Introduce yourself
What’s up everyone, my name is Jofred Estilo. I’m a rapper from Chicago, originally from So-cal. I am the greatest Asian rapper alive and ¼ of Chinza Fly.
When did you first start getting into music?
I first got into Music around 8 years old due to the MTV music video era. Around that time I was really catching on to BET and real performers like Michael Jackson and Prince. I started making music around 11 and realized I had a talent for writing. I had a guitar hero microphone and then I hooked it up to an acoustica Mixcraft and started recording songs and putting them on myspace.
You said, after 3 years of reworking and tweaking 1 project. 1 year of working on myself, all of this leads to my debut mixtape “TULPA” Talk about what led up to TULPA
The project has been completely redone three times now. The first project originally sounds nothing like the project now. To be honest, the only song that stood the test of time was TULPA, because that was the title of the project and I feel like it resonates with people as a better introduction to myself. I started on TULPA when I was 20, I’m 23 now. I was still in College when I was first working on the project and working full time. The fact that I was slowly graduating the project, it wasn’t to the way I wanted it to be. The second project I had, I ran into production and quality control problems. Over time another issue that came up was the rollout. It prolonged the project to the point where it got dated. By the time I came around to Private Stock, it really gave me space to cohesively put the project together and give me a better foundation.
Explain the meaning of TULPA
Tulpa is a psychological entity that you make in your mind, but you turn it into reality. It’s the essence of speaking things into existence. Lets say an imaginary friend is a Tulpa and you will talk to that clone every day. As you continue talking to that clone, eventually it starts talking back and it becomes real and you’re hanging out with it even when you’re not trying to think of it. It feels so real like there’s an actual person in the room, but Tulpa actually represents you, because it comes from your mind. It’s really subconsciously everything you show or don’t show. In relation to the project, I feel like it’s very supplemental. If you look at the artwork, it’s a city inspired by AKIRA. My Tulpa isn’t a person, it’s a place, and I created it as this future Tokyo city and everything going on in the city is everything that’s going on in the project. This entity that I created which is a reflection of myself really embodies the music that you’ll hear in Tulpa.
What are your favorite songs from the project
The songs that I feel like really represent the project, as a whole would be Tulpa for sure. Just because it embodies me personally. Choppaz on deck is another one. Talking about speaking things into existence. With Choppaz on deck, I’m talking about having everything I need. I have the team and the tools around me to unload on people.
On the project, we see Ishmael raps a lot. Where did that connection come from?
I met Ishmael through my brother Rob Lyrical. I’ve known Josh since the Facebook days back in Highschool. I didn’t meet Josh until he came out to Chicago. Josh is my brother man it’s all love. We just mesh very well together.
In four words describe this project
Do what you want.
Could we be expecting any more solo or Chinza stuff rest to close out 2017?
I have my next project that is in the works already. When it comes to Chinza, you’re going to see that name working with a lot of people. Inside Chicago and out. Ideally, we have always wanted a Chinza project, that’d be dope. Right now, we are just moving accordingly on our own terms.
When it’s all said and done, how would you like to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as a real and genuine person. Obviously, a legacy would dope. I want to be remembered as one of the greatest Asian rappers alive and one of the people who put Asian American’s, the culture, and the second generation on the map to flourish culturally. But I really want to be remembered as someone who kept it 100. I don’t want to live with any doubt that I wasn’t 100% me. I feel like that’s the only way you could die at peace.
Written By: Nicholas Rud
Chicago Creatives 