In the new age of the modern world digitization has taken away a tool that most rappers used as the greatest weapon to sharpen their craft, a Book of Rhymes. However, this was not the same case for InnerCore who decided to pay homage respect to the Art of RAP with his latest offering. Pyramid Mag caught up with the rapper following his success of over 10 000 streams for this project.

Pyramid Mag: It’s been a long minute since the release of D.I.R.T.Y, why did you take the long break?

InnerCore: I was going through a learning phase, and I was also building for the artists who reached out and opened doors on other platforms like Radio and Podcast. Basically, I was learning and building.

Pyramid Mag: What is the motivation behind the current release, and what are you hoping to achieve?

InnerCore: My motivation is the absence of the real meaning of music, especially the lyrical importance of RAP/Hip-Hop Music.

Pyramid Mag: What are your thoughts on the current state of #VaalHipHop?

InnerCore: In all honesty I think we are showing positivity in growth of music, however, we gotta work on the business side that involves marketing and networking.

Pylramid Mag: You had a Hip-Hop Radio Show on Sedibeng FM, The Core Hip-Hop Show, did that shape or had any influence on your Music, and how to go about releasing it?

InnerCore: That had a major influence yes, and through it all I was learning everyday meeting different artists having to hear their music and experience. I feel the selection of music or sound came from that influence. I heard different people and sounds and had to ask myself how I sound different.

Pyramid Mag: Do you think there’s a place for Hip-Hop music on commercial, local, and online radio stations?

InnerCore: Hip-Hop is Culture. Hip-Hop is art, fashion, skating, music, graffiti, break dancing, it’s impossible for it not to have its a lifestyle.

Pyramid Mag: What’s the story behind the title *Book of Rhymes*, and two releases?

InnerCore: The Book of Rhymes is actually a Series segmented into Chapters. The 1st Chapter of the Series is called Street Poetry.

This Chapter marks the origin of RAP, which is an acronym for Rhythm And Poetry, and this is where I illustrate the ART of RAP, setting a tone for the next chapters to come. I am basically taking street cyphers to the booth.

So, the 1st chapter is about preserving the Culture. To us who come from the Vaal Triangle, known as the Capital City of Hip-Hop and Boombap, Hip-Hop is not just music but part of our culture.

I take it back to the days of Streetbeat and SALSA. J-sec had Le Club, Soweto had Slaghuis, but Vaal had Streetbeat, and later SALSA.

Street Poetry is an illustration of WHO AM I, and WHERE I COME FROM. How I got my identity as a Rapper. What influenced my rhyming and how I write. I am telling a story of how my BOOK OF RHYMES began.

The 2nd Chapter is titled 420, named after the April 20 cannabis culture celebration which is the day that has become the rallying cry of those who seek to legalize weed.

These are hood stories I am creatively narrating through Hip-Hop music. Wait to see what happens next as the story unfolds in the coming chapters.

Pyramid Mag: Who did you work with?

InnerCore: I worked with SamOnBeats, Naked eYe, Xhosanostra, X-Rate, Tlhao Ntabanyane, Msolomba, and Dxn Swf.

From the artwork designs I am working with Sifu to creatively design all the graphics for the Series.

From a PR & Marketing point of view, as well as Branding and packaging of the series, and distribution, I am working with Vincent Kheswa from EasternVille Music. He is also the co-Executive Producer who gave the Series a direction that is has taken.

Pyramid Mag: What does it mean for your Music to be affiliated with EasternVille Music?

InnerCore: Earlier on I spoke about learning and building, the affiliation brought the business aspect of the music onto the table, administration, as well as guidance on how to move my Brand as InnerCore without changing the person I am.

For a hardcore BoomBap project to reach over 10 000 streams on Digital Platforms on this day and era is a result of this affiliation.

Two Chapters of the Book of Rhymes Series are available on all Digital Stores.

https://ditto.fm/book-of-rhymes-street-poetry

https://artists.landr.com/064837288611