MiddleChild: What’s going on Rocko?
Rocko: What’s good?
MiddleChild: Nothing much man. Long day?
Rocko: Naw man. I’m just now getting ready to get started. I had to catch the red-eye from L.A. Just got in earlier, but gotta get ready to head out of town again. What’s good though?
MiddleChild: Getting ya grind on, huh? That’s what’s up. So how are you enjoying the success of your record so far man?
Rocko: I’m really really enjoying it. I’m loving the way people are gravitating toward the record. I’m loving the response I get when it perform it in each city. I’m really loving everything about it right now.
MiddleChild: That’s cool. So was there anyone doubting you when you first decided to drop as an artist?
Rocko: I mean you know. It’s always going to be haters, man. But you know the people that hate on me are the people that don’t know me cause if you knew me you would already know what I’m capable of doing. And when I make up my mind to do something I’m going to do it. That’s how I’ve always been.
MiddleChild: Well checking out your mixtape and everything, I’ve sort of got a feel for your style of storytelling. There is no real “I went out and robbed this person” or “I shot this person” type songs. Tell me about your approach to your method of being real.
Rocko: Well I mean. I just do me. You know what I’m saying? With every track I hear and decide to write on I just try and come at it with a different swag.
MiddleChild: I see. And you’re definitely doing your own thing. You got your own setup, Rocky Road. Tell me a little bit about that.
Rocko: Rocky Road is a movement. Like Rocky Road is what I represent. My life was a rocky road and outside of my music I wanted my label to stand for what I stood for. And rocky road is rough records. That street. Rough around the edges and at the same time it is what it is and rocky road, that’s me 100%.
MiddleChild: And you feel no pressure at all do you? I mean coming not only as CEO, but as the first artist on Rocky Road.
Rocko: Naw. It’s no pressure on me. I’m a real boss. I face adversity head on. I go head up with everything. Know what I’m saying?
MiddleChild: Well I know you’re wrapping up the album, but I heard you wanted to add a little more of a R&B feel to some of the records so tell me how you going about doing that.
Rocko: I mean the album is pretty much done. I got NeYo on the album. I got Lloyd on the album. I got Monica on the album. The album is pretty much done and me myself personally, I’m pretty much in artist mode right now and I do most of it. Not as far as like singing, but as far as holding a note and harmonizing and stuff. So if you hear Swag Season and you like “Trap Party” and those type records, then you’ll like this stuff too.
MiddleChild: Okay. So tell me what kind of lessons you learning as far as being an artist that you didn’t or haven’t necessarily learned behind the scenes in the game.
Rocko: Well, I can’t say I’ve learned any because at the same time I’m still a business man. I still run my own business. I’m very hands on with my project, so it’s like I pretty much know everything and all that comes with it. Feel me? So it hasn’t gotten to the point where I’ve experienced something where I was like “whoa” that I wasn’t ready for.
MiddleChild: Okay. So you mentioned earlier about people who don’t really know you and a big thing right now is reality shows. Is that something you think you would do? Like a reality show or special of some kind?
Rocko: I don’t know. Maybe. I can’t say. Sky’s the limit man. If I decide there’s I wanna do something, I just do it. I don’t even really think that much about it. I just do a little homework on it and I go in on it. I feel like to have your own experience is the best experience so maybe in the near future if I feel like if I decide I want to try that then I would. Right now it’s all about me and my album, Self-Made, dropping on March 18th. It’s a CD and a movie. I make my acting debut packaged up in my album, so if there is anyone that have some questions they would like to ask me all they have to do is buy my album and watch the movie.
MiddleChild: Cool. Well what’s something that we would be surprised to know about you?
Rocko: That I’m really a cool, humble dude. Like when a lot of people see me they may think I’m mean and this that and the third, but I’m really a cool dude. Once you get to know me, I’m really a cool dude. That would probably surprise a lot of people cause some people think I act arrogant and all that type of stuff.
MiddleChild: So with fame comes a price sometimes. How do you feel about the sudden invasion of privacy?
Rocko: What do you mean?
MiddleChild: As far as everybody wanting to know everything about you. Like the paparazzi and bloggers and things of that nature?
Rocko: I mean the more popular I get, you know what I'm saying, the crazier it gets. Like I just got from L.A at the Grammy's and I done like sixty radio interviews and everything was cool. There was this one dude who just went off. He wanted to nail me. He already knew the answer to his question, but he was just being a jerk about it. That's like the only thing that really aggravates me is like when you're just being a jerk about the situation. Because with me, I already know when it comes to me people already know what's going on. You already know me. So prior to you interviewing me you already know exactly what's going on with me. You know who I am. You know who I'm involved with. You know all of these things so why you wanna...you feel me? It's all about me. It's all about Rocko, "Self-Made" the album-the movie, March 18th. You know?
MiddleChild: Exactly. I feel you.
Rocko: And it's like I feel like. Say for instance when it comes to Jay-Z or something like that. If you ask Jay-Z something about Beyonce or whatever, Jay-Z is going to act like he don't know what you're talking about. But with me I don't even act like that. With me it's more of a thing to where it's all about me making a household name for myself prior to me putting my personal life out there like that. If you already know then that's cool. You know?
MiddleChild: Now what’s your take on being a role model?
Rocko: Like with me, I just focus more on telling people my stories and my personal experiences and let you do your thing. I’m a strong believer that you have to learn from your own experiences. Like with me growing up, my uncles or my grand daddy and everybody would tell me “don’t do this” or “don’t do that” but I didn’t listen to them. Just based on they said and those were my role models. I had to go out and experience it on my own. So with me and my records and my lyrics, I’m going to tell you about what I experienced and hopefully you’ll listen to me where you won’t have to go through it but if so you know what comes along with it. That’s how I rock.
MiddleChild: Definitely. Well “Self-Made” drops March 18th and we’ll be sure to keep everyone posted on the project. Be sure to check out swagseason.com when you get a chance.
Rocko: I appreciate that a whole lot man.
MiddleChild: No problem. We’ll be in touch.
................................................................