ROX-TV talks with Southwest Detroit’s Sacramento Knoxx about his music, background, and the new release “THESIXTAPE”
We’d like to welcome Sacramento Knoxx to ROX-TV. He’s come to chop it up with the readers tonight about his music, the new release, and much more. We will get into it all but first, Sacramento Knoxx, for those joining us for the first time and getting turned onto your music, can you tell us where your from?
I am from Southwest Detroit, Vernor and Junction area.
Before we get going, there are a few things I like to ask artists about. I’m a big music person and believe that music is the language of the entire planet. I believe that people who are fluent in music, can transcend any jurisdiction or spatial barriers put in their way. Obviously the music can be even more important to the artist. What I’d like to know is at what age did you become aware of music? And when I mean aware, I guess what I would describe the feeling as, is when a person goes from knowing about music to actually taking an active interest in the sounds. Can you talk about that some?
I’m not too sure to be honest, I felt it grew from a subconscious way into a conscious way of working with sound. My mother told me I used to play with the radio and knew how to record on tapes she used to have, I was naturally drawn to it that I don’t remember as a real small child. I started remembering when I would sing my ABCs and other kid songs and play it back on the tapes I recorded on. That grew into finding instruments at school and so on and so forth. Here’sva small timeline.
Tape Deck > Kazoo > Percussion > Violin > Trumpet > Piano > Music Production Software “SONY ACID” & Goldwave > Microphone > Propellerhead Reason + midi controllers > Maschine > Ableton > Electricity: SP404A, AKAI Force, Critter & Guitari Organelle, VT4 + Native Instruments & Arturia.
The next question kind of goes hand in hand with the last one. Once you began to enjoy/celebrate the music (whatever kind it was), how long before you realized that you wanted to evolve to the next step and become an actual artist or practitioner?
I naturally started playing in school with whatever they had available, this has been a non stop relationship since I could remember
As you evolved into an artist, creating your music, at what point did you realize “Ok, I can do this and do it well”? Was it rather quick or something that required hard work, time, and sacrifice?
It definitely took hard work, time, and sacrifice to achieve music excellence. I do feel there are parts to this music artist work which are cultural and business practices and each one requires special attention and discipline.
What was the very first song that you created and got down on recordable form?
I used to print Chopped & Screwed Tapes with my homie Christian from Eldred Street and slowly turned into digital releases with some on cassette as a special release and CDs. Now I focus on special merch items with download codes.
I understand that you’ve been on the grind for about ten years. How has the industry changed/or stayed the same during this time frame?
Definitely the internet changed my success and got my music access to more audiences that are national and international now. I’ve learned to hustle from the bottom up so I work with my own co-owned record label and publishing company and continue to look for business partners and community collaborators.
For ROX-TV readers just getting hip to your music, can you tell them where they can find your music and merch?
my best stuff is on www.sknoxx.bandcamp.com
I understand that you tour internationally and have recently toured/played shows in Latin America as well as Mexico. Can you tell the readers about those experiences playing to fans outside the United States? How are the fans? Are the venues similar or different to what we have in the states?
Community engagement is huge for me when I’m touring music, outside of the shows and bookings, I like to do skill shares and workshops with communities I visit and tour to. Doing that practice allows more relationships to build and more networks to build organically for culture and business opportunities. The rest of the world loves music coming from the United States, especially Detroit. And being unique in my approach allows me to access and build with those places all around. Coming together and sharing a musical experience and moment makes those shows unique and incredible to play at.
I know the last year and a half has pretty much been a no-go for touring in America. Now that things are starting to open up, do you have any plans to hit the road? If so, can you let the ROX-TV readers what you might have in store as far as cities and states?
We’re still doing virtual shows/events and now, since the weather is better, we will be doing more specialized safe music events from Detroit near the Motown museum on the north end. As of now, I have no public bookings, but we’re looking and planning for the 2022 season of spring to pick back up on our international tours.
I’d like to talk about the new release that just dropped in February of 2021, the brand-new album “THESIXTAPE”. If you can, what was the motivation/concept/theme of the album in your own words?
THESIXTAPE was an ode to the hip-hop mixtape culture. It’s also a seed in letting people know I have a huge catalogue of music being created with 6 brand new albums on the way with different themes and sonic textures. Since I’m mostly a live and performance artist, the pandemic has allowed us to pivot and do more recordings and records.
“BB King Flow”: I dig the track; it’s got a nice beat and a steady flow…..like a river. For me, this is the kind of song I like to kick back with a little smoke. I enjoy music that has a message but still sounds good. This track does that for me. Any comments on this song from the creator?
This is a track you can ride to and smoke to, it helps set the tone for the whole project for hard beats and reflections of relationships, goals, achievements, and future plans. It’s a feeling of handling and unfortunate situations of love, respect, success and failures and being smooth when you get the blues in your life, like BB King.
“Dark Fantasy Flow”: I like the beginning of this song, its spatial and reminds me of chilling in a cloud. As the track gets going, it reminds me of good hip hop from the East Coast in the mid-nineties. I’m nodding my head as I listen to this jam, it’s a proper joint. Any comments on this song from the creator?
This song is about balancing and working with your shadows, as much as we love and praise the light, we have to remember the dark sides in our lives and to work through and with them. Our dark fantasies help see the light and important beauty in our life. The balance we all seek and need. So it’s a dark righteous narrative about our humanity and the struggles I personally faced from betrayal for trusting people, and tightening up my circle from spiritual cannibals.
“We Did It Flow” feat. RoW and Chelsea Coy: Can you tell me how this Collab came about? What was it like working with RoW and Chelsea Coy? What kind of relationship do you have with these artists?
I originally got a tarot card reading from Chelsea about a year ago before the song was made up in Traverse City when I was visiting my homie as he was facing a prison sentence. I came and showed support for my brother and brought community letters advocating for his character and the important community work he did. I recorded her interpretation and reflection of the cards that were drawn for me during the last winter solstice and decided it was the perfect fit for a year later, hearing what she was saying. This is a celebration song of making it past pitfalls and holding on as an artist and maintaining my livelihood as an independent artist and Detroit Hustler in this game of arts and making a path forward as I gain mastery of my skills and helping pave a path for my close friends and my fellowship of artists.
“The Blinding Propaganda” Flow feat. RoW: This is a deep subject and one that I respond to. I hate propaganda and I also hate systems of control. Sadly, until the majority of the people in this country and around the world, finally reject the systems of control in place, we will never be free. What are your thoughts on the subject matter? Motivations for writing this track?
I’m referring to a complex system of control and oppression known as colonialism through violent settler nation states that causes displacement through culture and economics. It’s one of the biggest systems of control known to humanity and we are in the middle of its evolution. This track mentions of we are all blinded by propaganda in it comes in many forms and ways, and the sound clips are alluding to how Detroit has been gentrified and uplifts those historical practices of colonialism by actively engaging with the practice of power through the settler nation state that causes oppression and displacement through violent ways of control.
“Sneakin’ Flow” feat. Indigenous Barbie: Can you tell the ROX-TV readers how this song came about and the Collab with the Indigenous Barbie?
Indigenous Barbie is an amazing artist from Vancouver and is making waves as a nominated artist for the international Indigenous Music Awards. We’re always building and helping each other’s careers out so it was just the beginning of creating more music. We were having discussions about jealousy and hatred in our music field and were venting about the harm and jealousy that comes our way and the way we understand what’s happening to us. This is a song about people sneaking around ready to take your position and your place and being fake because they are jealous of your gifts and magic.
“If You Ain’t From My Hood Flow” Feat MAFX, DET Chee, and Kelllzzz: This might be my favorite track on “TheSixTape”. I like the atmosphere on this song. The beat and lyrics are steady and rolling like a Cadillac on Vernor. This is nighttime cruising music here, and I can feel the city in the dark, imbedded in this track. “Be patient with me, walk slowly with me, talk holy with me” I’m all about this song. Any comments from the creator?
Home is where the heart is, and we are mentioning the hood, because that is our heart. It’s a reference to cleaning up your surroundings in your heart, your hood. In the music video we had a bowl of sage to help smudge the toxins out of our lives, uplifting the topic of if you’re not with my heart please go your way and get out of my way. I brought in a couple emerging artists I worked with to help uplift their path and the work they do by coming together on a good collaboration of rap and reflections.
What does the rest of 2021 and beyond look like for you? Any news you want to tease out to the readers at ROX-TV?
YES! I have some amazing collaborations coming up that I’m looking forward to on an international level as well as a hyper local, in the hood level.
I’m from the 90’s and I believe in the shout out. This is the place to do it. Who is Sacramento Knoxx shouting out tonight?
Raneem Omar
Xochitl
1sife
Sister Stone
Goddess Dorthea
Samar, Bre, and Emily
Flaquito
Info
Christian
Monica
Ian
RJ & Rosamaria
Marcus
Ruby Booms
Wahwahtay
Row
Kelllzzz
Huey
Eddy Garcia
Renea
Chauncey The Thrilla
Lulu
Chee
SW Gio
My mother, two sisters, brother in law, and two nephews
Thanks for coming down and chopping it up with ROX-TV tonight. We’ve enjoyed your time here and hope to have you back soon. On behalf of myself, ROX-TV, and the readers, a big thank you to Sacramento Knoxx for this interview. Well, that about does it for tonight. Until next time…..
Mike Shepard
ROX-TV Head Writer
shepard2909@hotmail.com
kidvicious810 on IG
