Chicago is known as kind of a no man’s land for hip-hop. While the population and hip-hop scene are huge, there isn’t much of a major label presence in the windy city so it hasn’t been able to do as well as NYC or Atlanta. The artists that do come out of Chicago however make it big.

You have Kanye West who is arguably the biggest artist in hip-hop. You have Twista who besides being the fastest spitting MC of all time is easily one of the game’s finest artists. There’s Common who is legendary in a way that even legends can only dream of. There’s also Lupe Fiasco with his nerdy skateboarder image and flawless flow who constantly pushes the envelope.

It looks like the next up to bat from the Chi isn’t going to be breaking any traditions of being original. His name is Add 2 and if that isn’t original enough, he incorporates jazz and live instruments into his raps. The real surprise is that it’s actually good, really good.

Add 2 has been honing his craft for years now and is finally starting to get some love from the industry. Besides being an original talent Add 2 has also hosted a radio show so it’s no shock that he knows the ropes of this game. Sixshot.Com sat down with Add 2 to discuss haters in Chicago, his musical influences, and where he hopes to take his career.

Sixshot. Com: What's good man?

Add 2: Just chilling, working on new music, networking and stuff. Thanks for having me.

Sixshot.Com: You're from Chicago. What was life like growing up for you?

Add 2: Growing up in the city was a good experience because it teaches you a lot quickly. I was fortunately one of the only kids on my block to be raised in a house with both my parents who worked hard to keep me out trouble. But I seen the bad sides of the hood early on like when my neighbor was killed, my best friend was in prison, the effects of drugs on people I had loved all before I was in high school. At first it felt hopeless but it made me try another route and not let my environment dictate my destination.

Sixshot.Com: At what point did you get into hip-hop?

Add 2: I grew up in hip-hop. I remember listening to Kris Kross, Kid N Play, Tribe Called Quest, Biggie, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Bone Thugs was real big when I was growing up. We would tape the songs off the radio and play it on the porch and rap whatever we thought they were saying. Its like we were born into Hip Hop culture. I started rapping in high school and I would write every night at 9 til I went to sleep and people started liking the rhymes I wrote and I haven’t been able to kick the habit since.

Sixshot.Com: You incorporate jazz and live instruments into your hip-hop. How did that happen?

Add 2: I love listening to Terence Blanchard or Coltrane and I love listening to live music, when I was younger I would go to the Loop in Chicago and there would be street performers who played the saxophone or the drums and I would stop in my tracks and just listen for as long as they played. I always wanted to have that in my songs to enhance that feeling that I’m trying to convey in my songs because a sample can go so far but something else in it can take it to the next level.

Sixshot.Com: Given the originality of your music you must have a wide range of music that you like. Who are some people that have influenced you musically?

Add 2: I draw from anything that’s dope, I like Common, Blu, Kanye, Jay, Nas, Big L as well as The Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder who is one of my favorite songwriters, old Michael Jackson and even John Mayer and this new chick named Adele. Anything that can inspire me or something with substance.

Sixshot.Com: You're music is different. What is usually people’s first reaction to it?

Add 2: Honestly, most people don’t expect it to be as good as it is. I pretty much surprise them because I don’t look like a rapper at all so the first thing they expect is something wack. But they also compliment me on the lyrics because we’re at a time where we don’t have a lot of emcee’s writing something worth listening to anymore.

Sixshot.Com: Whenever I interview people from Chicago they usually say they don't get much support from their hometown. Is that the case for you?

Add 2: There’s support but not the overwhelming support that you expect your city to have. We’ve been fighting this crab in the bucket mentality that’s plagued our city for years. I have to give a big thanks to DJ TimBuk2 for doing his GO Ill radio show playing nothing but Chicago artists but even as we work towards it there’s still those doors that haven’t been opened yet.

 A lot of people have told me that I should move because Chicago isn’t the city that you want to be in if you want to get put on. But I don’t feel the need to leave because every city has its hurdles and until someone shows that it can be done or at least makes steps towards breaking the mold and making it easier, we’re only continuing the cycle. We are the most talented city musically but until we show some unity the world will never know it.

Sixshot.Com: Do you think you will get boxed in to where people only consider you an independent, backpack type of rapper?

Add 2: The idea of being boxed in is inevitable, especially considering I view myself a lyric conscious emcee and the fact is people will always have their preference of what they would like to hear from you. My job is to set my own guidelines early, show how versatile I am and dictate what I want to do and do it where it’s not off the deep end.Too many artists who have spent years building a specifically sound and fan base try to “reinvent” themselves to whatever’s popular at the time and lose that same core base they built. The sound I have now is what I always loved to listen to growing up, I loved albums like Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt where artist were lyric conscious but still made songs that you could vibe to. If that’s my lane then I will gladly stay there. I don’t mind that at all.

Sixshot.Com: Do you have an ultimate goal you want to achieve in the hip-hop game?

Add 2: I just want to leave respected. That’s it. I don’t care for the money, fame, cars and all that I just want to be able to put out a record or album and people look forward to hearing what I have to say. I hope I can inspire some people on the way and make an impact in their lives. If I can, I hope to take what all I’ve made and put it back into programs for children and teens to give them an alternative to the streets or drugs.

Sixshot.Com: How do you feel about mainstream hip-hop today?

Add 2: It sucks. I like certain rappers like T.I.and Kanye but for the most part its become too manufactured, there’s like a formula to it now. Music sounds all the same, videos look the same, there’s no feeling in it, and it’s seriously uninspiring. The good thing is that thanks to the internet we’re not as dependent on the labels, radio, BET/MTV to give us the music we want to hear.

Sixshot.Com: Would you say you relate more to a Kidz In The Hall or a Plies?

Add 2: Kidz In The Hall, I think Plies is a really smart guy in interviews but I can’t listen to his music at all. The line about the girl’s nickname is ‘wet-wet’ killed it for me; I was dying when I heard he actually put that in a song. I like Kidz In The Hall, Naledge and Double O are dope plus I was in their first video "Wheelz Fall Off "at the end so I’m biased.

Sixshot.Com: Can you tell us how you got the name Add-2?

Add 2: It stems from my initials and I was my parents 2nd child. My dad said he gave all my brothers and me those initials cause he wanted us to only add to our legacy or add on what he has and build on our experiences in life. Ironically I’m no good with math at all, that’s always been my worst subject.

Sixshot.Com: You also host a radio show. Can you tell us about that?

Add 2: Me and my partner Reggie The Great 1 hosted our show called Rascal Radio on the Source 95.1fm in Indiana and we would basically just have fun for two hours. We had a segment called the Wack Lyrical Moment were we would read an artists wack verse over the air and just have fun. It might be moving to another station with other DJ’s carrying the name but as of right now we had recently put the show on pause til we can get something better situated. Big ups to my homie Deon and Brandon still holding it down at the station.

Sixshot.Com: What projects do you have coming up that we can check for?

Add 2: Right now I’m currently working on a project with Jaguar Skills which is going to be something amazing, we’re a few tracks deep and the songs we have are really good, album worthy type material. I’m really excited to let people hear those songs. I’m also working on a project called The Rise & Fall, possibly a Tale Of Two’s City Vol3 but as of right now I don’t know just yet I’m just letting the music tell me where to go and let God guide me.

Sixshot.Com: Anything you would like to say to the fans out there at Sixshot.Com?

Add 2: Thank you to those who have downloaded the mixtape Tale Of Two’s City Vol.2 and if you haven’t please do, you wont be disappointed. New music is on the way and of course hit me up on the myspace page cause I do answer every single message. Thanks for all the support.  www.myspace.com/add2