Earlier this week up-and-coming Brampton artist LD bANKO released a brand new record titled “Yea Yea” as his own personal 2017 anthem of celebration and success.
This record marks the turning point where LD feels he has both found and settled into his artistic identity. It’s a track that shows the progression – both personally and artistically – that has occurred over the last little while.
For this track, the Made2Eat squad teamed up with engineer MixedByMS to get the track properly mixed and mastered. It’s a little step that too often gets overlooked amongst the ranks of up-and-coming rappers. The difference in quality between this jam and LD’s older work is a world of difference.
And all of that can be attributed to A) LD finally feeling secure in his artistry, and B) LD committing to actually invest in his craft. Listen to “Yea Yea,” and scope our Q&A with LD bANKO below.
Q&A: LD bANKO
HipHopCanada: Start off by telling me what this track means to you on a personal level.
LD bANKO: On a personal level, this track means everything to me. It talks about me spending money on my dreams, sleepless nights, my girl having my back, my team working our way to the end goal and so on… within the three verses. And the chorus are the questions I’m asking myself and me agreeing by saying “Yea Yea”!
HipHopCanada: What’s the vibe you were going for with this one? It sounds like it’s just as much a motivator for the listener as it is for yourself. There’s also this subtle lullaby-like undertone to it all because of the beat.
LD bANKO: The vibe I was going for on this track was a more mellow lullaby-ish feel with a bit of bounce that people would be able to rock with; accompanied by a catchy rap pattern. This track is a very motivational track for me – at least because I feel that as an artist I have finally found who I am, and that I’m comfortable in my skin. The way I rap may not be like the others but that’s what makes me stand out from the others. Which is why the line “Do they know your name? Yea yea!” makes so much more sense. Because no one in the game raps the way I do.
HipHopCanada: I feel like this song is a celebration of progression and motivation – on so many levels. There’s the encouraging tone to the lyrics, and there’s also the improved song quality, and proper recording, etc. Talk to me about that.
LD bANKO: This song is very much a celebration song because I’ve come such a long way from where I first started and I see the progress. The hunger and drive has never stopped as well. And the fact that I’m still around [and] spreading out my vibrations for other people to hear and vibe with me and understand me on another level really makes me feel good. It makes me feel as if I’m meant to keep on making music. And the whole sound of the track is very soothing; from the vocals, to the melodies, the track as a whole is just incredible. But I have to give thanks to MixedByMS for making the song sound the way it did. Wonderful engineer! I’m happy the whole Made2Eat team found such a guy thats passionate about his work and sees our potential.
HipHopCanada: On that note, what would you say is the biggest progression you’ve made since the beginning of 2017?
LD bANKO: I would say my biggest progression since 2017 has started is that I’ve started to invest in myself as an artist. Sure the money put into music isn’t cheap but the overall sound and quality at the end makes up for it 100 %. Also, I’ve cut out a lot of distractions and only communicate with people who are as driven and motivated as me. And ever since, the work has progressed as well. It’s all eyes on the prize now. The team and I just have to keep a tunnel vision.
HipHopCanada: Tell me the story behind how the collaboration with BeatsByNova came about.
LD bANKO: Well the collaboration all started through my brother, once again. He has a great ear for music. He was playing this beat on his speakers one night and I stopped him and asked for the beat. He told me it was made by Nova. And so I hit up Nova, we talked, made business, and the minute he sent over the beat I started writing. When I heard what I had wrote and spoke into the mic the day I recorded it I almost shed a tear. It was as if it was meant to be. This song – by far – is one of my favourites and I hope people can say the same as well. I just want to thank everyone who made this possible for me. Thank you for everything Sarah Jay! And to the people reading… stay tuned because No Dumping is coming soon! A surprise project is coming even sooner! And a collab between me and Eli Brown (a.k.a GodBlessEli) is around the corner! Thank you and God bless! #Made2Eat!
Interview conducted by Sarah Jay for HipHopCanada
