So, this was originally uploaded to our old Medium account back in 2018. This was my first ever interview I’d done by my own volition, and it came out really good if I say so myself. You can definitely tell I was 17 with some of the questions and how I conducted myself, but it’s still fire regardless.

I found out about these two through twitter (of course) through a tweet about Pharrell’s NMDs. Shoutout to Amy for posting because that led to beautiful connections being made. Rashad and Eric are both based out of Atlanta and are apart of ZIGGA NATION. They are both amazing at music so naturally I asked them be apart of the tape i’m putting out later this year named BUMMER SOUNDS. They have amazing synergy so whatever they touch becomes gold. Most recently they put out their collaborative mixtape TWIN PEAKS IN ATLANTA. Despite it’s short length (it’s sadly only five tracks long) it demonstrates why they are on the come up and how they separate themselves from the herd. Before BUMMER SOUNDS drops I asked them if they were down to do a little interview here’s how it went:

Deshaun: Okay this first question is very cliche, but i’m curious so fuck it. How’d you guys meet?

Rashad: We were two celestial beings working as humble craftsmen from the previous universe who were destroyed by the big bang and our star stuff was finally redistributed in a way that allowed us to collaborate once again. I met him thru fellow Zigga nation creator Julian who’s actually not Twitter I think. He was like “yo my nigga Eric fye wit beats” and I was like “word” and that was it.

D: [Laughs] Well alright, when did y’all discover you had synergy in music?

R: I think for me it was just when we stated making beats together. I’d start some shit and he’d add a little and I go back and add some more and before you know it it’s sounding right. I personally don’t just collab with anybody when it comes to beats.

D: Oh so y’all was on some Neptunes shit.

R: At first, I think we kinda realized we kinda approach music pretty similarly though so its not necessary for us to be in the same room. once we started making songs and shit we just really been sending stuff back and forth.

D: Cool that’s tight. So you can bring different approaches to the beat. Alright this next one is for both of y’all. When was the first time you said “I’m dope at making music”?

Eric: Shittt I still think I’m ass to be honest. I made this one beat tho, I sampled Tyree’s [Rashad] vocals off his track brown and flipped it into some really cool shit. I knew then I could get really nice at producing. As far as rapping I knew I was fye after I got crazy positive reception from Majin Boo. I always kinda knew I had good raps tho, I’m just confident in my delivery and writing abilities mainly because I listen to a lot of rap and always analyze it. I try not to emulate, more so drawn inspiration from the raps that I found impressive.

D: Yeah I remember that song got a lot of traction.

R: I think the first time I got my pops to nod his head to my shit I was like “okayyyyy I’m kinda nice”.

D: That kinda segues into my next question. Who would y’all say are your biggest inspirations musically?

R: Pusha T, Pusha T, and Pusha T.

D: [Laughs] Is that of all time or just recently?

R: [also laughs] That’s right this second. But for me I’d say Stevie Wonder, People Under The Stairs, and J Dilla were some of my first real big influences.

D: Yeah I can hear it in some of your beats, but it’s like you took those influences and put your own thoughts into it. Like a great mixture, but that’s probably obvious as fuck though.

R: I mean I think that’s what any great artist does subconsciously. They’re able to take in stimuli and form their own ideas on creation.

D: That’s true, but as an artist how do you determine the difference between inspiration and copying?

E: Musically, I’d say my biggest inspiration was all the niggas from the prime GOOD MUSIC era. Big Sean [Laughs], Cyhi, Old Kanye, I listened to a lot of of OF (Odd Future) too. The Cool Kids big inspo, Pac, D.O.C, and a lot of West Coast artists. Cudi of course because he inspired my name partially. As an artist I find the separation between inspiration and replication in your personal process. I try not to get formulaic when I make music. I always try to shake up my process, the inspiration is more so like a direction I move in more so than a style or sound I try to emulate. I never played an instrument or had any musical background so I always made music based off feeling. That’s where I make my best stuff, when it’s based in a feeling and not a formula.

D: That’s tight man you hide the fact that you never played an instrument well. Eric this next one is for you. You’ve said that you’re from the bay but you’ve lived in Boston, Denver, and Atlanta. What would you say is the biggest difference between all of them?

E: Not from the bay [laughs], but definitely influenced by it. I’m from Atlanta born and raised but I have spent a lot of time in Boston and have been in Denver for the past 4 years. Biggest difference between all of them is the pacing of the cities. Denver is really slow since it’s a young developing city and it’s in the Midwest (not a lot of culture out there). Atlanta is pretty fast in my opinion but the people are really relaxed so it seems a lot slower paced than it is. And Boston is just a slightly different New York. A lot more community based and busy so a lot of people don’t have time for niceties like cities in the south. Out of all of them I love Boston the most just because of the diversity and food and the spread out-ness of the city. Lot of beautiful women here up in the north east. Not so much in Denver. But Atlanta def got bad bitches don’t get me wrong.

D: [Loud Laughter] Yo! I was in Atlanta for the Cudi show and I didn’t see one mid looking girl. Even in Marshall’s my guy!

E: Bruh forreal, and even the hood jawns look good! Damn I heard the Cudi show in Atlanta was legendary.

D: Yeah man I almost passed out like three times.

E: It’s a problem [Laughs]

D: Yeah [laughs], but I’m getting sidetracked. This one is for both of y’all I guess. What led to the formation of zigga and what does it mean to you?

E: Shit Zigga formed around the time I met Tyree. It was like 6 of us. All homies from past experiences and just being from Atlanta we were all kinda on the same wave mentally. Zigga was just about creating unity and breaking down a lot of boundaries that rap kind of reinforces, like being a street nigga or just being dishonest in your music. We all wanted to stray away from that and form something that could eventually grow to be bigger than us. It’s a mindset really. And zigga sounds cool, it’s inclusive. White people can say it without offending anyone [laughs]

D: Yeah man that’s a great message. hopefully white people don’t run off with it and turn it into something else and be like “Eric said it’s okay”. [Laughs]

E: [Also Laughs] Hell nah. We ain’t make his shit for them. We empowering black people first and foremost. We just like it to be inclusive. Don’t want a repeat of that Kendrick Lamar shit.

D: Yeah man, what was he thinking? Man really thought having a white girl rap m.a.a.d city was a good idea. The chorus has like eight “niggas” in it.

E: He definitely tweaked.

R: So azikewea is really who started saying as a joke as like an alternative for nigga [laughs]. I met him at Morehouse and we used to have sessions in Julian’s room. This before I met Eric. He just thought it sounded it cool. So we just called ourselves that. It reminded me of the Ummah for some reason.

E: Ah, the true origin of Zigga.

D: Wrapping up, is there any projects that you guys are willing to share or talk about?

R: Nope…wait actually yeah. Actually I’m dropping an EP called “PS Groove” in a few months

D: Oh Shit Finally!

E: Yea I’m kinda working on an EP , I wanna have something to define erictherager, production and rapping wise. But I’m not rushing it. I got a few songs and a few beats already on the joint but, It’s no where near done [laughs]

D: Yo thank you guys for this forreal

It’s weird to revisit this, a lot has changed since then. rashad is now rarerashad, PS Groove released last March, Eric opened his own studio, and graduated college!! Wild, that I’m still their biggest fan all these years later.

Follow Rashad Everywhere: @rarerashad

Follow Eric: erictherager on twitter & its_just_eric on instagram

Follow Deshaun Everywhere: @deshaunstar