Urban Vault caught up with Bronx veteran emcee Wildelux and the German beatmaker Roccwell to ask them some questions about their new THE NOMAD IN NO MAN’S LAND EP, & more…

After more than 20 years in the rap game, Wildelux (pronounced Will Deluxe) is not finished. Choosing to go down the grass root route instead of mainstream his entire career, he has managed to build up a small following throughout the world. Originally from the Bronx, living in LA for 15 years and now residing in Japan, Wildelux still continues to work with some great producers and artists and still manages to tour the world.

In 2017 he met upcoming beatmaker Roccwell (Munich/Germany) in Kyoto through a mutual contact. The vibes between them from the start were strong. They decided to build on some music, the outcome is their new EP ‘The Nomad In No Man’s Land’ which is inspired by the original Golden Era boom bap sound of the 90’s.

When it comes to his lyrics, Wildelux represents real Hip Hop. No fake shit! Prolific lyrics, an incredible cadence and a voice that easily recognized have always been his style. Complemented with Roccwell`s powerful production who has collaborated with the likes of Ruste Juxx, Born Unique, Craig G and many more, this EP should not be slept on by Hip Hop fiends…

What are your names?

Wildelux: The name is Wildelux (pronounced as Will deluxe)
Roccwell: My name is Roccwell.

Where are you both from?

Wildelux: I`m from the Bronx, NYC.
Roccwell: From Munich, Germany.

How long have you been making music?

Wildelux: Professionally over 20 years.
Roccwell: I`ve been making music since the 90s – first as a rapper. But when I grew older I didn´t feel like rapping anymore  – but my love for the music was still there. That´s when I started making beats…around 2008.

Can you tell us more about your latest release?

Wildelux: The latest release is with my dude Roccwell, who I met through a mutual friend. The name of the project is called ‘The Nomad In No man`s Land’.
Roccwell: Our EP features 6 tracks – 5 produced by me and one remix produced by Will. ‘The Nomad In No Man‘s Land’ EP

How did the collab come about, What prompted you guys to work together?

Wildelux: I met with Roccwell about two years ago in Japan. As I mentioned before we have a mutual friend Dj Chuck Jorris. He told Roccwell how to get in touch with me and we linked up soon after that. We decided to do an ep after building and talking with each other. It was good vibes from the start.
Roccwell: We just had some food and some beers and decided to work together. It started with one track, then came the 2nd one…and we ended up finalizing this EP.

What type of sounds and content will listeners experience by pressing play?

Wildelux: When it comes to sounds, that signature boom bap hip hop sound that I have been known for for my whole career. Content will always be about the world we live in. I believe we only have one freestyle song on the ep, the rest of it has content that people can and will relate to.

Who else have you collaborated with so far in your career?

Wildelux: When it comes to producers, Suff Daddy, Kyo Itachi, the 12 Drunkies, Macapella and the list goes on. When it comes to an artist. Prince Po, Shafiq Husayn, Rusty Juxx, Tragedy etc.
Roccwell: I already did joints with Ruste Juxx, Craig G, Dro Pesci, Bankai Fam, Empuls, House of Repz (joint with them and Prince Po is still on hold – I hope their album will come out one day) and with Mickey Boston as part of my crew ‘All Coasters’ (we released a full album this year that features Craig G and many others – you can get it on bandcamp) plus a couple of other dudes.

What inspires you when you make your music?

Wildelux: Music itself. Music has been and still is a major part of my life.
Roccwell: Listening to dope stuff from others – I´m a fan first. Definitely.

How have you ended up in the music industry?

Wildelux: I came into the music industry through my former manager. At the time I was living in The Bronx and he relocated us to the west coast where all the action was happening. I would say that was my first step into the music industry.
Roccwell: I´m not part of the industry, to be honest – I do what I want to do. I have a full-time job – music is my way to express myself, but I´m not forced to do it. Which means a lot of freedom plus it does not mean I don´t have any goals in music. You better be prepared!

What is your opinion on music streaming and social media?

Wildelux: There are pros and cons to everything. Music streaming is cool because of the ease of access to the music. It makes it very convenient for the listener. The bad part of it is, no one is buying music that much anymore. So when it comes to staying power of a song or an album, or when it comes to the relistening value, the music tends to diminish rapidly unless you have an excellent album through and through. With social media, again there are pros and cons. It`s very useful for an artist, whether independent or mainstream. It`s a great way to connect with your fans/ followers. It`s a great way to keep them updated on an album that is being worked on, a tour that an artist might be on and so on. But with social media, with some artist, that focus gets lost in stupidity, attention seeking and trolling.

Facebook or Twitter?

Wildelux: I use them both. They are all connected.
Roccwell: I rather facebook than twitter. But nowadays it´s just Instagram actually.

What’s your favourite track at the moment?

Wildelux: My favourite track at the moment, that I bang regularly is from AG (of D.I.T.C) ‘Magical World’, of course, the content in the song is relatable, and the production is just different from what`s out now.
Roccwell: Man, I have many – I listen to M-Dot, Masta Ace, Torae, Venom, Crimeapple, ‘XL’ by Sadat X and El da Sensei, Kool G Rap & 38 Spesh….so hard to name a single track, so I just name artists.

What do you do when you are not making music?

Wildelux: I`m ALWAYS making music. The majority of my day revolves around music. There is not a day that goes by that music isn`t part of what I do.
Roccwell: Working, being a father (my son was born in September) plus I collect New Era hats, I even made my own this year.

What have you got planned for 2019?

Wildelux: More projects in the works, but right now the focus is on this ep with Roccwell. I`m looking forward to touring this year in Europe, hopefully in a town or city near you.
Roccwell: Finalizing my producer album – we already have finished 10 tracks. It will feature Ruste Juxx, Craig G, Wildelux, M-Dot, Dro Pesci, Bankai Fam, Snowgoons DJ Danetic, 12FingerDan from Soulbrotha, Empuls, and many more.

In a few words sum up your thoughts about Urban Vault and what we’re trying to do?

Wildelux: What you guys are doing is keeping the music and the real artist in forefront. That is important in today`s environment. Sometimes the real talented artist get`s lost in the mix, but we need guys like you all to bring it back to the center.
Roccwell: It´s a good feeling that there are still platforms that support underground artists – big up and thank you for the chance to make this interview.

Thank you for your time and may you carry on making dope, fresh music…

Wildelux & Roccwell – The Nomad In No Man’s Land EP via iTunes/Spotify

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