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Interview: Q&A

Spotty Josif premieres “Guards” & talks working with Ayoo Angie

With a change of seasons upon us, West Coast emcee Spotty Josif dropped his newest single today, titled “Guards.” Spotty has been fairly active in recent months, giving us “Way Before” with Vancouver emcee Seth Kay before the holidays, and “WYWG” with Dave Fields on the second installment of the HICU Sound Tape.

“Guards” features Calgary emcee Ayoo Angie who brings her own unique sound to make this Etherten-produced single one that you need to check out. Ayoo Angie’s voice is a deep, raspy, sweet and savoury mix of Missy Elliot and Remy Ma – if you can even put a finger on her sould because she’s really in her own lane. They both bring dynamic bars to the track that vividly touch on topics of love, dark sexual encounters, and independence.

I already know Ayoo Angie was gonna’ come with it on this track. I’ve actually reached out to a few rappers from my city to feature on this, but no one wanted to compete with my verse, real shit haha. She was the first one to step up and write, and she fuckin’ killed it!” – Spotty Josif

We caught up with Spotty to talk about the new track, collaborating with Ayoo Angie, and what he has in store for the coming months. Stream “Guards” below.


Q&A: Spotty Josif

HipHopCanada: Congratulations on the release of your new single. This track really feels like a statement piece. What does “Guards” mean to you and at this point in your career?

Spotty Josif: I’m really just trying to make music with artists that I’m a fan of. I’ve been making a lot deeper and darker content in the past few. I feel like the demon in me wants to come out and flex.

HipHopCanada: You’ve put out a few tracks in recent months. Is this new single part of something bigger that you’re working towards?

Spotty Josif: Most definitely. The last few months I’ve been focusing on linking up with new artists and collaborating. I’ve always been comfortable being alone and creating alone, but I’m really trying to push myself to be a better artist than I was last year. I have so many talented friends that I can learn so much from.

HipHopCanada: One thing I really loved was how dark you took it on this track. How do you view your music in terms of genre, and how do you view yourself as an artist?

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Spotty Josif: Back when I released my mixtape, Found Footage 87 in 2015, my emotions were really fantasy driven and abstract. My main goal was to experiment and find myself. If you listen to that project, there were pop songs, boom-bap songs, and doo-wop songs along with 80’s synth-beats. Over the last couple years so much real shit happened that I feel I’ve gained the confidence to show people my real self. I’m ready to make a statement.

HipHopCanada: You brought Calgary emcee Ayoo Angie on as the feature for “Guards” – how did that collaboration come about?

Spotty Josif: Back in January, Dave Fields & I put together a track titled “Where You Wanna Go” that was featured on the “HICU Sound Tape 2” – shout-out to Borna. Ayoo Angie had a joint on there called “On The Run” and I was blown away. It wasn’t only her bars and voice that stood out, but the attitude was on point. It’s crazy cause we haven’t met each other in real life, but I feel we both connected naturally. It’s just that mutual respect we share for each other.

HipHopCanada: Angie brought this equally as hard and authentic presence to the track. How did you both know what kind of vibe you wanted to bring, and how to execute it in such a balanced way?

Spotty Josif: I already know Ayoo Angie was gonna’ come with it on this track. I’ve actually reached out to a few rappers from my city to feature on this, but no one wanted to compete with my verse, real shit haha. She was the first one to step up and write, and she fuckin’ killed it! I told her the concept and she was with it. Shout-out to Trapahontas.

HipHopCanada: You touch on some darker sexual content on this track. Where do you draw your inspiration from and what’s your creative process like?

Spotty Josif: My inspiration comes from whatever happens in front of me. These verses stem from things that have happened – real stories. I’m not afraid to say things that people keep silent or only think about. I think of every verse like it’s a narration. I want people to visualize these episodes. This song was definitely inspired by dark romance, relationships & smack battle rap haha.

HipHopCanada: What can listeners look forward to in the coming months, and will it include more sounds like this?

Spotty Josif: 100%. I feel anything upcoming is very cohesive. I link with the homies (Seth Kay, Dave Fields, Matthew Harvey) on the regular, so expect some dope music. There’s a bunch of artists in my city that have reached out, so I’m really tryna’ follow up and create. Without saying too much, there is definitely an EP in the works.

Shout-out to Matt Brevner, Ayoo Angie, Jessel Alejo, So Loki, Prado, Teshale, Sharuk, Stevie Ross, Kendra Dias, Immerze, EDGE, JayKin, Jaya, Steve Ess. I’m happy to contribute to this wave.

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Interview conducted by Kira Hunston for HipHopCanada

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