Talonted
Arinze Onugha, better known as Talonted, is a Wharton business school grad with an NYU law degree who can breakdance and rap in spanish just for fun. To say that Arinze is “talented,” no pun intended, would be a gross understatement. Unlike most hip-hop artists Talonted will likely have fans more interested in his dealings in the board room than on the block. Talonted left a job with a top New York law firm to pursue music and business.
Talonted talked to emcBlue about his first record, his personal style, and growing up homeless. This New Jersey native is determined to change the world with his music. Time will tell by just how much.
You talk about your childhood on your album. Tell me what it was like growing up homeless with only one supportive parent. Did you have any other siblings? What are they up to now?
To be Talonted is probably my most personal record out to date. It’s like a mini autobiography. We came from nothing. My parents were born and raised in Nigeria so my siblings and I were all born in the states. We’re first generation here. My mother, when she came over, didn’t really have much. My father wasn’t supportive financially or emotionally or otherwise. I haven’t seen that dude in 11 years. But my mother held it down. She would go to school all day and clean houses at night. She never slept. At one point she couldn’t get paid and we went back to Nigeria. At this point I was a baby so I don’t even remember; these are stories my mother and sisters told me. My father was over there and he was trying to get things in order and he didn’t really get things in order. So when we came back, we were evicted out of the apartment. We had nothing.
We stayed in a church for a little bit. We were straight up homeless trying to get things together. But eventually we were able to move to a suburban neighborhood in South Orange, which was definitely a step up in education and atmosphere. My mom couldn’t really afford the house and kept getting overtime so she could keep paying the bills. We grew up accustomed to lights being off, the hot water not being on. I used to think that was just normal. But my older brother and two older sisters weren’t self conscious about it. As long as we weren’t hungry, we were okay. But this was during my very young, baby years.
So I wound up growing up in South Orange with a better education than other communities had. And now, I’m an artist, I’m an entrepreneur with my brother with two restaurants, and an attorney. My brother graduated from law school, my sister has her doctorate in physical therapy, and my oldest sister is a psychiatrist. The Nigerian culture is very big on education.
What were the feelings you had when you released The Present?
I was definitely proud. [Some of] those songs [were written in] high school. Those are the stock of songs I hadn’t put out. I wrote To Be Talonted when I was a freshman or sophomore in college. I never got a chance to record it and put it out there. I recorded the whole album myself with the exception of Track 12. I recorded, I mixed it, and I engineered the whole thing myself. I got a lot of good responses from it and I learned a lot. I felt proud, and I felt like I was honest with my music like I always am.
How do you feel about artists who mostly rap about drugs and sex, when your topics are much different?
I think artists do that because it’s the easy way out. I don’t think everybody wants to talk about sex and drugs all day. As artists, we have to challenge ourselves a little bit more. We say we don’t want to be role models but at the end of the day we are. We put stuff out there and people are receiving it, and it’s affecting our lifestyle whether we like it or not. So as a result I owe my fans a responsibility. I want my kids to listen to my records.
I think sometimes people don’t know what to say. If it’s not about drugs and if it’s not money people don’t know what else to really write about. That’s why artists like Lauryn Hill and Andre 3000 aren’t talking about that bullshit but still give you a record that instates feeling. I think the realness is what’s up. The talent’s not going anywhere. Still use the same dope flow you would’ve used but just be real. Be real. We lose that so much. I’m out there to make money, but I’m also out there to make a difference. A lot of artists aren’t looking to make a difference and that’s where it’s disconnected. I’m not judging, but I know where I came from and I decide to do what I want to do.
Tell me a little about your media company, Flo Global.
It officially started around October 2006. I came up with the whole idea of it. I came up with that name when I was in Argentina. I’m a completely independent artist and I have an independent label. Flo kind of has a bit of a mixed combination of meanings. It’s flo in the sense of how you hear rappers and kind of flo in the sense of just movement. I keep the global aspect because I’m always thinking globally when I do everything. I’m on the stage but I always look at the world more than just looking at my neighborhood so I try to work it in together. Right now I have two directors of marketing who help me out.
What do you like to bring to your live performances that make you unique?
I’m a fan of bringing a live band. And I’m not really afraid to move around on stage. I’m not afraid to really enjoy myself up there, so I think having that presence is important. I don’t stand there with my hand moving trying to be cool and shit. I don’t mind bringing my personality to it.
You went to NYU Law School. Wow. What was that experience like? How hard was it?
I was able to graduate undergrad with no loans but with law school, you know you had to take the loans out. I also got a significant amount of scholarships from the dean so that helped as well. Law school is difficult; I don’t care what law school you go to. I know NYU is high ranked but regardless of what rank it is law school is difficult.
But law school was a great time for me because I thought the material was interesting as far as the classes I wanted to take after I got through the core classes, and I got to work abroad and studied abroad. My first summer there I worked abroad in Mexico and consulted for non-profit organizations and government agencies. Then my second-to-last semester in law school, I studied abroad in Argentina. I did that for four months. That was wonderful. I was able to pick up a good amount of Spanish, so on my record I rap in Spanish. Today, I’m not quite fluent as I want to be, but I can practice it and I try keeping it in my music to keep me sharp as well.
I’ve been doing music since I was young. I had a group in junior high through college. We used to rap all the time and battle just kind of more for fun. Through undergrad I performed countless times. I used to perform rapping and I also performed breakdancing. We danced for Alicia Keyes one time, we did the NBA Jam Session when it was in Philadelphia; we did a lot. It never ended. I went on to law school because I always wanted to get a higher degree and keep that strong and have a life that I made and have a strong backup. I always wanted to come up being able to tell my kids regardless of me being an artist and that’s what I do. I didn’t have to drop out to do it.
As you get older, you’re forced to pick. When you’re young you can go to school, go play basketball, go play soccer, you can do a bunch of shit and then when you get to a certain age you’re just like, well how can you be an attorney and then also be a performing artist? All of a sudden you have to pick. I didn’t want to pick. I still wanted to be young. So through school, during the bar exam, there was a part where I was getting really stressed out and I just wrote a verse to get through it.
Since Tu Pac, very few main stream artists have gone political in their music. Given your law background, do you see yourself doing anything along those lines?
I definitely see myself just kinda being more than what artists today are discussing. I think that Tu Pac felt that he had a responsibility. He did have his negative records so to speak where he would talk shit but at least there was a positive side to him, for example, he wrote inspirational songs like “Keep Your Head Up.” But those records he created not to sell records but because he had stuff for the youth to hear, for women to hear, and I definitely strive to play that similar role. Primarily I make sure to put out content that makes sense.
You recently opened up for Bilal, which is pretty big. What was that experience like? What did you learn?
It was really cool. I think the biggest thing I learned was even when you’re doing a showcase that’s sort of a big deal; you still have to expect that things aren’t always taken care of for you. There wasn’t anyone there for a mic check and I had to help the organizer with some stuff. It’s always important to be totally prepared for anything to come. Have a personal staff prepared so that even if you get there and something’s not right, your staff will be able to help you out and be there to do a mic check before a performance. That’s the lesson that I learned the hard way. I also learned that a lot of what makes the performance incredible is the sound system and the lighting and all that stuff. When you’re presented in the same lighting as another major artist you kinda get a chance to compare yourself.
Tell me about the HLS Juice Bar & Grill you co-own with your brother.
My brother had started in 2001 with my sister’s husband. And they had it for about two years in South Orange, NJ. There were some plumbing issues so they had to shut it down and then he opened one in Montclair, NJ and that lasted about five months because of electrical issues. It was crazy. Then we invested in a third one. We opened one up in Maple, NJ. It’s still open. It’s been open for about a year and nine months. That one we opened in 2009 and it’s been rockin’ since then. We just opened a second location about 3 months ago in Montclair.
You don’t play and write music every waking moment, so what do you do in your free time?
I’m picking up instruments now. I’m learning the guitar and piano. I bought an acoustic guitar so in my spare time I practice that. I’m taking a couple of lessons and I’m constantly practicing. I’m trying to learn to play “Hey Ya” by Andre 3000. I got the different chords right and I got the order, but I’m just playing that shit so damn slow.
Other than that, I’m all day handling shit for the grill. I pay off the employees, and we’re constantly troubleshooting. My days are crazy. I don’t play around with sleep; I’ll still try to get seven or eight hours but when I get up I’m on the go. I do like watching “The Office” when I can chill and spending time with my girlfriend who’s also an attorney. And she bakes for our restaurant, too.
I also love working out. I’m an avid workout dude, and I’m pretty health conscious about what I eat. I like to lift weights.
What’s your fashion sense like?
I’m in the transition stage with the whole fashion thing. I’m an in-between blend of the raw and clean look. I don’t like the V-necks or the collared shirts that look too corporate. You can never catch me in a fitted hat. I wear jeans that fit me or I’ll wear slacks but they won’t be jeans – something in between – something with an old, raw look to them. I’ll wear that with a T-shirt and an old school hat. I don’t give a fuck about name brands. I’m not big on that. You won’t catch me in Gucci. I like how materials work, if it fits right. If it happens to be an expensive brand so be it, but I’m not really in command of that. Who cares as long as you look good?
Describe what you like to see on women.
My girl’s fashion sense is incredible. I like it. When she wants to get funky with her hair, she can put it in a mohawk which I fucking just love. I just love that look it looks so original and bold. I like a lady to be very lady-like. I don’t like the tomboy type lady. I’m into the heels but I like them being funky, not typical nice heels. I always like a little bit of a different element in there. Like, colors that aren’t necessarily matching but work together. I like earrings that aren’t just standard. Or you have a casual outfit and you kind of mix it up by wearing pearls or something. I’m into originality. A little bit of a funky element with it.
What’s your opinion on the letter Steve Stoute wrote to the Grammy Board?
I heard about that. It’s not something I specifically read though. I honestly didn’t catch the Grammy’s this year. The Grammy’s to me are a reflection of the music today and whoever is popular is kinda generally gonna win. I don’t really get pissed off. It is what it is.
There are just a bunch of very well-packaged marketing products. That’s the game we’re in. Artists are products. We feed into it as consumers.
What are your thoughts on the Nicki Minaj/Lil’ Kim beef? Who wins in your mind?
I think Lil’ Kim was saying Nicki Minaj was throwing a couple of jabs at her and her songs. I see how Lil’ Kim can see that. I’m not really a fan of the hip hop beefs. I think it’s whack but as far as who wins in that battle I think the person who can just keep making music and not focus on those little things will win. As far as relevancy, obviously Nicki Minaj because she is the new “it” girl right now. Lil’ Kim was at that crazy height but this is Nicki Minaj’s time. She’s doing all of these collaborations that Lil’ Kim just isn’t doing right now.
What celebrities do you most follow on Twitter?
I do not follow celebrities and I’m not big on following Twitter. I don’t even have a lot of time. If anything I’ll follow people I have personal relationships with. For me, I have to, like, really get into an artist for me to follow them. Andre 3000 is doing a lot of music and I would click to follow because I support him but I don’t know how much I’d necessarily be reading his tweets.
If you could fast forward to the end of a successful career, what would you want fans to most remember you for?
I’d like to be remembered for the fact that I was able to make music and put out videos and images that grounded heavily with people, especially from an artistic perspective. You should be able to enjoy music, enjoy dancing to it, but never once compromise the responsibility to make sure the images and content you put out there is something that means something. That’s my whole angle to this whole thing. An artist that is unrestricted, an artist that knew kids were watching and acted like it. At the end of the day, I put out what needs to be put out.
What advice would you give to artists in training?
Don’t try to mirror somebody else. Don’t look at the next man and say I wanna be that dude. Work really, really hard and do what you want to do.
Make sure you wanna do this for the right reasons, hold yourself accountable and bust your ass everyday to get sharper and sharper. A nonstop attitude is very important to have, keep developing your craft and stick around people who’ll give you good advice and also be uplifting.
And don’t just burn a CD and write your name on it. Get the CD professionally done.
So, what’s next?
I’m gonna put out singles and work that a bit more instead of putting out the whole project. I’ll work on those and a few videos to go with them.
Describe yourself in one word.
Different. I think because I always feel a bit like the oddball in how I think about things and how I pursue things. Being willing to be an artist and an attorney represents both of those things because they’re both very different things to do. I know artists who are both but they try to downplay they’re attorneys which is the most absurd thing to me. It’s a very different way of approaching life and I think that I thrive off of different. That’s what makes me who I am.
