NEW BOYZ INTERVIEW | ‘BLACK MUSIC MONTH 09′

For Black Music Month, Hip-Hop artists The New Boyz speaks to Aries from UrbanBridgez about their hit single “You’re A Jerk,” upcoming debut album, fashion style, Hip-Hop and much more!

UrbanBridgez.com: How did you guys come together?
Ben J (New Boyz): We came together in 9th grade. We was going to the same high school in the same class. I found out he did music and he found out I did music. Coincidentally, his birthday was a day before mine. So we ended up putting our birthday money together and bought studio equipment. He ended up moving away and he was a new student at a new school. So he was like the new boy and he liked the attention. I was like dang I wanna be a new boy at a different school. He came back and was like let’s be The New Boyz. I was like cool I’m with it.

UrbanBridgez.com: “You’re A Jerk” is hot, where did you two come up with the concept for the song?
Legacy (New Boyz): Everybody was jerkin and making jerkin songs. Everybody was talking about jerkin ya know. And this was before the dance was all that big. So we knew it had the potential to be something world wide if it was done right. So we thought about it and instead of saying we jerkin in the club, why don’t we just call ourselves jerks. If you talk about all the people jerkin in the club, it’s like what about the people who don’t know what jerkin is they can’t relate to the song. But with “You’re A Jerk,” people that don’t know what it is can still relate to it.

UrbanBridgez.com: Legacy you actually produced “You’re A Jerk,” how did you learn how to produce records?
Legacy (New Boyz): I just started messing around in the studio like 9 months ago. Because I knew we had to make beats. In order for us to make money, I had to learn how to make beats.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell me about your debut album and who you worked with putting it together?
Legacy (New Boyz): Actually we worked with a bunch of low key artists. A bunch of local acts and stuff. We’re more focused on promoting ourselves and putting other people on as well. Like all of our producers, we don’t have no big name producers on the album.

UrbanBridgez.com: When will it be released?
Legacy (New Boyz): August 16th!

UrbanBridgez.com: I like you guys flow, who are some of your influences?
Ben J (New Boyz): We like the Cool Kids, when we first started we liked and was always doing like the whole 80’s feel and their sound. Just the way they did everything was so dope! So we started doing like that stuff, but we ended up branching off doing our own thing. And that’s how we became The New Boyz, people kept saying we had our own style.
We like Drake and Lil Wayne.
Legacy (New Boyz): One of my influences is, like the way I rap is Eminem. I like how he puts his words together. Like every since I was a little and from the first CD I was just always listening to his words and try to break it down the same way he did.

UrbanBridgez.com: Both of you guys come from Sports backgrounds and wanted to pursue professional careers in that, is that something you still want to do later on?
Ben J (New Boyz): Now that we doing this music, I think this is what we’re going to pursue. That’s what it is. I mean I wanted to play Football, that was my thing. Music wasn’t anything I even thought I wanted to do. But now that I’ve connected with my partner, that’s what it is.
Legacy (New Boyz): With me Basketball was big on the side, I always wanted to do music.

UrbanBridgez.com: How would you two describe your fashion style?
Legacy (New Boyz): (laughs) Something people love to hate on, pretty much. It’s like we rock skinny jeans and we don’t care, ya feel me! So they can say all they want, it’s not gonna change and it’s not going anywhere.

UrbanBridgez.com: The New York Times recently called you “The Young Teens of Hip-Hop!” What do you guys hope to contribute to Hip-Hop as a whole?
Ben J (New Boyz): You know how everybody says we’re killing Hip-Hop? We’re just bringing more to it.
Legacy (New Boyz): It’s too many types of Hip-Hop to say we’re killing it. It’s also too many types of listeners to say that. So if Hip-Hop was only one thing and one genre, like NAS type of music. Then what happens when listeners go to clubs and want to party you know? Somebody has to make the music for that.
Ben J (New Boyz): Not dissing anybody because everybody has their own type of music they do and they’re good at what they do. This is what we’re doing, we’re about to bring a whole new part of Hip-Hop!

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s your thoughts on the current state of Hip-Hop?
Legacy (New Boyz): It’s just the reality. The internet is messing it up and helping it in the same way, ya feel me. All the styles are changing drastically, but it’s not dying. It’s good!

UrbanBridgez.com: Who are some artist you guys would like to work with in the future?
Ben J (New Boyz): Dre, Lil Wayne, The-Dream, The-Dream is dope! There are some other artists out there. We can’t really think right now, what time is it (laughs)?

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s next for you guys?
Ben J (New Boyz): We got movies a mockumentary and a lot of shows coming up.

UrbanBridgez.com: Off the top of your head, give me the top 3 essential Hip-Hop albums you think every Hip-Hop head should have?
Legacy (New Boyz): Lupe Fiasco
Ben J (New Boyz): The Carter II, that was a classic.
Legacy (New Boyz): And the Slim Shady LP (Eminem)

UrbanBridgez.com: Any last words for your fans?
Ben J (New Boyz): Our single will be on iTunes the 16th in a package with the video! To get the ringtone to “You’re A Jerk” just text “Jerk” #71777. The CD will be dropping August 16th, “Skinny Jeans and A Mic.” Hit us on MySpace (www.myspace.com/newboyz) and on Twitter (twitter.com/NewBoyz , twitter.com/THALEGACY & twitter.com/benjnewboyz).

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Purchase “You’re A Jerk” from iTunes!