Words by Leland Bonner (@lelandbfresh)
If you’ve been keeping up with the emerging Chicago rap scene as of late, I’m sure you’ve noticed that there is a pool of undiscovered talent that’s just waiting for their turn. It seems like everybody’s clicking up and urging listeners to get down with the movement that’s brewing.
Enter Tris J., the 24 year old Toothpick Clique rapper who seemingly emerged out of nowhere with his successful debut Tris World. Critics and listeners alike agree that The Tris Man is definitely someone to look out for in 2012, especially considering the TPC empire surrounding him. His upcoming tour with Mac Miller and Sir Michael Rocks, and his new project, Just A Taste, that’s due out in March.
We caught up with Tris to discuss his newfound success, The Toothpick Clique, and what’s next for the up-and-coming rapper.
FSD: What sparked your interest in pursing a career in music?
Tris J. : Mikey heard me rap and told me it sounded good and was like “Man you should try rapping” and I was like “Aight, imma give it a try.” That’s as simple as it gets.
FSD: How long ago was this?
Tris J. : 8 months ago
FSD: Wow. Seems like your moving pretty fast. How’d you get introduced to Mikey?
Tris J. : We actually grew up together so I’ve known him for forever. He was always doing his own thing and I was always into some other shit. It’s kinda like I’ve lived the life where I came up with all the material for my raps already. While he was out there rapping and doing his thing I was out there being a knucklehead. When I linked up with him he was like “Aw man, you could do this shit too.” I really been tryna following bro’s steps on it and really pay attention to everything he says. So if you think I’m successful, then this is all from following his plan and listening to direction.
FSD: So what were you doing before you started rapping?
Tris J. : (Laughs) I was coming up wit my material.
FSD: (Laughs) Living. We’ll just keep it at that.
Tris J. : Yeah yeah yeah, living. Let’s go with that.
FSD: Do you think as you continue to grow as an artist you’ll eventually stray away from Mikey and the TPC mantra?
Tris J. : I probably woudn’t say it like that. If tomorrow me and him wasn’t cool I wouldn’t even wanna rap. That’s how deep it gets. If he ain’t rapping no more or we ain’t cool then I’m like “I don’t wanna do this no more, imma go do some other shit.” I know I’m gonna be successful at whatever it is.
I feel like with the rap tip, we on some Wu-Tang type shit. Everybody’s there own person, but everybody in Wu-Tang can go platinum. It’s kinda like training me to get to a higher level and then be able to go out there and be able to hold my own.
FSD: What do you think separates you as an artist?
Tris J.: I don’t feel like nobody’s swerving in my lane right now man. One thing I been working on lately with all my raps is my delivery as far as my voice control. You ain’t never heard this voice out there and you definitely ain’t saying what I’m saying. I’m a fool wit it.
FSD: How would you describe your sound?
Tris J. : Modern playa. Exactly what it is. Take all that ol’ school shit, that Snoop, that Too Short, Master P. Take all that and mix it with Nas and now we fuckin the game up. Like how could you be 24 and still have the same smooth, old soul of the oldest pimp on the block? But still at the same time you hip to everything that’s going on today. So that’s really what I strive for, just to be able to touch all aspects. I wanna be able to rock with my old man’s people to my people to the shorty’s people. I feel like I’m diverse enough to do all that.
FSD: There have been some critics as of late comparing your flow, tone of voice and delivery to that of GLC. How do you feel about that?
Tris J. : Man, that’s the big homie. That’s love man. That’s an honor right there. To compare me to anybody in the game right now I’m like “Cool, cool you checking for me, you hear me.”
FSD: Who are some Chicago rappers that you listen to right now?
Tris J. : I’m fuckin wit Chief Keef, King Louie, YP, Rockie. My inner circle of rapper friends is crazy so I’m really fuckin wit everybody.
FSD: How do you feel about the current state of Hip-Hop?
Tris J. : Everybody just waiting on us. That’s what I feel like man, they really just waiting on what’s about to happen. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a lot of younger cats out here taking over, so I feel like we’re the OG’s to the younger cats. So if we’re who they look up to they just waiting on us to start rollin and give em something else to do.
FSD: Speaking of OG’s, who are some of the older artists who influenced you to start rapping?
Tris J. : My favorite rapper is Too Short. My second favorite is Snoop Dogg. Eminem was like the coldest thing in the world to me for like forever. I really like their style and they kinda helped me make up my style. I fucks wit E-40 because I like the crazy shit he be doing with his voice. I try to do a lil bit of the crazy shit with the voice, turn it up or turn it down. Big Daddy Kane was also one of the older cats who I looked up too.
FSD: How’d the Toothpick Clique come about?
Tris J. : We just kinda always been boys and I’ve known all these guys for years. Jay-Z had said it in one of his rhymes where he was like “But hustle hard in any hustle that you pick/ skinny nigga toothpick” and then Mikey had used it and made a song where he was like “Now I’m on some new shit, skinny nigga toothpick” and outta nowhere we was sittin there vibin’ one day in the studio and was like “Aight, lets put that together and make that the mob right there” and then that was the birth of the Toothpick Clique or TPC.
FSD: So is TPC just a collection of rappers or is there more involved?
Tris J.: It’s not just a collection of rappers; it’s definitely like a council of artists. At the same time though we’ve got our best buds, the people who help us run our TPC apparel line, the people who promote the parties, our street team, and every aspect that you need a team to be in order to get to the next level. It has so many members I can’t even begin to name em.
FSD: As far as the musical aspect of TPC, who’s directly involved as of now?
Tris J. : We got myself, Mikey, Tennille, Shorty K, Boldy James, Scrap, Cardo, Billionaire Boyscout, and we’re gonna introduce Chicago Larry in a minute.
FSD: What would you say TPC represents?
Tris J. : Basically, just some cats that’s been together they whole life that’s just bossing up. When we bossing up we gotta be living that Toothpick lifestyle. “Order the surf and turf, pick the lobster out ya teeth” as I like to say. That’s what it is man.
FSD: Any plans on adding additional members to the crew?
Tris J. : It’s more of a lifestyle man, it ain’t like I’m just gonna be adding people. It’s for people to see and wanna be apart of this Toothpick type lifestyle. It’s not just about skinny niggas, you gotta really be like on some boss type shit. I wanna fuck with the hottest artists and the hottest of everybody. I wanna make it a movement.
FSD: From the looks of it, you all are really big into fashion. Do you all look to separate yourselves based on that?
Tris J. : I mean we feel like we’re already separated now because I always felt like everybody was checking for what we had on anyway and that was setting trends. That’s something we’re gonna always be able to stay ahead of everybody else on.
Truth be told man, I remember it was back in 2006 and Mikey pulled out like six dressers full of snapbacks and I was like “What the fuck is this?!” and he was like “Man this bout to be the newest trend” and then a few years later snapbacks was like the biggest thing ever, but it fell to the waste side that he was rocking em first. Now we’re gonna get to that level where we’re so big that we’ll always be setting trends and people take notice.
FSD: With Tris World being your debut to the rap game, how do you feel about the rave reviews it’s been getting?
Tris J.: For me to not even try that hard on that one, that’s the best news and reviews I coulda got. Like I was expecting nothing and got everything. So many opportunities came from that, so it’s all new to me and I’m loving everyday of it.
FSD: I’ve heard that you were making a lot of back and forth trips out to L.A. with Mikey. What were you all doing out there?
Tris J. : I had went out there with him to get some of the work done on his upcoming tape that he’s dropping and work in some of the bigger studios they got out there.
FSD: Who did you have a chance to link up with while out in L.A.?
Tris J.: Man, I met up with Mac (Miller), Casey (Veggies), Chuck Inglish, Asher (Roth), Chip (Da Ripper). I really just got the chance to link up with a lot of the guys that’s out there doing their thing and it really just gave us a chance to look at life from a different viewpoint and get away from Chicago for a minute.
It felt good to just be in a different environment and create some music from a different mindset and get to experience a different aspect of living. It was a fun trip and we got some new material too.
FSD: I’ve also heard that you’ve been in the studio with Cardo a lot lately. Anything we can expect to hear from that?
Tris J. : Actually, me and Cardo got a whole tape coming out man, just me and him. So we’ve been putting that together and that should drop right after Just A Taste. So just be expecting nine undeniable hits from just me and him.
FSD: Any other producers that you’ve been closely working with?
Tris J. : I just started working with Billionaire Boy Scout (best known for his smash hit “Choppa Choppa Down” with French Montana) more often. I only had one track from him on “Tris World”, but I got like five tracks from him on the next project. I also been working with a local cat by the name of J. Hill, who produces for King Louie and a couple other cats. He’s a shorty man, only 18, but he’s got the gift so I been working with him and we been getting right up in the booth too. But for the most part just Cardo, Boyscout, Sheefy McFly, and a few others. Just jams upon jams.
FSD: Are any other TPC members going to be featured on the new projects?
Tris J. : Yeah, I got Tennille on a few hooks and a few surprises in store too.
FSD: With you being so close to Mikey, why haven’t we heard any collabs between you and Chuck Inglish?
Tris J. : It’s a lengthy process right there man. He’s got a lot of stuff going on, but once I get in on his schedule that’s gonna be the beauty of everything right there. I can’ t wait to do a track with him man. It’s cool because I got that guy on my team so I just gotta wait for the opportunity to get something going. I’m definitely looking forward to that.
FSD: Is it fair to say that 2012 will be the most influential to you as an artist?
Tris J. : Yeah man, I’m in the studio four to five days outta the week so I been busy making some of the best music I ever made. I been rocking wit Fake Shore for a while so it feels good to be on the other side and actually be on the site instead of being on the outside looking in.
Great interview!