Underground hip-hop rising star, Final Outlaw is a tried and true New Yorker. Raised in the city, the afro-latino lyricist was born and molded by the NYC hip-hop scene. He spends a lot of time making music, reading, and brainstorming various ways to build a business. His indifference about the current state of Hip-Hop comes as no surprise. He isn’t really interested, which to be honest, he’s just saying what most of us already feel. That doesn’t mean he's hating. He knows there are good artists out there. Personally, he feels detached regarding ownership, equity, economics, of the industry at least.

I had the privileged opportunity to sit down with the artist to find out what makes him tick. His answers may surprise you.

With the current state of hip-hop, where would your music fit in?

I have the skill to rival the very best and the personnel around me that can create music that can rival the best out there. I also have a long background in activism and affiliations with many people who are engrossed in matters of sovereignty and liberty for oppressed peoples.

I saw a meme the other day that said something like “your favorite rapper has shit world views.” I’m not one of those rappers, and I also have a lot of people to confide in if ever I need guidance on a certain issue. My music would serve as an opportunity to learn and apply what is learned to the world in a practical manner and I believe the word for that is empowerment.

What is it about the independent/underground hip-hop scene that keeps you drawn to it?

There is nothing really that keeps me drawn to underground Hip Hop - in fact, I’d very much like to avoid being included in it. I’d like to participate and contribute to posterity in a tangible way (not that I haven’t to some extent already). People from the ghetto and peoples who are in one way or another related to the slave trade are marginalized in Hip-Hop when they strive for excellence and sophistication. I’d be a lot more marketable if I were still a lost young delinquent of the inner-city. Nobody wants to stay poor, nobody wants to stay lost, but nobody wants to see us become brilliant either - they wanna see us blowing smoke into the camera, flashing guns, twerking, and tricking.

How do you get people to take you seriously as a musician?

People can tell when you stand out among others. People know the difference between talent and talentless. And people know how to distinguish you from others who lack purpose and principles. If you’re intelligent, self-aware and critical of your craft, if you’re real with yourself, and ultimately have faith in people to recognize the great care in which you curate not only your craft but yourself - then they will see that, and carve a special place for you in their hearts.

How important is your image or how the world sees you, compared to what others may want you to be?

This is one of those issues of balance. People will say things like “I don’t give a fuck what people think,” but that’s only half true. The world is hasty to make subjective judgments about everyone they come in contact with - and I think that knowing that gives us a lot of power. We can control what people see and in turn leverage that over them. I don’t spend enough time curating this aspect of myself. It’s not something I’ve ever had a passion for, but I do recognize the value in it. I recognize the value in it especially when I see how fans perceive me. Often time they perceive me in ways that I strongly disagree with. Many of them try to force a circle into a square. Many of them think me as some kind of anti-establishment caricature and I’m afraid they are deeply mistaken. I’m very much against being malleable to what others want me to be - but I also intend on educating people on what my actual views and objectives are as opposed to holding them in mystery. I mentioned balance earlier because I think you have to be able to protect your “image,” but also understand how to leverage it to your advantage.

Is there growth in this field? How do things generally look for new musicians entering the underground hip-hop game?

There is no guide book, no linear or single path in pursuing music or any form of entrepreneurship really. You have to have a passion for this, but you also need to keep it real as far as what you’re willing to sacrifice whether it be financial, mental, personal, etc. The music industry is currently very blurred between mainstream and underground and that presents a great opportunity for new musicians.

If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose this career? Would you do anything differently?

I would very likely do music all over again and apply all the things I’ve learned much earlier on. But at the same time, I would have also spent a great deal of time learning about finances, economics, holding a regular job, and embarking on building equity. Being self-determined and independent are not things that were instilled in me as a child but hold extreme importance to me now.

Be sure to check him out on social media via Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Also, don’t forget to check out his personal webpage www.finaloutlaw.com for tour information and updates!