Check out our exclusive interview with Lu Chin Chen.
I2G is here with Lu Chin Chen, how’s it going?
Peace I2G. Life is good. New project releases always put me in a positive space. The energy is high right now.
Tell me a little bit about how you got your start in hip hop and who are some of your musical influences.
I started off wanting to make beats in the mid 90s but didn’t have the equipment. I knew someone who had a lab and he needed to keep his equipment at my crib for a quick second while he found a new crib. I wrote a rhyme about him and his beats like a theme song for him in ’97, just messing around with it to see what I could come up with. Recorded it (no idea what happened to that recording) and caught the bug to wanna keep writing and recording. That guy ended up being Mr. Dilligence, who was shaping his sound and putting together a solid crew of emcees and groups from all over the North Shore of Massachusetts that ended up being TRP/NME Wreckidz. I started recording an album over his beats like a year later that released in ’99 called The Curse, and been going ever since. I actually explain how I ended up going with the name Lu Chin Chen, on the new EP on a song called, ‘The Lunatic’, Produced by P-Ro of Knuckle Dragguz.
What are listeners in store for with your new EP entitled Height?
This EP has a blend of introspective bars, bragging bars, comedic bars, some addressing issues of violence, government corruption and a variety of styles to keep it interesting. Beats are boombap but high end sounding. Beats by Frost Gamble, Sultan Mir, Conflikt of Hellzwind, Zam One, P-Ro and Tali Rodriguez of the Knuckle Dragguz collective, Skinny Bonez Tha Godfatha and Fuzzy Ed. The mixing and mastering by Mark Downie really put the sound over the top. That man’s inbox should be overflowing with messages from people who want him to enhance their projects and sound. Reach out to him, emcees and producers! It’s worth it. Dystrakted, an incredible DJ from Thunder Bay, Ontario, lays cuts on 3 songs and I can’t tell you how this dude enhances these songs with his talent. His inbox should also be filled to the top with messages from emcees looking for top of the line cuts. Dude is a complete animal with it. Salute to my brother.
Do you have any more upcoming videos or singles?
Yes. I have an animated video in the works currently for ‘Call the Ambulance’, produced by Fuzzy Ed with Dystrakted on the outro cuts, from this Height EP. Kaleb Bumboclap, who also animated a video for a song called ’23 Guinnesses” from my 2023 EP called Weight, will be handling this one as well. The song features Dystrakted on the cuts and is produced by Fuzzy Ed, so it’s like a follow up in a way. I also plan to drop a couple of other videos from this Height EP. I am planning to work on videos for a couple of songs from mine and Daneja Mentale’s 2024 album, Dangerous Solution as well. We never ended up getting that done at the time but it’s never too late. I have projects in the works with Fuzzy Ed, Tali Rodriguez and Relentless the Tangible currently plus a follow up to my 2018 album House Money and the 2023 Weight EP. Staying busy.
What are your current thoughts on the music industry?
I honestly don’t think of, or care about the music industry. I am too busy working on my own music and listening to projects by my fam and collaborators to be caring about the industry. The only stuff I really check for is the Mass Appeal releases by the artists I grew up listening to and studying and other Golden Era artists who keep creating that magic. Nas has done an incredible job paying homage to the art and to his peers. That dude is the truth in every way when it comes to the music and the culture in my opinion. He gets it. But the industry besides that, nah, not thinking about it at all.
What is currently playing on your playlist musically?
Again, I’m always working on my own projects or doing features so, I am either listening to beats or to recent recordings to make sure they are 100% done before sending them off for mixing. Besides that, I will play that new Mobb Deep album a lot, that new Billy Danze, Nas & Premo album… plus old classics of course. Stuff like that.
Do you have any shows or tour dates?
Currently, no. I just moved 17 hours away from home and still adjusting and checking out the scene. We’ll see where it goes.
What is your website information?
To download and cop physical CDs, vinyl and merch, go to:
For all streaming service links, go to:
Appreciate the interview, any last words or shout outs?
Thanks I2G, appreciate the chat. I hope y’all get a chance to check the EP and the rest of my catalog. This is all from the heart. I never made music looking for a quick buck or to fit in with the current sound or style. I think you will hear that in the music and to me, that is what hip-hop is all about. Self expression and having fun with the arts. Trying to keep it real to the roots is what it’s about. Real is who you are as an artist. Being true to yourself is real. Be real and nothing can stop you . Your crowd will find you. Peace to all the producers I have worked with, anyone who has ever listened to and loved or hated my music, all the incredible emcees and DJs I have met, collaborated with and in some cases became family with. Much love to my mom who supported since the broke days and my wife and daughter who gotta deal with this Lu Chin Chen dude who takes time away from me being just dad or husband all the time. It’s been a long ride but I still got a full tank of gas and I’m riding out till the wheels fall off.
Go check this HEIGHT EP!
