We sat down with the DMV’s own CallMeDrop to talk music, life, and projects during his visit to the city that never sleeps.

The DC, Maryland, and Virginia area is often referred to as the DMV. Growing out of that enviornment, you can tell that Drop is a blue collar hip-hop artist, this man is all about work. Making a steady climb, Drop continues to be a student of the game and has begun to make a name for himself. Drop’s artistic name is derived from his use of knowledge, originality, and poise in his music – dropping knowledge through his rhymes.

The former Army vet dictates his rhymes with intelligence. He tells stories and is devoted to putting out quality sounds with consistency. Creatively, CallMeDrop experiments with his words in order to deliver a message unconventionally. The journey that every artist embarks upon is an uphill climb, it’s something the DMV native is well aware of as he rises towards a position of eminence.

Get familiar with Drop, his music, and take a look at our interview with him below.

I know you were into spoken word, how does poetry influence your music?

The spoken word aspect is about relaying emotions, regardless if there is a beat or not it’s about your message. I’m the type of person that listens to a beat and if it conveys a message to me then it’s easier to make music. Captivating an audience with an emotional message is also part of it, I try to do the same thing with my music and records then take it from there.

Talk to me about your time in the military, what was the experience like as you prepared to make music and the grind that followed?

Man, its a whole different type of grind being in the Army. It was more-so discipline, responsibility, and accountability. You have to learn those things to survive out here. It was crazy because in the five years I was in the military I didn’t do any music. It wasn’t that I shut the idea off, I just had to focus because the military is a mental game that you have to prepare yourself for. If you’re not ready you will fail and you don’t want that “double d” (Dishonorable Discharge) then you can’t even get a job at McDonalds. It did prepare me for the aftermath, I got a chance to grow up and refocus on what I love to do and that was music.

Was music always on your mind throughout that endeavor?

Oh yeah! I used to have random ideas, I’m not really a notebook type of cat who writes stuff down but things just come out the way they do. When I got out I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders and I could get back at it. When you’re in there you don’t even belong to yourself anymore, you belong to the government. You have someone over your shoulder screaming at you or another person cutting your hair a certain way. When I stepped out of that environment that I was so used to, I felt like I was back.

What’s your creative process like?

I might get thirty beats sent to me and I’ll give each piece a minute. If nothing starts happening, I’ll just skip and go to the next song until I hear something that grabs my attention and words start coming to me. When the words start coming to me without me having to think about them, then I’ll automatically focus on that particular beat. Luckily for me, I let ideas flow and something I recorded for five minutes might be left alone until I find a way to incorporate it later on. It’s unconventional but it works for me.

Your first mixtape, take me through the experience and what you felt after putting out your first project?

It was trying to capture a time in my life where I was still learning and still growing. I formatted the mixtape so you can learn from me and get to know about me and who I am. Even if you didn’t know me in the streets you could pick up my tape and be able to relate to what I was saying, my history, and what I had to go through – not musically but as a person. It was personal but at the same time a relief.

What can we expect from your new project which is dropping this summer?

The new project is going to be diverse and consistent. I read a lot, so I want people from all walks of life to pick it up and identify what’s going on much like with a book. I consider myself a fan of music, all music. I want hip-hop fans to see the structure, how it was curated, and authenticity. I want people to be able to bump to this in their cars. Also, I’m trying to relay messages and tell stories but with a spin, adding my own touch to things people are already familiar with. The Walkthrough is coming out late summer and I look forward to continuing to build a foundation and pave a lane for myself.

Virgilio Mendez (@REGULARGUYV)