As the politics in the music industry turn, two individuals have stepped off the merry-go-round, and decided to break the vicious cycle. Both are producers, both are rappers, both have a sincere love for music, and their names sound identical.
Fokis, and Focus... have taken these commonalities and formed a union that has produced a new EP called 20/20. With Fokis on the mic and Focus... on the tracks, they are setting out to prove that heart plus with talent, equals an extraordinary result.
Focus... and Fokis took time out with BeatDynasty.com to discuss their unity in the game, the new 20/20 EP, and how they came to work together. Read on...
BeatDynasty.com: First tell me about the project that you two have going on
Fokis: The project is called 20/20. Fokis and Focus and it's a no brainer. We have been working on a couple of joints for some time now, and it just came to where I was sitting on like five records. I was like "We should just put out a project," and he was like "Alright let's do it." He sent me some more joints, I put my pen to it, and that was it. Now we're just anxious to get it out on September 16th.
BeatDynasty.com: I'm assuming Focus did all the production work on it.
Focus...: Yeah that's what it was.
BeatDynasty.com: What made you guys want to work together?
Fokis: We had been working on so much music and it was like, "let's put a project out and make a statement." The cover is a doctor's eye chart, and there's a contest with it, but at the end of the day the music is the main focus, no pun intended. The music he sent is so diverse. He really made me work. I tapped into something I didn't know I had. Every beat that he sent me was used, and records were done.
BeatDynasty.com: Focus..., you're an established producer with Aftermath Records. What made you want to work with Fokis of all the people you could get with?
Focus...: I like his grind. I respect his morals, and the fact that his label he's building is called Loyalty Records. I respect the fact that everything he did was off of his own name and not mine like a lot of the other Focus' were doing. I had to give him the respect that he deserved. He didn't turn around and try to earn his respect off of me. He spelled his name different and he has his character on his stickers with the big a** "F" on it. (Laughs)
BeatDynasty.com: Didn't you guys meet on Myspace or something like that?
Fokis: It was Myspace or somewhere on the internet, that's for sure.
Focus...: Yeah it was the internet, but I don't know if it was Myspace.
BeatDynasty.com: I find this project interesting because it's rare that these type of connections are made on the internet. What is it about you guys as men, that made you want to do this?
Focus...: I'mma tell you the truth my dude, without being long winded. It's humility. I'd rather work with somebody that has heart, than somebody who's heart has been taken by the industry. When I say that, I'm not disrespecting nobody like Dre, and Game, and 50, or none of them, but right now, that's their job. When me and Fokis get on a track, that's our heart. That's me having a child with my beat, and we're presenting that child to the world. That's how much I take my craft seriously. I will always have that kind of heart, it don't matter what kind of list I have behind me. I'm always looking in front of me. His grind is crazy and I'm like "I'm ready to go with you, let's go."
BeatDynasty.com: Fokis, what's your take on that?
Fokis: I mean look, even right now, he's going to a function and I'm going out, but he's taking time out to do this. In reality , he doesn't have to do any of this. So it's definitely deeper than music because he's working with Bishop Lamont. Obviously there is a connection there. He's like a mentor to me. I'm learning as much as I can every day, asking questions, and calling him non-stop. It's a pleasure and I'm blessed and fortunate to be working with him. He's shown that in this industry, you don't have to be an a**hole in this game. In the end of the day, the game don't care two s**ts about you. You have to do this because you love it, and when I do it that way, it all works out. Honestly it wasn't until a year ago that I found myself as an artist. I don't care what this one is doing. I live in my own little world. If you like my world, come in and enjoy it, if not, go that way.
BeatDynasty.com: Explain the contest that you're going to be running on BeatDynasty.com and other websites.
Fokis: The contest is on the cover of the EP, which is a doctor's eye chart. There are going to be questions about either myself or producer Focus. We want people to go unscramble the question and then answer it. When you answer it, you sent the e-mail over and then you get a free t-shirt and another prize from one of our sponsors. It's dope, we're trying to give back, so it should be fun.
BeatDynasty.com: In terms of the project itself, do you have other features on it?
Fokis: The finalized list is Young Dre, The Truth out of California, Mistah F.A.B., my man Punch, Donny Goines and some of my dudes from the Lower East Side.
BeatDynasty.com: Ok so I see you have a variety of West and East artists. So did both of you bring artists to the table for this?
Focus...: Can I be honest and say this for him? Fokis was on his grind. All I did was send him beats. I didn't give him any suggestions or tell him anything. I sent him beats, and I was sending him beats to see what he liked and didn't like. He attacked it all and found these people. They know me from my grind out here, but he made that connection.
Fokis Ft. Mistah FAB and Young Dre "Do What It Do" Produced by Focus...
BeatDynasty.com: So does it stop here, or is there a possibility that you two will work together again?
Focus...There is no might. It's going to be bigger. I'm coming out with one more solo album called Focal Point. After that, hopefully he gets what he wants from 20/20 and I get what I want from Focal Point, and we just turn around and do something really crazy on 'em like find another way to say Focus, maybe in Swahili. (laughs) My whole thing is Loyalty and A-Fam connection is real and its apparent and they're going to see it.
BeatDynasty.com: Ok cool, let's do something on the fun side.. Fokis, what is something that consumers should focus on about this 20/20 project?
Fokis: The message
BeatDynasty.com: Focus..., what is something that people should focus on in the upcoming Presidential election?
Focus...: Change
BeatDynasty.com: Fokis, give me something that up and coming producers should focus on.
Fokis: Originality man. Be original. Don't be scared to be different and have fun.
BeatDynasty.com: Focus, what's something that you feel that established producers should focus on?
Focus...: Heart! Everybody lost their's and started making music for the money. We gotta get the heart back and we gotta get the love back.
