"Culture's gonna enrich you regardless where it comes from. And, you know, once you're exposed to it… You learn something. It's always with you."

First things first, where are you from?

I am from Los Angeles, California. Or more specifically, I was born in Inglewood but I grew up in Hawthorne.

I remember you told me you were from Hawthorne a minute ago. What is Hawthorne like?

Hawthorne is... It's cool. It's a big melting pot. It's the intersection between a lot of cities. In the South Bay. Close to the beach too.

How long have you been making music?

I've been making music since I was 15. But I've been playing music since I was 8. Basically, I was playing a lot of music but then I didn't actually start writing and recording until I was 15.

What was the first stuff you were making?

The first thing I was trying to make was... I was trying to make psychedelic music. But I wasn't succeeding at it because I was trying to make electronic drums sound real. And it's really hard to do that. So then I ended up just making a whole sound of... just weird instrument sounds. And then since that was in the software, then I ended up actually just using a mix of drum samples that sounded like real drums and samples that were electronic drums.

What software did you use? 

Ableton.

And did you still use that? 

Yeah. 

Thats what's up, do you produce your own music still?

Yeah, I produce a lot of my stuff. At least for this new record, I composed and arranged a lot of it. I wasn't really behind a computer. We recorded a tape so we had this producer named Tommy Brennick. He was the one that was producing this record.

I went to the last show in New York, and I also noticed just from watching your music videos that you have the same band around you when you perform. Do they help with production and whatnot?

Yeah. They're the homies. I've known Esai and Fern, Esai's my bass player and Fern is my guitar player, We've been friends for 13 years now. 

Oh, for real?

Me and Easi were in a prog metal band together. Me, Easi, and Fern were in a reggae ska band together. I had an old computer that my dad had just passed down to me. My dad's a photographer, so he would have to have a decent computer set up to be able to edit stuff. He did a lot of weddings and quinceañeras. Once it was time to upgrade the computer, he just gave me the one he was using. Then I downloaded Ableton. I just watched YouTube videos.

That's how I learned how to design. I was trying to get a laptop for mad long and my mom was not fucking with it. I was super into sneakers as a kid and I was on the forums and shit. I traded six pairs of shoes for a fucking Toshiba laptop. It was like some cooked laptop. I was like, "It's my only way to get a laptop." Because I wanted to make graphic designs and shit. Then I downloaded Photoshop. Now we're here.

That's fire, dude. It's crazy to think about it though, right? 

Yeah haha, I used to have to hide it under my bed and do photoshop tutorials when she was sleeping. Found a lot of inspiration on the forums too. Speaking of, what were some of your musical inspirations on this one?

Man, for the record, definitely Joe Bataan, Rafa Pagan, Al Green. You know, the greats like Smokey Robinson. I mean, even newer Chicano Soul artists, you know, like Thee Sinseers, Thee Sacred Souls, Los Yesterdays.

Did you want to pursue that sound for the album?

I just always liked it since I was super young. You grow up in LA, you hear soul music everywhere. And I think people have always heard it in my music. But at some point I've always leaned into psychedelic music more than anything. And I just thought it'd be cool if it was, like, time to evolve into it.

Do you think it will introduce people to that sound?

I mean, even my dad, bro. He heard that I was trying to make "souldies" and stuff like that, and he was like, "But that's cholo music." And I'm like, "Nah, bro, this is like... this is some shit. This is some real music."

Has he heard the album?

Yeah, he fucks with it. He's just like... I mean, even with the word "cholo" and shit, all that, it's like... there's just a lot of stigmas behind what LA is, like music and everything. But at the end of the day, it's just culture. Culture's gonna enrich you regardless where it comes from. And, you know, once you're exposed to it... You learn something. It's always with you. 

Exactly. Your parents, I mean, I've watched a few interviews. I think it was the Sony one. Your mom was all up in it. They seem really supportive of you at the end of the day.

Yeah, they're definitely super fans haha my mom be on my ass sometimes. She's like, "But what about all your unreleased songs?" And I'm like, "What about them?" She's like, "You gotta put them out. Your fans want them." It's hilarious that I be arguing with her about that.

That's amazing haha. Speaking of your unreleased music and the evolution of your sound, are there any Cuco type psychedelic sounds on there too?

Yeah, there's some psychedelic parts to it. Some of the songs get a little psyched out, and then they come back to some soul shit. It's sick, man. I'm excited for the record. But yeah, people are like... If you know my music well enough, and you also know where I'm from, it makes sense. But if you don't know my music, and you know where I'm from, it still makes sense. Especially a lot of people from LA right now are like, they're like my homies, like, 'Yo, this is crazy.' That's the shit you grew up on. Yeah, so they can hear the foundation. I know a lot of my fans abroad are a little confused right now, because they're like, 'What the fuck is this, bro?' But it'll make sense.

You mentioned earlier that you're into building Legos — can you tell me more about that? What kinds of sets are you working on, and how deep does your Lego collection go?

Yeah, I like Legos. I'm actually building the Millennium Falcon right now — the big one, the Ultimate Collector's Series. It’s not 1,700 pieces like I thought at first — it's actually 7,000 pieces, bro. It's massive. Me and three of my homies are working on it together because it's such a huge project, and even though we could each probably build it fast on our own, it’s hard to coordinate time since we’re all busy. We’re still figuring out what to do with it once it’s finished. I haven’t even thought that far ahead. People glue them when they’re done for stability, especially for store displays and stuff, but glueing Legos is kind of a controversial thing in the Lego world — some say it’s not really in the spirit of it. But honestly, who cares? You gotta do what works for you.

I also have Boba Fett’s and Jango Fett’s ships — the Slave I — though they renamed it just "Boba Fett’s Ship" for political correctness. The sound effect when the ship drops a bomb in the movies — that’s peak sci-fi sound design. I’ve collected some old-school Lego sets too, like the Droid Carrier from the 2000s. Some of these older sets are really hard — and expensive — to find complete. Like, the Jango Fett ship I got was around $936, and it’s not even a huge set. It’s more about the rarity and condition. Sometimes you're paying because nobody’s touched that box for like 20 years.

That's wild, I honestly had no idea the Lego lore runs that deep.

Yeah, it gets kind of crazy haha. One of my holy grails is the Cloud City Boba Fett Lego figure. That one has unique decals — like sand patches — and only came in one specific set from around 2003. That set, sealed, is going for something like $8,000. It’s crazy. And honestly, the Millennium Falcon is probably the most expensive set still in production. Lego prices can get wild once you dive into the world of rare figures and retired sets.

So yeah, I’m deep into Legos — it’s kind of become one of those creative outlets for me. I love building them and even have some sets I haven’t touched yet. It’s mad fun and satisfying, even if it means investing time and money.

Were you into clothes growing up or not?  

Yeah, I liked clothes growing up. I could never, like, afford the shit I liked though.

What was the thing that, like, stood out to you as a kid that you acquired or something you still want to acquire to this day?  

Honestly, the first ever shit I really started liking was in high school, dude. Now that I think about it, like... just Supreme and Palace and shit. Just 'cause I was just finding out what streetwear was. That was what it was at the time.

Is there a Supreme piece that you acquired or that you wish you had acquired back then?  

I always liked the CDG polka dot hoodie.

That was a classic for sure, did you ever get into making clothes yourself?  

Yeah, I took a fashion class in college too, which just kind of, like, started putting me onto, like... just what designer was. Eventually I started getting into just my own shit. The last two, three years, just randomly coming up with ideas, and doing, like, random cut-sew pieces for myself.

Are you making clothes seriously now or just personal projects?  

Yeah, I’ve made stuff for myself, but now I have some help—we just mocked up a Tech Pack with another homie in L.A. for something I'm making for myself.

What advice would you give to a 16-year-old version of yourself?

Man. It's funny, 'cause I would give myself all the advice and no advice, because it's like, I had to fuck up, and I had to be on drugs, and I had to go sober up, and then I had to go fuckin' do cool shit, and then I had to go break some bones... I don't know, I think just for the sake of calming down my severe anxiety that I've had since I was young, is that shit really is never that serious. And, like, to take in all the linear shit that comes with growth, because it's not just... it's not a direct way up, you know? It's all... it's gonna be hella hurdles and hella milestones. It's never gonna stop, but... I didn't really start learning to control my anxiety and shit 'til, like, literally this year, bro. Like, I'm a real-life fucking wreck. But, like, I mean, but I just keep it in, internally, you know? Like, I've always dealt... and I still am always gonna deal with my shit in my own time and figure it out, but...

Do you have any advice or philosophy that guides you now?

You have literally just no choice, bro. You gotta keep pushing. No matter what happens, bro, you always have to keep pushing, bro. There's no stopping the time. There's no stopping anything. And everything is that serious and it's not that serious at the same time. Like, I've been taking it light right now. I gotta be the lightest thing in my life right now...

Cuco's new album, Ridin', is available now on all streaming platforms...