Romey Chicago based artist Romey has been topping the Billboard charts for a minute now with his new single “Don’t Behave”. As he drops his new mixtape “I Am King”, Romey is ready to make a major imprint in the music scene with his new label Get Rich Records. Check out this exclusive interview from Romey as he talks about his new roster, opening for Kanye, Ludacris, and Lil Wayne, and his appearances in the Source Magazine.
WHO?MAG: What defines the Romey sound? Romey: I think what defines my sound is my life in general. I really feel that the music that I make is really true to me. I feel the life that I live and the music I make are one in the same, so when I go in, I’m giving my peoples and my fans all that’s me.
WHO?MAG: Tell me about the single “Don’t Behave”. Romey: I first want to give a shout out to my in-house producer Unit 7 who actually produced that track. Well I actually sat on that track for about a year and a half and I knew that track was a hit, but I didn’t have the right lyrics to go with it yet, so I sent it to my man J Stills and he made an infectious hook where I was able to add on to the breakdown and finish up the song, basically, making the process an alley-oop . And it’s been on the Billboard charts for over 8 weeks.
WHO?MAG: What can we expect from your mixtape “I Am King”? Romey: I feel the title is self explanatory. I just feel in my area in the mixtape and underground circuit, I really feel that I am the best. And I feel that song after song, bar after bar, hook after hook, I feel this street album solidifies it. I really feel this project will show everybody what I can really do.
WHO?MAG: How does it feel to have your single “Don’t Behave” peak at number 3 on the Billboard charts? Romey: It’s a humbling experience. Imagine being an artist out of Chicago and having Billboard calling your phone and giving you the third degree about your record to see if the artist Romey really exists and if the record label is a real label. Then, at the very end of the phone call, they tell you your track debuted on the billboard charts.
WHO?MAG: To be the first rapper to be in The Source four times in four different columns, that speaks a lot about you. What do you think brought you there? Romey: I just think it all goes back to the question of what defines your music, because who you meet, listen to in the music, or talk to in the interview are all one in the same. They’ve seen me grinding from the start from what I was in the beginning to what I’ve become today. I believe they respect the grind. Overall, I believe that everything that has happened is a blessing.
WHO?MAG: How was it like opening up for artist like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Ludacris to name a few? Romey: It’s a learning process because I got to sit back and study these great performers like Kanye and Wayne who go in whole heartedly and they leave their hearts on the stage. They leave their heart on the stage so it’ll leave a last impressing on the fans, so when I see that, I like to incorporate those qualities into myself.
WHO?MAG: Did growing up in the streets of Chicago shape your sound? Romey: Oh yeah, because Chicago has a lot of soul. We can go back to Bobby Womack, Mimi Ripperton, Willie Hutch, and Buddy Guy. We got a lot of influences that aren’t hip hop that helped shaped my sound. What really describes me in a nutshell is the first verse of my track I put down everything that’s on my “I Am King” album. So if you really want to feel who I am, make sure you listen to that track.
WHO?MAG: Chicago has been known for the city that brews conscious rap. Do you feel you will follow in the same path? Romey: No, I will not because my style is very diverse because we may have the Common’s, the Kanye’s, the Lupe’s, well now need the Romey’s. Now I am influenced by them, but I’m going to make my own impact in my own way.
WHO?MAG: Tell me about Get Rich Records. Romey: Well, what people need to know about Get Rich Records is that it’s a mid-west based record label I started back in 1999. I have 5 artists that include myself on the label starting with my in house producer/artist Unit 7. Then B-eeze is another one of my artist out of Madison, Wisconsin, Big 10 who is based out of Chicago, Then my country/pop vocal artist Tina Chamberlin who is based out of Wisconsin and is out in school at Berkley. And last but not least my artist called WGR which is a group called We Get Rich.
WHO?MAG: What’s next for Romey? Romey: I have been on the “I Am King” tour. We’ve been to Miami, Orlando, Green Bay, Ft. Lauderdale, and Iowa. We were just in Philly. Shout outs to my man Tone Trump for holding me down. And I also want give a shout out to my man J Hatch for getting everything set up. But honestly, mainly keeping on the grind, not taking anything for granted, staying humble, and like Biggie said, treating every song and everything I do as my first time. Also to all the WHO?MAG fans, they can get in touch with me all over at www.iamromey.com, www.myspace.com/getrichrecords, www.youtube.com/romeytv, www.twitter.com/romeymdwestking.
