Willy Northpole's presence on the mainstream rap scene is a testament not only to his talents, but also the groundbreaking arrival of Southwestern hip hop. In fact, the way in which Willy made his mark from Phoenix, Arizona, as a musical "connect," may be a sign of things to come – especially in the digital music landscape.
As the newest member of Disturbing Tha Peace, Willy Northpole has obtained the support of Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, who was largely responsible for putting the South on the national hip hop map. So with proper label support, a noteworthy debut from Willy may – for once and for all – put a permanent spotlight on the Southwest's hidden talents.
Upon the release of Tha Connect, Willy Northpole managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on "Body Marked Up," the death of his cousin Salt, and the current state of hip hop.
The first single off your debut album, Tha Connect, is "Hood Dreamer." In the music video, you begin with the following words: "based on a true story." With that in mind, what does that particular song mean to you?
That video was actually shot at my grandmother's house. When you watch the video, you're going to notice that a guy was murdered in the video. The guy that was murdered, Salt, that was my cousin. The truth behind that story was when he died in the 90s, he had a son on the way. His son is actually the guy in the video who re-enacted his dad's death. On top of that, my grandmother was in the video. So everything about that video was taken directly from my life and gives everyone a snapshot of my past.
Looking back, what did you most admire about Salt?
His lyrical skills. That's who actually helped me write one of my first raps. He was well-respected on the streets. He was a young gunner. He was way ahead of the game. He was a good guy but deep down inside, there was a dark side. Whatever happened, happened for a certain reason. His legacy lives on in my music as far as what I represent.
As you continue his legacy, what's your ultimate dream for your music, and what have you found to be your definition of success?
Success is word-of-mouth, man. What you got to understand is this is my first album. This is my Reasonable Doubt. This is my Ready to Die. I'm from that cloth in the '90s when good music was still around. So this album, I promise you, is going to be a certified classic.
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