“One step at a time, I’ve been working on the EP for about two years, [and it] finally came to fruition.”
As well as rapping, TJ Pompeo is also a producer and produced much of Pompeiio himself. He also got some help from Cardec Drums on the production. Pompeo is very independent and also did most of the recording, mixing, mastering, and writing by himself. “There are a lot of things that I know I can offer to the table that people don’t even know I can do, and I wanted to showcase those things.”
“I live with three black roommates in the middle of Atlanta in the hood. I’ve always had an attraction to black culture, I’ve always liked hip-hop, I’ve always like R&B. I’ve always listened to all the old school African-American artists from back in the 60s, that’s kind of what I was raised on in my house.”
TJ Pompeo’s connection to the black community gave him the urge to talk about issues affecting blacks in “Feelin’ a Way,” a song on Pompeiio featuring Canon and J. Paul. “There were so many issues with police brutality against African-Americans and I think the breaking point for me was the day that Sam DuBose in Cleveland, Ohio go shot in the head by a police officer just because he didn’t have his front license plate which isn’t even illegal [in Ohio].” What made TJ upset is that on the same day of DuBose’s death, arguments between Meek Mill and Drake we publicized and got more media attention than the man’s death.
That night TJ Pompeo talked to friend and fellow rapper Swift about his frustration and Swift told him that he should write a song about it. Swift told Pompeo that it would be good for people to hear from a white rapper that he is upset about police injustice and social issues concerning blacks in America. That night, Pompeo wrote and started to record “Feelin’ a Way.”
