Houston rapper Rob G talks about focus, Family and Responsibility...
Okay North Texas, the name Rob G, isn’t well known, but you heard of this Houston rapper on the track ‘Latinos Stand Up”. YEEAAA, that Rob G! He is also signed to Latium Entertainment along with Chamillionaire, Play N Skillz, Baby Bash, Natalie and of course Frankie J and judging from the people he is surrounded with, Rob G is gonna be a house hold name by the end of the year after he drops his first solo project entitled, “My Life, My Thoughts, My Music”. I first introduced you to Rob G, when I covered the “Latinos Stand Up” video shoot here in Dallas, last summer. He first hooked up with Play N Skillz at a recording studio where he witness their skillz (no pun intended) as they did a track from scratch. And then they put together “Latinos Stand Up”, which is still an anthem for Latinos from Cali to Miami. I recently bumped in to Rob G and we sat down for an in depth, 20/20, Insider, Montel Williams, Oprah, type interview…And away we go!
Synbad:When did you decide that you were gonna be a rapper?
Rob G: Truthfully, I’ve been rapping since back like in middle school, busting freestyles but I never took it serious cuz I just didn't see it as possible for some reason. But I always had a natural gift with rhyming, ya know, back in middle school I was like the only Latin kid spitting. Then in high school I would do the same, ya know just freestyle & stuff. And then, like right after high school, I was in limbo cuz I wasn’t much of the school type so college wasn’t a plan of mine. So, I started getting in the lab with a homie of mine, he always told me, "Man, Rob you need to write cuz you go hard, you should think bout doing this rap thang." He and I still do business till this day! So then I started really writing verses and just fell in love with the concept of making records and expressing myself through rhymes and it was a wrap! Then folks would hear me bust and be like "Damn, u nice for real!!" and back then there weren’t a lot of Latinos rapping, at least not on the lyrical tip down south, so people responded to what I was doing and I saw the passion I had developed for the art and it made me say, "Ok, this is what I’m suppose to do, this is what I’m good at and this is what I like”. So it was on after that!
Synbad: What part of Houston are you from and what High School did you go to? Were you the class clown or just one of the guys that just chilled in the background?
Rob G: I’m from Southwest Houston, the SWAT, SOUTH WEST ALIEF TEXAS. I went to Elsik High School and was a complete fool!! (Laughing)Man, I was always a class clown, ever since like pre-k and them my dumb ass would try to charm my way out of everything with the teachers, sometimes it worked and well sometimes it didn’t but most the time it did!! Synbad, that was a dope question, it brought back memories!!
Synbad: Who were your influences when you were growing up?
Rob G: My influences growing up were mainly real people in my life, I ain't never really look up to like stars or athletes or nothing like that. I looked up to my moms mostly cuz of what I seen her go through and what she did to hold down the fort after my pops died, plus my parents were immigrants to this country and we were broke as hell and they didn’t speak any English and they still grinded their way to something! That’s what made me a believer in the fact that dreams are reachable no matter how how big or small. Then I had like dudes in the streets, ya now the older-heads that would school me on that side of thangs. I had a lot of influence on me to, I mean the real ones that tell you the truth about what’s really going down out here and tell you that you should make something of your life because the streets ain’t the place to be at.
Synbad: Who are your influences now....who is Rob G feeling?
Rob G: My influences now are a lot of people that I work directly with most of the time, not necessarily for music but how they handle business and deal with their careers, ya know I have done shows with cham,(Chamillionaire) quite a few times and since he’s managed by Latium, which also manages my career, I’ve kinda seen up close what it takes to be on top of the game. Frankie J has looked out for ya boy a bunch too. He is so humble and down to earth, it’s crazy, and again he is at the top of his game too. Play n Skillz are young and yet they are so business minded that I have to give them respect and watch how they conduct business. Charlez Chavez influences me to be a business man and helps me really understand what makes or breaks a star. Now as the musical side of me, I’m influenced by artists that are themselves and win by being themselves. Ya know like Jeezy, Kayne West, and Fiddy, you know the folks that speak their minds and rap about their own thoughts and stories and they make people listen.
Synbad: How did you get started? Were you apart of any groups or have you always been solo?
Rob G: I started rapping in a group called "Trouble”, which consisted of my home boy, his and his big brother. It was two black dudes and a spanish kid and it was DOPE! We went hard, but we just didn’t know about the game. I knew even when I was doing the group thing that I would be a solo artist, only because I thought I had what it took to do so.
Synbad: Are you a freestyler in the booth or do you write everything down?
Rob G: Synbad, I do a little of both, when i ain’t at the lab then I sit down and write verses or songs, or just come up with rhymes while I roll around in the car, but a lot of times I just go to the lab with nothing ready and just play the beat and come up with something new on the spot. I hate recycling verses, I can’t do that so every beat makes me feel something different and rap a certain way so I can’t take stuff I wrote to another track and do it over something different. I do the "Jay Z" thing a lot, ya know I just sit there and come up with stuff on the spot with out paper then go in the booth and just bust it, basically I am just writing the rhymes in my head, I do that a whole lot. I guess whatever the scenario I just roll with the creative vibe at the time.
Synbad: How hard has it been to get "Black" radio stations to listen to your tracks?
Rob G: That’s a good question and the best way I can answer it is with the truth. I’ve dropped a few records on a regional level and been a part of a couple national joints, see here in Houston we got a station that caters to a black audience and one that caters to a Spanish audience and one that plays Spanish Hip Hop and Reggaeton. I’m personally cool with almost all the people that work at the black stations as far as the DJ's, personalities, promo people and all, but I would say 90% of my spins have came from the other stations that cater to a Latin audience. I mean I don’t think it has nothing to do with me personally nor the whole Spanish thing but, man I don’t know, I guess time will really answer that question. The “new guy” excuse is only gonna work for so long and once I have a record that is a smash hit then I’ll see who will support me. I figure if that same station here in Houston doesn’t play me or support me at least to test the record, then I will start to wonder why I am not getting played. But for the most part I guess if you make music that everybody feels whether they are blacks, whites, Latinos or Asians then u shouldn’t have a problem getting played and that’s what I plan to do!
Synbad: What is the hardest thing you have had to face in this game, you know the one thing that really told you that you were gonna have to get your Hustle on......
Rob G: The hardest thing I’ve had to face it TIME, I mean just to get to where I am now has taken time and I still have a ways to go, ya feel me. The difference now is that back then I was just grinding and had no deal, no exposure and I wasn’t sure it would lead to anything but now I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can see the progress, I can see it all building up in front of eyes. But even now its like I’ve got great deal of responsibility outside of music with my family and stuff and balancing all of it is very difficult at times, but I know the game doesn’t wait for you at all! I can’t call the label and say, “I need y’all to wait up on me a sec while I handle some personal stuff, ya know I’ll call you when I’m ready." Nah, it doesn’t work like that. They gonna wish we well and move on cuz at the end of the day this is still a business, so I gotta suck it up and focus and make it all happen, ya know I gotta be a father, a man of the house, a provider and Rob G all at the same time. I have people that depend on me to put food down on the table and make sure that the lights are on and I’ve done things that could jeopardize my career and my life and that’s why I say TIME, cuz things happen and situations occur that can sidetrack your plans and I’m at a point in my rap career where everything is moving and the ball is rolling so I GOTTA stay smart and focus so that NOTHING sidetracks me, but I still gotta be a SOLDIER!
And with the influences of Play N Skills, Charles Chavez, Frankie J, and the other Latium Artists and representatives I think you are gonna be hearing a lot from Rob G in the coming months and years. This is one of the most dedicated and intelligent rappers I have come across. His focus and respect for his family will get him through a lot of stuff that seems to get other rappers caught up and thrown out of the game.
You guys make sure you call 97.9 the Beat, CASA, LA KALLE and KNON and demand they give Rob G a chance!!
Now in the coming weeks you will see Rob G in town and performing in Dallas. SOOOO keep your ears open! Cuz I promise you that you won’t be disappointed!!
And if you want to get hold of Rob G, just hit him up here and you can get more information at www.robtotheg.com and don’t forget about the “Rob G Campaign” Mixtape Vol. 1
