2015 has been an incredible year for Ohio-born rapper, Cal Scruby. He is enjoying living life in LA, dropped an EP titled House in the Hills that featured Chris Brown and Trevor Jackson, racked up over 500,000 YouTube views, and planning big things for 2016. Working with Riveting Entertainment has helped Cal produced some of the highest quality videos from the past 6 months.

Are you enjoying LA life? What is your favorite part of living there versus Ohio?

The weather! That's what I always tell people. This is my second warm winter. That's the best part. It's nice to be on top of the Riveting Entertainment office and see mountains in one direction and the ocean in the other direction.

What other artists have you worked with (besides Chris Brown) since you have been in LA?

I've been working with a lot of producers. Jukebox, Bongo, Internz. Sonically, there are so many different directions I can go. It gives me a lot of freedom as a recording artist.

What is your favorite food spot in LA?

Project Taco is my spot. I eat there like twice a week. I like the expensive restaurants - the steakhouses and everything - but Project Taco is my go-to.

What/who was your biggest inspiration while you were making House in the Hills?

I can't say another artist overwhelmingly contributed to HITH. Me and my engineer (Sunny) kind of built it from the ground without listening to much else. I think I'll always be influenced by my favorite artists, but there wasn't a particular sound in which we were infatuated.

What was it like working in the studio with Chris Brown? What is the biggest thing you took away from it?

I'd say the biggest lesson I've learned from Chris is to go with your gut. I'm watching him edit a video right now. He knows what he wants. He's a perfectionist. I've put out a lot of music in the past I wasn't sure about, but I don't do that anymore. If there's something I'm unsure about, I fuck with it until it works for me.

The videos you have released this year have been incredible. Some of the best I've seen from an upcoming artist. Do you have help coming up with the concepts or is that all you?

Riveting has a ridiculous roster of directors and producers. There are so many creative minds that contribute to each video. I really think we are finding our groove - the treatments conceived by the directors are so similar to my vision when I create the song - it's a painless process now. Most importantly, they respect my artistic integrity and care about my vision. That's my family.

Are you planning to release any more videos from the EP?

After "Ain't Shit Change," there won't be any more videos from the project. I'm ready for the next one.

House in the Hills was an EP. Does that mean we can expect an album in the near future?

Near future? Maybe. I've been writing so much that my feelings tend to come in pockets. I think we'll have an album when I have the time to sit back and tell the whole story. Right now, I'm just giving you chapters.

You have grown a lot in the past two years. Any advice for upcoming artists?

"WRITE YOUR LIFE" - that's Da Internz motto and I love it. Write what you know. Use your ex girls' name. Tell us about how she cheated on you. Or tell us about how you cheated on her. Tell me about your life.

Describe your sound in 3 words.

Do they have to be related? "Transparent. Varietal. Monumental." Or "Energetic, anticipated spontaneity." I dunno, all the music I write is very calculated. Even those who understand it don't really understand it.

What's next for Cal Scruby?

To show everyone that I'm the most diverse writer on the planet. It's not a cocky thing. I just know I can write on any beat about any topic. An hour later you got what you need. I still have so much room to improve, but I'm not scared - I'm ready.

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Connect with Cal Scruby
www.CalScruby.com
Facebook.com/calscrubyfanpage | Twitter.com/CALSCRUBY
Instagram.com/CALSCRUBBY | Soundcloud.com/calscruby