TrenchMobb has been making waves in the music scene for a couple of years now. This year Billboard featured the rap group as one of the top emerging artists coming out of Chicago. Leading member JR007 stopped by the Clark St. Studio and gave us a glimpse into his life.

CSC: Introduce yourself and let us know what you do?

JR: I'm JR007, James Bond Jr., I make music and shit.

CSC: How has this pandemic been treating you?

JR: It's been straight. Kinda hard to breathe in that mask a little bit but been wearing masks before this pandemic. 

CSC: How does it feel to be recognized by Billboard as a top emerging artist out of Chicago? 

JR: I didn't even know. I forgot. I seen that, but I didn't really know. Whenever they send me the little posts and shit, I be like, that's cool, but I really don't read it, but it's cool. I fuck with that, it's straight, that's love.

CSC: Who you rocking with right now? Any artists you got on repeat?

JR: Ima just shoutout rapper that I know of personally from the city you feel me Pronto Spazzout, SBG Kemo, Ke Millie, this are the mandatory ones. Who else TMB Spazz, Lil Jaydoe, Ke Money, SG Batman, Rio Cheeny, Fly Nari, and Smiles. 

CSC: You got something with Smiles dropping? When can people expect that to drop?

JR: I was just in the studio with him yesterday. We be talking about when we go shoot the video we not really sure. We wanna do something during the Puerto Rican Parade for sure. It be bussin' out there, but we wanna do some shit before summertime. We been long overdue. 

CSC: Henny, Remmy or D'usse and why?

JR: It's funny you say that because my stupid ass just got us kicked out the club. To be honest, Dusse, though. I'm not a drinker, but if you ask me, I'm a smoker. People be like, why don't you t-up and drink, but man, when people get drunk, they ass act stupid, and I'm not the type to have one of the episodes, but I ain't go lie I just had one of the episodes got us kicked out the club. 

CSC: What's your most memorable studio session?

JR: Most memorable probably would be when my boy Sosa was alive, and we took our first trip to Cali. We visited APG at Atlantic, and they had us in their studio for a few days. It was our first time being in a big studio out there in Hollywood getting a taste of that shit. 

CSC: Favorite memory of Sosa Corleone?

JR: We would fight a lot, not seriously fight but play fight. That was like my big brother, you feel me. We use to walk everywhere. It was a time when I first had met Sosa that he ain't really have nowhere to go. We would just be out all night. My OG wouldn't let me have nobody over or whatever. I would go outside with him all night and walk all night, or he would sleep at the Dunkin Donuts, and I would watch over him make sure he was straight. I got a lot of memories with bro that was my right hand.

CSC: What's your favorite food joint around out west?

JR: Shoutout Terry's on Madison and Mason, but I've had that shit way too much. That chicken spot by ATS, Roost Chicken & Biscuits. They got some shit where they put that bitch on the biscuit and put honey with macaroni and cheese fuck it will give you the shits for real. If you ever go to LA, you gotta go to Howlin' Ray's on the weekend. You can get the chicken and waffle that shit fire as fuck. 

CSC: You go back and forth between Cali and Chicago. What do you prefer?

JR: You know what surrounding wise when I be out there its like a cool feeling, and I don't have to look over my shoulder; the vibe is right. When I go over there, I be in the crib all day. I don't really know people like that. It's not as fun, but visually, it's much better; you feel much better. When I come out here, I'm having a blast, and I know everybody, but at the same time, you gotta be careful. People are dropping for real. 

CSC: Tell us the story of how TrenchMobb came to be.

JR: Sosa made up the name. So I'm TMB. I got that shit tatted on me, and it's funny because Sosa got in an argument with some of the guys, and he was like fuck that TMB shit, we gonna be The Trench Mob Brother-like TMB, you feel me. It was just funny, they made up, and it was never no separation and none of that, but when the music came, it was TrenchMobb. I was like, aight bet ill make an Instagram. When I was 16, I made the TrechMobb Instagram, and it got bigger and bigger. I had my manager take over the insta.

CSC: Tell me about the two latest drops, Mobb Ties, and Pandemic Relief?

JR: Mobb Ties, we got that done in like a week. I fuck with Mobb Ties for sure there are some hits on there, but it was kind of rushed, coulee been so much better if we had taken our time on it, but there's a lot of good songs on there. Pandemic Relief that was kinda quick. I'm more of the making thematic type shit; I'm not the organizer. They just dropped it out, and I'm like, ok, that's cool, there some hits on there too. 

CSC: What are you up to when you're not in the studio?

JR: When I'm not in the studio, I be getting high, talking shit, drinking water, you know, eating food or whatever. I be eating too much fucking pizza out here that my problem, but yeah, Nah, I'm a good kid I stay in.

CSC: What's next for TrenchMobb?

JR: Stay consistent, were tryna stay constant. Over the past year, we haven't been super consistent as we should've been, but this year and if we're not as TrenchMobb, JR007 will definitely be consistent. I already know for a fact I'm dropping shit every month. I really want to drop at least every two weeks. I'm trying to take off on my solo career this year. Whatever comes around, it's gonna be like a marathon gotta go at your own pace. 

CSC: What's next for you as a solo artist?

JR: Networking, I'm gonna go down to Atlanta and fuck with some people. I sometimes feel my head be on the wring shit, specially when I'm out here. My head be on the wrong shit, and I need to be a full-time rapper. My solo shit is about to throttle, and if I don't make it by the end of this shit, I'm gonna be rich somehow. 

CSC: What do you expect to get out of the rap game?

JR: Shit but some money and experience. I'm not really asking for shit; I just wanna get rich. I don't give a fuck if I don't get famous. You feel me. I just wanna see the world. I don't wanna be no Tupac or Biggie. I'm not gonna lie, though, in the Hispanic community, I'm one of them up there; I'm not gonna lie.

CSC: Is there something you want to let the fans know?

JR: Stay tuned. Stay with me. Expect a solo tape and a fuck load of videos. 

Go stream Mobb Ties, go stream Pandemic Relief and Terror Money.