The 2008ighites crew made sure you’d hear their name during the last half of 2011 and Fonz – E Mak is a largely responsible for that surge. From our first known instance with them during the “Natural High” Video Shoot when they would’t leave without DJ RTC’s contact, or simply creating songs literally asking why their not on certain blogs, it’s only right for them to be buzzing right now as we enter 2012.  Fonz – E Mak, the soft spoken MC, made it known through his tone, the determined and serious approach the crew took since it’s inception during 80’s day at Thornwood HS 2-years ago. “When we first came up with the idea. We pushed it. 2008ighties might have been smaller…if we were in the hallway or lunch, or a school gathering. We would be together, just rapping. That’s how our name started buzzing.”  From the early days of fighting over recording time and equipment, the 6 member BRKF$T Club crew has released at least 5 projects since last summer and is ready for even more output in 2012, hoping to help change their current situation. “Nobody wants to be in the same spot, we want to show that growth.” And with many side projects lined up, a BRKF$T Club LP on-deck, and a determined group of peers by his side, 2012 is looking very promising for Fonz-E Mak and the team.

In our First Look conversation with Fonz-E, he brings us back to the very beginning of his crew’s commencement, gives us a rundown of their in-house only creative approach and breaks down many of his goals and influences from the mindset of  an emcee and a Chicagoan as we enter 2012. Check out the new joint below “On The Real” Feat. UG & Calez .

Fonz – E Mak – “On The Real” Feat. U.G. & Calez (Prod. By U.G.)

RubyHornet: Are you from Chicago originally?

Fonz E-Mak: Yeah, I’m from Chicago. But before I graduated elementary school I moved out to the suburbs. My mom moved all over, so I’ve been all round this b*tch.  I’m from the low end, then when I graduated from Harold Washington I  moved out by T.F. South in the suburbs, but being that we moved around a lot I ended up going to Thornwood. That’s were I met Calez, Johnny St. Cloud, Legit & everyone else.

RubyHornet:  You are  a member of the 2008ighties crew and founder of the BKF$T Club?

Fonz E-Mak: Due to the fact that I came up with the concept, yeah. But it’s like I could be the founder to a degree, but everyone is related you know.

RubyHornet:  So if you came up with the concept, can you explain how this all came about 2008ighties x BKF$T Club?

Fonz – E Mak: So this is what happened, it’s kind of like a storybook-movie like scenario. It was senior year during our spirit week. The other cat that rapped at school, (At Thornwood hella people rap, mind you), It was a certain group of dudes that were decent, and at this particular time I had Honors Philosophy with the guy LA Van Gough. So I came into class one day, on 80′s day, and he was dressed like Emilio Estevez. And I was thinking it’d be dope if we had a group called ” BKF$T Club” Me, him, and Calez. So he said ‘word’, and Calez had my lunch period so I told him about the idea. We wanted to make it so if you wanted to join the group, you had to rap in front of everyone else in it. I also had a class with Johnny St. Cloud so every morning I’d ask him to rap something, like every morning. So I was like ‘we should add him in there.’ Him and Calez even had a class together too, but didn’t even know it haha.

RubyHornet: Like they didn’t talk to each other?

Fonz – E Mak: Na, because Johnny St. Cloud is just real quiet. So he gradually came out of his cage, being with us for that long. And of course my n*gga UG (BK$T Club x 2008ighties) me and him had a little side project before all that, so of course when that started I was going to bring him in. And Legit, Thornwood and his school, Thornridge, are rival suburban schools. He came to our school for a poetry slam and we were low key rappin’ verses from our mixtapes and such.  So when I met him I was clownin’ him like he had on a sweater and some supra’s lookin’ like 88-Keys, and at this time my mindset was I’m one of the nicest n*ggas spittin’ so in my head no one was messin’ with me from another school. But he started rappin’, and I was like “Aw Damn”. He kind of made me think, he humbled me in that light. So we go back and fourth rappin’, and the next day he leaves and I get his contact of course. I was like ‘ah, the n***a name Legit we should really mess with him, that boy hella cold.’ So that’s how he came into the group. And everything just kind of came into place.