RVA’s No Hokum may on the surface seem like an indie rap duo that covers fairly typical material.
RVA’s No Hokum may on the surface seem like an indie rap duo that covers fairly typical material. To see rappers Scott-Free and Sonny G write songs like ‘Push Up’, a tribute the popular Shockoe Bottom strip club Rouge, it wouldn’t be an outlandish assumption to make. However beneath the fun club songs lies some meaning and that’s what helps these local boys stand out.
For instance the song “W.I.N” may seem like a song about smoking, drinking, and the general ingredients for a fun Saturday night, is actually about something much more melancholy. Producer of the No Hokum’s up and coming Carnevale EP, Darwin Tyde, suffered a tragic loss when his twin brother passed away. Tyde had been so depressed about it he was diagnosed with agoraphobia.
This EP was an attempt to bring him out of his current state. “on the surface level is a chill, super-melodic, hypnotic, ride-out record,” Said Sonny G “but to us it is an attempt to pull Darwin out from his mental shadows.”
The song “Shades of Glass” is another exaple of a track that on the surface is a fun party song but actually masks a hidden metaphor for substance abuse. ”We like to play with concepts, so if someone wants to listen to a song of ours and just chill and jam out they can, but we also like to leave “Easter Eggs” for the dedicated listeners who want to take it to a deeper level of understanding.”
Their fans can take the lyrics at face value or look for deeper meaning, the songs work both ways. When they first started creating music they tried to music with more mass appeal but they realized that strategy wasn’t really for them.
“Now we make music that we like to hear and that we enjoy creating because what else is there? Lying to others is one thing but lying to yourself is a recipe for disaster,” said Sonny G.
Though the duo is originally from the Northern Virginia area their time in Richmond has heavily influenced their music. They represent RVA in all they do, even shooting their latest video Downtown.
“We live in Manchester and record on Hull Street at Trackmeet Studios. Scott Free has giant “VA” tatted on his shoulders. We swim in the James and we walk through the Blue Ridges. There isn’t a more VA loving RVA representing Hip-Hop duo out at the moment, We represent RVA.”
Carnevale is set to be released in August, while there are no performance dates set as of yet No Hokum plans to get right back to recording.
They look forward to more live shows and collaborations in the future.
