Sometimes the hardest workers go unnoticed. While some rappers lust for the plush accessories to signal their success, others crave the more admirable things. It isn’t the latest cars or gaudy jewelry that fuels Jon Connor‘s drive. His guile alongside his poignant wordplay are his marquee attributes in this competitive rap world. He isn’t as cocky as other rappers. He doesn’t twist his fingers symbolizing any gang affiliations. He doesn’t delve in the latest dance craze in hopes of garnering attention. He just destroys tracks. Point blank. Producers alley-oop beats over to Connor – and like he eloquently said during this interview – he Blake Griffins the living crap out of those tracks.
Repping Flint, Michigan, Jon Connor is on the precipice of success. He’s received co-signs from many notable artists such as Nas, Busta Rhymes and Game for his talent. He’s backed by his big brother – former Michigan State great Mateen Cleaves. He’s respected by his peers for being the voracious wordsmith that he is. Yet, Connor still has more under his sleeves for 2013 as he has two mixtapes on the way.
In this interview with Dime, he talks about his relationship with Mateen Cleaves, hopes of being a XXL Freshman, his goals for 2013 and more.
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Dime: 2012 was a big year for you. You were probably one of the hardest working artists that year coming out with four to five mixtapes. What’s the blueprint for Jon Connor this year in 2013?
Jon Connor: Yes man. Thank you. I appreciate that. You know what? My mentality a lot of times is to hustle, grind and forget about it. I just act like it didn’t happen. You know, I dropped a bunch of music in 2012, but that was 2012, you know what I’m saying? My intentions are to move forward. Whatever I did last year is to do that, but 10 times. I can’t just get hung up on what I did. I do believe that probably nobody did outwork me last year. I just plan on upping the ante this year for myself. I look at myself like whatever I did, I want to go 10 times harder. I want to take it to another level. If it was five projects last year, this year it’s going to be 10. I’m going to have fun doing it and keep giving the people what they love from me. That’s my way of giving back to the people and showing the fans I do love what I do.
Dime: I was just on your Facebook Page and I see that you’re definitely prepping for that XXL Freshman Class spot. Why do you feel you deserve to be a XXL Freshman for the Class of 2013?
JC: First and foremost man, for the people at XXL I love them and I thank them. They always support me in everything I do. Anytime I put something up, they always post it. They’ve been very supportive of everything I’ve done. But the thing is I don’t expect nothing. I work because I love what I do. I’m passionate about what I do. The thing is I don’t have expectations. You know, I didn’t work as hard as I did last year specifically for that. It’s because I love what I do. But, if can find somebody who worked as hard as me or harder than me, I’d love to meet them. (Laughs) I do feel that I work hard. The freshman class thing I do think that’s something that all new artists have on their mind. We do live in a day and age where it’s all about exposure, co-signs, and getting the awareness. That would be a beautiful thing to be on that cover. That would be gangsta because of course it would take the awareness to another level. But, I’m going to let the people make their decision and with that being said, show me somebody who worked harder than me, and I’ll shake their hand. (Laughs)
Dime: We touched on this before Con, and I remember you having the co-signs in Nas, Game and Busta. Do you feel even though you have the work ethic and the co-signs, that your skills are still being undermined?
JC: You know what? I don’t know. Like being the “People’s Rapper,” anything that the people thought about, I’ve thought about. I don’t know. I guess the way I’m doing it is kind of different from a lot of artists. Like these days, almost every new artist has a huge co-sign. When I say co-sign, I mean like they have their arm around them like “You should listen to his person.” I look at it like sometimes it’s whack that we live in a time period that’s like that. You know what I’m saying? Like somebody probably won’t even click on an artist’s name on a blog because a bigger artist hasn’t co-signed him. That’s really jammed in everybody’s head that you should listen to that person. The way I’m doing mine is sort of like the old fashioned way. Even with the co-signs that I have – which I’m very thankful for – at the same time, it wasn’t like I was at even radio interview with Nas or I was on TV with Busta. I still look at the way I’m doing it as the old fashioned way because I’m building my name on my own merit. I don’t know but I do believe that everybody’s time comes. It’s just an awareness thing. I do think in 2013, there’s a lot of things you guys are going to see with the moves I’m going to make.
Dime: What many may not know is your close-knit relationship with Michigan State legend Mateen Cleaves. Talk about how that relationship came about.
JC: Yeah that’s my big brother. My relationship with Mo Cleaves started six years ago. I was performing at a little bar in Flint. There was probably like 20 people in there but I was performing like there was 30,000 or something. That’s the way he always tells the story. I was going hard like I was at the Grammy’s or something. I remember that night when he saw me; it was funny because he had my CD for a year prior to that but he never ran across me or whatever. When we finally met, he was like, “Man! You’re Jon Connor?” I’m like “Yeah.” He was like, “Dog, I’ve been looking for you for like a year.” He appreciated and respected my craft before he even met me. When he met me, he was like, “I know great when I see great. I know the it when I see it. You know what, I’m going to do what I need to do to get you where you need to be.” He said, “You need to be on TV. You need to be around your peers.” I appreciate him saying that because he was somebody who mastered his skill and was great at what he did. It was like an amazing feeling especially being from Flint and what he’s done with the Flintstones with him, Mo Peterson, Charlie Bell and Antonio Smith. They were like our folk heroes. So for him to have a fine bond with me and telling me I deserve to be in better places in life, he never went back on his word. To this day, he’s still my brother and my partner alongside my other bro, Young Sav. It was like he ain’t ever went back on my brother. That’s my big brother, my mentor.
Dime: You mentioned some great Michigan State players in Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell, alongside Mateen Cleaves. All bias aside, who would you say was the best player to ever come out of Michigan State and why?
JC: Mateen Cleaves. (Laughs) I mean Mateen Cleaves. You know that’s not with me being bias. I don’t know another player that could have played with that much passion, love, and was as genuine to the game as Mateen Cleaves. I watched him go out there, have a sprained ankle, and in the same game come back on that bad ankle and win the National Championship. I’ve watched that. I’ve seen that. I’ve seen the drive. So for me personally, I’d have to say I’ve never seen anybody play the game like my big brother. I ain’t ever seen anybody else play with that much love, passion and determination for the game of basketball like my big brother.
Dime: I hear you. I want to also congratulate you for being featured on CBS for creating the intro for College Hoops, “Push to the Limit.” That’s a nice look.
JC: Thank you, man. I’m telling you, man. I’m trying to work, man. (Laughs) I’m telling you, dog. We came out (with) 4-5 projects last year. I’m telling you. I’m trying to be everywhere. I don’t want people to be able to sleep without seeing me. I’m back on my grind. I’m gonna tell you it like this and then I’m gonna let you get back to the questions.
Dime: Go ahead man. (Laughs)
JC: You my dog, so we kicking it right now, Carl. Dog, in 2011, I came out with a freestyle every week. It didn’t fail. I dropped two projects and a freestyle every week. Last year, I dropped a project every two months, okay? So now, I’m going to drop a freestyle every week and if I could help it, I’m going to drop a project every two months, and drop videos. It’s whatever the hustle was in 2011 and 2012; I’m just going to do both of those combined in 2013. So if you seen me on TV in 2012, then you’re going to keep seeing me on TV in 2013. I want to thank the people at CBS for giving me that opportunity and thank you for the love on that man because I’m just trying to get in where I fit in. The hustle doesn’t stop dog. That’s what we do.
Dime: Speaking of your projects, the last one was While You Were Sleeping. When can fans expect to hear some new Connor?
JC: You know what, I still got the tape from Still Sleeping. I’m dropping videos from that. That should set people up for Unconscious State which should be my next original project. Then I got two more Best of the World tapes I plan on coming out with. I plan on spacing everything out. That’s one thing I did learn. Everything with me is trial and error. This year, I’m going to be very strategic with everything I drop. I’m going to get the most out of every project I drop. I recall when the Blue Album came out in like February, immediately after that, the People’s Rapper came out in April. It was like I wish I could have done more videos for the Blue Album because I’m a fan of rap. Some of the coldest lines I’ve ever said was on the Blue Album. (Laughs) It was like I felt like I probably didn’t let it live like I should of. So this year, I plan on being very strategic. I plan on dropping Still Sleeping probably in February and Unconscious State should come a little bit after that. We’re gonna get the most videos up out of it. We’re gonna get the most out of every little piece of content that we drop.
Dime: You just touched on your Best of the World series in which the last two efforts consisted of the People’s Rapper in which you jumped on all of Eminem’s biggest tracks and the Blue Album in which you jumped on all of Jay-Z’s biggest tracks. Last time we spoke, you said you would consider doing a tape for Kanye‘s College Dropout. Is that still possible?
JC: Damn dog. I mean well, it could happen. (Laughs) I mean it could definitely happen. With those Best of the World joints, I’ll probably be more discrete. I’d be more open with me doing my original joints but with the Best of the World joints, I love hearing the anticipation of “Who is he going to do next?” I want to make it like an event. I don’t want to talk about it before I do it. Just know two more – with me rhyming over people’s beats – are coming along with Still Sleeping and Unconscious State. It’s gonna be crazy. I worked with a lot of outside producers on Unconscious State just to get a different feel and vibe. I’m constantly growing as an artist. So that was a cool thing to do as far as working with a lot of outside producers.
Dime: I hear you. What we love doing at Dime is asking rappers to give their NBA comparisons as far as where they see themselves in the game. We’ve had Fab compare himself to Carmelo because he still feels he has something to prove in New York. Who would you compare yourself to and why?
JC: Awww man! Who would I compare myself to? Damn. I really wanna give you a legit answer.
Dime: I respect that.
JC: I don’t wanna be the typical dude who says Kobe and LeBron.
Dime: Well Kobe and LeBron are taken since Future called himself Kobe and Freddie Gibbs gave himself LeBron. (Laughs)
JC: Man, oh man, oh man. Aww man. I would say. (Pauses) Give me a second. Let me think. I would say Blake Griffin.
Dime: Why Blake Griffin?
JC: Man, it’s hard to say stuff like this.
Dime: Go ahead and keep it real.
JC: Blake Griffin is one of those people who’s a beast. He’s a dog. He gets busy. You see that a championship is on his way at some point in his career. He’s beasting right now. He’s definitely in the right situation right now. I think that would be me. I think probably over the past two years of me being in the game, and being on the blogs, I kind of don’t think you should question what Jon Connor is going to do especially on a song. People will be like Connor is a beast. I still feel like I’m grinding. I’m a beast because I’m still grinding to get to that big moment, that moment in the sun. That’s my approach to it. Like Blake Griffin, he ain’t just gonna lay it up. I can’t curse in this interview can I?
Dime: Go ahead. (Laughs)
JC: Oh okay. Blake Griffin ain’t just going to lay it up – he’s going to shit on you. (Laughs) He’s going to do that so that you understand that he can do it. Like the greatness is in him. He’s not going to be nice about his 20 points or his 30 points. He’s going to let you know what time it is. I feel like with me, I work hard, I have a humble spirit but at the same time, I know when I get on that mic, I know what I’m capable of doing. I know how hard I work. At the end of the day, I’m going to Blake Griffin your ass. I’m going to shit on you. (Laughs) I say that in the most humblest way possible. (Laughs)
Dime: Here’s another popular question we like asking before we wrap it up, what’s your favorite sports or NBA punchline that either you came up with or that you heard from another artist in the game that made you say, “Damn!”
JC: Sports or NBA punchline that I’ve ever heard. Hold on, I’m going to tell you. Oh! I’m sure it’s probably, (pauses). Ummm, damn.
Dime: Take your time. (Laughs)
JC: (Starts rapping) I come back like Jordan/wearing the 4-5/it ain’t to play games with you/it’s to aim at you.
Dime: Probably maim you/if I owe you, I’m blowin’ you to smithereens.
JC: Cocksucker, take one for you team. (Laughs)
Dime: The man Hovito. (Laughs)
JC: I gotta give it to Hov. (Laughs) He said he’ll come back wearing the 4-5. That’s the double entendre. He’s talking about the 4-5 as in the gun and when Jordan came back he was wearing the number 45. Then he said he ain’t gonna play games with you. (Laughs) By putting me on the spot, I had two others in mind, but they were both Hov. So I definitely have to go with Jay on that one.
Dime: I might have to run that track back for good old times.
JC: Yeah, you gotta go to Hov for those lines, man. (Laughs)
What do you want to see from Jon Connor in 2013?
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