OKMULGEE, Oklahoma – Muscogee (Creek) citizen and one half of rap duo T H R O N E River Watson appeared on Mvskoke Media Live Wire to talk about the recent album release from the group and her ties to Mvskoke culture and language.
LionFish is the name of the album and the first song, where Watson immediately displays her Mvskoke heritage by versing the first half of the song in the language.
Working with the MCN Language Department during a visit home, Watson translated a poem she had written that is in the song.
‘I was in love with a sad song and it was strong, but it ended when we realized we’re afraid of coming out of the dark.’
She said it is about the lifecycle a love story that wasn’t meant to last but how to appreciate the life it gave.
The music that T H R O N E produces is within a very new genre she and her partner Taylor have coined as renaissance hip-hop.
It started with a small group of underground rappers that referred to themselves as low and wide renaissance rap making their own beats using old soul music and jazz records.
“You chop a sample and create your own song out of it then you rap on top of it,” Watson said.
She explained that there is a more personal, soulful feel to this style of rap compared to what might be heard on the radio or what one might think.
“We’re going for something that can be a bit more classical for the sound,” she said.
Lyrically, the composition of the music is more abstract and artistic according to Watson.
Reflection is a word Watson reiterates in her description.
“We want to relate more to something than just entertainment.”
Watson said T H R O N E has already pre-recorded two albums that are in the long awaited mixing process.
She explained that independent artists have various outlets to manage their own music on in today’s music industry. Much different from the times artist were out to make a record deal.
A few independent distributors have reached out to the duo but Watson claims as of now, they are doing well on their own.
Members of the Nation may remember Watson when she was wearing a crown as Jr. Miss Muscogee Nation in 2014.
It was a couple years prior when she started doing small performances for the Nation for different reasons, mostly entertainment purposes.
Growing up she watched her dad Julian Watson write, record, produce and perform his own music as a rapper.
“If there was something from me that started it, it probably started with him,” Watson said.
She learned from her father how wonderful it is to have music in your life and to be able to pursue it as a passion.
T H R O N E can be found on various social media platforms that can be accessed using this link, https://linktr.ee/waytoothrone.
