Question {Interview}

Texas rapper, Question, is a very well-rounded and well connected artist. He has had many ups & downs just like others in the music industry but his story isn’t that of the ordinary. Check out the interview below to learn more about the big homie as he details the good, and the bad throughout his career in the rap game!

Groundsounds: Wuts good big dawg?!
Chillin g. At the crib smoking a joint playing max Payne 3.

Groundsounds: How did you get/come up with the name “Question” for yourself?
Actually my grandfather, god rest his soul gave me that nickname. As a kid, I asked a lot of questions. Like “why Is the sky blue?” etc. but the neighborhood kids overheard it and the name just stuck

Groundsounds: How long have you been doing music? How did you get into rapping and being an artist? Since I was 8 years old. I was writing raps trying to break Dance. As a teen I was heavy into it, even had interest from loud records at age 17 but nothing ever materialized. I eventually went to audio engineering school in Los Angeles, got my degree, came back to S.A and ran a studio. There I met Easy Lee of Mojoe and began co managing there band. I accidentally got back into the artist thing free styling with those guys in a limo on sunset boulevard after a show. There was a record exec that heard me and convinced me I should give the artist thing another try and introduced me to super producer JR Rotem, and from the rest was history…11 months later I had a record deal.

Groundsounds: Who are your biggest influences? Who are your favorite artists?
My favorite artist is NAS, followed closely by scarface. I studied those two religiously…ludacris, eminem, tech n9ne, outkast also were huge influences and of course UGK. Right now, Kendrick Lamar,  Big Krit, and slaughterhouse are prob my favorite new artists out..and I jam a lot of relatively unknown new artist that I think will be huge eventually like Rittz, jarren Benton, ghostwridah, worldwide, A.d.d + and LOEG’Z out of Austin.

Groundsounds: Question, you were signed to Epic Records in 2007…how did you obtain that spot? What kind of contract were you under? Why are you not still signed to Epic Records? I signed with cinematic music group in 07 and we had a single called “Ridin so slow” feat bun b and Sean Kingston. We had over 30 stations pick it up and we also made a splash in the mixtape circuit with DJs like Dj Khaled, green lantern, the empire, chuck T, etc…we also gave away over 10,000 copies of my first mixtape…really made headway on the Internet sites as well. All these factors lead to interest from about 6 different labels…Epic came with the best offer and we took it. EPIC decided to close there urban division about 6 months after I signed and SONY (the parent company) decided they would move me to another sub label. My lawyer felt it was a bad move and we fought to get me off the label. We went about 11 months fighting to get my name and my masters back. It was a setback because by then my buzz I worked so hard to build had kind of died down. But definitely a learning experience. Something I’ll eventually write a book about.

Groundsounds: You’ve got a nice collection of solid collabs under your belt, including songs “I’m So Tall” – feat. Bun B & Talib Kweli produced by Chester French, “Ridin’ Slow” – feat. Kyle Lee & Sean Kingston, and “Part Of Me” – feat. Trey Songz…how were you able to connect with all of these artists for these tracks? Some were made possible by personal relationships like with Bun B and Sean Kingston. Others we’re stuff the label or my management made happen. I was on Lil Wayne’s “The Drought is over 2” and that literally happened by someone reaching out and asking if I would. Very blessed in that regard…that song got me alot of exposure

Groundsounds: Are there any artists that you would like to work with that you haven’t gotten to yet? If so, who?! I know big Krit fairly well, even have beats of his I have recorded too…but never have Collaborated…that could happen soon. I actually had a song with John legend I never got to put out because of label politics I wish people could of heard. My dream Collabos would be with artists I respect like big boi, NAS, Kendrick Lamar, yelawolf. And killer mike has always been a mentor to me and shown me love…I’d love to work with him as well. I think working with timbaland and missy would be my ultimate dream collabo.

Groundsounds:  Throughout your entire music career, is there one defining memorable moment that stands out more than anything else? Freestyling with Nipsey Hussle on Shade 45 on DJ KAY SLAYs show. Slay kinda fronted on me when I walked in…but when I freestyled he showed me alot of love from there on out…him and DJ Radio played alot of my records after that. So I felt i earned his respect

Groundsounds: How do you feel about San Antonio’s underground scene? It’s dope…lots of talent. But no infrastructure. No managers, lawyers, investors, show coordinators with real knowledge. Need more of that…artists need to realize you need a team to be successful. One thing I love is the video directors coming up…were def stepping our game up in that category…people like Maxx Rodrigo, Dang Films, steady Prime, Doomzday etc etc are setting the bar. I love that…wish these guys would of been around when I was first coming up                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Groundsounds: Do you feel there is any competition for you or are you the top dawg in CountDown City?!                                                                                                             Nah I ain’t the top dawg…I’m just an artist who loves to make music and I try to work hard and work smart to create a following. There’s a lot of new talent I think will surpass what I’ve done here…I love these new cats pushing boundaries in SA.

Groundsounds: If you had to choose between Taco Cabana, Taco Bueno, or Whataburger, what would you go with? Whataburger all day Fam.

Groundsounds: What is your all time favorite song that you have done?
“superman is dead” off my last album “Fear of dying”….I poured my heart out on that one, plus my son made a cameo on that

Groundsounds: What are you currently working on? What is your next project? I have three new albums, 2 new mixtapes, a group album with my band dead broke and me and SOSA and j starr have been talking about doing a group album as well. First up is an album called “Daddy’s Cadillac” that’s produced entirely by JJones the monster, a local producer who I think is insanely dope.

Groundsounds: What other hobbies/interests do you have besides music? Video games are my vice. That and pussy…I really enjoy good pussy. Lol

Groundsounds: What does the future hold for Question?Mann I just want to make music, develop some artists, get into artist management eventually…launch a record label. I also have a passion for film…I write scripts and have been looking into getting financing for my first short film

Groundsounds: What advice can you give to aspiring artists looking to make their mark in the game?Travel. Don’t sit in one place…leave your city limits and network as much as possible. Don’t think local ..that’s small. Minded.

Groundsounds: Is there anything you would like to tell your fans?!I love y’all…thanks for always supporting me and my family. And keeping it 100…Ain’t a day goes by someone doesn’t tell me or tweet me or Facebook that I need to get off my ass make music…I dig that.