SaveMoney member Towkio comes through Thursday with his new EP Community Service 2. The seven-track project features appearances from his crewmates Joey Purp and Vic Mensa, and includes the previously released cuts "G W M" and "Playin Fair." It also boasts production from Towkio, Peter Cottontale, Smoko Ono, and Knox Fortune.
Community Service 2 is the follow up to Towkio's breakout 2015 mixtape .Wav Theory, which boasted the popular single "Heaven Only Knows" featuring Chance the Rapper, Lido, and Eryn Allen Kane. Complex named it the 27th best album of 2015. Community Service 2 also serves as the prelude to an upcoming full-length album. That project doesn't have a release date yet, but a rep for Towkio claimed it was coming in the "nearish future."
Towkio served as an opener for Chance the Rapper's Family Matters tour last year, alongside D.R.A.M. and Metro Boomin. He also nabbed a feature spot on Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book project on "Juke Jam" with an appearance alongside none other than Justin Bieber.
You can check out Towkio's Community Service 2 below via SoundCloud, and read our profile on him here. The project is also available for purchase on iTunes. We also spoke with Towkio about the project and his work on Chance's "Juke Jam." Peep the Q&A below.
Community Service 2 is the first release since your breakout project .WAV Theory. Was there any pressure going into this one?
I didn't feel any pressure really I was making songs that reflected where I was at the time. I've been making a lot of music since .Wav Theory; now it's just a matter of how people digest it. The focus is on WWW. (World Wide .Wav) but while diving into so many different scapes I felt some deserved their own space in time so CS2 is that. Just barely a taste of what's yet to come though. WWW. will touch the world. It's the evolution; .Wav Theory spoke on thoughts about the moon, WWW. is the trip to the moon, "the overview effect."
Tell us about linking up with Rick Rubin at Shangri-La. That must have been a surreal experience.
Yeah it's dope, almost dream-like. It definitely felt like I made it to the League. Stayin' there for weeks working with a legend, having artists like Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson working in the stu right next to you def makes you feel like you in it. He's got a lot of insight on life and music that I love to absorb.
Is there one record on this project you would say is indicative of your state of mind at this point in your career?
I would prolly say "Tear Drop." It's the most recent record I made and I feel it reflects me best. During the Community Service records I was on the road having fun making "on the surface" records but me and my brand go deeper than just "Molly Molly Molly lean lean lean" so I had to make sure that presence was felt.
Community Service 2 comes after your standout appearance on Chance the Rapper’s “Juke Jam” alongside Justin Bieber. How was it working on that record?
Well what I learned is that I bring a unique vibe, there has never been a person like me. Being Mexican and Japanese from Chicago, experiencing the things I've experienced make for a different perspective that hasn't been felt before. When I wrote "Juke Jam," we had intentions of creating that roller rink/house party, bump n' grind vibe and that's exactly what we did. It was in the earlier stages of Coloring Book but it stuck. Then when Chance put JB on the record I thought that I might get taken off 'cause he sings so good, but without me the song was different. So it felt great to get recognition for what I do best and that's "bring the vibe" lol.
