Boston’s M-Dot is one of our favorite hometown rappers up here in the Bean as we don’t call it. Problem is he keeps leaving town to tour Europe, which is kind of selfish if you ask me. He just got back from a stint on the road with Slaughterhouse and recently dropped his Layer Cake mixtape with appearances from Camp Lo, Armageddon (Terror Squad), Hell Rell (Dipset), Big Shug, Krumb Snatcha (Gangstarr) and more. His latest video, “Detour”, is a cut off of German producer Whatson’s new record.
I caught up with M-Dot real quick to ask some questions about the tour and the record.
Whatson produced this track? How’d you get hooked up with him?
He had heard me featured on several albums from foreign artists such as the Snowgoons (Germany) and Soulslicers (Switzerland) as well as on King Syze (AOTP) last release. Also I believe he had downloaded a few of my mixtures. Then reached out to me through email for a feature for his project.
How did this song come together? Where was the video shot?
The visuals were done in Magdeburg, Germany (about an hour or two from Berlin). When I started writing the record I really wanted to talk about some of the things you see while on tour and the funny temptations that present themselves.
You were on tour in Germany? What was that like? Had you toured Europe much before?
It was my fourth time being flown out to Europe to perform, and with each trip I still can’t believe that I am seeing the world off music. Very humbling. This was my first experience in Germany. I had a show in Haldensleben, and the next day did the video. It was a long tour, 34 days. The “Detour” video was done towards the end of show schedule. Europe is amazing, the food, scenery and lifestyle is unmatched.
You rep Boston, what do people think about the city, if anything, when you meet them outside the country or around the states?
It’s kinda crazy, but outside of hip hop fans, many people I meet might not always know Boston, especially old school Europeans. Of course they know the name “Boston”, but still may not know where it is on the map or big things that have come from Boston. They always know New York, and I want Boston to be like that. I think it’s getting there. The more music (Guru, Ed O.G.) and movies (The Departed, The Town) get discovered over there, and that they know it’s BOSTON, the better it’s getting. I think we’re on the right path for sure.
What’s the state of the hip hop scene here right now?
Hopefully changing to more conscious, as you can only go so long with being fed nursery rhymes. So I think the direction is coming around full circle to the way it was in the early 90′s. It takes the listeners first and foremost to set that temperature though.
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