With artists like Schoolboy Q, Nipsey Hussle, and Kendrick Lamar currently killing the game, West Coast hip-hop is on a serious upswing. One West Coast hip-hop staple whose name should never be forgotten is rapper, producer, and overall musical genius is Terrace Martin. Terrace is an accomplished musician who plays the sax and piano and has crafted beat for hip-hop legends like Talib Kweli, Warren G, Kendrick Lamar, Kurupt, and the king of the West himself, Snoop Dogg. Heavily influenced by Jazz legends like Miles Davis, Terrace always brings a unique quality to his music and is always able to separate himself from the multitude of hip-hop producers present in the game. Mens Mag Daily was able to catch up with Terrace to discuss the similarities between jazz and hip-hop, why his fans are so drawn to his music, and how he feels about the current state of West Coast hip-hop.
Mens Mag Daily: Alright Terrace, you’re a very musically inclined guy, you play instruments. You played the sax. Do you feel like you bring that musical knowledge to the hip-hop music you make?
Terrace Martin: Yeah, absolutely, it’s all one thing to me. When you play instruments you’re bringing a live element to hip-hop so that’s hot, you know what I’m sayin’?
Mens Mag Daily: I know you grew up playing a lot of jazz. Do you see a lot of similarities between jazz and hip-hop?
Terrace Martin: Definitely man, I’ll say it again, it’s all the same. Hip-hop is the new Bebop. It’s like a tradeoff. A guy like Snoop Dogg would be like Miles Davis. All it is, cats traded in their instruments for two turntables and a mixer. You know what I mean? Another reason why hip-hop exists is because they took the arts out of the schools. That’s why those two turntables and a mixer are so important to our culture. Everywhere else in the world from France and Italy, they still have the arts in the schools, everywhere except here in America. I think that’s an important that this situation gets handled.
Mens Mag Daily: When you’re getting ready to make a best, write a verse, lay a verse down, what’s your creative process like?
Terrace Martin: I like to draw from different places. I’m always drawing from a few who came before me. I’m always drawing from Teddy Riley when it comes to certain keyboards. I’ll draw from Rakim and Dr. Dre with the Chronic. My thing is I’m always drawing from the past because we’re all dealing with the same 12 notes, it’s just 12 notes that it. I like to sit down and really concentrate. I can’t be arguing with some girl on my phone so I really just cut my phone off. I don’t answer any texts because I just want it to be me and that music with no distractions.
Mens Mag Daily: You’ve been making music for a while, been hot for a while, what is it about your music that you think draws the fans to it?
Terrace Martin: I think people follow my music because it’s original. I don’t really follow trends, that’s not my thing. I don’t really get involved in what’s going on now; I just kind of take my own journey. I think they’re drawn to it because it’s real. I’m not talking about runnin’ around and killin’ people. It’s just honest shit, you know what I mean? A lot of people have these big records that so many kids are hearing and it might not be something they should be hearing. You definitely have to be careful of what you put out there and I’m conscious of that. Also, I think some artists might have a song that’s so big that they lose the artistry in it.
Mens Mag Daily: Absolutely, so it’s important for you to send out a certain message in your music?
Terrace Martin: It’s very important to me. Somebody said the other day it’s not our job to be a role model it’s like get the fuck outta here. I do this for a living. I’ve never had a day job. I don’t type on a typewriter. I make music for a living and when people put their heart and soul into music I definitely feel we have a responsibility to consider what we’re putting out there.
Mens Mag Daily: Do you feel that West Coast hip-hop, in the last few years, has kind of gone in a different direction?
Terrace Martin: I feel like we’ve been going in the same direction forever and everybody else is just now catching up. We definitely have artists that are tearing down those mainstream walls like Kendrick and YG. They’re reaching household we might not otherwise reach. But it’s still that same shit at the end of the day.
Mens Mag Daily: I look at West Coast hip-hop now and I see guys like YG, Nipsey, Game, Kendrick and I feel like they all have a particular place in hip-hop. What would you say is your place?
Terrace Martin: I don’t know what my place in hip-hop is because I don’t really think of it like that. I just try to follow in the footsteps of guys like Miles Davis and Quincy Jones. I want to let people know that it’s okay to do something different because I don’t want to limit myself in hip-hop. If you’re doing Black music then you should want to have a place within it in general. You shouldn’t just want to have a place in hip-hop. If you limit yourself to hip-hop then it’s just like, okay hip-hop. What does society think when we say hip-hop? It’s just rap with a turntable guy, right? Take A Tribe Called Quest for example, I look at them as kind of surpassing just being a hip-hop act. To me it’s bigger, it’s just music. I don’t have a place in hip-hop I just have a place in music. I don’t even want a place in hip-hop honestly. It’s a very small club. I listen to everything from Herbie Hancock to Willie Nelson so I just want a place in music, period.
Mens Mag Daily: You make your own beats. What are the benefits of being the guy who can make his own beats, lay down his own rhymes, and just puts everything together in general?
Terrace Martin: The main benefit is that I get to control all my creative shit. Also, when you have to go look for somebody to do something, it might not get handled the same way as if you do it yourself. And then if I do go to somebody else, I have the knowledge that I can have an opinion or feel that a change needs to be made and the dude I’m working with will respect that. I also don’t have to worry about samples. I could just get in the studio with some turkey taco and get to work. And I don’t fuck with everybody I work with but sometimes it’s good to have women around because women are very honest when it comes to music. If you see her bobbin’ her head then you know she’s feelin’ it. They’re gonna give an honest opinion and you gotta have those turkey tacos god, they’re good as fuck.
Mens Mag Daily: You’ve worked with Snoop a lot. What is it like working with such a legendary artist?
Terrace Martin: Man, I’ve worked with Snoop and he’s a huge influence on me. That’s my big bro right there. I can never get used to working with him. I remember being in the sixth or seventh grade and praying that I could work with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. I’ll never get used to it because I’m still a fan. I’ll be honest; I won’t even work with you if I’m not a fan. Another thing is that Snoop has so much information since he’s been doing this so long. He knows certain things to avoid like bad deals and stuff. You can learn a lot being around Snoop, he’s just an icon. He’s not your typical asshole artist. He’ll stop anywhere and take a picture with somebody. He’s a real cool cat man.
Mens Mag Daily: Alright, so Terrace, give us the rundown of things you have coming up. What should we be looking out for?
Terrace Martin: I’m not gonna sound like other rappers and be like I’m putting out this, and then I got this, and then I got a mixtape, and then I got my single. (Laughs) 3 ChrordFold Pulse is out now. I just finished working on some stuff for Kendrick but I’m not gonna say anything more than that because then I become like a rapper. (Laughs) My fans can reach out to me on my Twitter which is https://twitter.com/terracemartin.
Article By: Jon DaBove
