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On the Eve of #Suavetoberfest 2, Suave Burgandy Waxes Poetic on Family, Pandemics, and Process

By November 20, 2020October 26th, 2022No Comments8 min read

Multi-hyphenate, Suave Burgandy, the unofficial mayor of Oak Cliff, Texas (#4MoreYears) recently sat down with us to talk his newest EP, the highly anticipated and now serialized #Suavetoberfest 2, creative process, the pandemic, family and that damn dancing Dak video. Peep the interview below and don’t forget to check out #Suavetoberfest 2 when it drops everywhere Monday, November 23rd.

Suave, what’s good, brother?! Good to see you in good spirits and on the up and up amidst the raging dumpster fire that is 2020. What’s been going on with you?

A: Blessed to be around to call it a dumpster fire *laughs*. I’ve been diving into creative work with content creation, design, & media management as a day job with Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que & Home-cooking, on top of approaching episode 100 of The Broken Pencil Booking Co (@BrokenPencilBC), the pro-wrestling infused with hip-hop podcast I co-host with Danjah One. I’m head-first into marriage and fatherhood and occasionally I’ll write a verse or two and record ’em.

How has this crazy pandemic affected you and your process? Obviously, a lot of people are creating at a much greater clip, in crazy creative ways, and a ton of great stuff has come out of it (all things considered). How are you making out?

A: The pandemic hasn’t affected my day to day routine as much as it has with other people. I’m a self diagnosed “introverted extrovert” *laughs*. I operate in pretty tightly contained circles, I’ve spent enough time in clubs for free or a fee that I never have to go to another one in life, and I’ve conditioned myself to compartmentalize work/creative mode versus family mode.

The biggest difference for me may be the fact that I have more time to sit and plot my ideas out. The creative switch just flips itself on and off automatically. Due to the pandemic, I’m in a better position to sit down and capitalize on those moments when it flares up.

You’re getting ready to drop the highly-anticipated #Suavetoberfest 2, which has become a series for you. From what we’ve heard, the project is nuts (no assumptions here – SB is that good).

A: I’m proud of the body of work that comes with the #Suavetoberfest holiday *laughs*. It’s become a formulaic presentation capsule, but nothing about it feels contrived, forced, or bound to anyone’s expectations but mine. A 4-song EP of new release, original content plus a classic hip-hop styled blend tape with exclusive verses, collabos, and remixes. Same presentation every year but never the same execution, which to me is the uniqueness of it.

Suave Burgandy #Suavetoberfest 2 Cover Art

Talk to us a little bit about what spawned the original idea and your thought process in creating it.

A: The original 2014 offering was a track for track mixtape narrated by excerpts from the movie House Party. The idea was to create a presentation that felt like an intimate gathering to celebrate me *laughs*. Hence the catchphrase “ISSA Celebrate”. Fatherhood called, I answered, time passed. From there it matured into a month long celebration of whatever I had accomplished or been a part of in the year prior and essentially my rise from social media hibernation. 2019 fell into place with the Breakfast Bars championship and subsequent 97.9 Da Beat Interview. In that moment, I brainstormed my way into an EP with an accompanying blend tape, and the rest is history.

What producers are you working with for this project? Obviously, your partner in crime C.G. is always going to show up, but who else did you connect with?

A: C.G. and I have that synergy, like any great QB/Receiver combo. It’s just easy and effortless. He has two placements on #Suavetoberfest 2. In addition to his contributions, I was blessed with production from life long friends Qwestman (who’s track #OnMyCampaign is a diamond from the Suave Burgandy record vault) and KD Tha Produce Man (#SuperFan) which, from my side of creation, was a 24-hour production from concept to execution.

You’ve also linked back up with your 20-year plus collaborators, The Kid Flames (along with KD Tha Produce Man) and The Illusionists. How has it been working with them again?

A: It’s definitely a blessing. It feels like old times riding in the Mazda 626 across the metroplex searching for Guitar Centers and making songs on the fly to random instrumentals *laughs*. They’re family and our respective paths to get back to this point make us that much more efficient and creative when we collaborate.

Speaking of, it’s been a while but you and The Kid Flames, along with vocalist Elle Hobbs (shout out to Elle), had a nice little social viral hit with “Boarding Pass” and Dancing Dak last year. Hilarious, btw. Talk a little bit about that.

A: It’s crazy, with Dak’s pre-game throwing routine becoming a thing on Sunday Night Football I made a quick video with #BoardingPass (The Kid Flames’ laid back banger “Benny Blanco”, for the uninitiated) as the background music. Dak ended up in perfect sync with the song, so I knew it would at the very least be a good look for the ‘Gram. Next thing I know, the clip went full scale viral approaching 10,000 legit views in short order.

I don’t know if Dak ever saw it, but it was definitely a cool moment. The song itself is a personal favorite of mine. TKF is used to me rapping over big, triumphant production as the norm so to hear me dive into lo-fi hip-hop was a pleasant surprise for him *laughs*. I love everything about the song, from the vibe to the sultry vocals from Elle, who always delivers when called upon. Had it not been for the pandemic, there was a specific plan for a visual. Hopefully things improve sooner than later to bring that concept to life or I invoke plan B.

The biggest difference for me may be the fact that I have more time to sit and plot my ideas out. The creative switch just flips itself on and off automatically. Due to the pandemic I’m in a better position to sit down and capitalize on those moments when it flares up.

Suave Burgandy

Recently you rocked a few shows with HeadKrack, a long-time cohort of ours and an incredibly solid dude, talk to us a little bit about that experience.

A: Another blessing as a result of the #Suavetoberfest energy. Following the radio interview, plus the release of the EP + mixtape I was approached by Fatz Dangerfield of A-Teem productions about participating in the #FinalFridays Welcome Home show for HeadKrack. As fate would have it, I ended up as the direct lead in to HeadKrack’s set. That in itself was an honor and a responsibility I didn’t take lightly. HeadKrack has always had kind words and acknowledgement for my ability, so it was a pleasure to be involved in his return to the DFW area.

Suave Burgandy rocks

You’ve got some other surprises coming too (which we know a little bit about), care to share any deets with the good people?

A: I’m not sure if it’s all that much of a surprise to anyone but the final stretch of 2020 is looking like a “busy season” for Suave Burgandy. My advice is to stay tuned because there’s always a plus+ when I’m involved ;).

Where can peeps find you on the interwebs? *Laughs*

A: @Suave4Mayor on EVERYTHING…EVERYTHING. www.Suave4mayor.com is the official website.

As always, it’s a blessing talking with you, brother. Thanks for taking the time!

A: Anytime, it’s always a pleasure. The Paper Label is forever in the good graces of my administration 🤙🏽.

#Suavetoberfest 2 is available everywhere on Monday, November 23rd.

The Paper Label

The Paper Label is a music and creative house; home to The Kid Flames, The Illusionists, and KD Tha Produce Man. Engineered for the culture. Perpetuated by those with heart + hustle. Since 2004.