Scrap Bundy Interview and EP Review

You may have read about Scrap Bundy here on Coog Radio before, but now we have for you an exclusive interview with the MC from the North side of the Bayou City and his super producer, Beldondidthat. The two are on the come up their new five track EP, BundyDidThat, and so we sat down with the pair to discuss everything from Houston to Al Pacino to the new generation of rappers that are popping onto the scene.

WARNING THIS AUDIO IS NSFW:

The first and most obvious question was “How did you come up with the name?” Apparently, Scrap Bundy is Scrap Jr., his dad’s name is also Scrap. A desire to individualize himself made him add an -o to the end, making himself Scrapo. When he went to high school, he had a big afro that he rocked, and one day that afro caused a fellow classmate to say he looked “like a Mexican,” saying he looked like Al Pacino. Coupled with his love for mob movies, Scrap embraced this weak diss and decided to adopt the moniker Scrapo Pacino. The next evolution of Scrap was caused in part by the 1998 movie, Belly, which both Nas and DMX starred in. A movie which Scrap swears by, calling it “legendary,” in the movie DMX portrays a character named Bundy. Although his moniker was still Scrapo Pacino, he went into the booth one day and started spitting over what would become his breakout single, “Scrap Bundy.”. Scrap recruited a random classmate from school who just happened to have a camera and asked him to film the music video. In the backyard of a friend’s house the legend of Scrap Bundy was born, although those involved were just messing around and having fun they had no idea what was about to come. Almost overnight, the video blew up all over hip-hop blogs like Fuse and Worldstar Hip-Hop. At that point, it was hard for “Scrapo Pacino” to hold onto his stage name, people would walk up to him in the mall and call him by the name “Scrap Bundy.” So essentially the name was forced upon him, if it were up to him people would still be calling him Scrapo Pacino.

VIDEO IS NSFW

BundyDidThat EP Review: “Cash”

The opening track of BundyDidThat is easily the most radio ready. The colorful keys provided by Beldondidthat provide this ethereal setting for Scrap to run through his opening refrain of “What would you do for the cash?” Then out of nowhere huge walls of bass envelop the listener changing the tone of the song entirely. Scrap answers his own question with his spitfire verse that more than sufficiently lets the listener in on what he would do you the cash.

My next question pertained to his producer, Beldon, and how the relationship began. I was surprised to learn that the two had been the duo behind every single Scrap Bundy release. It makes sense in retrospect with the release of BundyDidThat. The two originally met through mutual friends while Scrap and Beldon were both working at a “Movie Tavern” restaurant. When he first started making music Scrap went through an old guy who charged him $75 a beat, he would go to his friends, including Beldon, and try and put them on the music, but Beldon specifically wouldn’t budge. He told Scrap to stop going through these old dudes and instead go through him, even though at the time he didn’t know the first thing about producing. At first Scrap was apprehensive, but he decided to give it a chance. It has turned out to be a more than good decision as the chemistry between the two is obvious and it only improves with each passing release. Prior to their collaboration, the two were already good friends, chilling together on a daily basis. That dynamic has continued, as they both have a fun-loving approach to making music, they don’t shoot for anything specific, they just smoke some weed and let the music take them wherever it may.

BundyDidThat EP Review: “Clout”

I first heard “Clout” through Bundy’s instagram, and I immediately searched up and down for the song on his SoundCloud, but to no avail. Now that I am able to listen to it all the way through, I have to say, it still lives up to the hype I gave it. The song feels like a classic trap song, Scrap is claiming he’s got too much influence on these streets and no one else is allowed to trap in his territory. He implores those who disrespect him to come at him with everything they got, but it still won’t be enough according to Bundy because he’s “got too much clout.”

I already knew what OTM stood for, but I was sure there was some sort of origin for the acronym that stands for “Off the Muscle.” OTM represents the clique that Scrap and Beldon run with, but it wasn’t always known as OTM, the first generation was called “Grimey Gang,” because of the ad-lib that is heard in the beginning of the track “Scrap Bundy,” but the crew quickly realized that it had to be run like a business. The crew basically built itself from nothing, they weren’t from a rich area of the city, they didn’t have relatives that were loaded, they couldn’t afford to pay for features, they did it all of the muscle. Hence the name “OTM,” a fitting name for a crew made up of hardworking, determined artists just trying to make it in a city where so many are shooting for the same goals.

BundyDidThat EP Review: “Benjis”

The middle track on the five track EP is a perfect bridge to the rest of the release. On this track, Beldon creates these insane bass sounds that are constantly circling around the listener’s heads, creating this sort of disorienting feeling akin to Scrap’s seemingly insane adoration of C-notes. The chemistry between the duo is on display during this song as the beat careens and maneuvers to match Bundy’s somewhat casual cadence, but then again it could be the other way around. That’s just how good these two are when they work on music together, they make putting together the complicated puzzle that is a rap composition look like child’s play. This song honestly made me question what other Producer/Rapper combo was out there in the plethora of rap music that does it better than these two.

I turned the focus of the conversation onto Beldon by asking him what software he uses. “FL Studios…It feels like home to me,” was Beldon’s reply and then when I asked him who/what he crafted his sound after, he responded after some thought, “Trap music,” to which Scrap immediately busted out laughing correcting his producer saying that he started out making R&B tracks. Beldon then corrected himself saying it’s a very organic process, he even went as far as to compare his producing to freestyling. Scrap then began to explain how his approach to writing lyrics is ultimately tied up with what Beldon serves him up as far as beat selection. “If he gives me an new wave ass beat, he’s gonna get a new wave ass Scrap.” Their growth is completely codependent, which might have a negative connotation, but in this context it couldn’t be a bigger compliment. They are both constantly improving on their own individual crafts, they take that OTM, gym mentality into the studio at all times. As Scrap said, “You gonna do it the weak way, or the strong way?” Complacency is the mortal enemy of this duo, they know through their past experiences how hard it is to get to where they currently sit. With that said, they are even more aware of how hard it is to retain their place in the industry.

BundyDidThat EP Review: “Hella”

This is hands down my favorite song on this EP, I had the privilege to hear it about a month and half before it officially dropped, and I instantly knew this was my favorite Scrap song yet. The beat is something otherworldly, it’s the perfect setting for the ear worm of a hook that Scrap delivers. The pulsating bass thumps give the song this steady, solid head knod. By the time Scrap goes in on his verse you’re already completely invested in the song, and Scrap delivers the energy that the intro promises. It’s just a really bouncy, catchy song that has some of my favorite couplets from Bundy yet including “It’s designer everything but ain’t no Panda/Just poured a deuce up in my fanta.”

Then the topic of Houston came up, as discussed earlier, Bundy felt as though the city didn’t really show them any love coming up. Scrap told me that if he hasn’t already reached out to you, he’s not going to. He’s working with the people that have the same mentality he possesses; hard work, dedication and determination is what he’s looking for in his prospective collaborators. He basically thinks if he hasn’t met you, you don’t matter, he would know who you were if you were actually on your hustle. More so, Scrap feels as though he and Beldon have outgrown their hometown, and need to branch out to other markets, namely Atlanta where he hopes to one day spit over a Metro Boomin’ track. Scrap constantly reiterates the need to get out of Houston in order to expand his fan base, “You’ve gotta step out,” according to Scrap. Everyone wants the same thing in Houston, and because of that it’s more of a competition. There’s no working together for mutual benefit, it’s all selfishness, and ultimately the city suffers the consequences. In Atlanta, it’s a completely different story according to Scrap, he believes, and I agree that the rappers coming out of Atlanta are working together at every step of the way, putting the city on the map in the process. In Atlanta, similarities amongst rappers aren’t discouraged, the opposite could be said of Houston. The dog-eat-dog environment in Houston is not conducive to growing the culture the way it ought to be. At the end of the day, says Scrap, there is only so far you can go in Houston, and he’s reached that point. As stated earlier, these guys are anything but complacent; it’s time to as Scrap says “get the f*** out of Houston.” He admits he’s done some of the things he’s denounced, but he’s ultimately just a product of his environment. “Are you gonna sink, or are you gonna swim?” is the type of mindset you have to possess in order to succeed.

BundyDidThat EP Review: “Thouwow” featuring OTM Lou

The production on this track is different than anything I’ve heard from Beldon, and Scrap brings that same sort of energy. The track has this smokers lounge feel which I’m going to attribute to the piano sample that you can hear in the background of the mix. The song is the perfect closer, it’s slower and more easy going than the previous four tracks and it also shows the most growth for both Scrap and Beldon. Finding new sounds is never an easy process, and perfecting it is even harder. Although the song may not be immaculate, it comes pretty damn close.

As we neared the end of our conversation we moved onto more lighthearted topics like who the two listened to, to which they responded “young n****” music which includes 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, and Lil Yatchy as well as Future. The reason they name these guys is obvious, they are relatable, Scrap and Beldon can identify with the subject matter within those artist’s music. Beldon told me that he listens to anyone who is trying to make the come-up cause they’re doing the same thing. They both think that it’s the time for the younger generation to take the reigns of the hip-hop industry. When I asked what we should expect in the near future, Scrap Bundy summed it up in one word,”Elevate.” If Bundy and Beldon stay on the track they are on, there is no doubt in my mind that these guys will find their way to big time, this is evidenced by the effort that the pair brought to BundyDidThat. That gym mentality that they bring to their craft will be the thing that gets them to that point, and so long as they live by their principles, up is the only way to go.

Thanks for reading, I hope you emjoyed this interview. Follow Scrap Bundy and Beldondidthat on Twitter and Instagram, and check out their new EP BundyDidThat on SoundCloud.

Scrap Bundy Social Media:

Twitter/Instagram: @ScrapBundy

Scrap Bundy’s SoundCloud

BeldonDidThat Social Media:

Twitter/Instagram: @BeldonDidThat