I’m just a fan of people. My job is just making music.
U.G. Digital Mag: When you got into hip-hop, can you even recall what your thoughts were in regard to the direction you wanted to see it go?
Choclair: To be honest, I wanted to do whatever I was doing, like house parties and freestyling. I remember trying to go and get signed. You would send your cassettes to A&Rs with no reply. I remember sitting talking to someone who eventually became my manager later, and him saying you just have to know somebody. We decided to start our own label. I was giving up on rapping because I didn’t know anyone. We had Saukrates, and he had all this stuff going on at the moment. He had this song called “Father Time”. Back then, you always needed a B-Side when you released a record. I recorded a song because we needed a B-Side. I was the only other artist on the label at the time. “Father Time” did really well, and then I remember listening to a station, and someone called in commenting on “Father Time”, and they said you should check out the B-Side. That song happened to be “21 Years”. It started to buzz, so we decided to record more. I did a song called “Just a Second”, and the B-Side to that was called “What a Day”. That got us our Juno award, which is the equivalent of the Grammys. Then it was like, I should keep going. I was almost giving up, but I was a record company with no artists. I knew what to do, and we all figured I should keep going. It almost didn’t happen though.
U.G. Digital Mag: But here’s the thing. I’m glad you mentioned “21 Years”. You were independent at a time when everyone wanted that security of being with a label. Now, today, everyone wants to be independent. Do you ever look at how you set the trend in that respect?
Choclair: If I think back about it, then i guess so. At that time, I wasn’t thinking of anything but this is my passion, and this is what I have to do. I remember driving, and we would come from Toronto and drive to New York for vinyl. Then we would drive to New Brunswick in Jersey to pick up the jackets for the vinyl. It’s like nine hours. Then you have nine people in a caravan, and someone farts and it turns into a disaster (laughing). We just did it. It wasn’t a thing about being independent. We weren’t thinking about recoupables. We just wanted a deal. I just ended up doing it that way. In hindsight, I have friends who have had deals, and they have publishing deals, and companies are taking 25% of their publishing. I own all of my publishing, with the exception of me signing with Virgin Records. Outside of the two records I did for them, I own it all. I loved what I was doing, and it didn’t seem like work. I was just happy to go to New York, and I was meeting Stretch and Bobbito. We would go to Rocafella Records. Seeing different things, like 50 Cent freestyling around the time he had “How to Rob”. That was great. We were listening, and I’m sitting in the office. They would always be like “you’re from Canada”. I’d be like I’m from Toronto (laughing). I’m sitting there, not knowing who 50 Cent would later become. As I reflect, I’m thinking “I did that”. I guess I need to look back a little more.
U.G. Digital Mag: I want you to talk a little more about hip-hop as a whole in Toronto, and the respect level. Something you mentioned as far as people referencing Canada when you’re from Toronto. Do you think the respect will become greater or rise at all in Toronto?
Choclair: You know what? In recent times and days, I see people taking notice. The young kids all the way up to around age twenty-seven call Toronto”The Six”. Older people call it TDot. I’ve heard people on ESPN calling it The Dot. I see now that we’re getting older, and maybe the head of marketing on this company, or PR in that company, they’re getting into positions of power. I love the current state of the game. We’re getting a lot of opportunities now that we used to have to beg for. I started my own label out of frustration. The world now works independently.
U.G. Digital Mag: I think it’s cool because the philosophy you had in starting your own label, that has struck a chord with many, and not just in hip-hop. I even take it to UGD, and how that came from a passion and wanting to do something for myself. Now there’s an enormous amount of opportunities. I took a lot of that same path.
Choclair: Imagine when you started, you weren’t looking at it as starting a revolution. You were following a passion. I was in the same spot. I didn’t know. Like now, I’m working with CVSS. I’m trying to help him get his leg in the game, and get him going. I want him to understand how the game works. I haven’t looked back. But then I meet people who go through my history, and i begin to remember.
U.G. Digital Mag: It’s cool though. You’ve inspired so many, and so much has progressed in Toronto. There’s Saukrates, Drake, and so many others. You really spearheaded a lot of what we see today.
Choclair: People might say I’m humble, but I’m humbled about all of that. I looked up to so many people. When someone says I’m an icon, I say don’t forget about Maestro. He got me in this. Toronto is so hot now.
U.G. Digital Mag: As far as looking up to people, you mentioned Bobbito. I used to really look up to him, and I really caught on to him when he was doing so much for Vibe. That struck a chord with me because I always looked up to him.
Choclair: Right. I remember my very first song, I was at Stretch & Bobbito’s show. Everybody wanted me to freestyle on a beat. I remember it was Dead Presidents. I was already geeked because I was on the show. That was my first New York freestyle over Dead Presidents. Of course, I became a Jay-Z fan, but I also really caught a vibe with Memphis Bleek. Then I wanted to do a track with him. I did a track with Gangstarr, and I did a song called “Bare Witness” with Guru. Then I later bumped into Buckshot. Black Moon. Then Tony Touch comes up. The scratches at the end of “Bare Witness” are Tony Touch. That’s crazy shit man. You really have me reflecting.
U.G. Digital Mag: I do that a lot man. I reflect a lot myself. You’ve done so much to influence hip-hop everywhere. That’s just so dope.