When most people in Jersey think about Freehold they think of either the race track or the mall, almost nobody immediately thinks of the bubbling Hip-Hop scene. That might be about to change with the release of Cinoevil’s self-titled album. The project was released in early March and features Cinoevil’s intense lyrics over dark production as well as guest appearances by his OCD clique and well-known Jersey MC’s like Mir Fontaine and Ren Thomas (featured NJ Next in February of 2018).
NJ Next’s Angelo Gingerelli got a chance to talk to Cinoevil about the project, the scene in Freehold and what to expect from his solo career and the OCD collective as a whole…
When does hip-hop enter your life? When do you decide to transition from fan to artist?
I’ve always been and always will be a fan of Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop entered my life when I was super young. I actually got in trouble in fourth grade for a terrible rap I wrote called “Middle Fingers.’ I tried spitting it to my boys in the lunchroom and got sent to the principal’s office.
In sixth grade, I recorded my first verse at my neighbor’s house who was a singer. That’s when I truly fell in love with making music. We were still so young though, so I really wasn’t saying much in these verses. I really started taking it seriously in seventh and eighth grade. I got my own recording equipment for Christmas and taught myself how to make music. It sounded like sh*t but it was a start.
Your self-titled album (Cinoevil) starts with the words “I’m my hometown’s greatest…” What is your hometown and what’s the Hip-Hop scene like there?
My hometown is Freehold, New Jersey. The Hip-Hop scene here talent-wise, is dope. There are lots of incredible rappers and singers. A good amount of them are in OCD. As far as the actual scene on the other hand, it is lacking heavily. There’s no real venues out this way for hip-hop, it’s hard to get people to take you seriously. We’re working to change that, but for the most part, the rap scene out here needs to step it up.
You mention that you don’t have “White Rapper Syndrome” what is that? How have you avoided it?
That line was mostly for a good laugh to be honest. However, it 100% is a real thing. From the door, there is a stigma on white rappers. White rappers will ALWAYS be compared to Eminem at some point or another in our careers, there is no avoiding it. You can sound just like E-40, but if you’re white, someone will compare you to Eminem. Don’t get me wrong though, obviously Em is one of the GOATS, but a lot of these dudes try to sound like him which, in my opinion, is whack as fuck.
Find your own sound. Be the first you. Not the next Em. The issue that a lot of white rappers also have is the fact that they think rapping fast means they’re a good rapper. There’s so much more to being a good rapper than just having the ability to rap fast.
First and foremost, you NEED bars. I have not avoided this at all, when I first started rapping, my voice sounded very similar to Eminem’s because he was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. I just got tired of being compared to him though, so I had to find my own sound which took years for me to finally find the right voice that was natural and
original.
Cinoevil (the album) has verses filled with straight bars and some songs clearly influenced by other genres of music (Bittersweet, Money Now, etc.) Who are your main influences as both an MC and in other genres?
My main influences as an MC are Nas, Big L, Eminem and Jadakiss. With other genres and subgenres, I was definitely influenced at a young age by Green Day, Hollywood Undead’s “Swan Songs” & most recently, Post Malone & Juice WRLD (rest in peace).
The project contains several posse cuts with some NJ heavy hitters like Ren Thomas and Mir Fontaine. How did you decide who you wanted on the album and is there anybody that didn’t work out that you want to have on the next one?
My goal was to keep all features on the album in Jersey. I have been a fan of Mir Fontane’s work as well as his loyalty to NJ. I have wanted to work with Mir for a while now and am happy that it happened when it did. I decided I wanted Ren Thomas on the album when I saw a freestyle he did on Shade 45. I have big respect for Ren because he is one of the few working to keep real Hip-Hop alive. Everybody that I wanted on the album actually worked out. If I could choose to have someone on the next album, I would love to continue
keeping it in Jersey and get Tsu Surf.
What is OCD and who is involved?
OCD was a group I and a few other artists created back when we were all in high school. OCD consists of rappers, singers, producers, and engineers. Artists of all sorts. OCD originally stood for Obsessively Creative Delinquents. We have, since then, given it other meanings as we’ve grown. In the first song, “Revolt”, off my album, I told the members of my team to “…Stay obnoxious…”, “…stay conscious…” & “…stay dignified…” That would be the best way to describe our group. Obnoxious Conscious Dignified. OCD. The members of the group are: Charlie Wolfe, Ragz, Summonte, Mustang Marinara, Jaded Shade, Nerson, Morskamo, Hoodbabii & Dole.
What’s next for Cinoevil and OCD?
Next for me, I have shows to book, more songs to record and music videos to film. As for OCD, we will all be releasing some type of project this year whether it be an EP or an album. But the world will be seeing a lot of my team very soon. Summonte has an album coming out very soon that is one of the most incredible, well-structured projects I’ve heard in a very long time. Stay tuned!
Rapid Responses:
Top 5 Rappers Dead or Alive: Tupac, Nas, Jadakiss, Kanye West & Method Man
Top 4 Producers of All Time: Kanye West, DJ Premier, J Dilla & Just Blaze.
Top 3 Venues for Live Hip-Hop in New Jersey: Starland Ballroom, House of Independents & Stone Pony
Top 2 New Jersey Artists About To Blow Up: Summonte & Mic Jackson
One Reason Everybody Should Check Out Cinoevil: I’m not just another rapper. I got plans to change the game. Plus if you listen now, y’all can brag in the future talking about “I been listening to him way before he blew up”
