Boston based Hip Hop artist, TooKari, gets personal while reflecting on what generates his creative process and his entry into the music game. According to the rising Rap sensation
“ I think if we all keep pushing each other forward we’ll be ight. The more support we share the more noise we make”.
Read the full interview to find out more about the making of his latest project “Picture The Pieces”.
Boston Culture: Where did you grow up? What was that like?
TooKari: Growing up I lived all throughout the Boston area. As a kid I moved roughly seven to eight times. By the time I was twelve I was based in Fields Corner, where I spent most of my years until I went to college. Living in the Dorchester area as a kid was fun. I was heavy into sports so I knew a fair amount of people, and that's what mainly had me in different parts of town. Coming up I saw a lot. Lost a lot of close friends, came across many blurry minded people, etc. One thing about being where I'm from, is that it teaches you to be more prepared. More prepared than what you should be prepared for. I've been through, seen, and heard a lot which has helped shift me into the man that I am today. For that I am forever grateful.
Boston Culture: How did you find your creativity?
TooKari: I'm always in my head, I'm always analyzing situations, I'm always tryna see something from the inside looking out, and vice versa. It all helps me see things more clearly. That, and just wanting to be musically different from everyone else. With a dash of telling my story and the things I've been through and/or come across. Which I'm sure is common for any other artist. But me, it's like I critique myself so hard just from the words I say in a record, to how I say it, when it's said, all the way up to wanting the best sound.. The whole nine yards. A lot goes into the creative thinking process; I'd be going on all day. Which is how I get creative and why I love what I do.
Boston Culture: Talk to us about your relationship with your team. How have they helped you challenge yourself and create artists?
TooKari: My team is top tier! I love my brothers and we are locked in forever. We go by STL (Solid Through Loyalty) and we hold each other accountable on whatever. That's how you grow, that's how to know who's for you genuinely, and who really wants the best for you. No sugarcoad! I'm surrounded by some Dawgs! True workaholics. Ones who have more knowledge than I do in certain areas where I'm able to sponge off of and really learn what I don't know already. And ones I'm able to converse too about all that I do know or think makes sense. My team's family.
Boston Culture: What was the best advice you got early in your career? Where did you get your music creativity & entrepreneurial mentality from?
TooKari: “It's not by accident, the work you put in is the results you get out, never care TOO MUCH about people's personal opinions, perfect your craft, and know if this is for you or not, cause it aint for everyone”. All things my brother told me throughout the whole beginning of my startup. Getting advice still till this day. I’d say I get my entrepreneurial mentality from my team and mainly my uncles. Natural born hustlers! All they talk about is business, business, credit, and more business. So tying that in with the music helps me to have more of an open mind, and to be more understanding when it comes to the business side of music. Example, knowing what to put out to the public and how to market what I do. Whether it's attending certain events and showing face (Networking), reaching out to certain people, cause life's all about connections and the people you come across, and what/how I invest money. It all plays a part.
Boston Culture: Walk us through the first time you ever made a song or had a creative idea. What was running through your mind?
TooKari: Lit! First time I made a track was at this community center called The D House in 2015. Downstairs in this built in studio my mentor/coach (Nugget) had put together. Bruh one of the funniest dudes ever. I had freestyled over some type beat with my dawg (Bravo). Whole stu was vibes. From there I kept going, I made my first real song after school. That thought process was just party vibes and college crowd.
Boston Culture: Top 3 favorite producers/rappers?
TooKari:
(Producers)
STL Datboychris
Hit Boy
Timberland
Murder beast
(Artist)
I just love music. But 3 artists that I’m fw right now are
Mozzy
Lil Baby
Polo G
Boston Culture: Answer these quickly:
Favorite Smoke: Cookies Lg, Pink Runtz, Backpack Boyz, Zone 5 fortune cookies
Favorite Studio: Loud House Studios
Favorite Food: Seafood (Any type)
Favorite Album: More Life
Any new hobbies: Writing, Hooping.. Started reading more! & chillin w/ my close ones.
Favorite part of Covid: Leveling up my hustle, and finishing my tape.
Boston Culture : Walk us through your creative process when cooking up? What was going through your mind when creating songs for your latest tape, "Picture The Pieces"
TooKari: Quality, meaning, & just wanting it to be a forever lasting piece of Art. Something I could look back to years down the line and say to myself, “yeah! this aged well”. Cause as I mentioned earlier, I critique myself on a whole different level, but not on purpose. Some say perfectionist, I say knowing my worth with my work and what I want to gain from it. The process of cooking up PTP was more than what could be imagined. From the timing release, to the stories behind each track within itself, missing two release dates, taking a full year to hit certain time periods again, really understanding the tape myself and the message behind it, stress and all. A process I wouldn't change for anything.
Boston Culture: What do you dislike about the art world/music industry?
TooKari: Not too many dislikes because I play my lane honestly. But if I had to pick at one small thing it would be within self and how I always want to create perfection. It could get annoying cause your work could always be better in some type of way. I be wishing we could have all the time in the world.
Boston Culture: Who or what are some of your biggest influences? Talk to us about your roots.
TooKari: My biggest influences in life are my parents of course. My whole life I've always watched them get to it, always make it happen, and always make sure me and my siblings had majority of what we asked for. Even if they struggled for it, that was never made visible for us to see. I got to see the outcome of hustle and chasing what I want. You can't unlearn that.
Boston Culture: Talk to us about your younger mentality and what allowed you to stay focused on your goals growing up.
TooKari: My younger mentality made me some of the best connections I could ever have in life. I was young in stores breaking boxes down for some money. Hustle for what you want always. That's always been the mentality. And when you're positive you attract positive, that's always been the mindset.
Boston Culture: What do you think of the entertainment scene in New England? Any local producers/artists/creatives you'd want to collab with?
TooKari: I think if we all keep pushing each other forward we’ll be ight. The more support we share the more noise we make. There's wild talent in my city and as long as we realize that we’ll continue to grow. As far as who I'd work with I'm up for whatever, I put my all into my music cause it's the career I pursue, so I just want that in return. I am very selective sometimes, so it all just comes down to the business and what we have going on.
Boston Culture : Tell us about your goals for the rest of 2021 into 2022. Where will you be by the end of the year? Let's start manifesting that now.
TooKari:A couple short term goals for the rest of this year is to hit my streaming milestones, book a couple more shows, and get at the least five more visuals out. By the end of this year I'll have more buzz on my name. The work’s gonna back all that up.
Boston Culture :What brands should sponsor you?
TooKari:
Nike, Vlone, Burberry’shttps://us.burberry.com, and whoever else is ever willing to sponsor me.
Boston Culture :Anything else we missed you want to tell your fans?
TooKari: All the love and support I've been getting means more than the world to me. It fueled me to complete a piece of art that I could look back to forever, and something I'm able to share more importantly. For that I'm forever grateful. PTP streaming everywhere!
Follow TooKari on socials @stl.TooKari
https://youtube.com/channel/UCwKkwDw-HYlDZQ8h1yt2xPw
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