Calm, cool and collected. Fatso Skinny is all of the above.

A very introspective rapper looking to make his way in the music industry, Fatso has made a home here in the DMV. An intricate wordsmith, Fatso uses his ability to tie words together to discuss the very relevant issues of today. Listening to his music you can hear the influences from the early ‘90s hip-hop era, a little reminiscent of Diggable Planets. We got a chance to sit down with Fatso and he gave us the skinny on what Fatso Skinny is all about.

DMV Unplugged: So tell me a little about yourself and where you’re from?

Fatso Skinny: I have two homes, West Palm Beach, FL and Queens, NY …[But] my new home is the DMV, I’ve been here just a little over a year now. But growing up…Queens, NY and West Palm Beach, FL; I moved here about a year ago.

DU: How did you get started in music?

FS: Wow, that’s a big one there. I think music just got into me. At an early age I got into mom and pops record collection and they had records for days, lot of LPs, lots of vinyls……you know all the greats and the favorites that we grew up on. Jazz, R&B, classic soul, a little bit of rock; I was introduced to jazz at an early age…since I was kid, I think I wrote my first song when I was 11. That’s when I really started to understand music.

DU: When you say understand music, what does understand mean?

FS: Understanding that music was more than just the words, understand the structure of the song…finding out what bridge and the hook are… learning the whole structure and composition of music, and the writing and production.

DU: I read a little bit of your bio, It said that you are an ‘80s/‘90s baby, who were some of your influences then and now?

FS: My big influences were some of the groups I mentioned in my bio Another Bad creation….this group from California called The Boys…we pretty [much] grew up around the same time.

DU: You’re taking it back…

FS: Yeah man…There were several group[s]; the group called Mista…pretty much all the boy bands that sang in the ‘90s, those were pretty much my influences. Now a days, it’s pretty much any and everybody, from the independent unknown artists to some of the greats…and some of the legends that are in the making…..some of the people that I look up to don’t even have big records out.

DU: Your bio mentioned that you were on the verge of being signed at one time, how did that happen and how did that fall through?

FS: Um how that happened….Long story short I was introduced to Mr. Cheeks of the Lost Boyz, someone referred me to him… him to me…. as far as me being a rapper trying to get on. At the time they were signed to Universal records and they had an album out at the time. So we got introduced and he told me to rap and it was just as romantic as it sounds….it was me and my three boys….I would start rapping and they would stop me at the punch lines jeering…and he told me he wanted to sign me….but basically it fell through…I don’t know exactly what happened ‘cuz I was a kid…but it fizzled out, I guess.

DU: Now that you’ve been in the DMV for a year, how have they received you?

FS: I’ve been received exceptionally well and warm. I don’t know if they know that I’m not from here but they treat me like I’m one of their own at least in my face.(laughs) I don’t know what happens behind my back, but I get a lot of support through my social sites and my shows.

DU: How you describe your style? I would say its not traditional hip hop, but that’s my opinion, if you could describe your own music what would you say about it?

FS: That’s a tough question for me, because I know you have to break down music genres to sell it. I don’t think I make music to be slotted, so I leave it up to the listeners and supporters.

DU: I’ve seen some of your Videos on YouTube and a lot of your music is socially conscious and you try to rap about relevant issues, is that your goal or is that something you’re trying to do?

FS: I think that I’ve been lucky. Not that I’m aiming to speak about the latest news, I think my issues are relevant. A lot of my music is speaking to my personal experiences….so it just happens that it matches up to the times…and I’ve noticed women have been the majority of my listeners.

DU: Why women?

FS: I speak about relationships. With women, with my family, with my hood and I think it resonates loudly with women.

DU: I should have asked this earlier but where did the name Fatso Skinny come from?

FS: The name actually came from an ex lady friend of mine, an ex lover, she’s still a friend of mine. She named me that because one of my favorite TV channels was the Food Network…I can watch it all day everyday….She called me that jokingly and I’m a very slim dude, and I kind of liked that and thought that’s kind of hot. She gave it to me and I rolled with it. (laughing)

DU: What your ultimate goal in the music industry?

FS: I want to master the transition. When I say the transition, I mean taking care of and managing my lifestyle through music. I want to be able to succeed financially and lucratively through music. I want to take care of myself my family, my extended family, my friends and a couple of strangers. That’s immediately.

DU: What’s been the most difficult part of music so far?

FS: Mastering the transition (laughs)…Maintaining the balance of being a working artist and working more and harder…and I got to work harder in 80 hours to make half of what I made in the corporate world …through the internet through my shows. Supporting my lifestyle through music as an artist.

DU: I understand what you mean. What do you enjoy most about performing?

FS: I love performing with a live band. I love live music and assisting it vocally. The whole live experience…I just love it.

DU: Your bio also mentioned you play the guitar or are learning how to play the guitar. How’s that going for you?

FS: It’s going well. I always say that I play around with guitar…I play around with the piano….I play around with the bass. I can play them socially and I can play them well, but I haven’t mastered them. I even play the drums, probably better than the average but I won’t say that because there are people who I play with who play the drums ….you can see the difference in what I do and what they do. I can say that I rap….but I’m not there yet…but I can compose music on the piano and a little on the guitar. If you know the chords on the piano you can figure out the chords on the guitar, it’s just the fingering is different.

DU: What do you want people to take from your music?

FS: The good…Leave the bad….It’s all relative. Whatever you deem is good take that out of it, process, and pass it on to somebody else.

DU: What are some of the misconceptions about you and your music?

FS: I’m not aware of any. That’s funny because when it comes to art there are often misunderstandings, but I’m not aware of any. Usually there is no negative intent behind my music.

DU: So what has been your most memorable moment thus far in your career?

FS: To date?

DU: Yeah.

FU: I used to visit the place in New York called SOBs…you’ve kind of got to have a name to get in there and I got a chance to perform there last year with a friend Maimouna Youssef. I preformed in a set with Maimouna Youssef. She sings with common, Dead Prez, Bilal…. she’s recorded with the Roots and she invited me to perform with last year. That’s one of my most memorable moments of last year.

DU: Now you know Tamika Jones and you guys work together. How’s that going for you?

FS: Cool. We’re both like minded artists and do our own thing. We’re both indie artists, we’re in touch with our people…our family…our community. She’s a dope artist and it’s been a good collaborative effort. We are real tight team, Mr. Briggs is our manager and there is another artist Empress. It has been a wonderful experience a lot of joys and a lot of growing pains.

DU: What has been one of your most memorable collaborations thus far?

FS: I had a collaboration with an artist signed to Motown Universal, his name is London. He’s a really dope artist. I’ve got a collaboration with a YouTube superstar, Broadway Stevenson; we did a really exciting collaboration. With Wes Felton, were in a group….

DU: The Dojo.

FS: Yeah, with Tamika, Maimouna Youssef; they’ve all been great.

DU: What’s next for Fatso?

FS: Still working hard. But like everybody says there are a lot of things in the works. But what’s next?….What’s next is what’s given…that’s what’s next I’m just gonna work hard through my music.

DU: So where can people hear you live?

FS: Right now…venues change so often…but I host an event every 1st and 3rd Thursdays at La Carbanera on 9th & U St. But they can check my website for may schedule www.reverbnation.com/fatsoworld. But they can catch me at www.facebook.com/fatso1 and www.myspace.com/fatsonj.

DU: You also mentioned you have an EP …

FS: Yeah I have an EP Fatso Presents the Skinny, it’s available on iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster and all those websites.

DU: So for someone who has never heard you live, never heard your music before, what would you say to them to make them want to listen to your music?

FS: We’re in this together…We’re in this together, Bro.