A Conversation With Rugby Wild

Photos by Jaxon Buzzell

modrNation: Where are you originally from?

Rugby Wild: Originally from Newark, NJ.

modrNation: How did growing up there push you into making music?

Rugby Wild: It’s a real east coast town, so everyones a battle rapper, there’s always a cypher going on, it’s just very hiphop based so I’ve been rapping since fourth grade. Every lunch break, after school, I was just rapping. 

modrNation: Who have been some of your biggest musical influences?

Rugby Wild: MF DOOM, Prince, Kanye, and mixtape Wayne.

modrNation: What’s your favorite Kanye project?

Rugby Wild: I gotta go with Graduation.

modrNation: You recently dropped your third project Thumbs Up, what was the inspiration behind that project?

Rugby Wild: I feel like there’s a lot of styles I haven’t shown my audience yet and I keep a lot of things on tuck, so this was just one of the times I wanted to show my range. Different types of samples and flows, I used some boom-bap, some soul, all types of shit.

modrNation: What was the creative process like with that project?

Rugby Wild: All over the place, I treat the project like a producer first. I found all the samples, then I have producers I go to that turn them into the sounds I like. I didn’t overthink it, I knew I had a fire sample and a great beat so all I had to do was rap.

modrNation: Was there a big mix of producers?

Rugby Wild: It was only a few, everyone I worked with on this tape were people I had been working with for years now.

modrNation: How would you say your sound has evolved since your debut project, W.I.L.D?

Rugby Wild: More vocal range, I’ve got way more things to talk about now that I’m older and have lived more, and I actually produce now. When I dropped my first tape I hadn’t produced at all.

modrNation: What led you to wanting to start producing?

Rugby Wild: Just not wanting to download type beats on youtube and avoiding having producers in my face all the time working on new tracks. Now I have a better idea of what I want and how it works so the process with producers is much quicker and smoother. 

modrNation: Do you have any future drops in the works?

Rugby Wild: I’m wrapping up another lost tape right now with some extra joints that are already done, just getting that mixed. I’m also working on another album and I got a couple tracks set aside for that.

modrNation: Take me through your process when compiling an album.

Rugby Wild: It starts with a feeling, if I record a song I really like and I know I can build off of it then I encapsulate that emotion and put together the project. The emotion will find me.

modrNation: What would you say is the importance of finding your identity and individuality when making music, rap especially, is so popular right now?

Rugby Wild: It’s the most important thing, you need a starting point, but you don’t want to be pigeon holed. Every artist you’re inspired by has gone through evolution over time. 

modrNation: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Rugby Wild:I see myself running a label, a bunch of more classics, and a shit ton more money in the bank.