Interview with Hof

OPENING

Tell us a bit about yourself, your name, age, where you’re from, and anything else?
Well my name is Dan Hoffman, I am 22 years of age, I am from a borough called Scarborough located in Toronto Canada. I don’t know what else to say, I guess it’s well documented on the internet that I am a outspoken asshole, so if you’re looking for something about my personality there it is, I Dan Hoffman am a outspoken asshole.

MUSIC

Where did you get the name Hof, what does it mean?
Well, with my last name being Hoffman my whole life people called me Hof, I’ve had a few other names as well but this is the one that stuck with me, so i decided to go with it.

How long have you been rapping? What first got you interested?
I have been rapping close to 8 years, shit, maybe even longer I’ve lost count over the years, To be perfectly honest it’s hard to recall what got my interested, I can go on record that the first rap song I heard was Feels So Good By Ma$e, and I was introduced to the culture by my older sister

What’s your inspiration?
I have many inspirations, my family first and foremost, they inspire me to do what ever I do in life, and life in general, everything in my music is either about me or about someone around me.

When did you decide you wanted to take your music seriously?
HA, I haven’t taken music seriously ever, when you take something you enjoy doing seriously that’s when you stop enjoying doing it, I mean if I got a deal I’d probably take it a little more serious but as of right now it’s a hobby and it’s for fun.

Have you ever performed live?
Yes I’ve performed live at a couple lounges downtown, but truthfully those events were not all that great, everything from the promoter to the venue was wrong, but that’s a different story.

What are you trying to do with your music? Do you want to help your community? Are you trying to get rich? What is your goal for your music?
Well a younger me would say something like I want to be the greatest rapper to ever do it, but truthfully I don’t know if I’m cut out for fame, I’d end up saying something someone didn’t like and get black balled, so I’ll revert back to my answer on “when I decided to take it serious” and right now it’s for fun, so as long as I have fun then I am achieving what I am doing.

Do you have any kind of management, publishing or distribution teamwork behind you? If so what are their responsibilities?
HAHA, no it’s funny you ask that too, cause I was with a “label” but they had no financial backing, no leadership, no drive, and basically no direction, so I left from there it was a bad situation, as of right now I am the only person running the show

What are some accomplishments that you have achieved, and are most proud of?
I don’t know if most would say this is a accomplishment, but just my overall growth as a artist/engineer, when I started off I was garbage, my sound quality garbage, now I sound like money, so to me that’s my greatest accomplishment.

Have you ever made any contact with big time people in the industry and do you keep in contact with them?
Well, I was taught everything I know by a former artist on Sony, and I’ve met a few dudes that have a big buzz up here (WHAT UP RICHIE SOSA YOU HELPED ME WITH SHOES AT SPORTS CHEK), but other than that no one real major, I keep in touch with the dude that taught me everything, but we don’t talk as much as we used to.

CRAZYPELLAS / INTERNET

I know you’ve been here forever, but can you tell us how you found CrazyPellas? If you remember.
HA, the truth is, I was searching google for free music downloads, and I stumbled upon this.

Has this forum helped you at all in your musical journey?
I would say it has, I got some valuable advice from here, I have a feeling it will help more in the future though due to the radio show looking like it’s going to do well.

There’s a discussion going on in the Producer Talk forum on CP, about Artists saying producers shouldn’t get paid, what are your thoughts on this? Do you buy beats?
This is my honest opinion, if they producer isn’t known then why should I pay for his beats, it’s like me charging a artist for a collaboration, granted if the song I do with their beat goes anywhere I would give them a cut of the publishing money, as of right now I do not buy beats.

What made you post your music online?
I was just curious, the first thing I ever posted online was a audio battle with a rapper named Diss-able, he ate my food.

Do you feel like the internet is helping you as an underground artist?
Me personally? no but in general yes, I mean soulja boy’s song was all over soundclick before it hit the top 40, and it hit the top 40 before he got a deal, sean kingston got his deal off myspace, and cassie did as well, do I think if I utilized the internet to the it’s fullest it could help me? most definitely.

IN CLOSING

Do you have any upcoming projects, events or anything?
Look out for my album (I was going to say street album but it just sounds lame) entitled The Rest

10 years from now where do you want to be?
Well we all dream right, so my ultimate dream would be sitting on a bunch of money and retired, but realistically I want to be working for a salary close to 100 000 dollars annually.

Any shoutouts you want to give out?
NO ALL YOU CP CREATURES ARE DIRT….DIRT I SAY!!!!…haha na just kidding but what up to ghetto, ghats, the whole paper trail group, dj slick quick I SEE YOU and it ain’t pretty, Ef you know what it is, woods we about to smash em with a panty dropper, shorty akbar I hate you, proper, cp just cause i feel obligated cause it’s your site Ha playing, and anyone else I’m forgetting, oh yea and shout out to my ex, bout time you started calling at a decent hour.

Any final things you want to say?
no one on the corner got swagger like me

Finally, thanks for taking the time to do this interview.

You can check out Hof’s music in the Audio forums, his MySpace page, and his Soundclick page.