Garden State Hip-Hop Chops it Up with Thelonious Martin

Thelonious Martin is an 18-year-old rising NJ producer. Here's a quick Q&A we did with him.

GSHH: So, Who is Thelonious Martin?

TM: Thelonious Martin is the brain child of a boombox, a gameboy, lots of jazz, wu tang, and tribe.

GSHH: Who are some of your musical influences?

TM: My musical influences range from J Dilla, 9th Wonder, Dj Premier to whoever the hell was making music for every Mario game.

GSHH: What equipment do you use?

TM: My tools of destruction are the Akai MPD24, M-Audio Keystation77, Logic Pro, and Audacity.

GSHH: Thus far you have released 3 beat mixtapes, what else can we expect from your repertoire?

TM: Well with three beat tapes in the past three months, expect well...more beat tapes, oh and soon me, dope couture, and a slew of others will be dropping a mixtape so I'd especially be on the lookout for that.

GSHH: Have you set any particular goals musically?

TM: People look at me like I have five eyes when I say this...but I do music purely out of the art for it. Music is what I love to do and when you do what you love I believe that you should push it to the limit and see how far you can go with it. So honestly I think my goal is a Grammy, it’s the highest form of respect in my eyes, but when you're doing what you love mars is the limit.

GSHH: What artist are you listening to now, if any?

TM: Right now I am listening to LOTS of Odd Future, shout outs to Hodgy Beats, but on the real I barely listen to much rap music unless I'm trying to scout out new talent or I'm really into a certain artists. My iPod right now has all of the G.O.O.D. Friday releases, some Justice (I don't care if that’s not hip hop their so dope), Vic Mensa, Quest, Mic Terror, and the list goes on.

GSHH: Why should hip-hop heads embrace the artistry of Thelonious Martin?

TM: Hip hop heads should embrace my music because what I'm doing is strictly from the soul, I don't know how cliché that sounds or care, my music is just raw emotions poured into beats. If you don't fuck with it that’s your problem, but I think there’s something wrong with your ears.

GSHH: Why do you resemble Common?

TM: Resemblance to common? I just happen to be light skinned, bald with a beard...*kanye shoulder shrug*