UFO Fev Talks Roc Nation Ties, NY's Underground & the Most Important Lesson His Father Taught

 This week we got to chop it up with East Harlem's own, UFO Fev. If you can recall from his last feature on Hype Off Life, the Puerto Rican rapper's name, Fev was given to him by Black Rob. Whose exact words were, "You're hot like a fever." And once you take a listen to his material you'll know exactly what he meant. Which is probably why UFO Fev is fresh off a partnership with Fat Joe, has been featured on plenty of prominent media outlets and is otherwise buzzing in the streets.So, don't sleep and follow along below as UFO Fev delves deeper into his ties with Roc Nation, the liveliness of New York's underground and discovering his talents later in life. Also, be sure to stick around 'til the end to hear his latest drop, 'Camouflage.' 🔥    

For those of us not on the East Coast, what is the New York underground scene like?

For those not in NYC at the moment, the underground scene in my opinion has more life than the mainstream. Plenty of talent in HipHop running through the city as well as other genres all bubbling up. I love this part of the journey performing in small dives underground, that vibe is priceless. 

How did the deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation come about?

Well, technically I am not signed as an artist through RocNation. My deal is a partnership with legendary emcee Fat Joe. We linked this past October and are in the process of creating & once we have product the next step will be finding how to market myself as well as the music, w distribution thru Roc.  

Growing up, what type of music would you hear playing in your house on a typical day?

Growing up, my household consisted of just my grandmother & I. So much of my memories of music playing are her cleaning to the salsa legends like Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Hector Lavoe etc. When I stepped out the apartment and into the projects Hip Hop was Inescapable . Black Rob & I are from the same building so I've got to see some awesome things.  

What do you think is the most important lesson your father, Tony from the legendary group, TKA taught you?

Most important lesson I got from my dad had to have came recently after signing my deal. He told me, be an artist when its time to be an artist and be a business man when it is time to be a business man. Realest thing he ever spoke. 

Why were you first afraid to show him your talents?

I was first timid to express myself to my dad because he always stressed schooling for me. I was raised in a very poor neighborhood & going to school wasn't first priority for a lot of my peers. He wanted to make sure I was educated before anything, so I knew raps wouldn't impress him. 

When did you know you had these talents in the first place?

I never knew I had talent until my latter years of being creative. Something happens when & while you're creating that sets you apart from everything and everyone. Until that moment I never understood talent, now I know how to control it.   

Aside from your favs like Big Pun and Jay-Z, who gets the most play in your playlist these days?

Aside from my favorites, at this moment currently like today lol. I'm in creative mode, studying and getting inspiration from likes of The Gorillaz, a lot of Nirvana lately, Meek new album and The Fix by Scarface. That's been in my rotation. 

Anybody you’re looking forward to working with in the future?

I am certainly looking forward to working with artist but I can't for see too far ahead, right now I'm going to just stick with my friends like Zandra Kaye & Red Inf. We're the dopest the future will offer. 

I know you just got signed, but what accomplishments are next on your list?

My next accomplishment, I would like to be an author. I've directed & wrote all the treatments for my videos so far so maybe I can excel in that field and go Hollywood for real. Follow: @UFOFev