Top Discusses Music, Growth, and LA's Rap Scene
“96 the movement man, the homie Tru, the homie Money, we was all born in ‘96. We’re gonna show the world who we are, you feel what I’m saying. My brothers, we just trying to attack the world how we can.”
By: Vince Wilson
We talked with Los Angeles artist, Top, in an exclusive interview! Top dives into his musical journey and growth, offering insights into his distinctive approach to rap and his experiences in the vibrant Los Angeles music scene. From his beginnings in the industry to his therapeutic writing process, Top shares how he uses music to express himself. He discusses the motivation behind his album Don’t Love Me and his collaboration project Low Key Needed This. Additionally, Top reflects on the impact of his hometown, LA.
Top - ‘Don’t Love Me’ album
Top recently dropped his album ‘Don’t Love Me’ which he displays smooth and melodic vocal delivery, which he pairs with introspective lyrics that touch on personal experiences, relationships, and life's challenges. Some songs he showcased a laid-back yet impactful delivery, complemented by his ability to switch between melodic hooks and hard-hitting verses. His production is also topnotch where he created some soulful trap beats that enhance the emotional depth of his songs.
We talked with TOP in an exclusive interview, check it out below!
Alright Top thank you for joining me.
TOP: Yes sir, thank you for having me.
You’ve been working a lot, put out a project at the top of the year, ‘Don’t Love Me, also a collab project with Tru last September, ‘Low Key Needed This.’ We’ll get to that one later, why did you call the latest album ‘Don’t Love Me?’
TOP: Basically, if you listen to the songs and dig deep and really listen to what I’m saying, I’m just a toxic dude I guess. I don't know I fall in love, I fall in love a lot, not love, I think I like a lot of people, so I don't want you to get too invested in me.
So its like a statement ‘Don’t Love me.’
TOP: Yeah ‘Don’t Love Me,’ I don't wanna hurt no feelings.
Ok nice, you’re born and raised in Los Angeles?
TOP: Born and raised dog!
How was it growing up in La?
TOP: Man, it was beneficial actually, feel like I learned a lot coming from where I come from, seeing what I seen. The culture, taking the bus to the beach, seeing palm trees, people visiting to see it, it's just regular to us. Just our culture, the way we talk the way we move. Then going to college in Alabama, seeing something different, once i branched off, I got to look at it from the outside, so that was a cool. I love the city, don't want to leave the city.
You said you went to school in Alabama, where did you go?
TOP: Tuskegee University, TU!
Nice, HBCU love.
TOP: Had to, had to.
So when did you first start rapping?
TOP: I first started rapping in 6th grade, I wasn't taking it seriously yet, I was just writing stuff down. Then there was a talent show we had, I made a little song, rapped it, and then after that I just left alone. Then during college time, I didn't talk that much you feel me, I was just in my head a lot, so I started writing stuff down and playing beats and it just became something I love. So now I just love to do it, something I just genuinely enjoy doing.
What do you feel about the rap scene in LA?
TOP: I feel like it's amazing, but we ain’t at our peak. Like worldly, we ain’t that poppin right now, but being from the city I love everything that's happening in LA, from Bino Rideaux to Blxst, like I love the music, but i feel like the world ain’t gravitating to it right now. There’s a lot more to do, a lot more we can accomplish.
What are some of your favorite LA rappers?
TOP: Nip, honesty, Nip is number 1 for me. I didn't really get into Nip until I was in college, I listened to him in high school, but his album ‘Victory Lap’ changed everything. I had to go back and listen to his old shit, he was really spittin’ gems, really talking that talk. Having that mindset and be able to teach people through your music and for them to really enjoy it, it's a certain type of skill only a few got, so you know I try to do that in my stuff, and that's because of Nip. So, honestly that's my favorite rapper from LA.
RIP NIP.
TOP: Yessir.
So this ‘Don’t Love Me’ project, man it's really good, you got a great flow you got great production, rare for an independent artist to put out a project with no skips. Who does your beats?
TOP: HowFly actually. That's my guy, he makes beats, he do engineering, he rap.
Did he produce the whole project?
TOP: He did yeah.
You guys definitely have a real good chemistry, I like how you stay in that lane throughout the project with vibes, beats and introspective rhymes, it's real different of what you would think of an LA MC.
TOP: Exactly.
Couple of my favorite tracks MWD, YSM, 96 flows. Do you have a favorite track or favorite tracks on the album?
TOP: I feel like the one that I really got deep with is Facts. I wasn't gonna put that on the tape at first, thinking it was too much, but I ended up putting on the tape, and that's my favorite. But I really like the whole album personally.
You said earlier you were in your head a lot, do you look at music as sort of a therapy type thing for you?
TOP: Most definitely, because I hold so much stuff in, its just a way to get it out, I don't know when I hear that beat, it just flows. It’s natural to. Me now, its therapeutic for me for sure.
What’s 96 the Movement?
TOP: 96 the movement man, the homie Tru, the homie Money, we was all born in ‘96. We’re gonna show the world who we are, you feel what I’m saying. My brothers, we just trying to attack the world how we can.
You mentioned Tru, you dropped a collab project with Tru last year, ‘Low Key Needed This,’ that has one of my favorite songs by you, ‘Too Much,’ how was making that project?
TOP: Man, me and my brother, to be honest, just in the crib, playing beats. We got in the stu, and basically freestyling, punching in, no writing, just feeling the vibes, that's how it came about, we just having fun and something good came out of it.
TOP X TRU - Diamonds (Official Music Video) Dir. by Malik Baker
Do you freestyle a lot of your songs, how does your writing process usually work?
TOP: Well if I’m not collabing, I’m usually writing, like i said its therapeutic, it feels good writing it down, that's how I really get deep into it. When I’m collabing that shit just all fun and vibes, I feed off the other person's energy and go off that.
Do you have a dream collab, anyone you want to work with?
TOP: That’s a good question man, but you know it has to be Drake, that man crazy dog. My favorite rapper for real, just like the things he do, he doing what I wanna do. I wanna be able to make trap, I wanna be able to make the slow shit, I wanna be able to make the cool shit hi, the shit you just vibe to at 2 o’clock in the morning. Yeah that would be my dream collab for real.
You got some new music coming?
TOP: Yeah I’m actually in the Stu right now, it's coming real soon. We working-me, Tru, and Money. So it's coming real soon, be on the look out by the end of the year around December.
Well we're gonna be looking forward to it, we appreciate taking time to talk to us and we're excited to be hearing more from you.
TOP: Thanks for having me.
Top x Tru
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