Deniro Farrar Talks About Going On Tour, New Charlotte And His Upcoming Collab EP With Ryan Hemsworth

Today is the start of Deniro Farrar's massive nationwide tour for three months with fellow buzzworthy Miami MC Denzel Curry. The first stop on the Bow Down Tour is Miami, Fla. 2014 has been a steady year for the Charlotte native.

He has seen his popularity and fan base gradually grow since signing to VICE/Warner Bros. back in Oct. 2013. He released his critically-acclaimed EP, Rebirth, earlier this year and is now ready to make the leap from bubbling rapper to a potential superstar. XXL got Farrar on the phone to talk about the tour, what exactly is New Charlotte, DuRu The King, and what he has planned next.—Emmanuel C.M.

XXL: So tell me about the tour? What’s going through your mind?
Deniro Farrar: The shows, just what to expect from the shows and the crowds, that’s the biggest thing. The different cities, the different vibes. I’m excited.

Is this your biggest tour?
The biggest.

Tell me what’s going through your head?
Anxious, excited, [and] optimistic that the tour will turn out the way that I want it to turn out.

How did you pick Denzel Curry to be your tourmate?
Just watching his live performances, he was the perfect person to have on tour. When I watch his live performance, it’s dope. If I had to pick anybody it would have been Curry. His stage presence, his subject matters. Denzel gets deep on a lot of his songs. It was a perfect fit.

How did y’all meet?
Last CMJ [in 2013]. We met at the Boiler Room. I already knew who he was, he already knew who I was. After I performed, he came up to me after the show and said, "dude you're dope. I fuck with your shit." I’ve been listening to him since he dropped the “Threatz” Everything was mutual. I told him I had a record for him and we recorded “Bow Down” and we’ve just been rocking every since.

I love “Bow Down." Tell me how that record came together?
My homeboy D.K.A.D produced the track. “Bow Down” originated from a conversation that I had with one of my homies about him being a younger hustler than a lot of people that was purchasing shit from him and they called him “Big Bruh,” but they knew they were older than him. I thought it was funny. Denzel was perfect for the record when I heard it. This is before I met him at CMJ. So when I seen it at Boiler Room I just told him I got a record for him. He said, "Send it over and I did." We at the studio and he already written a record for another song that he never got around to record for, so when he heard “Bow Down” he said it was perfect. He got in the booth and I just wanted him to basically do a melody behind the hook. Then he spit the verse and I was like, “What the fuck is that? Is that a freestyle?” He said "no." We kept it and it was dope.

Tell me about what New Charlotte is?
New Charlotte is a movement that I sparked in my city. It just to let people know a new rap scene has emerged onto the scene. I’m still a new artist but I’m the biggest thing to come from Charlotte, North Carolina so what I want to do is put the spotlight on us and show some kind of unity. I wanted to unify the rappers in the city. It’s about all of Charlotte. We go by new rules, everything is about talent it ain’t about being popular. Its shedding light on my city on everybody who has talent. We work. The song is still being tweeted out.

Tell me about DuRu The King. That dude is talented.
He’s about to drop a tape soon, In Door Plus. Duru and I are cousins. We didn’t even know we were related until not that long ago through a mutual family member. I met Duru nine years ago when he was rapping. I met him when he first started rapping. I wasn’t even rapping yet. I always thought he was nice. Years later, we click back up and said, "Man you still doing your thing, that’s beautiful. Come rock with me and I give you as much opportunity as I can and we go to the top together." That’s what happening right now. He’s on my whole tour. It got nothing to do because we’re family, it just he’s a talented brother.

You been signed to VICE/Warner Bros. for a while, how has things change for you?
I’m more involved as an artist. I’m more of a professional in a lot of ways. My evolution is a little faster as far rapping and as an artist; my mind growing at a rapid pace. Bigger looks, my music is on a bigger platform. It’s all dope.

What’s next?
I’m in the studio right now with Ryan Hemsworth. I’ll be doing that while I’m on tour. We have a collab EP coming out early next year. He’s producing all of the work and I’m just going to come through and body shit.

Previously: Deniro Farrar And Denzel Curry Are Going On A Three-Month Tour
Deniro Farrar, Duru Tha King, YB and BankRoll Bird Mob Deep in “New Charlotte” Video