The Essence of Hip-Hop & Black Lives Matter with SirRodney

Meet “SirRodney,” the social-conscious rapper who has his own label called Rebel Lane Records. The Palmetto, Florida native is a lover of R&B, soul and jazz. His music career started in Atlanta, when he was fourteen. Rodney currently resides in Tampa, independently creating his own music.

“I have been around [music] by entire life, because my father was a music guru,” Rodney shared.

His top influences range from 2Pac, to Master P, to Outkast, Jill Scott and Three Six Mafia. The perfect blend of conscious hip hop, Afrocentric psychedelic to Southern crunk.

The Visionary Boss: Do you think hip-hop music has changed throughout the years? Is social media responsible for that?

“Yes and no. I say yes, because [social media] gave the people the power to release content whenever they pleased—whether the labels thought it was acceptable or not. If [viewers and fans] got ahold of [the artist’s content], and accepted it, the content went viral, without label support. And I say ‘no’, because the system conditioned the mind-state of the listener to a dumbed down state, prior to social media.”

In terms of new hip-hop being replaced with catchy hooks, ghost writing and lyrics that lack substance, I asked Rodney how he felt about it. 

“Ghost writing is not an issue,” he said. “I know songwriters who have written songs, but can’t sing them. They have an ear for those who can sing the songs, and they can identify opportunities to create hits.

Rodney’s music is lyrically-driven, emotional and conscious. After having a near death experience at a young age, Rodney wanted to create music with a purpose.

“I want to have a meaning in everything I do. I want people to have something to take with them, after listening to my music.”

How do you get in the state of mind to be poetic and create lyrics of meaning/substance? 

“I just create based on my deepest feelings. If I don’t feel it, I don’t do it.”

After watching Rodney’s live performance in Ybor at Joffrey’s, I had to interview and get in the mind of someone so poetic, with evoking lyrics. His performance was heartfelt and passionate. When I asked Rodney what was going through his head during his performance, I was surprised to hear it was his first live performance in seven years.

“I wanted to give the people the best performance possible, and hope they felt where I was coming from. It’s a relief to exert all the energy I have built up inside of me,” he says.

His performance last month in Ybor was not the only recent performance he had. Earlier this month, Rodney performed at the Sweet Auburn Festival in Atlanta.

“It was the first time I [performed] in front of thousands of people. It was a great experience. It felt good to be able to reach so many people, up close and live in a way social media won’t allow. That performance gave me the courage to go back out on the road, and do more shows.”

In the meantime Rodney is working on an EP called ‘Current Events.’ 

“I am taking my time and putting everything into it.” While he works on that project, Rodney is finding his performance niche. “I am looking to do more poetic events, and reach the conscious community.”

Rodney shared that at times he feels out of place in this generation. Many artists like Kid Cudi, J. Cole and Vic Mensa have expressed the disconnect they feel with the industry and overly glamorized, hyped lifestyles portrayed by other performers. Overnight artists like 21 Savage, Lil Yatchy and Kodak Black are now the new faces of hip-hop and trap music. These XXL Freshmen showcase their new found exposure by posting turnt up, lit, materialistic content that young adults easily gravitate to. 

Do you think the younger generation lacks drive and enthusiasm to further their education? Many young black girls and boys get consumed in seeing rappers and celebrities' life portrayed on social media which leads them to wanting to find a easier way to reach material success.

“The media promotes the glamorous lifestyles of celebrities, and has our youth fooled into thinking they can make it in life, with little effort. I am the last of a dying breed.”

In Rodney’s song 'Living in the Last Days' featuring Amanda Jackson he rapped, "We need to breed more scholars. Send our baby boys and girls to college. Circulate black dollars for black economics."

I asked Rodney to elaborate on that.

“[The black community] would be further along if the parents in the household were pushing their kids to become things in life. Then, [their efforts] could be reinvested back into the black community.”

Rodney says he grew up in a generation where babes were having babies. “What else can you expect?” He asked. “I believe that if we put our foot down as a collective, we could gain the respect we deserve.”

You rapped "Over throw the system and build a new nation." For the past three to four years, the Black Lives Matter movement has become a household name. What does that movement mean to you? And how can young people make a difference and chance the unwritten rules that society has placed on us? 

“I can appreciate any black organizations that unify for the cause. Black Lives Matter being one of them. In my mind: being smart, and knowing how to maneuver within this system is a good thing. But if this system was never designed for us to win, why try to be apart of the game? We should take what is ours in a strategic way. We tried to build with black Wall Street and they dropped the bomb on us. If we rebuilt it they would do the same. So, we have to ask ourselves: what method of protection will we implement? We own nothing as a collective. If the water supply was cut off we would be solely dependent upon the system. We need complete independence and freedom. If we marched 5 million deep in a protest, when we get back home we are still slave to the system.”

We are dependent on the system that's designed to enslave us. Although we are considered 'free', we are mentally chained to the media that was never created to accurately represent us. How do you feel about that? 

“Like I said before, we need to take back what is ours and represent ourselves. Even if it means death, we need to be ready to die about it. People [fight] over Michael Jordan shoes or 50 dollars. Why not [fight for] the liberation of our people? We don’t control the major media outlets. As far as I am concerned, they can portray anything and the masses will buy it. It’s on us to take back what is ours and gain the respect of all peoples across the world.”

You also referenced Muhammad Ali in your song. He was known for being an unapologetic political activist. He spoke for black rights and has influenced athletes, artists, and rappers throughout the years. What inspired you or made you want to reference him in this song? 

"I am unapologetic in that same aspect. Seeing his story inspired me to just continue to be who I am and whoever likes it will love it. Whoever doesn’t won’t like me at all but at the end of the day I will maintain my integrity to who I am."