Tino Q is also known as I Am Not Tha Father, is a talented producer from Tampa Florida. His love for traditional boom-bap hip hop has set him aside in his fields and allowed him to attract the attention of legendary artist rim da villain and his brother, Odawg a legend in the making. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tino Q recently to discuss his career and creative process.
YOURPLUGSFAVORITE: How did you get started in music?
TINO Q: I've always been musically inclined. Doing music as a kid I always wondered how they got that sound and what made them want to write a song so growing up I started sampling stuff. For example, Diana Ross did missing you so I wanted to do my own version and that inspired me
YPF: What is your favorite style of music to make?
TQ: Boom-bap, Big Pun style, East Coast, New York type beats. The different artists I've worked with helped me shift to drill, trap, and other styles. I've been doing this for 3 years and I have taken it seriously in the last year. Working with different artists has helped me progress.
YPF: Where are you from?
TQ: Tampa Florida and I moved to Alabama and New York. I used to live by Flatbush Brooklyn by Tilden and being around that is the reason I started doing this music stuff to be honest with you. I was really inspired by living in New York. Being in Florida you got Jacksonville artists who are on a whole different type of beats. Kind of like drill sounding. People in Florida don’t f*ck with old school beats.
YPF: What is your process as a producer as far as placements?
TQ: It’s difficult reaching out to certain artists. A lot of people don’t f*ck with boom-bap so it makes me take turns into different styles, but like I said it's difficult. There are a few artists that f*ck with me so if I trade a song for a beat I can do that but there are artists that charge $500 - $1000. I feel like it's worth it. It helps me to put my art out there, like being contacted by Rim Da Villian and him wanting to do a song with me is like a dream. It’s like having Sean P. here and him say “I’m down to do a song.” It’s a blessing.
YPF: Can you tell us about your creative process?
TQ: I go back and listen to producer tapes like Kim Chi Sauce or Eric Arch Elliot, Wavey the God. I just listen to their tapes and get inspired. I listen to R&B music and smoke. I have different ways to get focused to be honest with you.
YPF: Is it different making a beat for some in person versus over the internet or phone?
TQ: Definitely I prefer to meet in person. You get to read each other's auras and go off each other. Knowing I can reach out to Odawg is amazing; that man is going places. Doing songs with him I prefer to be able to meet him in person. Doing music with him virtually is like working with him in real life because we go back and forth. I tell him to try different styles of rapping on my beats. We both have a style that pays homage to the originators of hip hop. I'd rather meet in person. You can read each other and go off each other.
YPF: Do you have any advice for other producers?
TQ: Keep going. There's a lot of people out there I think people get popularity and skill mixed up a lot of people sleep on artists because they don't have a big following yet. Don't be fooled by popularity. There’s too much slept on talent out there.
Stream "Art of Irony" below and look out for his next project releasing in February 2022.
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