9th Wonder & The Musalini Talk New Album, Regional Cultures, 80’s and 90’s Southern Hip Hop & More
- Music Discovery & Regionalism: The group reflects on how the internet homogenized hip-hop. 9th Wonder shares his perspective as a North Carolina native who grew up listening to New York music before regional scenes like the South fully developed their own identities (0:04:43–0:06:28).
- The New Album: The Musalini explains how he and 9th Wonder selected beats for their latest project, opting for older, unreleased, or “left-field” production that suited his style, rather than following current trends (0:23:20–0:25:38).
- Creator’s Block & Motivation: The Musalini notes that he maintains productivity by keeping a backlog of recorded music, while 9th Wonder emphasizes the importance of travel and cultural experiences in maintaining creativity (0:27:12–0:28:48).
- Influence of the Internet: Both artists acknowledge that while the internet allowed them to build careers without needing local “gatekeepers,” it also reduced the distinct regional sounds that previously defined cities and states (0:16:30–0:19:55).
- Collaborations: The discussion highlights their work with legends like Sugar Free, with 9th Wonder praising the unique, “player” style that Sugar Free brings to any track (0:29:35–0:31:25).
Speak On It!