5 & Done: Euro League

NYC EMCEE EURO LEAGUE TALKS “EURO TRIP” EP, MEETING K. DOT, GUN VIOLENCE & RAPPERS WEARING SKIRTS

(AllHipHop Interviews) In the latest edition of “5 & Done” AllHipHop.com spoke with buzzing emcee Euro League. The Bronx native has excited the blogosphere with songs like “Social Network,” “Magazine Vs Magazine,” “Do You Believe Me Pt. 2,” and “Gold Chains In a Dungeon.” The tracks are precursors to Euro’s upcoming Euro Trip: Continuum EP.

Euro (which is an acronym for Enlighten Under Rule & Oppression) first started his turn as a writer by composing poems. He later converted his love for English composition into rap lyrics. The personal connection created by albums like Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and Nas’ Nastradamus served as inspiration for Euro’s own take on Hip Hop.

About two years ago the 24-year-old indie performer reconnected with childhood friends MP Williams and Doley Bernays to form ReeLife Music Group. Euro describes himself as the business director/artist of the team. MP is the creative director, and Doley brings the street sound. The crew is looking to expand their company beyond just rap music. ReeLife is working to become an all-encompassing entertainment brand.

Discover more about Euro League and ReeLife in AllHipHop’s exclusive interview.

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What can fans expect on your upcoming Euro Trip: Continuum EP?

This new EP is the second installment to this series I’m doing. It’s going to be a very cohesive project – something that’s pushing boundaries in Hip Hop. We’ve crafted our own sound with certain techniques that we use. Everything is going to be customed to the sound that we’re doing. I’m going to be doing a lot of lyrical s**t, a lot of metaphors, a lot of bars, and a lot of thought-provoking beats. It’s going to be crazy beats with different formats.

I haven’t secured too many features yet. I got my boy Doley on there. I know I got singer James Ashli from ReeLife Music Group on there. It’s something very refreshing for a New York artist, especially coming from The Bronx. It’s going to be something people haven’t heard from a New York artist in a very long time.

There’s a YouTube video of you freestyling for Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q, and you worked with Skyehutch, who produced Kendrick’s “Sing About Me,” for your “Gold Chains In A Dungeon” track. Could a Euro and TDE collaboration possibly happen in the near future?

We don’t have it in the works yet, but who’s to say it won’t happen. I definitely think both of our crews’ sounds complement each other. I think we both have lyrical elements about our music, so I definitely think that could happen in the future.

The way I hooked up with Kendrick, he was shooting a video a couple of years ago in New York, and I just happened to go to the video shoot. I pulled him to the side, and I rapped for him. He actually liked the music to the point where he told Schoolboy Q to come listen to me rap. That was dope. He’s in the middle of a video shoot, and he’s telling other people to listen to me rap.

From there I met Willie B – the producer of his “Rigamortis” track. Willie B shared the word throughout the whole TDE camp about us over here on the East Coast. They took a liking to the music. That’s how all the connections came about.

On your “Social Network” track there’s a line talking about guys wearing tight jeans to fit in. What’s your opinion on rappers wearing outfits like leggings and dresses?

That’s a bar from my boy Denzil’s verse, so you would have to ask him about it. But I’ll give you my outlook on it. I’m not into all of the crazy tight s**t. I think that certain fitted looks is okay for certain people. As fashion transforms, people have to adapt to that, especially the artists. They have to build that image, and they have to look like they’re in style and up to date. So I do understand them doing that as far as the fitted look.

I don’t agree with all the too tight stuff, the skirts, and all that other stuff. But I do understand where they’re coming from when they do it, because I do understand the fashion world to a certain degree. For me, I don’t do it, but I don’t knock anybody that does it.

You address gun violence on “Magazine Vs Magazine.” What do you think can be done to combat the ongoing street violence in many inner-city communities?

I believe that certain artists that do come from urban areas should really give back more, but not just monetary, also their own efforts to create programs or build certain facilities that’s based on a positive outcome for the youth.

I understand that if you come from a crazy place, and that’s the content in your music, and that’s what you know then that’s what you’re going to talk about. You’re telling people what you know, so I can’t knock them for saying what they know. But I do expect them to realize when they get to a certain level that they can help other people, then it’s kind of their duty to do that. You’re going to help someone else come from the area you’re from to be successful.

I just really feel like the successful people that come from the ghetto should come back and build programs and a message with those programs about positivity. I think that’s the thing that is really going to make the most impact.

Where would you like to see yourself in five years?

In five years, I would like to be the most prominent music production company in the music business. Not just the Hip Hop genre, but all genres overall. I would like to build this ReeLife Music Group brand to be one of the most unique music production brands in the music business. Not just music production. We’re going to do video production and short films. We’re going to get into the fashion area as well. It’s a very unique brand built by a couple of young kids from The Bronx.

I’m going to be doing so many different business ventures, but in the sense of music in five years that’s where I see myself – ReeLife being a global music/entertainment brand. I’m only 24 right now. By the time that happens I’ll be 30-years-old, so imagine the kid being 30 running the most influential music production company. That’s a big statement to make. People don’t start doing things that early, especially running your own company and building a vision for that. So that’s where I see myself in five years.

Euro League with MP Williams & Doley (Photo credit: Christopher Gabello)
ReeLife Members Euro League, MP Williams & Doley Bernays (photo credit: Christopher Gabello)

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Follow Euro League on Twitter @iameuroleague and Instagram @Reelifeuro.

Stream/Download Euro League’s Euro Trip mixtape below.