Chadio & The Gumshoe Strut Interview

I2G is here with Chadio & The Gumshoe Strut, how’s it going?

TGS: Chillin’, always chillin’.

Chadio: Feeling like a crisp 50 and some loose change! Thanks for having us.

What are listeners in store for when your new album, Root Sellers, drops on Friday?

TGS: Production-wise, I feel like this is a vibe. It’s jazzy, bluesy boom bap with a twist. It’s mellow but it knocks.

As far as the raps are concerned, Chadio is that dude. He consistently delivers quality bars. His syncopation and cadence really shine. The content is clever and relatable but isn’t overly introspective.

Chadio: Personally, the approach to nearly all my proiects has been journalistic, like a couple of diary updates speaking as to where I was in life a few years back. It’s a pretty short collection of songs, but it’s designed to be listened to as a whole thing, so you can throw it on for a drive around town or in between Isaiah Rashad’s The Sun’s Tirade and Bowery Electric’s Beat on a Sunday when you’re listening to your music collection at home.

What was the creative process like in making the album?

Chadio: Gumshoe and I have been homies for many years and are part of the Saskatoon Rap Rap Records collective. We have a group chat on IG, and he would basically just post up beats for the crew to check out what he had going on and I would just snap them up for a while until we had a few good songs ready.

TGS: We live 3 provinces apart, so this was an internet collaboration. We’ve known each other for years but this is the first time we’ve worked together directly.

Chadio: One of the beats I had a track to was for “Flow State”, I believe, and the homie Yy had a song to it also, so Gum ended up remixing that one, but I love how it turned out. Chaps did all of the cuts, and then we had some crucial rap homies jump on there so you’re not just listening to me rap for 28 minutes straight. Since we both live in different provinces, I would just record the vocals at my desk and email them over for him to mix.

TGS: I was really excited to produce a project for someone other than myself, so when I got the vocal stems back from him, I went to work on post-production sequencing the beats around his bars.

We’ve had this in the can for a couple years, then earlier this year we committed to getting it done. I polished up the mixes and we were ready to go. It’s been great having Hand’Solo on board to help get this project out there.

Do you have any more upcoming videos or singles?

Chadio: I was/am trying to coordinate a video for “Been A Minute” just ‘cuz I think the message is relatable for a lot of people, but life’s also busy so we’ll see what happens there. If it does happen, it will be 100% my main homeslice ARG Vidz coming thru and working his magic. You can see the video he shot for our joint as the Quoted Motives for the track “Work Before Play” on YT.

Do you have any other projects set to drop?

Chadio: You know it! Been sitting on a bunch of stuff for a while now. I am slowly getting it out there but it’s a good sized list:

TGS: I’m focusing largely on production this year. I have a remix album that I’m going to drop as a teaser to my producer album that I’m gonna drop later this year. I’m excited about that one. It features Chadio, Sole, Riddlore, Staplemouth, Yy, Id Obelus, Rob Crooks, Nolto and more.

What are your current thoughts on the music industry?

TGS: I don’t really care. I’m very much removed from that side of things these days. I just make what I enjoy making and hope people listen and like it. With family and all that, I don’t have the capacity to concern myself with what the industry is doing.

Chadio: To stay relevant today you have to be constantly releasing music as well as visual content. It is completely over saturated, and although that doesn’t make it any less fun as far as the creation process, it’s just a numbers game to nearly everybody. I liked it better when you got dissed for being wack or unoriginal. Things are pretty soft in that regard.

What is currently playing on your playlist musically?

TGS: I listen to my friends’ music more than anything, honestly. Yy (Peanuts & Corn Records) just put out a great album called Dues and Don’ts. I’ve got the inside track on an upcoming album from Nolto & Noblonski which is dominating my ears.

Chadio: I listen to music everyday. Driving for work, I’m usually listening to what I call Guilty Pleasures, or just like cheesy shit you might not expect. Ottawan “Hands Up”, Merrill Bainbridge “Mouth”, Avril Lavigne “Keep Holding On”, Blondie “I Touch Myself”, that kinda stuff. Albums though, any album by The Internet, Isaiah Rashad, A Taste Of Struggle (A/T/O/S), and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble STAY in rotation.

Do you have any shows or tour dates?

Chadio: Nope! I just relocated to Kamloops last year and have been thinking about potentially starting up a night here sometime in the future because there isn’t much happening around town.TGS: I have no shows. Holler.

What is your website information?

TGS: You can find my music on Bandcamp – thegumshoestrut.bandcamp.com and follow me on Instagram @thegumshoestrut.

Chadio: https://imaginationstreetrunk.bandcamp.com/ and also my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFlfExKtItcPGzOW6gjZ3pQ.

Appreciate the interview, any last words or shout outs?

Chadio: Likewise! Shout out to my animals Kanye the Machine, Party Dog and Tittyboi. Love to my family and friends and rap homies. Peace & Love & Respect to anybody reading this and has ever supported or purchased or listened to anything Ive ever had to say, I appreciate you more than you know and I hope to see you soon. And also big up Thomas Quinlan at Hand’Solo Records for all of his hard work. My man Gumstrut for the sick rap beats.

TGS: Shout out Thomas at Hand’Solo for getting behind this project. Big ups to anyone still doing the damn thing ‘cuz it’s part of who they are.

Below is more singles artwork from the album.