Problem continues to be a source of consistency out of the West Coast as the Compton rapper shares his latest mixtape, Hotels 2: The Master Suite. The 17-song project includes features from the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, and Ne-Yo, with production from TM88, 1500 or Nothin', Jahlil Beats, and more, and serves as the sequel to Hotels, which dropped back in 2011.
Loyal fans of the left coast MC will certainly appreciate what he has to offer here, as Problem sticks to his tried-and-true formula. You can stream Hotels 2 below as well as check out our Q&A with Problem, who talks about the inspiration behind the project and how he and Wiz Khalifa were able to get past a personal issue to create another banger. Hotels 2 will be available for purchase tomorrow (April 1).
It’s been nearly five years since the first installment of Hotels. What was the inspiration behind creating a sequel?
I want to show the growth that me and DJ Hed have made in the last five years with him now being a power player on L.A. radio and the success Tha Diamond Lane has achieved. Also, the music I’ve been making is heavily influenced by the sexiness and new found independence of women, so we purposely geared the Hotels 2 campaign around them. We made the first one in my old manager's bedroom, lol. So for this one to get a huge stage to be heard on like Complex, it shows that we've accomplished what we've set out to do and yet, still growing.
You link up with Wiz and Ty Dolla $ign on “Slow Down,” which also includes a skit from DeRay. How did that collaboration come about?
Me and my brother from another mother Wiz recently linked back up after a while of not talking for our own personal reasons like brothers do sometimes. But when we did, it was non-stop partying, recording, daddy day care days, and just good old fashion game-sharing. Ty, who was on the first Hotels, was around a few of those nights and this is just one of the many records we all collaborated on. Me and DeRay constantly crack jokes on each other so I asked him to say some funny shit to throw on the tape. He one-take Hov'd it lmao!
Is there one record on Hotels 2 that you feel best represents Problem in 2016?
"Shit Need to Change" part one and two. It's musical, it's lit, it's bars, it's creative, it bangs, it's every version of me cramped into one musical experience.
It’s fair to say you stay true to your roots and sound on ‘Hotels 2.’ How do you feel about rappers switching up their style to follow a certain trend?
It's bad. They may reap momentary success, but they won't be here for the long haul. You should be working on advancing "your" style, not taking everybody else’s.
