JOHNNYTRA$H x twogeebs x Happy Art: Ask x Receive

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Photo courtesy of HA Records

When certain substances meet a chemical reaction occurs creating combustion, which produces fire. Three unconventional artists, from three different states teamed up to create a product that is without question fire. Emcee JOHNNYTRA$H (Las Vegas, NV), emcee twogeebs (Trenton, NJ), and producer Happy Art (Bronx, NY) released a project titled “Ask & Receive” that does not fit into the current norms of Hip-Hop, lyrically or sonically.

Ask & Receive comes to us courtesy of HA Records and is produced entirely by Happy Art. The 6-track EP features a single guest appearance by ANTHONYMA$ON.

JOHNNYTRA$H, twogeebs, and Happy Art talked to The Real Hip-Hop about their unholy union, dealing with Twitter trolls, and their new EP, Ask & Receive.

TRHH: Why’d you call the new EP Ask & Receive?

twogeebs: ‘Cause they asked for it.

Happy Art: And they received it [laughs]. We did a couple of songs together and people were asking for it so, they got it. That’s basically it.

TRHH: You guys collaborated on albums before, but how did you decide to include twogeebs and do Ask & Receive?

twogeebs: Happy sent me a beat a while ago. He was like, “I think you would sound dope on this.” I had it in my folder for a minute and when I finally used it I asked TRA$H if he wanted to jump on because I know him and Happy collab a lot and it ended up being “Cat Piss.” Then I think we ended up doing like maybe two more songs over Happy beats and the people was asking for it. That’s how I got it on this new tape.

JOHNNYTRA$H: Yeah, because everybody liked the way we vibed. Everybody was just asking for it.

TRHH: What was the process like recording Ask & Receive?

twogeebs: Because we all in separate spots it was easy, but it just took a while ’cause niggas be busy. If we really locked in we probably could have knocked this out in 2 days, but niggas be busy. So, it took us a few months to finally put it all together.

TRHH: JOHNNY on one song you say “your bitch look like Reggie Miller” and in the next song you say “your bitch look like Shirley Chisolm.” [Laughs] Reggie Miller I get, but why throw shade at the late Ms. Chisolm?

JOHNNYTRA$H: [Laughs] Why Chisolm? No, it was just a random shot, it wasn’t nothing personal. She looking old.

Happy Art: She looking old is crazy [laughs].

twogeebs: Shout out to Shirley Chisholm though, yo [laughs].

JOHNNYTRA$H: Right. On God. Nothing personal, baby.

TRHH: geebs, on the song “Trigger Squeeze” you talk about On the Radar and how the people they have on have no skill…

twogeebs: You wanna know what’s so crazy about that? My man’s hit me up to do this cypher and he like, Yo, Gabe P and On the Radar going to be there, they’re backing it.” I just dissed these niggas now I gotta rap on their platform! But fuck it, I might diss them again.

TRHH: So, the rhyme didn’t come from first-hand experience?

twogeebs: Nah, I liked On the Radar at first. I mean, I still got respect for what they’re doing. At least they got a platform for niggas, but that first two years they was trying to bring that Rap City vibe back. These past two years I don’t know what the fuck happened. It’s niggas up there doing these weak ass drill songs, niggas are performing, it’s not really about bars no more. I felt that way and I just expressed it real quick. But it’s just ironic I might have to rap in front of these niggas on Sunday.

TRHH: The beat to “Kill Tha Masters” almost sounds like some elegant fine dining music, while the lyrics are completely opposite…

twogeebs: [Laughs] It happen like that.

TRHH: Art, without snitching where did you find the piano sample?

Happy Art: Just digging in the crates. I don’t even remember where I found it. I just be looking.

TRHH: I mean what genre of music is that?

Happy Art: I would say it was classical music, but a certain style of classical music. I’m glad you described it as that though. That’s what I be going for – that!

JOHNNYTRA$H: That shit was beautiful, on God.

twogeebs: That elegant type shit.

Happy Art: Tuxedo, bloody steaks and shit.

JOHNNYTRA$H: With a golden fork.

TRHH: Art, what’s in your production workstation?

Happy Art: I like the MPC One. I have the SP-404 — I just bought that a couple months ago. I don’t know how to use it though. I haven’t took time to learn it because I’ve been making beats and it takes a while to learn. I know it’s going to take some time to learn it, but I still wanted to buy it because I like what it does. Also, I heard that you could mix it. You could put them together – the SP-404 and MPC One together and run it through there and whatever. I want to try that too, so, I fuckin’ bought that. But I use the MPC One though. Really, I like the MPC better, honestly.

TRHH: Will we hear a full-length album from you guys one day?

JOHNNYTRA$H: Yep.

twogeebs: JOHNNY spoke for all of us.

Happy Art: It’s probably indirectly in the works, honestly. It just works. I be like, “Yo, I got these beasts right here, what y’all think?” And it just happens.

TRHH: Did you guys try and come up with a group name?

twogeebs: Nah, we Caine, O-Dog, and what’s the nigga name MC Eiht played?

JOHNNYTRA$H: A-Wax.

twogeebs:  Happy is A-Wax.

JOHNNYTRA$H: I’m O-Dog.

twogeebs: I’m Caine, but if Caine didn’t die [laughs].

Happy Art: The alternate universe.

twogeebs: We’re Menace III Society.

TRHH: Wow, that’s actually a dope name You might want to hold on to that.

Happy Art: That’s actually crazy.

twogeebs: You know on the cover they put the number II instead of 2, but we could do it like Menace and put the III roman numeral and shit. That could be the next project, that could be the album name for the full-length.

JOHNNYTRA$H: Hey, I fuck with that.

TRHH: You want me to leave that out of the interview?

twogeebs: It don’t matter. Niggas know if they bite I’ll come find them because I know niggas that hack IP addresses. I’ll beat them the fuck up.

Happy Art: I know niggas that hack IP addresses, too!

twogeebs: You ever did that and send a nigga his address to him and he be like, “Oh shit!” and then he shut up? That’s all you need – send a nigga his address.

Happy Art: I’ve done that with True People Search. People text me reckless and I’ll look up the number and be like, “So, John Singleton 6248 Johnson Street?”

twogeebs: I had to do that a couple times because niggas be talking too reckless! Let me look up where you stay, nigga! You lucky you live in Minnesota, I’ll come find your dumb ass.

JOHNNYTRA$H: Got your mom’s maiden name and shit.

Happy Art: Speaking of that, I got a crazy story and this is a lesson for everybody. Don’t ever put your real name on the Internet. I be talking crazy on Twitter, it’s not crazy, I be having fun. I don’t want to describe it as crazy.

twogeebs: You use Twitter how you’re supposed to, niggas just hella sensitive this generation.

Happy Art: I’m just having fun, so anyway this one dude got me suspended so I was pissed off about that because this was around the time me and JOHNNYTRA$H’s album was supposed to come out. Bro, I was so pissed off! So, anyway I looked up his name because he kept the same name. I looked him up on Facebook and it showed then I looked him up on True People Search and got his mom’s name, his cousin’s name, all them motherfuckers. I forgot his name, but let’s say it’s John. I said, “Yo, tell John when I see him I’m gonna smack the shit out of him.” No lie, I went on his Twitter and he said, “Oh my, someone just texted my mom that they’re going to smack the shit out of me.”

twogeebs: [LAUGHS] Nigga said, “Oh my, someone texted my mom!”

Happy Art: It was great. I would do that suspension again just to do that all over again. You know what’s crazy? Since I’ve been back on Twitter he’s been tweeting me and shit. Liking my tweets and shit, laughing. I’m like, “You don’t even know who the fuck I am, do you?” It’s crazy. It’s always like that.

twogeebs: I got your moms number, nigga!

Happy Art: [Laughs] That’s crazy, son. That’s fuckin’ crazy.

TRHH: Who is the Ask & Receive EP made for?

twogeebs: The streets!

Happy Art: You hear it right in the beginning – “We don’t make music for niggas who ain’t struggle/This for niggas that have family and friends that ain’t love you.”

Purchase: JOHNNYTRA$H x twogeebs x Happy Art – Ask & Receive

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About Sherron Shabazz

Sherron Shabazz is a freelance writer with an intense passion for Hip-Hop culture. Sherron is your quintessential Hip-Hop snob, seeking to advance the future of the culture while fondly remembering its past.
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