Respect My Region was fortunate for an opportunity at an exclusive interview with the trap legend known as UZ, and frequent Quality Goods collaborator Macntaj. We picked their brain about important topics regarding “The Rebirth” LP, touring, what’s next in the music industry, and some bonus fun and silly questions.
UZ’s Updated Mask
UZ & Macntaj Talk Rebirth
*This interview was edited for clarity*
RMR: What influenced the passions of your musical path?
UZ: I’ve always been into music, both my older brothers were DJs and really passionate about music. I later taught myself how to play guitar and drums and was jamming with my friends during my middle school years. Then I discovered hip-hop/djing and spent a lot of years practicing until I won a few world championships. After that, I learned how to produce using a computer and the rest is history.
RMR: Where do you see the electronic music scene right now?
UZ: It’s really mixed, still the underground/mainstream thing going on. I’m not really following the “electronic scene” per se, I just listen to the music and artists that I like. I feel like most of the music that speaks to me is weird, dark and underground. A lot of producers are trying to make pop music at the moment and get placed in Spotify playlists but the music isn’t real, it’s not being made with their heart and I can feel it.
RMR: Tell us about The Rebirth LP as a whole, including the tour/stage setup. How long did it take to plan all of this out from start to finish?
UZ: The rebirth is a whole concept that we were thinking about for a long time but didn’t really know how to put together. After all the touring, music, etc, we felt like the UZ persona needed an “upgrade.” It was cool five years ago, but things tend to fade with time, especially with the kid’s attention span getting shorter and shorter these days.
I also really wanted to get away from the EDM sound and go back to my roots which are more raw and minimalist, the real trap shit days that influenced so many producers, still to these days. We decided that changing one or two things was cool but what about changing everything?
So we worked on a new mask, new stage clothes, new album and new live visuals that I’m controlling myself! We made all of this happen in four months with a lot of work from the team. If you see me coming in a city nearby you, you know what to do!
RMR: What is/was the single most significant point in your career that felt important to you?
UZ: What’s happening right now is the most important for me, there is no point looking at the past. The best is yet to come, I launched my own label about two years ago and it’s doing great! Helping the community and making it grow, I released the best album of my career a month ago and I’m touring the world again like I said the best is yet to come!
RMR: Working with artists out of country or while on tour seems to be difficult for a lot of people. How do you work on projects with people like, say, Oski or Quix? Would you use Splice to send project files? Or is there a better way?
UZ: To be honest, I have no problem working through the internet, sending stems and exchanging files and ideas. I’ve made half of my collabs via internet and half of it together with the producer in the studio.
Of course it’s always better to be together in the same space but for example, the last collab with Oski was started in a studio in Australia. We had a good idea going on but the session ended. Then I worked on it on my side while in the US and he joined me again in the studio in L.A. and we made the second drop, then we exchanged files again and it was done. There is no ideal way to do it, as long as you have it done and it’s banging! That’s all you need.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DlAbWEC-cE&w=560&h=315]
Inferno – UZ feat. Oski
RMR: What is the most fun part about being UZ? What are some of your most fun experiences in your career?
UZ: The most fun part about being me is people don’t really know what I look like, even if they know who I am, there are no recent pictures of me on the internet. I’ve been to parties where people were talking about UZ and I was literally next to them, that was funny!
RMR: While growing up what did you listen to?
UZ: Early acid house / new beat when I was super young, hardcore and punk in my teenage years, hip-hop, funk, soul when I got older and still to these days. I’ve also lived in the UK for a bit and got into drum and bass, 2step, jungle, all that good stuff.
RMR: Where do you see Quality Goods going in the future? What do you want to accomplish for QG in the next two or three years?
UZ: I want to release as much good and innovative music as we can without flooding the fans, always remembering quality over quantity. There is so much good music out there and there isn’t a lot of labels pushing things forward right now, I really feel like we are in our own lane. We have big projects for 2018/19 but I don’t want to jinx anything so stay tuned!
RMR: If one of these two had to disappear what would you choose? salt or pepper?
UZ: Did you say bath salt?
RMR: Which fast food chain, in your opinion, could be a front for the Illuminati or a secret world organization? (Excluding Taco Bell) explain why.
UZ: McDonald’s, because they re definitely trying to kill everybody with their trash food.
RMR: Which B-list celebrity would you choose for your music video for Click? (You cannot choose Adam Sandler)
UZ: Is Will Ferrell B-list?
RMR: What is your favorite strain of weed?
UZ: I don’t smoke
RMR: Favorite road food?
UZ: Fish fillet (Illuminati confirmed)
RMR: Favorite food to eat while at home?
UZ: Anything from Postmates or UberEats will do.
RMR: Which airport is your least favorite?
UZ: The one with the secret military underground base.
RMR: What is the worst buzzkill situation you’ve been in?
UZ: When everybody was chanting “Wolfgang” while I was playing in Edmonton 4 years ago.
RMR: Anything else you’d like to say to your fans?
UZ: Much love to you all.
RMR: If one of these two had to disappear what would you choose? salt or pepper?
Mac: That sounds terrible, I don’t want to live in a world without salt or pepper.
RMR: Which fast food chain, in your opinion, could be a front for the Illuminati or a secret world organization? (Excluding Taco Bell) explain why.
Mac: I don’t know, I wouldn’t have guessed Taco Bell but since told me not to, now I have to say Taco Bell. What do you know about TB that the rest of us don’t, RMR?
RMR: Which B-list celebrity would you choose for your music video for Click? (You cannot choose Adam Sandler)
Mac: First off, Adam Sandler is one of the greatest actors of all time and how dare you to disrespect him. I should end the interview right now…Second of all, Mia Khalifa.
RMR: What is your favorite strain of weed?
Mac: I don’t care about that stuff really, I don’t smoke that often. As long as it’s Indica It’s a go.
RMR: Favorite road food?
Mac: I would say chicken strips, it’s a safe choice. It’s pretty hard to fuck up a chicken strip.
RMR: Favorite food to eat while at home?
Mac: At home probably PB&J or pasta.
RMR: Which airport is your least favorite?
Mac: Louis Armstrong airport in NOLA. That airport is cursed. Louis Armstrong is obviously a legend and New Orleans is a dope city, but for real, fuck that airport.
RMR: What is the worst buzzkill situation you’ve been in?
Mac: That’s a good question.
RMR: Are there any people that you’ve been surprised that they’re fans of your music?
Mac: Anytime I get someone from like Italy or India or somewhere halfway around the world telling me they fuck with the music is always humbling. Music moves fast.
RMR: Anything else you’d like to say to your fans?
Mac: Hey, Bubba.
You can check out the new LP, “The Rebirth”, here, and on all platforms.
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