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Trainspotting Album Breakdown: Rome Streetz & Conductor Williams Talk | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Jul 31, 2025
Rome Streetz absolutely bodies his freestyle on Sway In The Morning! 🔥 In this exclusive interview, Rome Streetz opens up about his journey from New York subways to hip-hop stardom, his collaborations with Conductor Williams on their new project "Trainspotting," and the influence of Griselda Records on his career. Hear him discuss his inspirations, from Wu-Tang to Nas, and his dedication to staying true to his craft. Plus, don’t miss his jaw-dropping freestyle that proves why he’s one of the most ferocious MCs in the game today. Subscribe for more exclusive interviews and performances from Sway’s Universe. Dive into the world of hip-hop, social change, and artistry with legends and rising stars alike. Keep up with all the latest from Sway In The Morning—your go-to for authentic hip-hop culture and beyond! #rap #musicreaction #freestyletypebeat #freestylebeat #hiphopbeats CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introduction 01:52 - Rome Streetz & Conductor Williams 05:04 - Conductor Williams Insights 08:06 - Conductor Williams as Producer 10:02 - Developing Your Signature Sound 11:47 - Meaning Behind "Trainspotting" Album Title 13:02 - Bonding Experience in Music 14:56 - Beat-Making Process Explained 17:09 - Meaning of the Song "Mash" 19:46 - Staying True to Yourself in Music 20:41 - Finding God in Dark Times 21:58 - Importance of Crafting Your Art 24:10 - Conductor's Unique Production Style
View Video Transcript
0:00
You know, Heather B, I I these are the moments I live for, man. We we're sitting there talking about stars on the
0:06
Hollywood Walk of Fame and Radio Hall of Fame and, you know, sitting down with
0:11
presidents and all of that, you know. Not too many in that category. Not a lot of them in our categories,
0:16
man. You know, but ain't a lot of people in the category of these two artists right here that's here today in my
0:22
opinion, you know, and this is strictly based on my opinion. And um I've been listening to this dude since he put out Streets
0:28
Keep Keep Calling. That was like 2018. And um and then uh when he got with uh
0:36
with Griselda and put out the Kiss the Ring project, by then Griselda is off the chain. They flying, you know, they
0:42
on top of the world and and they got nothing but spitters in that in that coalition, you know. and now to see him
0:50
team up and conductor Williams is here who's worked with Griselda throughout the uh throughout the course of his
0:56
career um along with others I mentioned JCole I mentioned Drake I mean the list goes on
1:02
and on again right and together they came together to put together this album Train Spotting which
1:08
is out now and I I tell you something man I I've sat and listened to this project two different times already front to
1:15
back to front and then front to back and I I felt like I was 19 again. HB,
1:22
the bop was different, right? The bop was different. I'm listening to Rome and I'm I'm And I don't like to
1:27
compare people, but you know, I'm like I'm hearing Lord Finesse. Yes. I'm hearing um I'm hearing Big L.
1:34
Absolutely. I I'm I'm hearing all of these energy, the energy that's coming from his bars.
1:39
And I'm like, yo, this is why I [Â __Â ] with Rome Streets and the one and only the conductor, conductor Williams. and
1:46
they are here with us today. Give these men a round of applause.
1:52
Come on, man. I love it. Yes, sir. I don't even know where to start.
1:59
Bro, where you from? Are you What? Man, New York City, man. But I I lived so many different places, man. I was
2:05
born in London. Uhhuh. You know what I'm saying? I moved to New York when I was like one. Okay.
2:10
I stayed in Queens. Then I moved to uh Elmont, Long Island, and back to Queens, then Brooklyn. So you I mean you running
2:18
from man all this n man just be moving around you know I'm saying just your parents what you got uh your
2:24
parents from the islands or Yeah. Yeah. My mom my dad from Jamaica but I grew up with my mom's. I didn't really live with my pops like that.
2:30
Okay. So he and she's from here. Yeah. Yeah. My mom's from Jamaica but So you grew up with that good cooking is
2:36
what I'm trying to Okay. Come on. Cuz I'm trying to figure out what made you dope. It might have been the Jamaican
2:42
cooking. Yeah. Probably the cooking. You know what I mean? It's just it's just the the music, man.
2:48
I've been listening to since I was like four. Really? I've been into rap since I was a little kid. You know what I'm saying?
2:54
Who who who what what MC really is like triggered you as a kid?
2:59
Um a couple honestly. I would say my first ever favorite rapper was probably
3:05
like Snoop Dogg. Yeah. And then um Wuang.
3:10
Then it was like Nas, you know what I'm saying? Then Biggie. Mhm. Then it just took off from there.
3:16
Like Tupac, I listen to everything because like you know like my my cousin is like five years older than me. So he
3:22
used to just put me on to everything. You know what I'm saying? Like everything. So by the time
3:27
I was 10, I knew everything. You know what I'm saying? Like you was a young hyena, man.
3:33
A hyena pup at 10. That's crazy. Uh you knew everything at 10. And okay,
3:40
that's that explains it because you could tell a artist, a rapper, a MC in
3:45
particular, who's wellstudied compared to a MC who just got into it for the hype, so to speak. They don't
3:52
know the history. And the advantage that Rome Streets has is knowing that studied history. You
3:58
done heard thousands of styles, right? Who you studied the most. My mom used to be like, "Yo, if you knew your
4:04
schoolwork as much as you knew the words to them songs, you would get straight A's."
4:12
But I feel like I think a lot of our parents said that, but they didn't realize it was the repetition of the
4:18
music. Like you had that cassette tape or that CD and you could just run it back, run it back, run it back. It was
4:24
mesmerizing. We was just talking about hip hop this morning and just people sampling impeach the president that beat
4:30
and how many times it got sampled over 800 times, but it's the repetition of it all and it just every time you hear it,
4:36
it bring you back to that first time you heard it. And so that's that's what happened with the music versus the
4:42
schoolwork. It's like I've been I remember seeing your videos on video music box like come on. I'm I'm
4:50
from that era like a kid. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, man. I saw the way you hugged her. It was like, man, like you
4:56
hug the posters, man. Thank you. Big horse right there. Just to let you know. Big horse. That's more legend in the
5:02
building. Okay. We just It's just a legendary crew. Look at that DJ KMP over there.
5:08
Now, conductor has a your story is bonkers to me. Yeah. You know, like his name is conductor
5:15
Williams because he was an actual conductor, which is crazy, right? Yeah. And and were you a
5:20
conductor before a producer or um Yeah. Yeah. So I worked for a class
5:27
one railway. So it was like um less not the subways and stuff like the bus
5:32
system but just like uh freight coal weed that. So I worked for a class one railway
5:37
for a long time while working on music you know. So
5:43
and then what role did your wife play in your career? um she she is um the everything part of
5:52
it. You know what I'm saying? So she was the main source, the um the guiding
5:57
light, the uh angel amongst mortals. So she made sure I had everything I
6:03
needed to um do music. Yeah. And she made sure I had everything I
6:09
needed to get to work and work for 12 hours. So, pack a lunch, make sure I try to eat healthy, try to keep the kids
6:15
quiet so I could rest, which was a task cuz I got little bitty guys. But she would uh, you know, she
6:21
MVP, so that's why she gets whatever she wants. Now, did she convince you to just go full throttle and just leave conduct work and
6:29
just put it to the beats? Yeah, she did. I was having some some health issues because I was really um
6:35
very mamba mentality like about the craft of music and uh the the vision I had to you know
6:43
get where I am now. So um I was starting to have my health was declining. So I wasn't eating well.
6:49
Um the stuff she would pack I just wouldn't eat. I was on the road so I just go into 7-Eleven and get stuff. I
6:56
wasn't sleeping cuz I was working on the craft and um yeah, so I had some hospital scares
7:02
and uh she said, "We need you here. So, whatever it takes for you to be alive here, I need you to do that."
7:08
And we started making sure the money was right. And whether or not [Â __Â ] cracked or not, I was going to end up walking
7:14
away from that. It just It just cracked. Yeah. No, it cracked. It did crack, man. That [Â __Â ] exploded. What are you talking
7:20
about cracked? Crack is a little crevice. This is an explosion, brother. Come on,
7:26
man. Come on. Love. We got to Hey, listen y'all. God is good. God is great. We celebrating, man.
7:33
Come up here. We celebrate. Rome streets did my overtime platform, man. I just want to say thank you for that, man.
7:39
Thank you, bro. Appreciate you for having me, man. That one did that one did wonders for me. I ain't going to lie, man. They they
7:45
remixed that [Â __Â ] so many times. Yeah. Yeah, man. That's why we created the Reggie Hudson.
7:51
Salute to Reggie Hudson, too, my brother. And that's why we created it for just to give extra outlets to MC's
7:58
we just think are just dope ass at the end of the day that's what I'm here for. You know that that we think are just
8:04
dope ass MC's. Conductor. You're from Kansas City. I am man. I am man. I don't know what
8:11
camera I'm at. You know don't worry about it. We got you good. You are like that. He was like what
8:17
camera I'm in? Yeah. had my Mahomes jersey and I was plotting on wearing the Mahomes jersey, but then I said, "Wait a minute."
8:23
It's a good thing you didn't. Yeah. You know, I had to wait a minute. I know. I know. You know where I'm from, bro.
8:29
I do. That's why I said I don't want to You want no problems, bro. Not the first time up here.
8:34
Not the first time up here. What What kept you like If you're from Kansas City, you're in the middle of it all. You're not in New York. You're not
8:40
on the West Coast. I I would find it hard to be inspired if I don't have those resources, you know, those that
8:47
representation. What kept you inspired while you were in your basement in Kansas City? I I wish I knew for real. I I ask I've
8:54
been asking God for like 20 years to, you know, like, God, why do I had this
8:59
fire to, you know, create this collage style of hip-hop music? Like, why? Like, even this morning, I woke up and I was
9:05
thinking about it. And it's it's just this innate fire that I have. And I can't explain how I get motivated. I
9:12
just always am. So I kind of it's a part of my life, you know, more than it is a
9:17
craft. It's just like what I wake up and do. Like I have to wake up and get to it. Wow. Um so but Kansas City is beautiful. The
9:25
middle of the map is beautiful. Excuse me. It's u slow pace
9:31
and um it's easier to focus honestly. Like I'm not trying to visit x amount of
9:36
people every weekend. I can just be away from everything. And I I think that's why my sound is the way it is cuz I just
9:43
work work and then send everyone's like, "Yo, what why are you why are you thinking about this
9:50
stuff? Why are you listening to this genre of music?" And it's because I can do whatever I want.
9:56
[Â __Â ] Okay.
10:01
By the way, Tracy G and Mike Muse are in our New York studios right now. What's up? What's up? home. So good to
10:07
have you both. Big fans of you both. Um, conductor, on that note, I had wonder because you have such a signature style.
10:14
It's like a grungy elegance to it in my opinion. And when you first first
10:19
started producing, how long did it take for you to really dial into the
10:25
conductor sound? Do you feel like it was immediate and you just like evolved from there, or was there a time where you
10:31
were making beats that sound completely different than what you're known for now? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I wanted to be Forel. I
10:37
wanted to make beats like For realel now. I did tempo now. But uh there was something in there's
10:43
something within me that just won't allow me to have the clean aesthetic. I love um fashion that seems vintage and
10:51
lived in. I love everything kind of um sounds crazy, but second secondhand and
10:56
loved and um like I said lived in. So a lot of my music kind of derives from
11:01
that place. M so I tell upcoming producers all the time what goes inside of the drum
11:07
machine is what comes out of it. So I don't use a lot of effects and all of these things. It's the attention to the
11:14
uh music before that makes the sound the way it is. That's why this vinyl
11:20
simulators and all of these things that technology is bringing in they they can't duplicate what I do
11:26
because my process is like um similar to uh genes.
11:31
Okay. like you know how they make jeans and stuff like that. That's what my process is like. So
11:37
this is interesting. U man we got wrong streets right here man. This dude bars
11:42
is metaphors is simileies. Yes sir be really landing. Um you guys got the
11:48
new LP. It's called Train Spotting. And when I think of that, I think of uh Ewan
11:53
uh Ewan McGregor and uh the classic film um that has something to do, you correct
11:59
me if I'm wrong, like a bunch of guys went on a trip and you know, I felt like they took some drugs or something.
12:05
Yeah, they on drugs. Yeah, they're on heroin, right? Basically a movie about you know, just following the life of these um these
12:11
drug addicts and [Â __Â ] and just like what they go through. Mhm. So that that's like one of my favorite
12:16
movies cuz it's just it's just very shocking to watch. Mhm. You know what I'm saying? So I kind of
12:23
named the album after that. Not because of what I seen in the movie because um
12:28
you know growing up in New York like back back in the day they used to just like tag up the trains and all that
12:34
[Â __Â ] Yeah. So it was like when you see it it's like oh that's fire. And like if it's your train it's
12:40
like oh look at that. Look at that. So it's like this album is kind of like our train. You know what I'm saying? So
12:45
when you see it pass, you ain't never going to forget it. Like I remember that time I seen that train with you mean
12:51
that's that's the idea behind that. You know what I'm saying? I like how you explained that man. Yeah. I feel like I was in a documentary
12:56
the way visual. They they they had a bonding experience
13:02
though in that movie, right? These characters all had an interesting bonding experience in that movie. And
13:07
I'm I'm curious to you two, you know, by doing this project together, you know, have y'all ever had a, you know, a off
13:14
camera interesting bonding moment? Oh, yeah. Of course. Like when we first started working um it was probably about
13:22
when like 2021 when I was doing um Kiss the Ring. The Ring. All right. And we was working on um Hitler Abel
13:29
West. M um that's why I met conductor and honestly he was just making beats in one
13:36
room, sending them out and I'm like by the time he came in the room we had a song. So we were just working like that
13:42
like or he would play a beat for West it was like uh go to the next one. I'd be like nah send me that. You get what I'm saying? So we just kept
13:48
working and it was just like yo by the time he looked up we had mad songs and it was like we was in this big
13:54
studio. It was like a bunch of different rooms. Like I just remember like conductor was in this big room but none
14:01
of the lights was on and he was just in the corner and all you see is like the light from the laptop. He just making be I'm like yo
14:09
that's fire and I'm like I can't wait to hear what that is and they sent it to me. I'm like oh all right bet let's go.
14:15
So ever since then we've been locked in like you know. So so is it a pecking order? Um and
14:20
which is great by the way. Y'all bonded in the studio bonded through music. Is it a pecking order though? Like who
14:26
gets the beats? West West Gun gets it first. Comway. Who gets the beats first? How does that work? Like
14:32
you got to fight your way in. Conductor just throw the beats up in the air and then whoever catch it, they just
14:38
catch it. You know what I'm saying? Or sometimes he might just make us beat specifically for somebody and just send it straight to them. But I feel like at
14:44
that point when we was cooking up, it was just a free-for-all. He was just playing beats like you know if Wes like
14:50
it then he take it. If I like it then I take it. If stove guy like it then he take it. You know what I'm saying?
14:55
stove. Man, I have a question for a conductor because a lot of times as an artist, a MC, a writer, you may have a title of a
15:03
song. You may write, you know, like maybe eight or nine bars, put it down, you know, it's h and and and go back to
15:09
it maybe a day, a week, something, even a month later. As a producer, does that happen? Like how do you just make a beat
15:17
in one day or maybe you may find some drums or you may find a sample and then put it down and go back. How does the
15:22
how is your process specifically? So, um so for me everything kind of
15:28
happens in one [Â __Â ] So, as of late, I've been saying that making beats every day is just like proof of life for me.
15:35
So, um but interesting enough, how I make beats doesn't really come
15:42
from um the sample samples that I dig. That sound crazy, but so for instance,
15:49
so for instance, I just finished a pack that is another uh Virgil Ablo pack. That's what I call it.
15:55
So um rest in peace to Virgil. So what it is is like detailed intense studies of Virgil, everything that he
16:01
was about, the things that he like his interviews, all of these things that I can see, anything I can read, and then I
16:06
just try to embody that energy and then all in one [Â __Â ] I just create and
16:11
whatever is in front of me, I'm grabbing. So if it's a vocal bite of Virgil on a beat tape, it's because I
16:17
was watching the a Virgil on YouTube, something like that, and I just ran it into the board. So there it's really no
16:23
rhyme or reason until we get to the place where we're working in post and I I hear what he's doing.
16:30
Oh. Oh. And then I'm like I'm like, "Oh, okay. All right, bet. Boom. You went that way. So I'mma create this juxtapose thing or
16:37
I'mma go with you and then I find the drums that I need." But that I mean going back to what Sway
16:42
said about being in the middle of the map and being by myself, I have an opportunity to show you guys truly what
16:49
I'm looking at and what I'm listening to and what I am as an individual.
16:54
And um thank God you guys love the music cuz I'm going to share it no matter what. There you go, man. Cuz you could do what
17:00
you want. Heard what you want. Next album, next album title. You heard it first. Yeah. I could do what I want. I
17:07
want what I want, man. I'm sorry. Um, I apologize for that. I want to ask you about us and salute to
17:14
Tech9 and Don Juan and and and Diamond who passed on. He put out their music
17:20
early on. These were all my friends from Kansas City, man. I used to go out there all the time and
17:25
um and so it's amazing to see what you're doing. And you talk about this process. I was listening to the song
17:31
MASH and I want to ask you uh Rome about a line that I wrote down.
17:38
Okay. And it you said turning a metro card into a red drop Carrera. Yeah.
17:44
Which implies that you went from riding on the subway. Uhhuh. Carrera. What is that? A Porsche. Yeah.
17:50
Okay. I'm so I guessed that. I don't know. Right. But take us back, man. Take us
17:55
back. What was it like for you in from the subway to transitioning to a
18:00
Carrera? Um, you recall being I need I need the Porsche. That that that was a that's like some law of
18:06
attraction [Â __Â ] You know what I mean? But, you know, that's my favorite car. But I would say like just coming up in
18:12
New York, the train was like everything. You know what I'm saying? Because you get a lot of inspiration.
18:18
Some of like the best rhymes I written was on the train. You get what I'm saying? Like you just see a lot of
18:24
you just see a lot of the culture. Like if you're driving around New York all the time, it's a different city when
18:30
you're on the train. Like you see so you might see the most beautiful girl you ever seen in your life on a train. Yeah.
18:36
You understand what I'm saying? You might see the funniest thing. Somebody might come on a train and start doing
18:42
comedy or some [Â __Â ] It's like, yo, this is hilarious. Like a lot of the real culture in New York is on a train. And
18:48
it's like, you know, that's how we get around. Yeah. So to elevate from, you know, the train now you probably
18:54
driving a foreign based on like, you know, the things that you made up on the train. Like I literally
19:01
got a car based on the things that I created while I was riding the train. like writing rhymes, different songs,
19:06
different ideas. It's like, you know, I put all that energy into making music and it kind of just elevated my life.
19:12
So, it's like the Metro car turned to a car key. You know what I'm saying? It's funny because
19:17
I rode the train the other day just because like, you know, like let me get on the train
19:23
and then I seen one of my fans. He was like, "Oh shit." Like, I'm fans on the train. Like, yeah, bro. Like, I just I
19:30
just felt like I wanted to ride the train. Like, you get what I'm saying? just to just to get inspired again, just
19:36
to just tap into that the [Â __Â ] that I used to tap into before I was who I am now. You know what I'm saying? So, it's
19:43
it's just the elevation. You know what I'm saying? That's what it was really. Salute to you, Ron, cuz you stayed true
19:48
to who you are from the beginning to now as an MC. I know you love this.
19:54
I I you know, I I I was going to quote some more lyrics from it. You know, um success don't come to the comfortable.
20:00
Nah, got to scrape your knuckles. The jungle will never comfort you. Your actions speak louder. Don't say what the
20:06
[Â __Â ] you going to do. A lot of [Â __Â ] got dreams that they don't see coming true. Got to had a vision. I saw God in
20:14
my darkest hour. Thought I never had religion. That's real. Yeah,
20:20
that's real, man. That's real. That was some bars right there. Yeah. You was so excited. It almost sound like you wrote it. Good job.
20:25
I did, man. Yeah, you did good on that one. I've been I've been saying these lyrics and not telling people they were wrong.
20:31
Okay. Yeah, cuz that was a real This was one of your better better reads, right? Yeah, man. You into it.
20:38
Um, I saw God in my darkest hour. Can you recall that hour?
20:43
Um, yeah. I was in jail, you know what I'm saying? And, you know, I was just I just felt like stuck like, damn. And
20:51
then I just just like, you know, how am I going to transition from this?
20:56
You know what I'm saying? Because there was a point in time in my life I just was getting in a lot of trouble. You know what I'm saying? And it was just
21:02
like, yo, I need to I need to figure it out. You get what I'm saying? I just need to figure it out. And then I just
21:08
felt like God just told me just do what you do best. You know what I'm saying? Like put your all into into what you
21:15
love to do. So then you end up doing what you love. You know what I'm saying? So that's what that was. I just
21:22
just decided to just take rap completely serious. You know what I'm saying? Was that the first thing you did when
21:28
you got out of jail? You you found somebody to go into the studio with or I was going to the studio before that.
21:34
But it was just more so like, you know what, I got to keep doing this. I have to because I would like
21:40
have opportunities to do something with my rap career and then I get caught up
21:46
and it's like, damn, yo, now I'm in jail now. I missed this, I missed that. I probably would have got, you know, I probably would have been
21:52
much further earlier if I was just like, you know, not running the streets.
21:57
Yeah. But, you know, I feel like sometimes you got to go through those those trials and tribulations to kind of just like
22:06
push you forward. You know what I'm saying? Cuz sometimes people don't really take [Â __Â ] serious.
22:11
But I feel like once you get your your freedom stripped from you, that's, you know, that's like the lowest you could
22:17
possibly be besides in the hospital or dead. So it's like the only thing you could do is either rise up out of that
22:22
or just keep going through the same cycle. And I'm just like, "No, I'm done going through this." You know what I'm saying?
22:28
That mental [Â __Â ] Come on, man. Man, we got Rome Streets is here. Conductor is here. I'mma open
22:33
up the phone lines. 8887423345. The name of the project is Train
22:38
Spotting. The name of the song is MASH. Get the applause going for Bars.
22:46
Bars. Golly, y'all. I I can't believe that.
22:51
I won't even say 10 years ago we used to sit up on this platform and argue with
22:56
people that lyrics matter. Y'all remember that conversation? I remember all of that. Trust me, I was
23:02
there. Remember that? I remember all of that, man. Trust me, I remember. Yo, I remember. It's so funny,
23:09
right? Like back then, I remember people used to be like, "Yo, Rome, you got to switch it up. Like you got to you got to
23:15
you know what I mean? Make some club [Â __Â ] Like make some make some [Â __Â ] that's going to get you there. Like you know bars ain't in no more. Like you got
23:23
to switch it up. Like make you know I mean make something like that. Wow. And it's so funny that all them people
23:28
that was telling me to do that they still trying to figure it out. Like they still trying to they still trying to
23:35
figure this [Â __Â ] out. Like damn, how do I get there? And now it's like yo bro I got exactly where I wanted to go by
23:42
doing exactly what I wanted to do. You get what I'm saying? Like if you listen to [Â __Â ] I was making 10 years ago, it's
23:48
it's the same [Â __Â ] You know what I mean? I'm probably better now, but you know what I mean? It's like the same
23:53
sensibilities. Like I this is how I wanted to come off. You know what I'm saying? Like yes. I didn't I didn't want to like
24:00
make a a song or you know what I mean? A type of record that isn't who I am because if that [Â __Â ] blow up then that's
24:07
all they going to want from me. You get what I'm saying? Absolutely. Good Rome streets man. And then conductor in your own right when
24:14
people hear your you have a such a unique style of producing music. Uh you'll take sounds and you'll morph them
24:21
you know and it might be distortion or it might be static or it might it's you know you you might EQ it
24:28
differently man and and it's I believe you even described it as polarizing at
24:33
one point. Yeah. Yeah. You know that's risky. Yeah it is. Yeah. But you stuck to it.
24:38
Yeah. It's all I it's all I ever wanted to do. It's all It's kind of music I always wanted to make. So, I don't know
24:44
how to do nothing else. You know what I'm saying? Wow. It's working. Mike Muse, I see you fascinated over there.
24:50
Mike even wore his rapper chain today cuz he knew y'all was
24:56
I did. I'm trying to get I'm trying to get a feature. Put it on. I'm trying to get a feature with Ro and
25:01
Conductor. Trying to get some beats from conductor, too.
25:06
Mike music. Mike music bar son. That's what Sway says. Um, no,
25:12
but I'm in thoroughly enjoying this conversation and actually Tracy G and I were just having a off-air comment about
25:18
you two um and black men and how beautiful it is to see you two in in in
25:24
partnership with each other. Um, I just have a question. I feel like you guys and really conductor, I'm coming off
25:29
what you were just saying about Virgil Abau and you made me think differently as you started talking afterwards. I
25:35
have a feeling you you approach music as if it's art on canvas and and I'm just curious is that the thought process of
25:41
it. Yeah, for sure. That's that's 100% the the process of it, you know? So, I I
25:48
it's got to be a study for me. It's got to be something internal that I'm um seeking or wanting to explore um an
25:56
emotion I'm trying to convey for that day. Even if it's just honesty, how I'm feeling for the day
26:01
um type of thing. But a lot of the beats come off of studies and um a lot of art
26:06
history studies and stuff like that that I'm just kind of into. Yeah. Yo, uh KMP, you make you you make beats,
26:13
right? I do. What do you study? You know what? I I actually I study
26:18
music in general, but I also listen to other producers. Uh so when I came up producing uh back
26:25
in the 90s, like my favorites was like Pete Rock, Premiere, those cats. So, I
26:30
studied that and then what they did and then implemented into my own stuff. But back then, I was I was gonna ask my man
26:37
something. Are you using hardware or software to make your beats? Still still using hardware.
26:42
Okay. Still using the hardware. And even with like the uh the new MPC, the MPC1,
26:48
I still only use it for the inputs and outputs. Got you know, so I don't use the effects or anything like that.
26:55
It's just faster on the new machines. it's faster to do things like time stretching or um
27:01
you know these type of like nerdy producer things you know but it's like way faster on the 3000 or
27:07
the 2000 it takes forever just to make the sample um go longer
27:13
to go longer and then um and that so but the new machines are better the new machines he's about to nerd out
27:21
you can talk off air in the middle of nerd I realized I was like
27:27
You can do that. We had a whole Good. What's up? We had a whole 45 minutes of of who
27:34
sampled impeach the president this morning and we going through how they sampled it and how they truncated it or
27:40
how they utilized it. This is a platform you can nerd out on. All right. You know, cool. I was caught in between. I've been
27:47
trying to limit my pause moments on things. Okay. I've been trying to limit that.
27:52
Good for you, my guy. It's it's it's ridiculous, actually. You know what I'm saying? So, when I think
27:57
about that, um, pause is old. It is. It is old and it's just
28:03
it's just it's just not it's it's not the type of man I am or want to be where it's like this like subjective um thing
28:11
every time I'm thinking about something. It's like, oh, I don't want to be or come off sounding like. So, salute to,
28:16
you know, the bros that do that. But I'm I'm trying to take that out of my my life.
28:22
Yeah. I'm trying to salute you. I'm trying to get that devil out of here uh right quick. You know what I'm saying? It's all love on this side.
28:28
Okay, man. I love this. Um you guys uh have your own label. Who's the uh founders of the influence enterprise?
28:35
Oh, that's me. That's you, Rome. Come on, Rome. Look at Rome got his own label, y'all.
28:40
Busy swag. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And shout out China Streets.
28:45
Shout out Ox Omni. You know what I'm saying? Shout out Wavy the Guard. That's the crew right there. I was going
28:52
to um ask you because on the um record Ricky Bobby um you rap about, you know,
28:57
Cyber Trucks and Maseratis, you know, but you know um I love cars. You love cars. Carreras, Cybers,
29:05
Maseratis, but you know, when you have your own label now, you're kind of independent. You got alliance with Massill, by the
29:12
way. Salute the Massel cuz they're [Â __Â ] knocking it out the park right now. the Slick Rick Project. Uh Ghost
29:19
Face, Bob Deep, Nas, Raycoin,
29:24
man. Y'all, those is all legends. Those are all people that I looked up to when I was
29:30
coming up. You know what I'm saying? Like, what does it mean to you to be superheroes? Yeah. To be But being allies and Master
29:36
Peel on your label, what does that mean to you? Um, honestly, that's that's great, man. Like, when I It's like a dream come
29:42
true. Like, like I said, like I've been into rap since I like since I was in
29:49
like preschool, kindergarten. So, it's like just to be able to meet everybody
29:54
that I looked up to and they be like, "Mom, I love your [Â __Â ] I love I love what you're doing. Keep doing it." Like, "Girl, let's do something." It's just
30:00
like, "Wow." Like, you know what I mean? The the six-year-old me is doing back flips right now. Oh, that's amazing.
30:06
It's just amazing because there was a point in time, like I said, it didn't really look like this type of music was getting any type
30:14
of traction. You know what I'm saying? I probably It's like, damn, man. Strip club done took over the bars. Like,
30:20
I got to make a strip club song. But it's like, you know what? We here doing what we want to do. You know what I mean? We rubbing
30:25
shoulders with all the legends and and they respect the craft. So, it's like it's just inspiring to keep going. You
30:31
know what I'm saying? So, what would you say then? Because this is a live radio show and there's people who listening to us y'all right
30:37
now while they incarcerated. You've been in that place. You called it your darkest hour. There's people in there writing want to be where you are in a
30:44
year from now, six months from now. What would you say if they're in their darkest hour right now? What would you speak words into them?
30:50
Um, just keep going. Do what you love. You know what I'm saying? Don't get distracted by what's going on like in
30:56
the dorm or in the yard. Don't gamble. Um, don't take nothing from nobody that
31:02
you can't give back, but um, have a plan to come outside. Have a plan. Have a
31:07
plan to um, to elevate once you come outside. And I feel like today you got more advantages.
31:13
Back then we didn't have I didn't have all them social medias and all that type of [Â __Â ] You know what I'm saying? Like all I had was like MySpace
31:19
back then. You get what I'm saying? Now you got Instagram. Now you got all these, you know what I mean, platforms where you
31:25
could just reach out to somebody that you probably want to work with. I would say honestly another a piece of advice
31:31
that I learned just for my own self. Yeah. When it comes to just like, you know,
31:36
trying to connect, don't ever be afraid to shoot your shot. Like DM that producer,
31:43
DM that rapper, send your music. You know what I'm saying? Cuz a lot of the [Â __Â ] that happened to me for my career
31:50
was just because I wasn't afraid to shoot the shot. Like that's even how I linked up with Westside Gun. Like
31:56
somebody was like I think they asked him a question or asked him like yo matter
32:01
of fact somebody asked me on Twitter they was like yo
32:07
if Westside Gun or Westside Gun need to do an album with Rome streets. I'm like that's the best [Â __Â ] he ever gonna do.
32:13
And then he DM' me like what you talking about? You think that's going to be the best [Â __Â ] I ever did? I did all this
32:19
[Â __Â ] I'm like, "Yeah, [Â __Â ] The hardest [Â __Â ] you ever done." All right, let's get it. You know, like I wasn't
32:25
really just afraid to talk my [Â __Â ] You get what I'm saying? Like cuz I was confident. I know who I am. I
32:31
know what I know I get busy like. So, you know what I mean? Yeah. But part of it too, your confidence come from putting in the
32:37
work. You was working. You was even know where you were. You was putting in Yeah. You was You was writing. You
32:42
used to battle people everywhere. Like before Yeah, man. I used to go all over New York battling [Â __Â ] battle on the
32:48
train, 42nd Street, everywhere. Like, you know what I'm saying? That's how I built up my confidence of
32:53
who I am as an artist. So, it's like my advice to anybody is believe in yourself. Don't ever be afraid to shoot
33:00
your shot and don't think where you at is your final stage. You know what I'm saying?
33:06
You can always elevate. I love it, man. We got Rome Street and the and conductor Williams are here. Uh,
33:12
let's just call a spade a spade when you say Griselda
33:18
played a significant role in elevating lyrics again. Oh yeah.
33:23
You know, a significant role. At one point they were on an island on their own.
33:28
And they were fighting through a lot of different eras of, you know, successful
33:35
genres of rap that wasn't theirs. And they stuck to their guns. And we
33:40
know it because I think Benny first time even really spitting on the national platform was when he came up to our show
33:47
and we've been supporting Griselda uh since day one. So salute to that Griselda Records movement, man.
33:53
That's Yeah, man. Many of them for real. What did you learn, you know, from like
34:00
you know, you you come into the game, you see their success. Do they do they do everybody pass on the information?
34:05
Oh, what? Dealing with Griselda? I would say when I first heard about Griselda,
34:11
it just like I used to see it on blogs like, "Oh yeah, Griselda signed the Grisel." I'm like, "Who is this Griselda
34:16
shit?" And then I heard it, I was like, "Oh, [Â __Â ] is rapping again." All right, watch this. Like, yo, I swear to
34:23
God. Like, once I heard about Griselda, I was like, "Nah, there's a lane for
34:29
this type of shit." I thought I was the only person doing it. Like I said, everybody was telling me like, "Nah, you got to switch up. You
34:34
got to do this." I'm like, "Nah, I seen the Griselda show." I'm like, "Yeah, yeah, that's where I need to be." Yeah. So, I would say like
34:40
if you believe in something like the internet is big, I feel like a lot of up
34:46
andcoming artists, they always worried about the people that ain't paying them no mind.
34:51
So, it's like with this lane, it's like if you got 10 people that like your [Â __Â ] make it for those 10 people.
34:59
Then them 10 people going to tell 20 people. and them 20 people gonna tell a hundred people. And then now you got a
35:05
thousand people that like your [Â __Â ] instead of you trying to like throw your music at somebody who don't
35:11
care. It's like, yo, you got all these people that care. Just cater to them and it's going to grow.
35:16
And I feel like that's what it is. That's that's something that I learned just, you know, observing how this thing
35:23
moves. Like the this pocket of rap that we in Yeah. You just gota you just got to like feed the people that is knocking
35:32
on your door for food. You understand what I'm saying? Like the internet is very vast. You could press a
35:38
button and your [Â __Â ] is all over the world. So it's like if you got once you have a little bit of traction and people
35:44
showing you love on IG or Twitter, only give it to those people.
35:49
There you go. You know what I'm saying? Even if it's like I said 20 people, you sell them something for for $30,
35:55
that's 600 bucks you done made right there. So you could keep going and keep going and keep going and it's just going to
36:01
build. I remember when I was happy to have a thousand followers. Now I got a 100,000.
36:07
I remember I was happy to have a thousand listeners on Spotify. I
36:12
didn't I didn't had a million monthly listeners before. You know what I mean? I just didn't stop. It's like it's gonna
36:20
grow. You know what I'm saying? Like McDonald's started as one little hole in the wall burger spot.
36:26
I like that, man. Rome streets, y'all. Come on. Give that man a round of applause. A lot of
36:32
people who ain't paying them no mind. The hook conductor. I'm going to name some songs you've done, and I'm curious to how you
36:39
compare and contrast working with different artists. Um um
36:44
8 a.m. in Charlotte. stories about my brother
36:49
fighting Irish freestyle. That's Drake. Uh,
36:56
in case they didn't know, JCole, uh, you did the the the um the seven You did the
37:02
seven minute drill. Yeah, I did. He did the dish record. Yo, chill.
37:08
Keep going. Just keep going. Keep going. Okay. You had the beat first. I had that beat
37:15
first. Did you? heard. Yeah. I probably have every conductive beat first. You didn't rock on it or
37:21
nah. I didn't even realize it was that beat till later. I was going through beats. I'm like, "Well, I heard this shit." I'm like, "Oh, that JCole."
37:27
Yeah. Yeah. Um, and it's not about that, you know? You a producer, man. You go where you go. You only inherit people's
37:34
beefs and all that [Â __Â ] That a um you you you here to paint, you know what I mean?
37:40
Can you compare? Both of them are amazing. like you know era definfining
37:46
artists Drake and JCole. Um can you compare and contrast working with artists of that magnitude?
37:54
Like what was the differences that they or similarities they share? I I think the differences with those
38:00
guys is that they're when when it's time when it's album mode they're locked in.
38:05
Zero target locked in. And so there's more confidence that your record's gonna
38:11
get placed or your record's gonna get used. And with those two particular guys, well, everybody in my career, they
38:17
reach right out to me. So everybody's reached right out to me, DM, hey, this is what I I want to mess
38:23
with you. Give me a text or call or something. So with both of those gentlemen and everyone, I have a
38:29
conversation with them about um what they're thinking about, what they're it's like a really granola thing. And
38:36
honestly, um, the first person of that stature that to actually respond back to
38:41
me with love was Drake. Wow. And the conversation was like, "Yo, what are you, you know, like what are you
38:47
reading? What are you talking about? Like what are you thinking about? What do you want from me?" Um, because I want
38:53
to produce records. Like my whole MO is like if you want to work with me, let's work. If not, I'm in Kansas City in my
39:00
basement making beats. And it's okay that you don't want to. So my my whole energy is like, yo, I want to be of
39:06
service to you. If I can't be of service to you, then it's okay. So, but Drake was the first person that honestly kind
39:12
of ruined it for everybody because he gave me all of his time. And in my mind, I'm
39:19
like, yo, if he can talk to me and give me, you know, his thoughts and send me
39:25
drafts and voice messages, ideas, then, you know, MC get busy or whatever, he
39:30
can. He needs to. Yeah. You know, yo, we say that all the time about
39:37
lateness. It's funny that you would say that. There's so many artists that show up late here
39:43
for a live conversation and then we have folks who are big A-listers. They're on
39:50
time. They're sh. And it's like, how is it that someone who has so much to do
39:56
obviously is on time and ready to go? and you just put a record out last week
40:01
and you Sway's trying to give you a shot and you late. I think it's just that that's the time is money.
40:06
I think that's the mind of a successful person and a and a person with drive is, you know, every second counts,
40:12
especially when you're calculating. If you're playing chess, every move that you can't see counts. So, you can't be
40:19
like lack, you know, lacking. You know what I mean? So I find myself in situations with CEOs and just different
40:26
men of and women of business and their merit is just so tactile and it's so functional and so I try to pride myself
40:33
in those same areas. So yeah, but but those two guys, back to the question, Drake and Cole,
40:39
um both very good MC's. Obviously, I probably have more of a
40:46
I have more of a personal friendship with Cole. Like I think if you ask Cole, are you
40:51
friends with conductor in that way? He would say, yeah. If you ask Drake, in my mind,
40:57
he would he would say yes. But I I don't I can't say that he would say that back. He' probably be like, "That's my man."
41:03
But Cole is a guy I talk to about more stuff than rap. Like we hardly ever talk about rap, but we talk all the time, you
41:10
know. Um, so that makes the music different. And then my relationship with Rome and
41:15
how we communicate and talk. That that makes the music difference. So that's why Train Spotting don't sound
41:20
like the record I did with Bodie. It don't sound like the record I did with Conway because our relationship is
41:27
fueled differently and it's all communication with me. So if you're not willing to communicate as an artist, I'm
41:33
not willing to work. Wow. Wow. Man, this is great, man. Rome streets, man. I I Before we do this,
41:39
man, the conductor, man. Rome, how do you brush your teeth, man? How does that work? What you mean? I brush it like regular
41:45
people, man. This a grill, man. I tell you. Oh, that's a grill. Oh, okay. I thought it I thought it was.
41:51
You thought it was perms? Nah, I thought it was perms, man. I didn't know. Oh, okay. I'm sorry, Heather. Why
41:56
you look embarrassed? cuz you he's a op first of all like and that's so I'm
42:02
always worried about the person sitting there cuz it's like bro you don't really got to be nice to him cuz it's his show
42:08
you could have said none of your business with you thank you bro they try to belittle you
42:14
man you hear my own sussy trying to you see she trying to trying to minimize me bro like what you mean damn what you
42:21
trying to tell me right now he got a a very you got a great grill like it's
42:26
yeah like your jewelry. Shout out to Johnny D. Yeah, Johnny. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For sure.
42:33
Oh [Â __Â ] What up, Johnny? My man Johnny. But your your your
42:38
accolades that you treated yourself to Yeah. are amazing. When I look at your chains
42:43
and the very they're not just run-of-the-mill, these things are signature to you. Yeah. Yeah. For sure.
42:48
Yeah. What is What do they signify? Um it's like little logos that I made, you know, for myself. You know what I'm
42:55
saying? Rome streets. It's like the razor blade is kind of like my logo. You know what I'm saying? So, these are just different variations
43:01
of it. You know what I'm saying? I love it, man. Rome, I'm really happy for you, brother. Yeah, man. Appreciate you.
43:07
I've been watching you a long time. Thank you for having me, man. Man, anytime, bro. You come out to a platform. I've been a fan of you forever, man.
43:13
Oh, thank you, bro. Man, I've never It's so crazy because y'all was talking about Tech N. Like, the first time I
43:19
ever heard Tech 9 was on your song. Oh, yeah. It got mad rappers on. Yeah, I
43:25
remember that. I remember that. I remember seeing that [Â __Â ] on on Rap City. Crazy. Rome know his [Â __Â ] Yo,
43:31
that had Rizza. We went from Rizza to Tech 9 to Eminem.
43:36
Yep. Because we were we wanted to make sure people heard Tech 9. So we put Eminem
43:42
behind him cuz at that time, you know, that inverse is crazy, man. We saying y'all can't see me like Mace's eyebrows.
43:49
That's Listen, man. I can't see. I love all of that. I love all of that. Ferro Munch J Felony KS
43:55
KRS1 the legendary iconic chino rap on that um Red Alert.
44:02
Um I feel like Pharaoh Munch was exhibit on there. Yeah, exhibit was on there.
44:08
I think was Camron on there too? Cam wasn't on there but that would have been dope to have Cameron on.
44:14
We are I got pictures of us and Cam from the '9s. coming to LA and just putting
44:20
putting on I'm really proud of them, too. Rome, man. I ain't even going to put a whole lot on this right now, man. I We
44:26
done this before, man. It's a celebration, man. You You did it for overtime, and I want to say I appreciate
44:31
you doing it for overtime, Rome. But overtime ain't the valley of the hyena.
44:38
You need some drop beat on them, man. Come on, man. God.
44:45
Hey yo, throw piece in the building. Shout out Sway. Shout out He had the B and we'll conductor. Love to you fam.
44:52
Hey yo, listen. Hey yo, check it. Don't push me. I'm
44:59
close to the edge like Melly Mel. [Â __Â ] dread going to jail for a fetty cell. 2010 I had a trap in Queens getting
45:06
plenty mail to Yale. Went platinum off a DY scale. Now these words pay me like a brick dude. Put passion inside of the
45:13
pen and prop it off [Â __Â ] I've been through. Yeah, a lot of rappers go in but they on the menu. Fool catch me
45:18
spitting they jewels out at the venue. Where I'm from, [Â __Â ] get clap for [Â __Â ] they friends do. Your friends aim a
45:24
knife at your back and stick it in you. So I'm a lone soldier like the Mandalorian. [Â __Â ] the Lord, trust the
45:29
Lord and the 40 that he brought with him. These [Â __Â ] ain't dropping hot [Â __Â ] when I lead a game that study my
45:35
reign like meteorologist. with a contra band record contract conferences made a stream of income off a stream of
45:42
consciousness, [Â __Â ] Hey yo, check it. Hey yo. Hey yo, [Â __Â ]
45:49
Hold on. Hold on. Listen. Hey yo, check it. Yo, listen. Did what I had to do.
45:55
Turn nothing into something they envy. A money magnet. The [Â __Â ] is on me and in me. Put on an act for my PO. I could
46:01
have won an enemy. Make ends meet. My enemy is a pocket that's empty. I elevated from meeting and fiend serving
46:07
them 20s and bundles with powder inside this brown like a penny. Now this pen gonna get me a Bentley. You bums watch
46:13
me ball from behind the bench hoping they play against me. Hateing they heart cuz I blue like the strip on a Benji.
46:18
They downloading my dope got the fiends in a frenzy. I'm forever fly the fabric on a coat Fendy. A one red breed son.
46:26
You one of many bugs they hit the windshield while I fly in a benzy. My ex broad swear she important. She just a
46:32
memory. Forget about it. that I'm diabolic by 25 they said I die but I'm iconic look at me now a poster boy prder
46:39
in a Polaroid [Â __Â ] wasn't popping I filled the open void these [Â __Â ] switch started singing like Lloyd dropping a
46:45
whole lot of noise I'm the smoke you need to avoid street we got a lion up in here we got a
46:53
ferocious hyena give it up for street y'all lucky I [Â __Â ] up y'all lucky I
46:59
[Â __Â ] up but keep You kept going. Yeah, man. Wasn't no [Â __Â ] up.
47:06
Started back. [Â __Â ] That ain't no [Â __Â ] up. Excellent. What the hell was that?
47:11
Yo, [Â __Â ] Damn. Damn catch marinade donut for a second,
47:19
man. I had to catch it, man. Yo, Rome got to do our for the culture pro. Uh, he really do.
47:25
We got some stuff for you, Rome. Hey, man. Rome streets, man. You're
47:30
salute. Salute to you, brother. You're a lyrical general. Rome streets. Ferocious MC. Rome Streets.
47:37
He's better than you. Rome Streets, you whack MC's, you've been eradicated a
47:42
long time ago. Rome Streets is in the building. Conductor Williams, pick up
47:48
your beats. Producers, get your beats better. You ain't got no identity. We
47:53
know his beats soon as they come on. What's that tag you say? Which one? Conductor, we have a problem.
48:00
Conductor, we got we have a problem. We have a problem. Yo, man. Hey, this is amazing.
48:05
Give these guys a round of applause. Get the new project, Train Spot in Rome. We did it.
48:11
We did it, man. Thank you. Tell the fellas we said what up for real. Hey, man. Did have you talked to Nas at
48:17
all? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What What does Nas say to? I met Nas like three times already. Okay. No, he love my [Â __Â ]
48:23
He said that? Yes. He was like, "Yo, Rome, your music is crazy, bro. I love it. Wow.
48:28
Let's Let's keep going. He [Â __Â ] with my music hard about it. That [Â __Â ] blew my mind. I had to like
48:35
act like, you know, I couldn't fan out. You know what I'm saying? But no, I told him I'm like,
48:40
"Yo, you know, you you the goat. You're my favorite rapper." You know what I'm saying? So, just to even meet him and him
48:46
acknowledging who I am, it's like I'm good. Like, I mean, yeah. Just to so to be on this radar,
48:53
what do you want us to mention? Mention the show. The show. We having a show tomorrow at Echoplelex,
48:58
man. Rome streets and conductor. Tap in. Pull up, man. [Â __Â ] with us. What time tomorrow?
49:04
Uh, probably like 8:00. Yeah. Doors are at 8:00. Thursday night.
49:09
Thursday night. Echoplex. Yeah, man. Come see Rome Street. Same spot and live. This the first time me and conductor ever doing a show live.
49:17
I'm saying together. So, I'm playing the beast live. That's gonna be crazy. Yeah. It won't be no turntable stuff
49:23
like I'm going to I got [Â __Â ] programmed and I'm going to That's old school right there. That's new school now.
49:28
I'm going to you know play it out live. So it's going to feel fantastic. Y'all just got to see this.
49:33
It's going to sound incredible too. Hungry hungry. Salute the method man too. He on the project.
49:40
You got meth on the project, bro. Yeah, man. Don't be mean. Don't be too cool. Listen, man. That's another legend.
49:46
That's another legend. You know what I'm saying? that that just reached out. What did he say to you?
49:52
He loved my [Â __Â ] too. Like, he was like, "Yo, Rome, anytime you want to do something, like, let's get it." You know what I'm saying?
49:58
It was just dope just to, you know, like I said, getting acknowledged by all these legends that I looked up to when I
50:04
was coming up. It's like I feel like I couldn't really ask for more, honestly.
50:09
I know the feeling, man. I remember Red Alert came up to me once and said, "I was thinking about leaving the game and Red Alert pulled me aside and said, "You
50:16
can't leave the game. The culture needs you." This is like 20 years ago, bro. And I was like, damn, bro. You even know
50:22
what the [Â __Â ] I do that. Yo, that that's what it be, honestly. It's like, damn. Yo, you know
50:27
me. Like, wow. Like, all right. Damn. Wow. Right. Yeah. Must be doing something right.
50:34
Y'all doing something exceptional. It ain't even right. It's beyond right. It's exceptional. Give them a round of
50:39
applause. Rome streets and conductor Williams. Train Spotting is the name of the album. Um, congratulations to the
50:45
Influenced Enterprise label, sir. Alliance with Mass Appeal. All right.
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