New Boyz chat with GrooveOn!!

The wildly successful Supafest 2011 tour brought to our shores some of the most revered hip hop/rap musicians of our time. Amongst the legendary acts including Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and Nelly were some relatively new faces in the scene, the New Boyz, who are themselves creating quite the buzz.

The young Californian rap/hip hop duo New Boyz, made up of 19 year olds Legacy and Ben J, debuted in 2009 with the single ‘You’re a Jerk’. The song was an instant viral hit, and the Boyz became the faces of the ‘Jerkin’ movement, based on a local street dance style.

In between the hectic Supafest touring schedule, Ben J had a quick chat with GrooveOn about life on tour and the group’s remarkable rise to fame:

How has the tour been so far?
BEN J: Tour is good! Its dope! Its been so much fun!

GO: What have you been up to in your time off? We noticed you were out jet skiing in the Gold Coast not too long ago..
BEN J: Yeah man! We’re at the Palazzo Versace! And yeah I went jet skiing with Keri Hilson! That was awesome!

GO: You’re on tour with some of the legends of rap and hip hop! Are you feeling any pressure, and more importantly, are you taking valuable notes?!
BEN J: Yeah man its crazy. We’re here with Snoop, Busta, Bow Wow, Keri! But we are learning a lot. They have been good to us and have been giving us advice. And we are networking and making a lot of connections. It’s a great experience.

GO: Can you share some of the lessons you’ve learned on tour?
BEN J: Yeah, we have been getting a lot of advice. Mainly to work hard, and stay humble and to keep our money right!

GO: It’s your first time out here, what’s your view on the Australian audience?
BEN J: You know, they have been awesome! We couldn’t believe it, but when we played our track ‘Back Seat’ the crowd was going crazy and everyone was fist pumping! We love it.

GO:  You guys are so young and have shot to fame at lightning speed! What has that been like and how has it changed your life?
BEN J: Yeah Legacy had his own studio since we were 14 but I was a football player in high school. That was my dream. So it’s been crazy going from being a kid at home studying, to be travelling, on the road all the time, and then suddenly being in New York! The next thing we were flying to London and now we’re on the Supafest tour!

GO: Sounds like you are living the dream!
BEN J: Yeah making music is beautiful. And the fans give so much love and appreciation. We are having a lot of fun!

GO: Lets talk about your new album Too Cool To Care. You are taking a different path with this album, can you tell us a bit about it?
BEN J: Yeah it’s a collective album and is different from the first project. We want to move away from the ‘jerkin’ box that people put us in. We still represent the jerkin movement, but we don’t want to wear the ‘one hit wonder’ shoes! Jerkin music is what we are known for, so this is different, but we are going to do us all the way.

GO: So if you had to describe the type of musicians you are, what would you say?
BEN J: I would say we are just creative people that like to have fun!

GO: You guys have been very busy with your music and all the touring, but on top of that you both have other projects in the works as well don’t you?
BEN J: Yeah we both have our own record labels and are working on our own albums. Legacy is shooting his own videos. We both have movies coming out and are working on TV projects too. We got a lot going on. We are working hard and trying to stay relevant.

If you missed the NewBoyz on the Supafest tour, no doubt you will be hearing more of them before long! Too Cool To Care featuring the hits Backseat and Break My Bank, is expected in stores in May 2011.