Serge Fleury
In a city overran by the braggadocio personalities that make up Hip-Hop, it can be difficult at times finding a different type of outlet.
Most venues in York New cater to music that was born in the Bronx, and for years, that has been the norm. But doing his best to bring more diversity to the Big Apple is singer/songwriter Rob Murat.
The Queens native and ivy-league graduate has been making the rounds with his latest project, So Much To Say, alongside working with artists the likes of Kidz In The Hall and producer Devo Springsteen, (who happens to be the cousin of some guy named Kanye West, and also produced a song for him called ‘Diamonds From Sierra Leone’).
So, instead of talking about his every detail, the time has come for him to tell you about them firsthand, just try to keep up…
iHipHop.com: How did you first get into singing? Was it something that was always in you?
Rob Murat: Yeah… My grandfather was a nationally known trumpeter and composer, so music has always been in my family, and a part of my life experience…
I started off by playing the piano and trumpet, and I really didn’t think about singing until later on… But from there, I just naturally progressed into what I am today…
iHipHop.com: Right now you have your project So Much To Say making rounds. So were there any goals you want to accomplish with the record?
Rob Murat: The main goal for So Much To Say was to back up the title, not only lyrically, but also musically…
So I set out to do some things that some folks haven’t done, or aren’t doing in their music… I tried to use different instrumentation, and talk about a few things in different ways…
iHipHop.com: How did you hook up with Kidz In The Hall for the remix of your song ‘Dilemma’? Was it a case of you reaching out to them?
Rob Murat: With Kidz In The Hall, they both went to the same school I went to, and I’m really good friends with Double-O… So once ‘Dilemma’ started taking off, I reached out to them, and it was a no-brainer…
iHipHop.com: What gave you the idea to form the Quench Entertainment Group?
Rob Murat: It all started a few years ago… I studied the success of some cats that are already doing it, and everybody that is successful has their own company…
So that’s when I wanted to start my own, and keep it under one umbrella that I own, as opposed to trying to fit into someone else’s equation… I saw how Jay-Z was running his own thing, Diddy was running his own thing, and so I wanted to do that as well…
iHipHop.com: Do you ever feel like you’re getting overwhelmed with everything you have on your plate?
Rob Murat: Absolutely… But on the flipside of that, I think it kind of balances me as well… It makes everything else that much more important, and it makes you use your time wisely… My time is of the essence…
iHipHop.com: With you being an artist from New York, have you found it difficult to standout?
Rob Murat: Yes and no… There are hundreds of artists out here in the city, but I feel like if your sound is unique and you’re coming with something refreshing, and you have a following; it doesn’t matter who else is out there, because your sound is yours… So I try not to pay attention to other artists in that nature… But it’s not easy, because it’s still a grind…
iHipHop.com: Also, people always talk about New York Hip-Hop, but with you being an R&B singer, how do you feel about the state of R&B in New York? Do you feel as if it’s being well represented?
Rob Murat: I’m not going to knock on Hip-Hop, because I’m a Hip-Hop fan, but R&B is representing as best as it can… We have different looks, and we have different styles, and you have cats coming from all over the city, and neighborhood boroughs…
So I think R&B is doing what it can from the city, but Hip-Hop is still overshadowing… But that’s the nature of the game, especially coming from this city…
iHipHop.com: So as a songwriter and producer, do you love one more than the other?
Rob Murat: I just love the creating process… I think songwriting and producing equals the performing… It’s creating that gives me that high… I love both of them…
iHipHop.com: Also as a songwriter, you also write for other people as well, or do you save all the good stuff for yourself?
Rob Murat: I definitely write and produce for others, but I’ve done less of that now since things have picked up for me…
I really enjoy collaborating with others, and helping them out with their projects… I’ll be doing that more and more, but right now I’m just focused on my projects, and moving full speed ahead…
iHipHop.com: In the back of your head, if you’re writing for someone, you don’t think like, “Oh man, I might be giving this guy a hit record!”
Rob Murat: [Laughing]… You have to think about it as you having an endless oasis, and you can’t be stressing with your creativity… So whether I’m working with someone else, or by myself, I’m going to come with it every time…
Making good music is what I do, so I’m not afraid of running out of gas… It’s a little more spiritual than that… It’s endless, that’s how I like to look at it…
iHipHop.com: Plus I read that you also had the opportunity to work with Kanye West’s cousin Devo Springsteen, so how was that experience like? Did you take away anything from it?
Rob Murat: He went to the same school too, that’s how I met him; the University Of Pennsylvania…Working with Devo [Springsteen] really helped me with my production side of things… From his sequences to mixing, he knows what to use…
I really appreciated working with him, and I hope to do it again… He never tried to hide anything; he was really open… He produced ‘Diamonds [From Sierra Leone]’ for Kanye [West], and we were working around that time… So it was cool…
