DX: Whether it’s ideals with music or your ideals in general, you’ve always seemed like a real old spirit. Have you heard that a lot?
88-Keys: Yeah, something like that. Like I said, I’m uninhibited. I just love life, I love the creator, I love my family. I’m real comfortable with my surroundings, I’m comfortable outside of my surroundings. I’m just real happy, I’ve always been really happy with life in general. I just try not to take it for granted. As far as me being in “the industry,” I really look at it as a job. I feel blessed to have a job which is actually my hobby and something I can do for the rest of my life. I was with [Q-Tip] the other day, and he just had the same sentiments. He was working on beats and coming across samples, and he was like, out of nowhere, “Yo, man, I love making beats!” Just with that oomph and that emphasis. I’m like, “Man, I feel you.”

I’m a people person, I‘ve always been. … Cats be like, “Man, 88, you’re a real person.” And I’m like, “Yeah, I bleed like you bleed.” Shit, I like McDonald’s [combo] Number 2. Especially with me working on this album and opening myself up for criticism and stuff, I really wanted to see what was on peoples’ minds for the most part, in reference to myself. I guess I don’t openly invite or strike up conversations, but I don’t shy away from them either. That’s only because of my time. I’m trying to put stuff together on my end, try to give people the best music I can possibly make with me being one man making it.