By Monica Morones
M.C., songwriter, audio engineer, and entrepreneur Carlos Cruz also known as 2Toxic, is a man of many talents. A predominant presence in the local Hip Hop scene, Cruz has collaborated with more than a dozen local artists and in my opinion is one of the hardest working artist/producers in the Coachella Valley’s local Hip Hop scene right now. 2Toxic considers himself to be a poet, writing music that comes from the soul. With a growing brand and an up-coming album release later on in the year, 2Toxic keeps it moving making his presence known, spreading his message, and his love of music.
MM: How old are you and where are you from?
2T: I am 27 years old, born in 1987. I was born in Mexicali, Baja California and was brought to the U.S. at the age of 3 by my mother hidden in a car. I was raised in Desert Hot Springs, CA.
MM: How did you get into music?
2T: I have always had music around me. My mother has always been the type to have music playing depending on her mood, and I guess I just picked that habit up throughout the years. Once I found the music which fit my mood, it just so happened to be Hip Hop, Outkast to be exact. I fell in love with poetry and the power of words and it wasn’t until one of my teachers pushed me to release some of my work at poetry readings where I discovered I had a gift. Eventually my poetry turned into songs and I started investing money into producers, compositions, and making my own songs come to life and I’m fortunate enough to still be here after years of working on my craft.
MM: What would you describe as your style?
2T: I would describe my style as “Spontaneous” simply because like I say it is all based on my mood and the situations that life throws my way at the moment. I’m a very expressive character so I love to make my own mood music that others can vibe to.
MM: How did you come up with the name 2Toxic?
2T: The name 2Toxic came about simply by the freestyles and cyphers we had back in school. One of my closest friends came up with the name and started telling other MC’s I was too toxic for them and we just ran with it.
MM: Do you think the Coachella Valley shows support to the Hip Hop music scene?
2T: The Coachella Valley has actually shown a lot of love to the hip hop scene and has presented a lot of resources and opportunities to a lot of artist out here, whether it be through private investors or major club promoters as well as some of our local radio stations who have made attempts to put local music out through the air waves, such as The Block on 97.7 and Da Shop on U92.7 and thanks to the effort of a very good friend of a lot of us, artist “Provoked”. The love and support is still present, we as artist have to do our part as well and take advantage of the opportunities by focusing in on the positive movements in the valley and moving as one unit to make that possible. I hope to reach out to a lot of my peers in the near future for some new ventures and events that will help benefit our movement.
MM: What do you think is your biggest struggle as an artist?
2T: The biggest obstacle as an artist is keeping focus and managing time between building your brand, making music, and living life. Another would be staying positive in the midst of chaos between peers or negativity centered on one self.
MM: Why do you make music?
2T: I make music as an outlet to my emotions whether I’m happy about something and I would like the world to know. I might be very frustrated at a moment and it will be my outlet to vent, my biggest reason is I simply love it!!! And it’s even greater when people can relate to the things I talk about in my music and they reach out. I make music because music is life.
MM: You also write music for singers. Do you prefer being in the background or up in front?
2T: I will be honest, if I was blessed with the amazing talent that a lot of these singers in the valley have, which is their voice, I would be a singer myself. To answer your question yes, I do write for singers and it’s a very enjoyable way to satisfy my inner singer. I enjoy making music to put out to the world. I’m pleased with my craft whether me in the front line rapping or in the background writing, as long as I know the records that are being made are being made the way they were meant to be heard and people can feel the emotions we go through to make it happen.
MM: You collaborate with a lot of artists! How important is it to you to work with others and support others in your same genre?
2T: Working with other artists is always important as well as staying connected through networks. I enjoy the world of music in its entirety and can acknowledge someone’s talent. You better believe if I think you are talented I will let you know by extending an invitation to work with me on any of the projects I have going on at the moment. Supporting other artist is very crucial, for the simple fact that we as artist know how hard the path in this music business is. It takes teams and units to move forward, so since we are all from the same place we need to show our peers more love and encouragement to keep moving as we would love them to do the same.
MM: You recently released a mixtape called The Exodus featuring 21 tracks of collaborations with many local artists. What was your goal with this mixtape?
2T: Exodus is by far one of my favorite projects to date, and yes it does include a lot of collaborations with my fellow peers. The goal and vision I had with this project was to showcase the talent that is out in this valley, while showcasing my abilities as a song writer and engineer. Ultimately the goal was to make Exodus the showcase of versatility that I possess and keep people’s attention on the project without skipping a song. I pour my heart into my projects and the goal is for people to catch a little of me through my music.
MM: What do you think sets you apart from all of the other MC’s out in the world trying to be heard?
2T: One thing that sets me apart from other MC’s in the world is simple, I’m just being me. My story is unique, there is only one of me, and I have no filters when it comes to the topics I choose to touch on when I’m creating my music.
MM: Can you explain why some MC’s don’t like to be called rappers?
2T: MC’s create an atmosphere in which sets a mood to an event or project, hence the title “Master Of Ceremonies”. Now a rapper can rhyme and slap words together and make a club song or do straight “Bars”. The difference in my opinion lies in the composition and effort that it takes either to make a record or song, as well as the feeling you receive from both. An MC can tell a story over the most complex to the simplest beat out there and have people follow a message compared to just bobbing to a beat with random thoughts put together. Biggest difference has to be the emotion and passion dedicated to the craft.
MM: What does the rest of 2015 look like for 2Toxic?
2T: 2015 looks like it promises many blessings, much growth and improvement. Many projects will be out this year starting off with a collaborative project with The PharmTecs called Toxic Pills and by the end of the year I will be releasing my album Toxicology. Many big events are in the works, partner ventures and a growth in the brand “2Toxic Music” will be in full effect 2015.
MM: Where can we hear your music?
2T: You can find my music on Soundcloud.com, Reverbnation.com, Audiomack.com, also I have 3 singles out on iTunes, Spotify, and all major online markets. All you have to search for is 2Toxic.
