Switching Up The Game with MC Trev Rich
Having just released a trilogy of mixtapes, Trev Rich a Denver-based MC pours his heart and soul into everything he creates. His mixtapes dubbed ‘Heights’ clearly indicate his growth as an artist and as an individual by flawlessly expressing himself at greater and greater lengths as he’s thrown into new chapters within his life. Consequently, he also allows others to connect with him on a deep and relatable level by creatively engaging with his audiences with his strategic wordplay. He has recently been on tour with a crew of great artist including Masstapeace, Joey B, and DJ Slipwax and plays a major role in ‘Squizzy’, a movement of creative individuals that continually release strong and hard-hitting artistry.
We chat to Trev Rich about his upcoming mixtape ‘Heights IV,’ the diversity of his music, and his involvement in the ‘Squizzy’ movement. Ayla Dhyani writes.
So you’re in the studio at the moment doing a feature on a track. Do you have any projects of your own you’re working on?
I do actually. I did a trilogy of mixtapes called ‘Heights’ and I told myself I was done with it, but we’re working on number four right now.
What’s the significance of creating a series of mixtapes? Are they all relevant to each other?
Well, I look at my life in chapters. There are those points in your life where something happens and it just ends the chapter and something new starts up. And that’s really how ‘Heights’ came about. Each of them represents different levels of my life and now something else has happened, so I’m about to start work on number four. That’s really just how I break it down. I get feedback from people saying “I like Heights II, I like Heights I”, which just shows that there are different parts of my life that people seem to connect with. I also find that it’s so easy for artists to get put in a box, which is just one thing that I refuse to happen to myself. For instance, one tape is very raw and underground hip hop, then another has a little mixture of the mainstream sounds, so I try to switch it up a lot.
Of course, as an artist it’s so important to just keep evolving and experiment with different sounds and emotions.
Exactly. I even have an EDM DJ now in our crew. He does all these big EDM shows. I didn’t like it at first, but I really like it now.
So, do you rap over those EDM tracks?
Yeah, basically I’m working on three projects right now. One of them is all old school hip hop beats and freestyling, and then ‘Heights IV’ is going to be an EP, so that will be my main project, and then we have a whole lot of EDM stuff going on. It’s project called E.D.M that stands for Electronic Dope Music, so we’re bringing a different vibe to it.
And you’re on tour at the moment. How has that been going?
Yeah we are. It’s been crazy. There are just so many different markets that we’re trying to hit, and we’ve finally got some time to do it. We’ve got a show on Tuesday in Jersey and then I have to go home to host a pool party, then I have to get right back on the road. I’ll be in Atlanta for a week, which will be a big stop in the tour because I have four showcases in one week. Then we go to Miami. I don’t if you know much about strip-clubs, but there’s a club in Miami called King of Diamonds, and I’m hosting an event there as well. So we’re moving around a lot.
What would say has been the most memorable moment on tour so far?
Probably the road-trip itself. It was an 8 hour trip to get here. I’ve never been in a car for an entire day before, so that’s a new experience for me.
In your latest track ‘Away,’ you talk about life’s ups and downs with newfound success. What would you say is the best way that you deal with it?
Probably music. I’ve found a way to channel everything through music to a point where once the song is done and mixed, I can embrace those pains and get over it.
You're involved in a movement called ‘Squizzy.’ Tell us about it.
It’s a group of us, but it’s not just musicians. Everybody looks at it as just a big group of musicians, but there’s so much more to it. There’s Squizzy DJs, graphic designers, security, business managers, marketers, promoters, it’s just a big group that all have the same mental state. It’s really moving forward right now. The DJs do a lot of stuff and bring a lot to the table and a lot of people, so I really hope the whole team gets a lot of recognition.
How did it start up?
Squizzy came together based on music, but we all worked together a lot before and it just got a point where we wanted to do things for ourselves.
Who would you say is your biggest musical influence?
Kanye West.
On a production level or a lyrical level?
Both. I feel like he just does it all. I want to get to a point where I can sit down and do some production as well. I’m not at that point yet, but I want to get to a point where I can create an entire project from scratch. But he’s always just been ahead of his time. Personally, I just like everything he puts out.
What stimulates your soul?
A dope base-line (laughs), but in all honesty for me, I would say positivity. There’s just so much negativity and hate all over the world. I just want to go above and beyond to be great and stay positive through it all. That motivates me and stimulates my soul.
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