe polo shirts, trucker hats, wearing long socks, wearing dickies listening to ‘No doubt’ like all this rock music, hip-hop, skateboarding and all of that. He was somebody that did that and capitalized off that like very well and I feel like I related to that because of the things I was into. When you find somebody that’s older than you that’s out there doing it and making a living off it. You’re like damn these all the things that I like now and somebody made it normal like it could be a thing. Like you can make money off of this and you can have fun doing this and I just idolized him off being a cool being and talented, that’s what I feel like he embodied + being black also. I think all of that is about being comfortable being who you want to be.

I feel like that was the person that kinda pushed that like “hey I’m not like the typical n**** in here I’m different and not just saying I’m different.” You can just look at him and tell this guy is different and he will still be with the most ratchet person, you never knew what you would get. You could get Daft Punk or 2 Chainz. To all the way to having a band all of that was inspirational working with brands, collaborating with them, putting out clothes. All of that is dope to now even further to being a dad. Then we had a conversation just me & Pharrell and me being a fan before and ending up having a kid and then having a conversation besides music was cool. He’s a huge inspiration.

Could You See Yourself Moving Back To Tokyo?

Yeah, I just gotta make sure. Gotta figure out how to take my son with me all of that. That’s the only thing that’s holding me back. I gotta figure that out. But I’m definitely trying to get a spot there. Like sooner than later, that’s the thing.

How Has It Been Being A Father And What’s The Best Part About Raising Your Son?

Being a father is dope, it’s life-changing. It puts your mind in a whole another place like it’s unlocking a whole another chapter of life. To where it’s like me being 26, and not having a kid like most kids I grew up with at like 17 or 18. Being 26 and having a kid and being able to take care of him and this happens when my music is popping off. It kinda puts me in thinking all of this was suppose to happen. God was like “I’ll make sure your music go where it gotta go because you got this kid now and keep doing what you love to do.”

The best part about being a father is being able to take care of him. Doing something and knowing that I did that for him and he’s good. Knowing that this is my responsibility I think about a lot of things. Now I understand why parents call and check up on you, I can’t call my son just yet because he can’t pick up a phone but, I can only imagine when I do and how it would be like our conversation. That’s like wild for me to think that. Like he’s going to be able to call me one day and say wassup. It’s crazy to me. I’m just now starting to get the random “daddies” so it’s like we in the store or something and he said “daddy, daddy, daddy.” I’m just like “what, what, what” and I’m laughing in my head like this kid is funny. Like it’s crazy to me that I’m a whole dad. But I think the fact that my father has been in my life my whole life and still with my moms I gotta good representation and good outlook on life and that’s cool. I can take care of him so that’s even better. That’s the real thing you have a kid? Do you take care of your kid? Do you enjoy having a child?

Every experience that my son is having is because of me and I think that’s crazy and it’s so dope. Like my mindset is on something else I’m paying more attention to what I’m thinking about, it’s not just me that I’m thinking about. It’s just not me when I wake up and I can’t just wake up high as hell at like 3am, in the afternoon. Now I’m waking up and even when I’m not with him I could be overseas somewhere and wake up at like 6-7 LA time but be in Brazil thinking like how am I up right now or I’m just waiting up at a certain time. It’s a whole another ball game on top of that and being out of the house at 5 and headed to the airport and be gone for like 3 days and come back to LA and go back to Tokyo for like 3 days and then fly out in the morning and be in Tokyo for a day. And then go back to LA and be there. Now your son is getting dropped off and now it’s your turn. So it’s real you know what, but I’ma tell you I love having a little me. It’s really dope. I’m so excited for him, he’s my future.

Name One Artist In The Industry That You Would Like To Collaborate With?

M.I.A omg, she’s so fire. She’s creative, outspoken. I love my brown skin women all shades of women. My mother is brown. At the end of the day I love outspoken, independent especially of color and women that just say what they want to say. Regardless, if it’s a trend or whatever. That’s them and they embody that and it’s cool with not just women, but anybody. Speaking up for something that you love or really represent. She’s one of those people that sticks to that and she could be so mainstream if she wanted to, but she cooling and I love that.

I get excited when some of my fans tell me that I’m underrated and I tell them I love that s***. I love that because there was a time I wasn’t rated at all and now underrated I’m like “n***** is rating me it’s lit.” Like i’m blessed to even talk about it. So c’mon I’m excited, this is great. All the people that are playing my music are family. Like I said, I love M.I.A she stands out. Me & Pharrell got in the studio but we haven’t finished that’s another person that was on that list. He’s still somebody that I would like to work with. It’s really like M.I.A & Pharrell and It’s funny because they worked together. The industry is so small but it’s just a matter of time. They are all super humble people all of those people like, Ferg is super cool with Pharrell and my other homie is cool with M.I.A. Everybody’s creative and I’m just blessed to be in that circle of people to where it’s possible to create this music and have fun.

Do You Have a Favorite Track Off ‘Sincerely, Tokyo’?

I love anything I do with 24hrs, that’s my brother. That’s like a giving, like a cheat-code. I love the record with me and Tinashe. It’s the last song on the album. It’s a slow record. I was really like rapping on that one. I like “Margiela Problems”, “Figure It Out” ft Gunna and the one with Tinashe. The one with me and my brother is a giving. I love all the records but my solo record “Chucky Cheese” I love that record for me. My Atlanta type vibe me & Gunna. Me & Blood Orange if you like that wavy s***. If you in your feelings and you want to be on a smoking vibe or whatever put on “Savannah Sunset” with me and Tinashe. It’s just a mixture of my little playlist with some added people that I think is cool. It’s funny all of those are my favorite but “Ned Flanders” is my s*** with ASAP Ferg. I love all of them but my favorite would have to be with me & Tinashe.

How Excited Are You to Be Going on Tour?

I’m excited to go on tour because it’s a really lit time for that. People that came out before and we get to have new music and you get new fans. It’s like “hey, I’m in your city like boom I saw you last year like wassup” and we all like vibing that’s how I look at it with my fans, it be like a place we pull up and we met last year. We take pictures and have a good time, turn up then you come the next year, I’ll remember you. We take more pictures we do a new song and you vibing to it. Other than that it’s some fans that come to every show it’s new ones that come and it’s just dope to see the old ones come. You see them at other shows they consistent and they pop out whatever the case is. So the tour you see like your fan base and those people are like family.

It be like people you met before and it’s all good. Alot of fans be like ‘You remember me” they never know because some of these rappers be acting funny but not me. Whose not going to be lit and be happy when people come turn-up to your music? They came for you to party, you suppose to have fun on stage. That’s how I feel going on tour man it’s cool, it’s like meeting up with your friends. I appreciate compliments and I appreciate energy, it doesn’t matter how many people come to the show, it’s just dope running into people that love you and your music. I’m excited always to go on the road and meet new people. it’s just dope.

Image Credit: Instagram

Social media has been buzzing for the past few days on the, King Of R&B topic. Who’s The King Of R&B in your opinion?

R&B wise I really love Ty Dolla, new school that got an old school feel and still stays music I feel like Mac Miller’s last project was a super soulful project. He was on to something, that white boy got soul. I love when people come out and say that they’re the best I love when people do that. It’s like who are we to say that they’re not? Who are we to shoot anyone down? Let people feel like they’re Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, let everybody be they own star. Maybe that’s the thing that will manifest them into being that. That’s how I look at it.

I love all the R&B out now, if i’m in the car listening to something that’s making me want to feel like I need to be boo’d up, I like it. I love Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, I love Ty, 24hrs, Lloyd, Trey Songz, Swae Lee, Miguel, Brent Fiyaz, Anderson .Paak all of them. Jhene, Kehlani, Ella Mai, Justine Skye, Ari Lennox everybody can lowkey sing. I think everybody got talent. I think people sleep on Tinashe. I think she sounds amazing. Normani is fire. Khalid is fire, 6lack,Tory Lanez. PNB Rock and he’s a good father. Everybody needs that person in the industry to say that they’re that guy who wants it? I don’t think he thought what he said would go as far with him saying that. He put it out there and it made alot of people mad. I love it. He got some people mad so that mean they listening to you. Keep going, that’s all that is. If it wasn’t that serious or if he wasn’t that popping nobody would speak on it. Who would care to come at somebody by saying ‘You Not The King’ if he wasn’t somebody? If people have an input then bro got something going on. R&B is in a good state some people are doing some good music.

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