Hi-Q has spent years producing, rhyming, remixing, and piling up unreleased material. With Fresh Coat: Remixes & Rarities, he’s opening the vault. The 14-track project brings together new remixes, unreleased cuts, and collaborations pulled from different eras of his work. I caught up with my fellow Wise Guise member to talk about remixing in reverse, the value of unfinished beats, physical media, Omega Level Records, upcoming projects, and because I wasn’t letting him get away without answering it, who he thinks is the dopest member of Wise Guise.
Question 01
FUBAR
Let’s start with the title. Why Fresh Coat, and what does that title mean to you?
HI-Q
I originally thought of the title as a way to describe the project, new beats, like a fresh coat of paint. I was originally going to do artwork of caked-on paint cans, but nothing was really hitting right. I visited my parents’ house and was showing my daughter some old pictures when I stumbled on that cover photo. I took a picture of it and posted it to social media, and then it hit me: the cover was staring me in the face.
Question 02
FUBAR
You described this as 14 tracks of remixes and never-released material. What made you decide now was the right time to finally put this material out?
HI-Q
I’ve made a lot of music in 2026, but I haven’t released much. I won a remix contest for Cutty & Cole’s track “Soul Ice,” featuring Daniel Son and Str8 Trip, and made a bunch of other random remixes (which I fucking love to do). Once I started counting how many I had, I knew I could release something.
Question 03
FUBAR
How far back does some of the material go? Are we hearing different eras of Hi-Q across this project?
HI-Q
There’s an unreleased Abandoned Playhouse (Abandoned, Not Forgotten) track on here with verses that are probably a decade old. I think the Coast and Ren joint was pre-COVID. Most of the beats are relatively new, I think.
I make a lot of beats that stay “in the box.” I make beats with Maschine as an instrument in Logic, so I’ll make a beat, but it’s not sequenced and could still be easily manipulated. It’s really because I’m lazy and love the creating part over the sequencing part, but it allows the beat to be more fluid when changing the BPM for a remix.
See, sometimes procrastination pays off. Hahaha.
Question 04
FUBAR
When you remix somebody’s track, what usually makes you hear a different direction for it? Are you trying to completely reinvent the song or bring out something different that was already there?
HI-Q
Honestly, I try not to listen to the OG as much as possible. I try to find my own vibe within their lyrics and flow.
Ultimately, I’m doing what I do and not thinking too deep while I’m doing it. I’m just playing around with shit until something clicks. I love remixes because it’s kind of working in reverse for me, but it’s also like coloring. The pencils were already set, and now I can just paint over.
I try to do something different, or at least complement the original. Remixes are an opportunity to change up the vibe, so why not?
Question 05
FUBAR
When you’re working on a remix, do you usually build the production specifically around the vocals, or do you sometimes hear a beat and immediately know whose vocals belong on it?
HI-Q
I do both. I do a lot of trial and error. I’ll dump the vocals into a bunch of my “in-box” beats to see what works. If nothing is working, I’ll start fresh with some drums and work the samples in.
Sometimes I already know, like with “Left Side, Strong Side.” I already wanted to give the beat to Words and Marky, but when I saw the BPM matched my favorite joint off their Line After Line album, I knew it was a go.
Question 06
FUBAR
There are a lot of different MCs represented on this project. How did you decide which artists and tracks belonged on Fresh Coat?
HI-Q
This time around, I had a lot of these already in the clip. I think I only made like three new tracks for this. I’ve done a bunch of mixing work, so I have a lot of stems on top of my own collaborative albums. I have a ton to draw from for a series.
Question 07
FUBAR
You mentioned that Fresh Coat could become a series. How deep is the vault? Are we talking enough material for a Part 2, or could this turn into several volumes?
HI-Q
I have a ton of stems from my own projects and other mixing work. I could potentially run a long series. We’ll see how it’s received, but I really like making remixes.
I just love creating, and this could allow me to put out more music at my own pace in between collaborative projects. It’s also a good place to drop those unreleased gems that have no home.
It’s probably the closest you’ll get to a Hi-Q producer’s album.
Question 08
FUBAR
You also work with Omega Level Records, where you sell physical releases you’ve produced along with merch. How did you link up with the label?
HI-Q
Omega Level are my homies. I help them out with most of the artwork and some technical stuff, which they repay me for by releasing my music. Hahaha.
I love what they’re doing over there and rep it 1000%. OLR is home. I love seeing them work with new artists.
Question 09
FUBAR
Physical music has become pretty niche, especially in underground hip-hop. Why is it still important to you to make CDs, merch, and tangible releases available?
HI-Q
First off, I’m nostalgic as fuck. I love the tangibility of merch. I still have CD players, turntables, Walkmen.
But the other thing is, they’ve become collectibles. Some fans cop the merch as a way to show their support and to hold a piece of their favorite artists. For me, I just loved opening and collecting new music, so I want to be able to offer that to whoever digs my shit.
So much has changed with how we consume music, if the servers go down, will it still even exist?
I like preserving the art.
Question 10
FUBAR
What do you ultimately want Omega Level Records to become? Is it mainly a home for your own production and releases, or do you see it growing into something bigger over time?
HI-Q
I’m an old head. I loved the Rawkus, Def Jux, Eastern Conference, Stones Throw, Rhymesayers era. All of those labels immediately connect your memory with certain artists.
That’s what I hope Omega Level does with us, or at least I hope that fans know that if it’s Omega Level approved, it’s dope.
Question 11
FUBAR
You and I are both members of Wise Guise, but Edd Bundy handles the production for the Wise Guise albums. Does that give you a different creative experience, being able to come into those records strictly as an MC instead of wearing the producer hat too?
HI-Q
Absolutely! First, Bundy is one of my favorite producers, so it’s an honor and privilege to spit over his production.
I also suck at writing to my own beats unless another artist already spit something. It’s a lot easier for me to get open, especially with the WG lineup on Bundy beats.
Question 12
FUBAR
From your perspective, what makes Wise Guise work when everybody in the group has their own style and personality?
HI-Q
We’re all different, but we share a lot of the same rhyme DNA, you know? We definitely have different styles and personalities, the same way a crew like Wu-Tang does.
We’re just the tasty ingredients in the stew, but once we’re cooking, that shit is fire!
Question 13
FUBAR
What’s next after Fresh Coat? More remix projects, new production, more Omega Level releases, more Wise Guise, or something we don’t know about yet?
HI-Q
Man, there’s a bunch in the pipe, but I’m not even sure when they’re all coming.
We’ve got an EP wrapping up. Wise Guise have Part 3 in the works. There’s Bulletproof Martyr 3. I’ve got a crazy album I produced for Words & Mark Jordan that’s complete, and I have a dope album with B1 The Architect where we both spit over his beats that I’m excited about.
I’m hoping we can release all, if not most, through Omega, but we’ll see how sales go. I never want to leave them holding the bag when they invest in me.
Question 14
FUBAR
All right, last question. Other than yourself, who is the dopest member of Wise Guise? You have to pick ONE person. No “everybody brings something different to the table,” no diplomatic answer, no loopholes. And before you answer, remember that I’m the one conducting the interview.
HI-Q
Sorry, Fubs. You’re dope, but you know my muse is Jake. HAHAHA.
Honestly, all of you guys are dope in your own right. You’ve adopted a super recognizable style that is 100% your own and stands out in a room full of clones. Edd glides through crazy syllables like silk with that accent. Abs has some of the cleverest punchlines and setups.
But that dude Jake just makes me jealous. Hahaha.
We’re Bulletproof Martyr because I figured out that if Jake goes before me, I write dope shit trying to keep up. Hahaha.
