Who are you?
So first and foremost, my name is Rodney Chrome, and I'm an artist. I rap, sing, dance, write, everything you can think of. And I just love to make music, love to make music.
What is something folks would never know about Rodney Chrome unless explicitly told
I'm in Ballroom. I don't promote it super heavy because I've taken my time to form my community. It's a little scary to me, but I'm in Ballroom! If you don't know what Ballroom is, it's like Pose or Legendary. I'm in a house called the House of Unbothered Cartier. Last year I was nominated for “Everyday Realness of the Year,” where you walk to the piano, act like a man, and try to out-beat the competition. Something about that always boosted my confidence. Voguing, also part of Ballroom, has really been something I’ve been in my bag with — I just haven’t promoted it as much to the world. That’s something people probably wouldn’t know.
What’s a misconception people might have about you based on your music?
People probably think I’m just like my music — loud, talkative, vibrant — like I’m an extrovert. Sometimes I am, but most times if you see me out, I’ll be with my headphones and my phone, doing my own thing. I’m really reserved, but still approachable.
I noticed that with your music videos, you go from having the range of large scale, big budget videos, like it's a movie. “Break the Internet.” That's a movie. And you also have more of the low-key sized, something more reserved for vertical size videos, like with “ICAMETOPARTY!” What's your approach for music videos?
Honestly, it’s all of that. It depends on scale. With “I Came to Party” and songs like “YEEHAW,” the quick one-off singles, KT (my manager Kyle Tildon) and I focus on putting effort in but letting the song lead. If it doesn’t need big production, we still feel confident in it. It’s give and take — knowing what needs that extra oomph. “Break the Internet” is loud, switching from a rap-heavy, trap-club beat to an R&B moment. Lyrics like, “Ask me why I’m gay, because my mama said never put your hands on a female” — I want to see what that looks like visually. The song tells me how big I need to go.
Regarding that line you referenced from ‘Break the Internet’ there are so many creative lines and witty allusions for either ass or shaking ass, my personal favorite being “throwing it back like a frisbee,” do you have a favorite?
*he laughed*
With the GO project, there are moments where I do that naturally but purposefully. I don’t want to get stuck writing what everyone writes. I want that one line that makes you go, “Wait, what?” Off the top, I’ll say the Colors line: “Your bitch talking slick on my Oprah tone, her color purple.” I love that one because I love entendres and wordplay. It’s very Sag energy — “we cool, but don’t do too much.” Don’t talk slick, or you might turn the color purple. That’s a good one. A really good one.
What were some of the other influences that went into crafting this project?
I’ll be selfish and say myself. Missy Elliott has always been a heavy influence, but GO was me having fun. Around 2023 I started a folder called fun — just making beats that felt like, “What do you want to do today?” Not copying, just creating what felt like me. I started producing for myself — figuring out what Rodney Chrome as a producer sounds like. underscores, a great friend and collaborator, worked on “Break the Internet” and earlier projects. We always reconnect every year or two and create. It started with QUEER PRESSURE in 2022, then loose singles like “Break the Internet,” and now GO. Influence-wise, Black Eyed Peas were heavy for this one — their sound was distinct but never the same. One song could start as pop-rap, shift to R&B, and feel like a journey. With GO and any project I do, I want it to feel like an experience because that’s how I love to listen to music.
I was just talking about how they made an album in 2009 that had all these bangers like “Meet Me Halfway,” “Ima Bee” and-
Can I give you another one? “Ring-A-Ling,” people sleep on that one-but let’s go back.
How’d the underscores collab start? I know you’ve been working for a while, but what was the initial meeting?
I’m a “don’t force it” person, and she is too. If it’s not there, it’s not there — whether we’re creating or hanging out. That’s something I appreciate. Before school, I was in Arkansas releasing music under my alias Atlas. I didn’t know how to produce, was learning to write, knew I could carry a note but didn’t know what that meant. I’d go on SoundCloud looking for producers who uploaded instrumentals. There was a guy named William Crooks. I loved one of his beats, did a song — my first time talking about a guy — and sent it to him. He loved it. We put it out, shot a video. He had a collective making crunchy, distorted music — hyperpop before hyperpop — and underscores was part of it. When we first met, we didn’t even know we’d gone to the same school — NYU Clive. At our first mixer, she came up to me, super quiet, jet black hair, and said, “I love your song ‘2k.’” I was like, what? I was from Arkansas, had maybe 500 plays on that song. She told me how Willie (William Crooks) was her friend and collaborator. We didn’t connect musically right away, but our program chair later suggested we should. We got in a group chat, met up, realized she was the person from the mixer, took all my gear to the basement piano room, and made this loud intro track — the first song on QUEER PRESSURE. We sent it to our chair, and he said, “Keep this.”
Let's go back to GO. This is your first official EP in a hot minute. What did the crafting process look like and what sparked the idea of just keeping it as an EP versus expanding it into a larger project?
I’m trying to be aware of the space I’m in right now. When I started QUEER PRESSURE and “Break the Internet,” I wasn’t performing in sneakers — I always wore heels because I felt every boy could do sneakers, but not everyone could dance in heels and make crazy-sounding music. Even my wardrobe was fem-leaning, androgynous, still with the beard and braids. I was finding myself, testing waters. I camped out for about two years, producing and building my confidence. KT and I made a huge folder called the Big Chrome Pack and picked what sounded best.
With GO, it was about exposing the space I’m in — being ready to move, ready to “go.” Aware of where I am mentally, physically, and sonically.
Is that self-awareness and maintenance of your overall self the reason why “YEEHAW!” and "ICAMETOPARTY!” didn't make the final track list?
No, GO had been done. It was ready even before I finalized “YEEHAW” or “ICAMETOPARTY!” I knew GO was strong with those six tracks — in and out but still an experience.
“YEEHAW” and “ICAMETOPARTY!” were to warm my audience back up — little breadcrumbs showing I’m here, hinting at what’s next. They were lighthearted and fun, me making content on my own, in my bag. “YEEHAW” was my first single fully produced by me — my stamp as Rodney Chrome. GO is about 60% underscores, 30–40% me. It shows how much I’m steering the sound. underscores and I talked about not letting her production overpower my direction. We had to find that 50/50 balance. It took tough conversations, but we got there.
What was a major lesson that you learned while improving yourself as a producer?
My ear. Trust it. It’s gotten me in great positions. I trust my drum choices, my synths. I’m grateful for Underscores — as an artist, producer, and friend. That’s where my confidence really grew.
You tweeted that there’s a song you were FIENDING for folks to hear; which song was it and which did you have the most fun making?
This one I could talk about all day — it hits my R&B heart.
Can I take a guess?
Go ahead.
Is it “BEAT MACHINE?”
No.
“BRUISE?”
Sir, no! One more guess.
“NO BREAKS.”
Say it one more time before you go broke.
“NO BREAKS.”
There you go.
It started as a class assignment at NYU — make a song about a specific topic and stay on it. Mine was “Birthday Boy.” I was still figuring out writing. I came back to it last year and found an old beat underscores made during QUEER PRESSURE. I’d shelved it, but when I played it, I thought, “Nah, this knocks.” I muted my old vocals — I was in a new bag, felt different, and needed something more current to what I felt. My pen was stronger. So I was like, okay, “NO BREAKS.”
"People know AI isn’t as creatively attractive. We’re onto something human that tech can’t replicate."
I love the embracing of technology and futuristic aesthetics in the sound and visuals, like with "CYBORG." But currently we’re undergoing a period where tech is literally stealing art from already starving artists and common people and label execs are deepfaking everyone. How can we embrace technology in our art form and how do we move past such exploitative tech?
I love this question — I’m still finding balance with it. As artists, I think we care deeply about art. In Ballroom or dance, there’s a feeling when you improvise or create — something you can’t explain. You can’t tell someone why you made a move or a mistake. That’s what I love — when the spirit moves me to create. Artists should stretch their own hands before letting technology take the lead in their creativity. Some of us were put here to make things from scratch. So when tech starts to replace that, it scares me. I use voice generators sometimes — Siri voices or samples — but only to enhance, not replace. There needs to be conversation around what’s acceptable. Like when Jay-Z gathered artists to talk — we need that again. Should AI artists be on Spotify? I don’t know. I’m fighting for my streams — why compete with robots? If I get in a rap beef, how am I beefing with a robot? People know AI isn’t as creatively attractive. We’re onto something human that tech can’t replicate.
How do you want people to listen to this project?
I want people to put on their headphones or play it out loud — just listen in full. Whatever you feel — inspired, not inspired, writing a poem, hating a poem — run with it. I don’t want to sugarcoat my music or who I am. I’m in my most confident space. I’ve always been the first to cut my music off if someone plays it, but now I’m proud of it. I hope everyone enjoys GO and feels some momentum to, literally, go.
GO is available on all DSP's now via unchrtd
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