Stu Bangas x Wordsworth: Chemistry

At the end of 2024 underground stalwarts Stu Bangas (producer) and Wordsworth (emcee) collaborated on an album appropriately titled “Two Kings.” The duo wasted no time in getting back in the laboratory and kicked off 2026 with their sophomore release called “Chemistry.”

Chemistry is a 13-track album produced entirely by Stu Bangas and released by his Brutal Music record label. The project features appearances by Masta Ace, Apathy, Punchline, Sage Francis, Wreckonize, Adanita Ross, DJ Jon Doe, Pearl Gates, Napsndreds, MidaZ The Beast and Ruste Juxx.

Stu Bangas and Wordsworth spoke to The Real Hip-Hop about their working relationship, why overthinking is the worst enemy of an artist, and their new album, Chemistry.

TRHH: Why’d you call the new album Chemistry?

Wordsworth: It was really just a name of the track on the album. I got it from Stu, really — not overthinking. A lot of projects I did previously before working with Stu it was a lot of, “What’s the theme of the album? Where we going with this?” and I guess because traditionally a lot of thought people used to put into this thing because they thought of the rollout with the products and this and that. Stu really got me in that mindset of yo, just make the music. Make good music, and let’s put it out, and don’t overthink it. So, looking at the tracks and just seeing what was there, it just felt right, it just made sense — Chemistry.

TRHH: How is this album different from Two Kings?

Stu Bangas: I don’t know that it really is that different. We have roughly the same amount of features. When I’m making beats I just make beats. Like he said, I don’t put too much thought into it. Words could probably elaborate better than I could on any differences in terms of the writing, the lyrics from his perspective. I kind of seen it as similar, to be honest.

Wordsworth: I would say to me it feels more like we’re catching our stride. The first album was like to prove a point and then this album was more so to show that it’s not a sophomore jinx. We really get busy together making music. I would say it’s more thought out as far as not having to prove anything on the basis of maybe bragging. Now it’s like, OK, we can get real conceptual. More conceptual if need be. And then just overall I think what’s dope about it is just seeing the diversity of Stu’s beats. Some people would say Stu’s beats are grimy, dark, boom bap, and then when you hear the album there’s like a perfect mixture of everything. I think it’s everything on here and you get to hear the diversity of Stu’s beats.

That’s the thing that I love about working with him is he’ll send beats that sometimes I’m like, “Yo, nobody picked this beat?” I’ll be like, “Yo, what about this? This is crazy!” So, like even working on this second project I went all the way back to his first beats he was posting and was finding these gems there. I was like, “Yo, this beat here!” One Chance was there, the Chemistry beat was there for a little while. He has a vision when he’s making these beats and I think when I picked the beats I think we feel great about the beats I’m picking because the vision he has, I’m trying my best to meet it. I think you can see that with this project.

TRHH: Stu, do people usually come to you wanting that rugged Stu Bangas sound?

Stu Bangas: Yeah, pretty much. I’ve had chances to step out of that with RJ Payne, and when Dres hit me up about doing the project together that we did, and then working with Words. I feel like that’s the lane that I find myself in with the grimy hard drums, which I love, but I do like to try to do some more soulful and more melodic type stuff. So, it’s nice to be able to work with certain rappers that kind of like gravitate or get down with that sound.

TRHH: What’s the process like when you guys do a project?

Stu Bangas: I’ll say from my perspective I kind of just send him beats. I just go through and kind of spontaneously pick what I’m going to send him. I have an idea at this point of what he kind of might like, or he might check out some stuff that I posted on my YouTube page and he’ll be like, “Yo, what’s up with this one?” and then kind of go from there. He’s just really creative with the concepts and the rhymes. He sends back freakin’ songs prolifically and tells stories on it. That’s kind of my two cents on it.

Wordsworth: Yeah, for me, how I try to look at it with working with Stu I feel like everybody knows how well I could rap all these years with the consistency. For me it’s like being LeBron but now I got Eric Spoelstra [laughs]. That’s how I feel. That’s what gives me that excitement because you could go your whole career and score 30, 20 and never get the chip. I think Stu allows me to win the championship with the records. When I get the beats from him I’m able to sit there, I know there’s a hype to it. I know one of the main things I try to live by is don’t let the beat, beat me. That’s the way I think. I know his beat is up here and I’m I gotta meet and match this.

So, it’s perfect for me because it brings the best out of me hearing the beat. When he’s sending beats sometimes I’ll have a beat, and I like this beat and then I’m hoping that it’s not taken by time I get an idea for it. I’m always like, “Yo, what’s up with this beat?” There are beats that I have that I’m like saving for other stuff and I’m always like, “Is this beat taken, is this beat taken?” because I know it’s special, but that’s the time I need to kind of think about how to meet the beat level. I don’t want to just rhyme to rhyme on it because I love it, I wanna rhyme on it that it blows our mind when we hear it.

TRHH: Stu, I love the sound on the song “Chemistry.” Without snitching, what genre of music did you sample the strings from?

Stu Bangas: A soul sample. Back when I was working kind of with this guy Vanderslice, we would make our own beats too, he’d make his, I would make mine, but we were collaborating on stuff. We would dig through records kind of, not together like in the store, but we had a couple of sample guys we we’re getting stuff from and one of the plugs was this old head named Gene. He would go around digging in all types of obscure spots and that soul record came from him. I’ve had that sample for at least like fifteen.

Wordsworth: [LAUGHS] Yo, he be having joints, man! I be like, “Yo, is this available?” That’s what I’m saying. It’s crazy. That’s my favorite record I think I’ve done thus far with him. I can play that record back-to-back.

Stu Bangas: And that was your wife on the hook too, right?

Wordsworth: Yep, that’s my wife that came with the Chemistry vocals too.

Stu Bangas: Tell Sherron about the video how you had to re-do it because she didn’t like her part [laughs].

Wordsworth: [Laughs] Yeah, man. I’m sending the video out, this is probably like midnight because I’m trying to get it for the next day. It’s taking a while to upload, it’s hi-def, all these things to it. So, I upload it again, it was like crazy. My wife is like, “I don’t like it. I ain’t got to filters on, and this stuff, and I need to do this,” I was like, “Yo, you for real? I sent it to him already.” I was like all right, let me text him, “My wife don’t like how she look in it, so I’m about to re-send it right now.” And I was super tired.

She fixed it, she’s like, “All right, that’s it.” I was like, “All right, you cool? You good? I’m just sending it.” It was late. My wife, she’s on there, man and when I thought of the hook when people hear “chemistry” you almost might think it’s a sample. If I didn’t put her name on the record you might think it’s just like a sample because the way she’s saying it too. But yeah, man that’s probably my favorite record just ‘cause the beat is so crazy! It’s so full. The beat is insane, I’m sorry, that beat is insane.

Stu Bangas: Yeah, Sherron could I say one more thing about the title Chemistry?

TRHH: Of course. Yeah.

Stu Bangas: On my life we did not try to copy Buckshot and 9th Wonder. It’s not like I don’t know that that record existed, I’m just like 45 now — I don’t remember everything. Our artist came up with that and it was more like a Breaking Bad take. We got a few comments and I just want to say respect at Buckshot and 9th Wonder. They’re both legends and I wasn’t trying to bite nothing, but all due respect to them. I just wanted to say that.

TRHH: Their album is called Chemistry?

Stu Bangas: Yeah, they did two of them. I think the first one is called Chemistry, the second one, is it The Product?

Wordsworth: The Solution.

Stu Bangas: The Solution, thank you.

TRHH: The artwork is similar?

Wordsworth: It’s not really similar.

Stu Bangas: Similar colors maybe.

Wordsworth: Yeah, maybe colors, but it’s not like that. People just getting into talks on the threads and people love Hip-Hop, so it’s like, “Yo, somebody has that!” I told people, shut up, listen we’re not going to be the first or the last to name a project “Chemistry.” Let’s just be realistic about it. Nobody owns a name for an album. I’m glad Stu brought that up just so people could know. At the end of the day, how I look at it is despite who has the name, are you representing the name with the music? I think whatever Chemistry you buy when you hear the projects you really can say for yourself whatever artists that use it if they really have the chemistry. I think we made that point — we’ve proven that.

TRHH: OK. I would never confuse the two [laughs]. “The Realtor” is a unique concept. Do you work in real estate?

Wordsworth: Nah.

TRHH: How’d you come up with the idea for that one?

Wordsworth: It was actually a different beat. Like I said, the beats be so crazy I’m up here like, “I need a concept that could fit this beat.” When I thought of it I was like, “Oh, that’ll be kind of fire if I do that.” So, I rhymed to another one and then Stu let me know somebody had that beat and I was like, “Ahhhh!” Because I wrote it to that beat and I think that’s probably the first time Stu had to rework a beat for me with that. I’ve had experience of other producers where I might do something from overseas, I get it back and it doesn’t have the integrity and the essence. I got it back and I was like, “Yo, I think this might be better than the original!” It came out crazy, man. When I came up with the concept I was just thinking about concepts. What does this beat sound like movie wise? What would be going on?

Once I got the idea I was just like OK, this person is showing people all of these places that are kind of dilapidated. That was just kind of the concept, too because what it is, is I’m always trying to figure out a new way to show the hoods have their things going on. That’s what it is for me. I’m always like, OK, how can I be creative showing that the hood is this, rather than just saying the same things but a different way? So, that was another way that I was like, “Oh, I could show the hood this way,” because people do show the hood that way. That’s how I think. I got some other concepts on how to show the hood in different ways, too. Once I hear the beat I’m gonna probably use those, too. I’m always thinking of other ways to do it rather than just narrating it from my perspective.

TRHH: On the song “The Only Sin” you say, “A journey, bad record deals they tried to burn me/Almost ended, but we stayed independent like we were Bernie.” What is the biggest benefit to being an independent artist?

Stu Bangas: Shout out to Bernie Sanders.

TRHH: Yeah, shout out to Bernie.

Stu Bangas: My favorite politician. I’ve never had a record deal, so I can’t speak to that. I don’t know, man, just doing what you want to do and then it’s dope when you find people that appreciate it. However big or small the market is for it, it’s gratifying to find the fans that truly appreciate your sound and the ones that are always giving feedback. I’m running my own website with the store on it and you got your core fans that support everything, that’s just a blessing, man, for me. Because I never thought I would get to this point. I could basically pay my bills off of this. I would not be living very comfortably, but I never thought I would even get to that point. So, it’s pretty rewarding and I feel blessed to have the fans that I do have. That’s what I can really offer on that topic.

Wordsworth: That’s the other thing that I learned from Stu and that I admire. We go right to him, it’s on his website. Being around Stu and watching him do it gives you courage to try things and do it this route. I think we kind of get along too because we’re kind of just like organized people in certain regards. He’ll be able to explain stuff, whether it’s like a roll out for something, he’ll tell me the date and this and that. I might have a split sheet together and I can send the documents.

We’re pretty much business minded at the same time. I think just showing the fact that he has things directly to the website, and he’s handling it, and he’s built up such a great reputation, it gives me courage to say, “OK, that’s the route to go with it,” and do it. People have been trying to do it for so long, but I love seeing where it’s going because the trajectory of it, he’s been doing it this long, it’s just going to have that sustainability over time.

Stu Bangas: I feel like this record we’ve seen a bit of a bump, at least the feedback we’re getting on it, and the income slightly. I just wanted to add also, the independent thing, working with Words he’s really on point with the visuals. I haven’t worked with another artist that does that in-house, with that level of quality, and that amount of content. So, that makes him a fun individual to work with.

TRHH: For both of you, what would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the music business?

Wordsworth: I would say don’t wait for nobody. Like, really. Just don’t wait ‘cause you’re waiting for this proper deal, you’re waiting for somebody to sign you. I come from that era and I’m sure Stu probably knows this, or we’ve all been through these things of you go to these meetings and they get canceled on you. You’re waiting for this person to sign you, you’ve got to pitch it to this person. So many gatekeepers you gotta go through as opposed to now you can just put it out and just believe in the product and build up that following. Like how Stu has his following built up, that’s what I’m saying.

He’s put the time and effort in to build up that following to be able to show and prove. Proof of concept, if you want to say. So, I would say just don’t wait. Because one of the things I say in my book, which people quote to me all the time, I say, “Overthinking is the death of an artist.” We got so many friends, family members, everybody that always overthinks. They don’t put no albums out, they don’t finish no books, they don’t drop no beats. Just being around Stu putting stuff out, he got me in that mindset of, “Yo, just put it out, man” So, don’t wait for nobody.

Stu Bangas: Yeah, I like that.

Wordsworth: I want to say one more thing, even working on new stuff we got going on he’s like, “Yo, let’s drop a single.” We don’t even got the other project done [laughs]. He’s like, “Yo, we should drop the single,” I’m like, “All right,” but we’re just getting started on a new project and we got like two records done, “Drop a single.” I feel confident with that mode of doing it. I have no apprehension working with Stu. Whatever he says, I roll with it. I tried to just play my position with it like and I looked at him like Spoelstra.

Stu Bangas: That’s a good answer right there. I think for me it’s like, make what you love to make and it’s not work. Because I’ve had certain people hit me up offering thousands of dollars, not like ‘change your life’ money, but like enough to pay your bills for the freakin’ month and your rent and everything. They say “make me this type of beat” and it’s not really the type of beat that I enjoy making and then it’s like work. It’s like, “Ughhh,” and it’s not enjoyable. It’s almost stressful and that’s why I’m just like, make what you like to make. I mean, you gotta make money, but I just feel like if you make what you like to make you’re gonna make it great and then it’s gonna lead to income, also. That’s what I’ve learned.

TRHH: Who is the Chemistry album made for?

Stu Bangas: Hip-Hop heads, man. Fans of lyrics, no drum-less beats, I guess. I don’t know, I don’t want to get too on my high horse, because I’m not against any of that. Just fans of good Hip-Hop, lyricism, and beats that you can feel. I’ll leave it at that.

Wordsworth: Yeah, I believe it’s made for everybody. There’s something on it for everybody. Punchline, which is my rap partner that I’ve known for years, his favorite joint is One Chance. I got DM’s from people about One Chance asking who is that about. For those that don’t know, the first verse is actually about my brother. He’s an author and he put out like four or five books. I interviewed him and dropped it on my podcast What Words are Worth. So, that first verse is based on him being incarcerated and then coming out dropping books.

And then the last verse is just really if you had that one chance. So, you got a one chance record, then you got “Strangers” which is another record that people love with Sage Francis and Wreckonize. So, there’s something on here for everybody. I mean, literally there’s something on there for everybody. We try to hit every nerve on the record. “It Took a Village” — just that bop. I say everybody. You can get in the car and play this and somebody’s gonna like something.

Purchase: Stu Bangas & Wordsworth – Chemistry