Interview – Hyro Da Hero
Posted on March 7, 2012 by L&G
Last week, I got a chance to catch up with up-and-coming legend Hyro Da Hero. One of the most down to earth bros I have ever talked to. Here is how it all went down:
HDH: Yo, whats up, man?
L&G: Hyro! How are you doing, bro?
I’m good, man. Livin’ (it up) in Australia. This shit is awesome!
Yeah, but it is about to start raining though!
It is? At least we had some sun though, so I aint trippin’. I just came from the UK and it was super cold.
Mate, it’s disgusting weather over there. (laughs)
(laughs) Yeah, exactly!
Stinking. How was Soundwave?
It was incredible! They loved me, man. It’s been going amazing. I’m just happy that I am a part of it. To be a part of it all on the main stage is incredible too. I’m doing a great job, and the kids are loving it. They’re having fun tweeting and going crazy about it. It’s amazing stuff, man.
Yeah, Soundwave is a great event. Easily one of the best events Australia has, that’s for sure.
Oh, I can see that man. I can see how people come out for the music, just to see them show love for it. And just seeing people coming out to see me, and recognise what I do really showing the love is a great feeling.
Well, to be honest, I watched your set last night at Candy’s Apartment in Kings Cross, and I didn’t expect that at all. Your set completely blew me away. Absolutely blew me away.
That had to be one of my favourite shows ever! That was real crazy, man. The whole vibe… I was scared because I clashed with (gigs) like Slipknot and Thursday. People still came out and watched me perform. I wanted to do a great show and it was amazing.
Well, the thing is I love both Hip Hop and Rock, so I when I saw your gig come up, I had to see what you were about. (laughs).
It was sick, man. I know it’s hip hop and rock n roll because I am still hip hop at the same time as I am rock. It’s like a total blend, man. I want to give them a full DJ Hip Hop set as well as a hardcore and rocked out set as well.
That’s legit, bro.
Thank you, man.
We should probably start this interview, bro. What was it like growing up in Los Angeles?
Oh, I didn’t grow up in Los Angeles, I grew up in Houston, Texas!
Oh really? That’s awkward… I am such a shit journalist.
(laughs) I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 4 years, but I am from the Texas, I am from Dirty South.
Yes! That’s amazing.
Yeah, man. Straight from the South Side of Texas which has a real slow vibe and pace. Some real cool people, you know? Southern hospitality style. I’ve lived in LA for 4 years, which is so fast and totally not what I am used to. A totally different vibe which is more business like. People are really cool though, you just need to open your mouth, talk and have conversations to make your way around. I think I’ve been doing a good job of that, man. I started 4 years ago and look where I am at now, man. Loving it.
Well look, you are in Sydney, Australia now so if you have achieved all that in 4 years, its definitely not too bad.
Yeah (laughs), not bad at all, man.
(laughs) Well bro, you have mixed two totally different styles of music with Hip Hop and Rock, how did it all happen, where did it all start?
I started in Hip Hop, and grew up listening to Tupac. I from the streets, and it’s a part of me. I’m just that dude in the hood that decided to change the radio station and got into rock. I saw brothers trying to do it, so it inspired me to do something different. I wanted to innovate and show people that you don’t have to copy and be repetitive. In Hip Hop they copy who is in, and do whatever is hot at the time. I just wanted to do my own thing. I think it took my ex-girlfriend, who broke up with me, make me not want to rap on a regular beat. It made me rap on a rock n roll type of beat so that I could scream at her.
(laughs) Yes. Chicks.
I screamed at her. She hated it, and when she hated it, I loved it and kept rocking from there, man.
… And everyone else loved it, and she still hates it. Amazing.
I wish she still hated it! She loves it. She knows where the story comes from that’s the problem.
(laughs) Chicks, huh? At least she part of something great.
(laughs) Oh, thanks man.
I’m interested to see what your inspirations are musically considering how diverse your style is?
Who inspired me was Tupac Shakur, man. He inspired me to be great. He inspired me to do what I want. Listening to him makes me put my emotion into it. He was Hip Hop, but still had like a punk rock attitude.
Yeah, I know what you mean.
Just the way he didn’t care about things inspired me to do great. In Hip Hop though, people try to be too cool sometimes but with Tupac, he was putting so much of himself out there he didn’t care. That’s what makes him so cool.
What makes him even cooler is the fact that he was one of the hardest working rappers ever with album after album, of quality stuff.
He put out meaningful music too! You got someone like Lil Wayne who puts out a lot of music, but it doesn’t mean that its great.
Exactly.
You have got to have quality, and that’s the thing I’m trying to do. Tupac put out a lot of music, but it was all quality.
Bro, you just went up 10 notches in my book. I cannot stand Lil Wayne. I call it; “Joke Rapping”. At least Tupac didn’t hold back on any album.
Yeah, that’s what I am trying to do too. Only I don’t want to put out as many albums as I can, I want to put out meaningful music. I think that’s what is missing in Hip Hop. Somebody like him puts out emotionless music, putting words together because they sound cool. That’s not what I am about. I all about lifting up people, putting positive vibes out there, and bringing it to people the way it should be that’s all.
Legend. I can’t believe the band you have put together by the way. You have Daniel Anderson on guitar, Paul from the Mars Volta on bass. Cody and Mark from the Blood Brothers.. How did you hook that shit up?
I met them and told them that this is how I wanted to sound. We got in a room and within hours, we had made 6 songs in one day, man. It was crazy. When you put a big ball of energy in a room like that, it is gonna blow up.
That is an all-star cast, bro. I am telling you!
I love it, man. Everyone has to be great together. They put the music down and I just put lyrics down the best I can do.
Well after watching you at Candy’s Apartment in the Cross, you guys seemed like you really gelled well on stage.
Thank you so much, man.
All good, bro. About your album ‘Birth, School, Work, Death’ is absolutely loaded with great lyrics and beats. What was it like making such a strong first album after giving fans three separate mixtapes?
It felt great! It was something I always looked forward to. I actually never had in my mind, as I have just always wanted to make music and put myself out there. I just thought; “Man, people need to hear a rapper with this much emotion”, and that’s what I did on my mixtapes. I then got the chance to make an actual album, I didn’t know it was going to be like that. Just seeing the process being made, and getting to do (it) with Rob Robertson who worked with Korn and At The Drive In… Its just crazy. I’m thankful for the whole process, and I loved it. I didn’t think about reviews or anything like that, I just wanted to make some music. Cool thing is, Ive been getting good review after good review, so if I’m going into another album, I’m just going to go through the same mindset and just rock.
How was it like working with such a legend producer in Ross Robertson?
It was crazy, man. He knows how to get that emotion out of you. He knows how to dig in deep, and put it into a track. He would say; “Its five minutes in a track, you put everything you have into it.”
(laughs) That’s the way to go, bro!
Yeah, that’s the way to go. A lot of energy, and when you put it on a CD, you feel it. When you see it live, its even crazier.
Yeah, because it shows in your show how much you put into it.
Yeah man!
So, who are you listening to right now?
Man, since I have been on the road, I haven’t been listening to much! I’ve just being doing these shows to tell you the truth. The last band I got to check out was a band called Salem (from Michigan) who were real cool. They reminded me of the H style kind of rappers; Super dark, kind of gothic and cool. They have been the last guys I have listened to. In the UK I got to check out Tiny Tempah, he was kind of cool. That’s about it, man.
That’s fair enough. I guess you must be pretty busy with everything else going on at the moment?
I actually need some new music, man. You tell me!
Well to be honest, I am still frothing on Game’s latest RED album.
Yeah, he puts out some nuts stuff, man.
I am also hanging for NAS’ new album to drop.
That is going to be crazy! He put out that video, and then nothing else happened after that. That video was sick!
How good was the song but! No chorus, just balls out rapping.
He was just rolling people, you know what I am saying?
Yeah, bro. I am hanging.
(laughs) NAS is always amazing, man.
Anyways, bro. Seeing as your style of music is very much against the mould. What does it take to make it in the music industry with such a unique style?
You just got to work hard, and believe in yourself, man. Just as long as you work hard, things will start happening for you. It might not seem like it at the start, but it will all work out for you. Don’t listen to nobody, and keep doing what you are doing. The universe will bring all sorts of stuff to you that you don’t even expect. I just got done with a photoshoot with actual models for Rolling Stones. It was awesome.
How good are hot chicks.
Top of the line beautiful man. It was crazy.
HOT CHICKS ARE SO HOT.
So hot! I am just sitting there smiling.
So good! You were saying how you really enjoyed the show last night. Can you elaborate for us?
I loved it, man. It was like true fans that came out to see me. They could have seen Slipknot, Lost Prophets, or Thursday… They could have seen all these big time bands, but chose to see me. That made that experience so special, man. Especially as I have never been to Sydney so it was a crazy, great feeling. You could see me smiling on stage. That’s how happy I was.
Bro, I got a photo of you looking directly into the camera, and it looked like you were loving life.
Exactly! I still am right now! That’s the thing man, you have got to take the good with the bad. I think that’s why good things come to a brother.
Cool man. Last question which is the most important one. Burgers or Burritos?
Burgers all the way!
Burgers?!
Cheese Burgers. Best way to do it. The first thing I do when I go travelling is check out the McDonalds. The McScorcher is awesome.
The McScorcher? I haven’t seen it!
It’s spicy. In texas we have one called ‘Hot and Spicy’. I have to check out McDonalds, man.
Man, I only just got into spicy food, now I froth on it.
(Laugh)
Thanks for taking the time out to chat with PRIMO! magazine, bro. Catch you soon.
Thanks for talking to me.
