Driicky Graham here to make another splash, but not with just one song. He’s coming full metal jacket towards the music industry and isn’t taking any prisoners. The North Carolina native wants you to know that he is more than just “Snapbacks & Tattoos”; he’s cerebral on wax; ambidextrous with the pen, and fixated on success. Graham is letting folks know that he is here to stay.
Def Pen: How was the Under The Influence tour? I seen you posting pictures on Instagram being backstage and everything, so how’s that tour been?
Driicky Graham: Man, that shit was crazy. I had a lot of fun. Wiz (Khalifa) and Jeezy are two very talented artists out here, so you know, they have other shows that are mad major, so it’s good they showed their support. My boy Mack Wilds and Iamsu! was out there turning up, you know, we were just out here having a good time.
From what I’m hearing the tour is getting good reviews and just the whole atmosphere. So clearly, you’re attesting to that.
Yeah, of course.
Rap Radar put your song “Snapbacks & Tattoos” on their Worst Singles Of 2012 list, and me personally, I like that song. It’s on my iPod party playlist, but I’m not going to be one of those a**holes that’s going to grill you about it. But how did that make you feel, although, I think they’re wrong.
Personally, with Rap Radar it’s all opinions. I know that Rap Radar been doing this and keeping people informed with hip-hop, but to me, it’s matter of opinion. Is that how the editor feels? Is that how the entire staff of Rap Radar genuinely feels? At the end of the day I sold a million records, so put that next to your worst list, but goes platinum. That’s all I ask for.
Everybody has a blog, everyone has an opinion, it’s definitely subjective. But to consider it as one of the worst, when there were others that were f*cking terrible. I didn’t think it was warranted, and certain people may have an agenda, but that’s neither here nor there. So piggybacking off that, what do you think the misconceptions about you as an artist?
I think because of “Snapbacks” a lot of people stereotype my music. I was rapping different before that, even with my first mixtape Gotta Start Somewhere, I spitting and laying out intricate verses and rhyme schemes, and patterns on different songs. I’m just very, very versatile when it comes to my music. I don’t want everything to sound the same. I’m just not a repetitive person like that. I hope you get to know me, for me. And know that he can do this, this, and this. And not just this type of sound. I try to cover all grounds.
Right, you don’t want to be boxed in, and that’s great because there’s too many artist i.e. Trinidad James (laughs) that kind of fell into that trap, and it went the way it went.
(laughs)
What’s the genesis of your name; where did this all come about?
Driicky is really my middle name, Frederick, and Frederick was the name of my grandfather — he passed away. Driicky is just a shortened version of Frederick which is why I’ve been going by the alias Frederick Neechi. It’s just two different sides.
Being that you were raised in North Carolina, what artists, if any, do you feel was an influence for you growing up?
I mean, Carolina, to me, wasn’t really known for all the legends or greats just yet. Being that I’m from Jersey originally, I still listened to Nas, Biggie, Pac, Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem, different guys like that. The south rappers I listened to were Lil Wayne, OutKast, Jeezy, T.I., and Ludacris. That’s pretty much that.
What were your experiences building the song “We Up”?
Just wanted to show the growth and maturity about things I talk about in my music, and I wanted to express that when it came to the right female. And I know my generation is talking about THOTs, heavy. I just wanted to touch on something that goes against the grain and represent the other side of a young man and a young woman trying to establish something, and actually being true from day one with each other. So I took that concept into thought and started writing stuff on how I felt. Then Sebastian Mikael was kind enough to work with a young nigga and lay his tones down on the hook, I thought it was amazing. He flew to New York, went right in, and there you have it.
Who do you think mimics your flow?
I’ve heard songs with the “Eh.” I’ve heard that sound, I try not to pay much attention. I’m focused on me. Even if somebody was doing that, I take it as imitation as the best form of flattery. It’s cool. In hip-hop there’s going to be recycled flows; it comes with the game. I can’t go on a Kanye rant about “eh, Snapbacks and Tattoos,” or whatever flow they try to use. But you know, it’s cool. I just gotta focus on me.
This is random and off the cuff, but what are you’re favorite TV shows that are out right now?
My favorite TV show, salute 50 Cent, that Power is crazy.
YES!!!
That show is crazy.
Other than that, if I get to watch TV, man, I love to watch Martin. I grew up on Martin, it was some of the best comedy I’ve ever seen. And….shit. I don’t really know, I don’t get to watch much TV nowadays.
What do you think is gonna happen as far as….I’m pretty sure you saw the season finale of Power by now, right?
NO, do not tell me. Don’t. Don’t! You were about to ask me, and I’m like “no, nah wait, no, I didn’t get to that part yet!”
Yeah, I had to make sure I lined that question up right. (laughs)
I gotta check that episode out.
It’s good, definitely worth the checkout. As far as future work, what do you have going on now?
We plugging for the new album Success By The Graham. It’s going to be way more aggressive with the bars; it’s definitely going to have that seriousness to it.
Check out his newest track “Rambo” below.
You can find Driicky Graham on Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, and his website.
