To coincide with the release of his sublime new EP Love Letters Melt In Arizona Summers, we caught an interview with rapper and artist Tommy Will. We dig into the emotional depth of these tracks, the humility of the old-school conscious Hip Hop approach, songwriting and bars, and maintaining authenticity in a fast-paced industry. Here’s the conversation in full.
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HI Tommy – great to connect with you, and massive congrats for the stunning new EP. To introduce things – where are you based, and who or what first inspired your love for Hip Hop and music in general?
What’s up SS! Thank you for the kind words and greatly appreciate yall taking the time to lend an ear to the music!
I’m based out of Tucson, AZ and would say my first initial inspiration to hip hop was the bay area culture. When I first started rapping, the guys I was around were all from northern California and introduced me to artists like Mac Dre, Yukmouth, The Federation, E40, Keak, Fab, and a lot more. I think watching the hyphy movement at the beginning of my career definitely made me fall in love with the performance aspect of music more than anything.
How did you come up with the title for this EP, and what story or experience connects the tracks within?
LLMIAS came from the monsoon season here in Arizona. A couple weeks out the year we get these massive storms, mixed in with the heat that the state is known for, which makes for a gloomy yet beautiful time. I wanted to build out a story that matched that environment and I feel like I was able to do that with this project.
There’s a certain humility and calm sense of confidence and intelligence to your writing and performances. It’s a rare quality in rap these days. How do you maintain that authenticity and serenity in such a loud and often quirk-driven industry?
I appreciate that! I think it personally comes from remaining myself and remembering my “why”. I make the music I like to hear and I’m a fan of so even though it can be tough to not conform and try to make a “hit song”, I believe remaining true to my truth will bring about my core fans and friends because hit songs come and go but the message is forever.
You’ve built an impressive following as an indie artist. What do you think it is about your music and work that connects, and what’s your biggest ambition in terms of audience growth?
I feel that my following has been able to understand and appreciate my work ethic and vulnerability. I’ve never been afraid to take a creative chance and I think that shows.
How important is live performance to your plans – do you get on stage often, and is there a dream venue or event you’d love to appear at?
It’s huge to me. I’ve been on a few nationwide tours with great friends in music of mine and that in person connection is incredible. There’s nothing like it.
My dream venue would be headlining the Rialto Theatre, which is the main venue here in Tucson. I’ve performed there multiple times, but never as a headliner. Also, my mom’s side of the family is from England, so performing at the O2 arena in London would be legendary.
Which track from this EP would you recommend to new listeners first, and why?
I would recommend Want To Be Yours as a first listen. The record has such a smooth bounce to it and I feel like the raps were doing pretty well too haha. But it’s an easy listen with memorable and relatable lyrics.
Is there anything you feel is too personal to put into music, or is it better to be completely honest and vulnerable as a genuine artist?
I believe its an artist’s choice how much of themselves they want to share with the public. For me, nothing is necessarily off limits because we’re vessels. I think we’re in a position to spread the stories that others want to spread but might not know how to put it into words. I don’t think one way is better than the other, but my vulnerable songs have definitely brought me closer connections to my fans and friends than my songs that aren’t as in depth.
How did the musical side of the project come about – do you produce your own tracks, and if not, how do you choose the right collaborators?
This was actually the first project I fully produced, wrote, recorded, mixed, and mastered myself so I’m very proud of that. I do collaborate with others often though. It’s all off of vibe. If we share the same vision and aren’t afraid to take chances, that makes for some great music to me.
What’s something about Tommy Will that would surprise listeners of his music?
Might not be a huge surprise because I drop a lot of sports references in my music, but I was blessed to play college basketball, which was a dream. Besides that, I pretty much share a lot about myself throughout my records.
Is there anything else we should know?
I’m here to stay! I don’t think I’m at my prime yet and everyday is an opportunity for a new song, so just know that Tommy is probably going to be around for a while.
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Find Tommy Will on Instagram & X.
