Three Questions: T Dubb-O: Obama, Activism And Bars

T-Dubb-O deems himself an artist, revolutionary and a gangster. That is a serious concoction inside one being. And the St. Louis representative’s newly released album The Drop that Spilled the Cup exemplifies this mantra. The album is hood consciousness at its rawest. Like an unexpected punch to the gut, T-Dubb strikes without a filter and minus the beige-colored Hip-Hop that has people thinking the genre is on life support. Some may know Dubb from the battle-rap scene or his local rap scene, but others got familiar in the aftermath of Mike Brown’s brutal slaying at the hands of officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson Police Department. His activism even got him to meet President Obama. Quite a feat.

On the rap side, T-Dubb-O has already worked with Freeway, Crooked I, Tef Poe, Project Pat, Pastor Troy, The Outlawz and others. AllHipHop got the drop on the rugged emcee and got his take on set state of affairs, meeting Obama and the meaning of this album.

AllHipHop: After Mike Brown was slain in the streets by Ferguson police officer you hit the streets and also the national platform too. How do activism and St. Louis intersect on your album?

T Dubb-O: St. Louis is where all my trials and tribulations occurred. It’s the city I was born and raised in. I’ve had influences from Memphis and L.A. since I have family from those places, but St. Louis made me. St. Louis is where I’ve spent my life so in some sort of way St. Louis helped to make this album. As far as activism I really hate that word. I think what we did in St. Louis/Ferguson was more revolutionary. But this isn’t something new to us here. The dope artist here have been using their obstacles as motivation in their music. My songs have always reflected the struggles of the ghetto and always will. I’m telling the stories of our pain, oppression, anger, and our rebellion to say I’m not going to be nothing I’m going to do whatever I have to do even if it means breaking the law to take care of my family and be great.

Talk about your album and what’s the meaning of the title?

The title of this project comes from a Mexican proverb I learned while marching in the streets of Guerrero, Mexico where 43 students were kidnapped by the government and never found. It basically means enough is enough. We are fed up and we coming for everything. You pushed me to this point and now you must deal with the consequences. I’m using this phrase as a double entendre to describe my album though. Not only is this a social breaking point with Black youth in this country, but after this release “drops” in my city no more cliché’ and garbage music will be respected.

In the aftermath of Mike Brown’s death, you and other activists met with President Obama. How do you feel about that experience now that we are in his last year?

I shook Obama hand with the same palm I sold crack with. That says a lot. That wasn’t my first time at the White House. My first time was when that meeting was actually set up. But the first time I went I noticed how f##### up America really is. Right outside the White House gates there is a little park open to the public. There were homeless black people all over that park. Right outside the White House gates where a Black president resides that is supposed to signify that we “made it”. The meeting with Obama was history. The first time all black people sat in the Oval Office. That’s all it was though. History. Besides that it was a meeting with another politician trained to give political answers and won’t admit to the reality of the conditions of this oppressive, imperialist, capitalistic government. He admitted there was a huge issue with racism in this country, but gave us band-aid style solutions. I hope he has the balls to do and say what needs to be said and done as a Black man in the White House in his last year, but I doubt it.