Terror of Hartford speaks out (exclusive interview)

Emcee Terror is one of my cyber friends I met thanks to a common passion for Eminem’s music and for hip hop in general. Experienced underground rapper, he accepted to share his thoughts with me…enjoy your read.
1. What motivated you to get started in the rap game?
I grew up listening to hip hop before I even knew what it was. I’m a 80’z baby born in the late 70’S so to me good music was just good music in the 80’s ya dig. If I liked it I liked it. But coming up in the hood as I did in the environment I did..We pretty much only listened to hip hop when we could pick up what we wanted. And it was just part of me to be part of this hip hop thing ya dig. So whether or not I actually ever get on a worldwide known level as Marshall (Mathers) and Lil Wayne are…I’m still hip hop all day.
2. What’s the story behind your nickname?
Been told when I was a child I was a LIL “TERROR” by a lot of people that were older than me. I had a few other names before “TERROR” actually came in the picture. It just seemed to stick cuz either I’m good at it or terrible at it..So that makes me a Terror ya dig. Plus that’s what I do when I’m doing my shit..I terrorize shit so so that fits.
3. What is the biggest challenge you had to face since you started rapping?
Biggest challenge is getting people to accept and stand behind what you’re doing. A lot of people wanna outshine you or don’t want you to shine at all…Be it family, friends or fellow “peers” trying to do what you’re doing ya dig. Another thing I find hard is finding a decent studio to record where you know at the end of the day your product is gonna be of good quality ya dig.
4. You represent Hartford, Connecticut. Can you tell us a little bit about your hometown. To what extent did it influence your music?
Hartford is a historical city founded by a guy named Thomas Hooker. It was actually called “Hertford” at first…then the spelling changed. My city is divided of 3 sections…North End, South End and West end. In the North End you will predominantly find all the people they call “black” people. A lot of crime shit you hear or read about takes places in this side of the city. A lot of drug activity and violence. Niggaz here don’t really rep gangs no more out in the world but I hear they do in jail. You get big numbers if you go in and they put you in the CPU as a get racketeerer…they don’t wanna let you out.
On the South End..It’s predominantly people of Latino decent…mainly Puerto Ricans. Some sections of the South End got White people in it too and a few Blacks but again more Latino descent than anything. On that side of the town shit happens to as far as drug selling and violence. But the South End is a bit much cleaner than the North as far as appearance. Is it cuz the mayor is from that side of the town? Some say it is.
The West End is pretty much the melting pot of the city. You got Whites, Blacks, Latinos and even Asians in this side of the City! It’s close to a suburban town called West Hartford. Drug activity and violence happens in this area…but it’s a bit more quiet.Though you do find a lot of niggaz registered on the sex offender registry list to be in this side of the town.
As far as my city influencing my music…I’d say a great portion does…Cuz I report a lot of shit that goes on in the city. Some rappers like to name names in shit that goes down…I don’t.I say what happen in the the streets stays here. And if told…no names at all or if there is…fake names should be given. Gotta protect the “innocent” ya dig…haha. But I try to not always talk about than shit every hood nigga talks about. Eventually it all sounds the same ya dig.
5. Who is your biggest musical influence?
I don’t have one at this moment. I’ve been rapping for a long time. Way before I heard any of some of the people that made it and I listen to rap…But with that being said…I’d say the South is my biggest influence right now…cuz most of their songs got dance with it and that’s whack juice to me. So they influence me not to make bullshit music like that!
Shout out to Tha Dirty South…I ain’t hating, ya all doing ya thing…just a lot of ya all South rappers are whack…straight up!
6. According to you, what makes you appear as unique in the world of rap music?
I got my own style of rap. I don’t try to sound like I’m from New York like a lot of CT rappers do.I give you me, I don’t front in my music. Niggaz talk they’re moving heavy weight in their songs or their pushing big boy cars and trucks…But when you see them…you see none of that…Also I got a voice that stands out…I don’t sound like anybody else you ever heard…though I have been compared to a lot of great rappers that are in the game now as far as how I put it down…word up.
7. What are your thoughts about the current state of hip hop?
Aside from all the songs that gotta dance to it…hip hop is doing ok with me!But all that ” Snap Ya Fingers” shit and “My Red Monkey Jeans” bullshit gotta stop. Yea we need party bangers and the party goers and shit…but hip hop is from the streets…Don’t forget the origin and stop trying to change it to this watered down bullshit you are always hearing on the radio!
8. Old school or new school- where goes your preference?
Old school..Cuz without the old..they’d be no new. And how did KRS-1 put it: “50 years down tgha line you can’t start this…cuz we’d be old school artits! Hip hop is still sorta new in the world of music though it’s made a lot of noise and a big impact on the world…But I stick to the script of the question…I’ma say I’m old school cuz real talk…when has Kanye made a beat that ain’t gotta “old school ” in it?
9. Which artists have you collaborated with already?
I just did coillabos with some local artist. I was part of an independent record label called Liv Ya Life Recods (There…a Promo Plug for you fake…) But from my point of view they didn’t have my best interest at heart so I had to depart. Though I recently did try to patch that up and get it with them niggaz…but it ain’t fall through so fuck’em…I’ma do me regardless ya dig. But I’do a song with anybody whether you are whack or not…
10. Which artist(s) (mainstream or underground) would you envision a collaboration with?
Right now I’d fuck with forever Wu-Tang…Wu-Tang 4 ever! I’d fuck with Eminem…Lil Wayne…Dipset…Snoop, D-O Dub Gizzle…Maybe some others from the mainstream. On the underground, I’d fuck with my nigga Inna City…Vill Will…Anybody from my hood (Chapelle Gardens aka Hollywood- Stand Up my niggas). I’d fuck with Wit’T-Elite (Big shout to the homie).I mean as stated above…I’d do a song with anybody and I have been on that before it exploded everywhere haha…
11. Do you have any musical projects for 2008?
Still trying to get my first project out…But once that’s done…prepare for a swarm of shit from me…word up.
12.Please define your music within a few words…
Hood stamped and certified…and loved in tha burbs. I give you that real shit.Hate it or love it.
13. Besides hip hop, what kind of music do you listen to?
Pretty much that’s it. I tune my ears to some rock & roll shit (watching VH1 videos)…some reggaet in…lil bit of R’n’B…I getta jolt sometime listening to them genres cuz it ain’t what I do…so it opens up more creative avenues for me to do what I do.
Terror’s my space.
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