We had a moment to chat with Call Me Hood, next up on our artist spotlight. Check out his full interview below and be sure to follow Jukebox Culture on Instagram.
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Where are you from and how was life growing up? I am from North Omaha located in Nebraska. North Omaha is predominantly African American and is the lower class area in Omaha. Growing up in North Omaha was very tough not only because of the gangs, drugs and violence but because of the police. Our community was heavily taken advantage of and I just wanted to get out of that community. I started working when I was 14 years old selling candy door to door for a local company known as “Teens Of Tomorrow”. I also started doing video game repairs out of my mothers house when I was 14 utilizing craigslist as my advertising platform. I grew up in my mothers house with my Mother, Shenelle Hall, My sister, Lyric Johnson and my step dad Tony Pierce.
How did the artist name come to be? I created the name “Call Me Hood” after blowing up on Youtube under the name “HoodGamingTV”. People used to call me by the full name “HoodGamingTV” and I just always used to tell people to just call me hood for short. After saying that a thousand times over I came up with the name “Call Me Hood”
Where does the inspiration come from for creating music? I am heavily inspired by video games and wanting to create. I love to create things from scratch and the building process is always the best for me. I love to take silence and turn it into music. I started playing the drums, drumset, back when I was 14 years old and I always just love creating amazing sounds that came to mind.
What artists inspired you the most and who do you currently listen to? Soulja Boy and Lil B were the main artists that inspired me to start rapping because of their positive undertone and their different sound.
I currently listen to Drake, Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar, Westside Gunn and many more artists that have a very unique sound.
What kind of support do you get from your home town/state? The support I get from Omaha, NE is amazing. A Lot of people love not just the music and comedy that I create but they also love the way I give back to my community. I involve myself in alot of community outreach programs and services for the community so I can see North Omaha grow and do better.
If you wasn’t making music, what would you be doing right now? What I’m currently doing, running my 4 different game stores throughout Nebraska, doing online businesses and making comedy on various social media platforms.
What really makes you stand out and different from other artists? What makes me stand out from different artists is my message and sound. I try my best to be as unique as possible EVERY time I enter the studio. I want people to hear my music and know its me and not confuse it for another artist.
Tell us your craziest life story: When I was 12 years old a group of me and my friends, other African Americans were walking down the street from my house to my friend lamonts house to spend the night. On our way to his house we were stopped by a team of officers who questioned us as possible “robbery suspects’. My friend Lamont started to have an asthma attack and instead of helping my friends the cops continue to harrass me and my friends. After asking the cops to stop harassing us they then beat up on the sidewalk and took me home. On the way home the cop told me that I wouldn’t amount to anything EVER and how I was a brat.
What’s your biggest goal in the music industry? To be known as one of the best that ever did it in my own unique way.
If you could collaborate with one single artist who would it be and why? Drake because he is one of the GOAT’s and he is one of my favorite artists.
Favorite Artists of all time and why? Tupac, Nas, Jay Z, ATCQ, Biggie, NWA and Drake. I love 90s hip hop and the very unique sound that it has. The music is alot more relatable and speaks more to my soul then alot of modern artists. Drake is also one of my favorites of all time because he is such a well diverse artist that can make amazing music in any genre. His music speaks heavily to my soul and puts me in a place of peace.
What advice would you give to inspiring music artists? My advice for artists is dont give up and work at your craft everyday. Study the business side of music and understand that the music business is more business than music.
Website: callmehood.com
