I recently got a chance to chat with multi-platinum and multi-Grammy nominated producer, Kosine. Who most of you may know as one-half of hit production duo, Da Internz. Originally from the Chicago area, like myself. Kosine and I talked about his time growing up in the suburbs of Chicago before moving to Los Angeles, and how it helped shape him to be who he’s today. We also talked about his just released debut project, Truth Serum, as well as its accompanying short film. Also going into how it was to transition from a mega-hit producer to this current point of his career. Being not only a producer, but full blown artist as well. Among several things we dive into throughout the interview.
Nello for TheHipHopDemocrat.com: Hey Kosine, my name is Nello Rubio with TheHipHopDemocrat.com.
Kosine: Hey, how are you feeling?
Nello: I’m feeling good. How about yourself?
Kosine: I got my debut project coming out at midnight. How do you think I feel bro? I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
Nello: Being originally from the Chicago area and growing up in Maywood and Broadview. What was it like for you growing up, coming from the suburbs and then being able to get to where you are now? A big time producer and than obviously the transition from you and your partner, Tuo, as, Da Internz. To you now transitioning more into that artist phase.
Kosine: I mean it has definitely been a fight and struggle. But the thing about Maywood, Broadview and the Westside of Chicago in general. If you come up in that town and you can make it anywhere in the world. So for me, I’m just grateful for that strong of a foundation. You know I am grateful for my family as well. My mother is originally from Panama. My father from Guatemala. So even being an Afro-Latino raised in the West Burbs of Chicago. I just feel real down to earth people. Really hard-working people. Humble people and I feel all of that just really translates into life. With this artistry stuff. It’s being brave enough to bet on yourself. As a producer, you play a huge role in the song creation process. But at the same time, it’s still not your song. So you’re still kind of throwing rocks and hiding your hands. But with this music stuff. It’s my words, my lyrics, my vision. It is my production, it’s my movie. It just feels liberating to finally be able to throw my whole self into something. And be okay to love it and put your all into it. Cause when you are a producer, you want to produce. But at the same time, you don’t want to overstep the artist. You still want to bring the artists vision out. You are still very much a servant. So to finally be able to serve myself and love myself in this process. Has been very liberating.
Nello: I grew up in the West suburbs of Chicago myself. Not to far from where you grew up. In, Forest Park.
Kosine: Oh, hell yeah. That’s where I played baseball at. All my All-Star games used to be there. (Laughing) We used to beat the shit out of Forest Park. I loved their fields though. Their fields are the shit. (Laughing) Damn bro, you said, Forest Park. Oh my God.
Nello: I also actually noticed that you went to Saint Joseph’s and Columbia. I also actually went to St. Joe’s and Columbia myself too.
Kosine: Shut up! Wow, that’s crazy. So we are literally from the same, high school and college. That is great.
Nello: Kind of going into that. When you went to Saint Joe’s. I’m sure you knew Coach Pingatore. Who obviously unfortunately passed a few years ago. What was your relationship with Coach Ping, if any at all?
Kosine: Oh, man. Coach Ping. Rest in Peace. My relationship with Coach Ping was so special because I didn’t play basketball. I did get picked for the freshmen basketball team. So I was the manager for a little bit, but I just couldn’t accept it. Like how? This was my whole dream, my whole life. So I was the manager for awhile and then my Senior year. Ping asked me to try out. So I am over here thinking he finally came to his senses. He is going to start me on the basketball team as a Senior, and in actuality as time went on I realized he just wanted a wonderful body for the practice team. Some more bodies for practice. So I’m over here just thinking like, ‘Man what?’ So I quit my Senior year. I feel like before the season even started. But you know he always had a great respect for me and I always came back around the school. So he knew how much of a fan I was of basketball and the program. Isiah Thomas, himself. So you know, he always give me some basketball gear and shoes. Let me play in the gym. So you know he made me feel a part of the family. But the truth is, I’m a poser. The truth is I am an All-Conference football player at Saint Joe’s. Even though basketball was what was in my heart. So rest in peace to Coach Ping. For always being a gentleman, a scholar, a voice of inspiration. I could go on all day about Coach Ping.
Nello: Going to Saint Joe’s too. That’s obviously a school where religion and faith obviously plays a large part. How has that been able to only help your career, but your life in general?
Kosine: While I mean the sure remainder to just pray and keep God first. It goes above and beyond. We would be praying at the beginning of every class. We would pray at the beginning of everyday of school. So just that reminder to just stop and acknowledge the most high. To think about where your blessings come from. You take four years and four or five times a week. For four years. Do the math on that and that’s something I usually like to sit here and solve. As Kosine goes to try to solve it, he decides not to and adds. But anyways, that’s a lot of prayers over four years. I remember my cousin going to a public school and that being absent from their day. Everyday. So just that alone, is just helpful and remembering to pray. I got a song with BJ the Chicago Kid called, Will you Pray. It is not on this project. But probably will be on the next one.
Nello: Being from the Chicago area. You have obviously worked with countless names from BJ to Jeremih to Kanye West, No I.D. As some examples. But who are some Chicago artists you haven’t worked with yet and would like to?
Kosine: Raven Lynae. I am big into R&B. So Raven, and Dreezy. Oh and Chance. Yeah, Raven Lynae, Dreezy and Chance.
Nello: Playing off that and going back to R&B. I got a chance to listen to the project already and I noticed a lot of the song’s you were in that more R&B and spiritual type realm. Is there anything that made you go in that direction or that inspired you to go in that direction with this project?
Kosine: While this is part one. I have at least 100 records ready to go right now. So it was like where do you start? So what was most important. It is really figuring out what’s the story? How can we tell the story through songs? So running through the tracklisting. Hello World, is a real song. I wanted to show and make a song that had no drums in it. Cause you know me for my 808’s. You know me for Nicki Minaj, Anaconda. You know me for Big Sean, Ass, Ass. You know me for Rihanna, Cake. Trap Beckham. The club anthem, one time for the birthday b**ch. You know me for my 808’s and my drums and my club shit. But you may not know that my first instrument is saxophone and that grew up playing in the church. And that I can play the piano and I know about running the bridge. And changing bridge from chorus. The diversity. The well roundness. I wanted a project that could speak to all my skill sets. My sister used to say that all the time. Because she has been hearing my music my whole life. But the people more so know me for my club shit. So she would always say, man I wish the world could hear your music. Hear your catalog and hear the way I hear it. So, Hello World. Is really showing what a copywrite song looks like. Where I just sit down with the piano and play the song. Sing the song. That is what that is. Change, I am giving you that 808 right back. Just so you know that is still there. But, Change, is more important because when you sit down and be creative to make a song. You know you usually can just be playing the chords. Or you may go digging, listening. Looking for inspiration. But it was important that I looked within for the inspiration. So, Change, is a song that I used to hear on Sunday morning’s on WGCI. Getting ready to go to church with my Mom. Anthony Hasselrig on GCI used to play that and that was our Sunday morning’s. So I wanted to use a sample that was a watermark. Something that sonically watermarked important moments from my childhood in Chicago. So that is where, Change, came from. And then also you know I had to talk about with that evolution, and everything that you asked as far as going from a producer to an artist. The last line of the song says, ‘Internz is the disaster, now I know I have been changed.’ You know, ‘Went from college boy to platinum.’ I am telling you the whole story. Settle, is me looking at myself in the mirror and asking myself a real question. ‘Will I ever settle down?’, and get out of these streets. I used to have a roster. A starting five roster and that lifestyle was not fulfilling. So, like number two said, you got to change. Transparency, is a song really about trust. Cause you know moving from Chicago to L.A. You out here in a new town. Hollywood. Who can you trust? The punchline in that song is, ‘B**ch don’t lie to me.’ Up next is, Deal with Me, cause that is when I got humbled in the relationship. Like I got told, ‘B**ch don’t lie to me.’ But what about you. You are a liar. But then the opening line of that song is, ‘I ain’t no liar, but I am a sinner. And I know you are tired cause you are a winner.’ So this is like me humbling myself to my woman and letting her know I honestly don’t deserve her. Next is, Put It On Me. Which is the only song I didn’t write on the project. That was written by arguably the greatest songwriter of all-time, Diane Warren. Because I didn’t want to play fair on this project. I didn’t want to have you thinking. Oh is this good or is not good? No you know this is amazing on the first listen. You know it’s amazing cause it sounds amazing. But you know it’s amazing cause it is full of amazing people. Diane Warren didn’t give me one of her C-List songs, she gave me a banger. And, Put It on Me, really makes me think about my daughter. Then the last one is, Kings. That is just to help remind my brothers of who they are. Cause America has gone to great lengths to hide our history. America has gone above and beyond to hide who we are as Black men and where we come from. And what are tradition is. So, Kings, is just a reminder. Like I know they didn’t teach us this in grammar school to us, but we have history that predates slavery. I know they showed us, Roots. But there was things going on before, Roots. We weren’t just born into slavery. So, Kings, is the beginning of Black men getting to value themselves.
Nello: I also noticed that Marsha Ambrosius executive produced the project with you and was singing background vocals on some of the records. How was it like to work with somebody as great as her?
Kosine: While funny enough. I executive produced her, Lovers & Friends, album. I think it was in 2013 or 2014. So literally she is just returning the favor. Again, I am not playing fair on this, Nello. I am not playing fair. So let me have the great Marsha Ambrosius. Check my homework. Cause that is another thing about Kosine and what people don’t really realize. Is not just the, cosign. When you ask for, Kosine or when you are talking about, Kosine. Or when you ask for Kosine’s services. It isn’t just, Kosine. I am a movement. I am attached to some of the dopest people in the game. I have an array of superfriends that show up for me. And Marsha is that and I just wanted to show that is how I feel A&R’s have their positions. Right. You have relationships with artists. So if that is what these labels and people find interesting. Then let me show you who pulls up and shows up for me. Leon Thomas just got back from the Bahamas, from working on Drake’s album. So when this Drake album comes out. Then you go and listen to the Kosine album right after. Than you see that common denominator of Leon Thomas. You know that I know something or I’m tapped into something. So, yeah. Marsha is incredible. She has got one of the best voices and pens of all-time. She is so creative. Both inside and outside of the studio. So yeah, I am humbled and honored. So now I am back to feeling like some dream come true shit. That is how it feels. But it is on another level cause it’s my album.
Nello: You obviously have the short film accompanying the project too. What do you think people are going to get out of that?
Kosine: They are going to get to know me and learn a little bit more about my story. I have a very elaborate story, and that’s really what this album is about. You know, it is Truth Serum. A lot of times I find myself sharing my story and it feels like I’m lying. It feels like I’m lying when I am talking, but I am not. And I am sure there are other people out there that are going through a lot or living through a lot. That don’t want to feel like they are in a twilight zone. So this album and this movie is specifically so that you can truly digest the whole story.
Nello: You had said with this project. It’s going to be the first part of multiple projects you will have. Do you have an idea or already lined up when you are going to have a part two or any other parts? Or are you still going through the process and not really decided yet that far?
Kosine: I haven’t really got that far yet cause putting these projects together is such a big deal, and you need to get the story. And cause it’s so spiritual. That I literally have to get this first project all the way out. Before I can even start to wrap my brain around what part two is going to look like. I got hella options though. So yeah, I am going to let this hit first. What I also want to do is take some time to really go away and really record for this next project. Like intentionally record. Because what I have got so far and what I have done so far. You know, it has just been so organic that we have just been putting together the stories from the song’s. Which is cool. But I do want to take some time to actually record for it.
Nello: Yeah, that’s what I kind of figured. But why I also wanted to ask the question too. Cause listening to the project and even watching the short film. You can tell like how you said you were able to put it together like a story. Where you are going to have everybody’s attention and want to sit to watch and/or listen to it in one setting. To get the jest and picture of what you are trying to tell everybody with your story.
Kosine: Exactly, 100%. It’s interesting. It is interesting because when I was on the show, Star. Shout out to Lee Daniels. What was so cool about it. Was that I was able to write, produce, perform and act. All on one show. That’s a quadruple. That is four checks. So as far as me being an artist. I am looking at that. I’m following the Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, Childish Gambino formula. Picking up what they have been putting down. So that is what the film allows me to do. Is really get in my bag with that.
Nello: That’s all the questions I have. Before we conclude though. What would you like to let the fans know as far as whether it be about the project or anything else you want them to know about you have going on or coming up?
Kosine: I want to let them know that it’s okay to fall in love with this music. Like, you can give your heart to this music and me as an artist and know that your heart is in good hands. You know you can trust in somebody that has dedicated their life to giving you real authentic, soulful, sincere, emotional, spiritual music. Is this not the time we can use it the most too? You look at the state of the world and how it has been on. Do we not need some healing? There is healing in this music and so I want to let the fans know that is okay. You can feel free and feel comfortable falling in love with this music.