It’s hard to find any artist that is as dedicated or is as original as Milwaukee rapper and DIY CEO, Juiceboxxx. As the creator of his Thunder Zone empire, Juiceboxxx has been eternally hustling his way through America and beyond, releasing records, energy drinks, tshirts, and whatever else he can come up with along the way.
O S A K A: Where are you? What are you doing right now? It seems like you are everywhere these days, it’s hard to keep track sometimes.
JUICEBOXXX: I’M IN AND OUT OF THE COASTS, THE HEARTLAND. JAPAN. JUST TRYING TO KEEP IT MOVING, HAVE FUN AND STAY POSITIVE. MAKE WORK.
What have you been up to lately? Tell me a story. Touring? Shows? Recording? Perpetual hustle?
THIS SUMMER I WENT ON TOURS WITH MY FRIENDS FAT TONY AND JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD. AFTER THAT I WENT TO JAPAN FOR A MONTH AND PLAYED 20 SHOWS WITH NOISE AND PUNK BANDS. ALWAYS WORKING ON MUSIC AND PROJECTS. IN 2K13 I’M TRYING TO STAY LOOSE AND PRODUCTIVE, OPEN MYSELF UP TO NEW STYLES OF WORKING AND RAPPING AND LIVING AND THINKING.
What’s the latest from the Thunderzone?
THUNDER ZONE IS IN FULL EFFECT. COMING SOON I GOT A SINGLE FROM MY BUDDY SCHWARZ, POSITIVE MOTIVATIONAL CLUB MUSIC. WE SHOT A VIDEO FOR THE SONG THAT I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. ALSO ANOTHER SHIRT WITH LIL UGLY MANE AND A LOT OF SURPRISES.
…BEEN DOING THIS THING ON YOUTUBE CALLED “STATE OF THE THUNDER ZONE” WHERE I TALK ABOUT MY LIFE AND JUICEBOXXX AND THUNDER ZONE “DIRECT TO WEBCAM” STYLE. EVERY SUNDAY.
How did you come up with the concept for the, Like a Renegade, video?
WE (JB & WHO ATE MY TEETH?) SHOT SOMETHING AND THEN WE SHOT ANOTHER THING BUT WE SCRAPPED IT AND WENT “BACK TO BASICS”. I WANTED TO DO A VIDEO THAT WAS SIMPLE AND DIRECT WITH THAT RAW STREET VIBE. ONE TAKE MAN. MAYBE NOT THE MOST FLASHY VIDEO IN THE WORLD BUT I THINK IT CUTS TO THE CORE OF A FEELING I’M TRYING TO TRANSMIT THROUGH PERFORMANCE, RECORDING AND ENERGY DRINKS.
What’s got you stoked about 2013? What are you most looking forward to?
MAN THE LAST TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE HAVE BEEN CRAZY, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON A RECORD THAT I’M REALLY PROUD OF BUT GOING FORWARD I WANT TO BALANCE MY LONGTERM CONCEPTUAL PROJECTS LIKE LPS AND ENERGY DRINKS WITH MORE INSTANT EXPERIMENTAL WORK FOR THE INTERNET. PRETTY MUCH MAKE MORE OF EVERYTHING AND STAY TRUE TO MYSELF. NEW CHALLENGES.
Essential records that you are hyped about right now?
I DO A RADIO SHOW EVERY MONTH CALLED THUNDER ZONE RADIO WHERE I PLAY A LOT OF THUNDER ZONE ARTISTS AND AFFILIATES AS WELL AS WHAT I THINK IS SOME OF THE BEST NEW MUSIC FROM A VARIETY OF GENRES AND SCENES. BEYOND THAT, I LISTEN TO A LOT OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND 90’S RAP MUSIC.
I heard the flip phone got retired. How’s your new iphone?
I’M A CEO SO I NEEDED TO STEP UP TO A CEO PHONE, A TRUE THUNDER ZONE PHONE. I’M ON THE GO ALL THE TIME, I’M FUCKING RIDING CITY BUSES FIRING OFF EMAILS TAKING PHOTOS AND LISTENING TO GUIDED BY VOICES.
When am I going to get a ThunderZone Energy Drink? I’ve still only had a sip of it’s radicalness when you were on IHC Live last November.
I GOT YOU BUDDY. I GOT LIKE 10 CANS LEFT BEFORE IT IS TOTALLY SOLD OUT BUT I’LL MAKE MORE MAN, I’LL MAKE MORE. THIS IS A JOURNEY AND A LIFESTYLE AND I’M JUST TRYING TO FOLLOW MY FUCKED UP DREAMS. I WROTE A SONG LAST NIGHT ON THE MEGABUS HOME FROM FRISCO CALLED “FOLLOW YOUR FUCKED UP DREAMS”.
Last words or shoutouts?
SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE KIDS OUT THERE JUST HANGING BY A THREAD HAVING FUN DRINKING ENERGY DRINKS FUCKING TALKING ABOUT ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC ALL THAT SHIT. LIFE GOES ON 2K13 I’VE BEEN LIVING THIS CARTOON LIFESTYLE FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE THE SAGA WILL NEVER END. SOME DAYS I JUST WANNA EXPLODE MY ENTIRE BACK CATALOG IN THE DESERT BUT OTHER DAYS I FEEL LIKE MAYBE I COULD DO THIS FOREVER. I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO HOLD. ENTER THE THUNDER ZONE.
Be sure to pick up Juiceboxxx’s debut LP, I Don’t Want To Go Into The Darkness, out now on THUNDER ZONE/INFINITY Cat, and for those cassette enthusiasts, Gnar Tapes. Check out the new trailer for the album below.
O S A K A
