Valid recently released his project, ‘The Plum Brandy EP’, and our homie Two Feathers stepped in to do an interview for us to talk about it among other things. Have a good read and at the bottom there is a stream of the EP for you to check out. Also make sure you check out Valid on: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and his official website.

Q: Coming off of the recent success of, ‘Mihajlo’, what are you hoping to accomplish with this album?

A: With this new EP, if anything is accomplished I would hope that I further establish myself as a my own person that is doing something different that most aren’t, or can’t. I also hope that it helps bring some more ears to the music. And more importantly, resonate with Hip-Hop heads in the Balkan region. When I dropped, ‘Mihajlo’, it sparked a buzz in that region. ‘The Plum Brandy EP’, is still an “American” Hip-Hop release, because its from me and I’m born and raised here. So when making it I still wanted it to be palatable to my audience I already built over here, yet at the same time make it feel special for those from former Yugoslavia.

Q: I couldn’t help but notice the powerhouse features from Serbian emcees and producers as well as the massive Boldy James feature? What was that like? How did that come about?

A: So this EP is a concept EP where we only used samples and producers from the Balkan region. DJ Phat Phillie of Blackouthiphop.com and Vlada Stojanovic of Valternativa A&R’d this project. They told me which producers to holler at and all… He put me onto Smoke Mardeljano who right now is like the hottest MC in Eastern Europe, and he put him on to me. We instantly appreciated eachother’s work and began to talk and he was down to hop on the song, “Paper”. At the time his touring schedule was crazy so he told me it would be a minute until he can get in the booth for the joint. So the producer of the song Mystee told me I could get Struka on there possibly. That seemed pretty far fetched because growing up I didn’t know much about Serbian Hip-Hop, but I knew who Struka was. He’s one of the biggest legendary names, he would be an equivalent of Rakim, LL Cool J or Snoop Dogg to Balkan Hip-Hop heads. So he sends his verse to me which I couldn’t believe I was hearing, and 30 minutes later by the grace of God, Smoke hit me and said he’s gotta couple days between shows to get me that verse. It all fell out of the sky as a giant blessing to have both of them on there.

As far as Boldy goes, that’s Detroit kinfolk. I’m happy to finally knock one out with him and I think that’s going to be a lot of people’s favorite joint on the record.

Q: What are you trying to accomplish as an artist?

A: I would love to say that I provided for a family, in a comfortable safe setting off being a Hip-Hop artist. I don’t know what the future holds, but the main goals are, I think for any MC, let the listeners know I’m dope, and more importantly that is resonates with someone. That really at the end of the day is the goal of any artist who practices any form of art. It’s just self expression and you hope it’s felt. If you see some bread off it, that’s always very dope too.

Q: Why the name Plum Brandy?

A: Well, due to the concept I knew I wanted to name it something that is distinct with the region. Our people drink Plum Brandy. That’s the norm… Russians are associated with vodka, as Mexicans are with tequila, Greeks are with ouzo, Irish are with whiskey, and in the Balkan region we drink Brandy, typically Plum Brandy.

Q: Where are you from?

A: My parents are Serbian. But I was born and raised here in the US. When I was born my immediate family as well as just about all of our closest relatives lived in southwest Detroit. Then my parents packed up and we moved just about a mile or so outside of Detroit to a bordering city Dearborn Heights. Where I’m from is the Telegraph/Warren Road area, pretty much the border of Dearbon/Dearborn Heights and Detroit, often referred to as Warrendale.

Q: Who are your influences? What’d you come up listening to?

A: Slick Rick is a huge one. I think most rappers don’t even know it but we all influenced by him. Not one rapper’s lines/songs have been remade/recycled/sampled by so, so, so, many artists it’s insane. To me he’s one of the G.O.A.T.s that often I feel is underrated in the G.O.A.T. convo. Em was a big deal to me, Biggie, Common, Slum Village, Elzhi, SupaEmcee, and Nas when I got older. Oh, and Luda.

Q: What’s your favorite song on the album?

A: What I think is all around the best song, prolly the one with Boldy James, “Foreign Forever”. But my favorite for sentimental reasons, track 2, “Pops”.

Q: With the big features on this album already, who’s next? Dream collaboration?

A: Personally the collab I always wanted was with Elzhi, and that happened on my last album, ‘Mihajlo’, on a song entitled, “Bottled”, and it’s probably my most popular song to date. Not sure if I have any dream ones other than usual suspects: Andre 3000, Nas, Busta Rhymes. What would be dope is if before it’s all said and done I got to knock one out with Royce, that would be a dream come true.

Q: What current album out right now is getting the most rotation in your collection?

A: Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, ‘Bandanna’, without question.

Q: If you had to tell strangers why they should listen to your album and not the thousands of others out right now, what would you tell them?

A: For this new one, ‘The Plum Brandy EP’, I would say you’re going to get a different story than most. It’s going to be unique in the production and content, it will definitely take you out the norm without turning you off to it in my opinion. For the, ‘Mihajlo’, album if you like the soulful shit you can feel that hits you in the chest, takes you on a journey, that album is for you.

Q: I recently heard you have developed a working relationship with Maureen Yancy, the mother of legendary producer J Dilla, how did that come about? What was that like?

A: She played a big role in, ‘The Plum Brandy EP’, happening. Years ago I met her through DJ Butter who was working with her and me when I was just fresh on the scene. She asked me what I “was”, she said she knew I was not a regular American kid. I told her I was Serbian, she said that she knew a dude in Serbia that was helping out with some of the Dilla promotion or something like that in eastern Europe, She said his name was Vlada Stojanovic and I should hit him up. We started talking, and long story short, for years I been sending him music and keeping him updated, then when, ‘Mihajlo’, dropped his boy the legendary Phat Phillie from Croatia was like “Yo, is this the Valid you been telling me about that dropped this new album?” Vlada confirmed it was and here we are, the two of them A&R’d this project, but it started with Ma’ Dukes. Shoutout to the whole Yancey camp.

Q: I was informed that you were recently featured on a project with the legendary Apollo Brown? How did that come about? What was that like?

A: Dream come true. Always was a fan of his, never really had any relationship with him other than sayin’ “What Up Doe” and keepin’ it movin’. So, when I got the call that he’s putting out a Detroit only album, with who he believes are the top echelon in Detroit, and he thought that of me words can’t explain what that meant to me. A moment I’ll never forget, and the song I’m on was very well received so that meant a lot.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Hm, this is a tough one. It’s so cliché to say “soulful”. But, no matter what style I’m doing at the moment, regardless if its some boombap barfest shit, a laid back fun feel good record, a song with a serious undertone and content, it really don’t matter. Gotta have that soul and/or funk that you feel in the pit of your stomach. White wall Cadillac music.

Q: Where can we find your links? Merch? Website?

A: VALID313.COM and follow me @valid313

Q: What’s next for Valid?

A: Hopefully, stayin alive, healthy, living safe and still doing music. But that is all really up to the universe.

Q: If you could go back in time and write one song that was already written? What song would it be?

A: Wow, thats a good question. prolly Juvenile, “Back That Azz Up”, them royalty checks gotta be ridiculous.