Robb Bank$ and Tony Shhnow Are the Dynamic Duo

The rappers, friends, and frequent collaborators discuss their newest mixtape, I Can’t Feel My Face Too.

Robb Bank$ and Tony Shhnow by John Canon

For as long as they can remember, Robb Bank$ and Tony Shhnow have looked up to the generation of rappers before them, like Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana. Their newest mixtape, I Can’t Feel My Face Too, pays homage to Wayne’s and Santana’s 2008 joint mixtape, I Can’t Feel My Face. While the project may be nostalgic for some, the sound may be fresh to younger listeners. There is only one feature, and it’s the iconic DRAM. The reminiscent I Can’t Feel My Face Too also notes signature sounds from Bank$’ and Shhnow’s hometowns in Florida and Georgia. They spoke with 1202 MAGAZINE on the Halloween release of I Can’t Feel My Face Too and how they aren’t hesitant to break a few rules.

What are you most excited about once the mixtape is released?

Tony: To drop knowledge on these kids. I feel like we’re giving them a nostalgic moment. I feel like we’re re-inspiring the youth. It has the old mixtape feel.

What’s the story of how you guys met and became friends and frequent collaborators today?

Robb: I was in Atlanta to work on my solo project. I booked a session and met Tony at that session. I DMed him and told him to pull up to the studio. We had never met in person, but we had mutual friends. That was our first time meeting and actually rapping, so I invited him to the studio again, and the next day turned into three, four, or five days. There were a lot of different artists in that studio, but Tony was the only one I was hitting up every single day. We rapped every single day, and by the time it was time for me to leave Atlanta, I had a lot of songs featuring Tony.

What’s the inspiration behind the cover and title of I Can’t Feel My Face Too?

Robb: The title was the hardest thing to fucking find. The music was the easy part. Recording was easy. We recorded half of it in Atlanta and half in Broward. Tony flew down. I think this just worked and made sense because I respect Tony’s pen. At the time, Wayne and Juelz were the two biggest lyrical giants.

Tony: We’re both big Wayne fans. We wanted to do something really iconic, something that had never been done before.

Robb: Something that matters, something that would be groundbreaking right now. I want to make y’all a little bit uncomfortable.

Was the mixtape a spontaneous decision or something you guys planned for a long time?

Tony: Both.

How long did the mixtape take to complete?

Robb: A few weeks. Tony really is my friend. After two weeks, I came back and forth to Atlanta a bunch of times, and we finished it. We’re both solo artists at the end of the day. This is a moment in hip-hop that I really want people to appreciate. We were both working on solo projects, and I told Tony to fly to Florida to finish this. I would say it took three weeks to finish the project.

Were most of the lyrics freestyles, or did you write everything out together?

Tony: We’re the greatest. What did Lil Wayne do? Both.

Robb: Tony records during the day, and I record at night. He’s a night owl, and I’m pretty much burnt out around that time.

Tony: It’s a reflection of the cover.

Robb: His side is daytime, and my side is nighttime.

I read an Instagram comment under the mixtape announcement that said you guys are the modern-day Wayne and Santana. What do you think about that comment?

Robb: We’re the modern-day Robb and Tony. I love the comparison. I love Juelz and Wayne as solo artists, but people don’t respect OGs. I have nothing but respect for them. They paved the way for what we’re doing. Tony Shhnow is Tony Shhnow, and Robb Bank$ is Robb Bank$, and I think we should keep it that way. We’re gonna get a lot of comparisons with the title, but it’s more of an eye-catcher for shock value.

Tony: We respect the OGs. I respect everybody before me. I respect hip-hop. This is hip-hop, and the title screams hip-hop. This is a project for the aunties and uncles for real.

Are you also incorporating your signature sounds into the nostalgic theme?

Tony: I made sure to incorporate producers that my fans have been seeing me work with for years. I made sure to incorporate producers that I know not only from my fanbase but also wanted to hear Robb on. I was in high school when Robb was rapping, and I know kids wanted to see him have certain beats.

Robb: A lot of my producers are on there, too. I got Tony on two Sango beats, and I’m very happy about that.

What do you think makes I Can’t Feel My Face Too incomparable to your other projects?

Robb: I think it’s the combination of sounds. It’s very sample-driven, but I made sure that I did my part of executive production. Me and Tony made sure we put both of our fucking hands in this shit.

Tony: I’ve done a lot of collaboration projects, and not to disrespect anybody that I’ve collaborated with, but Robb is the only man to work as equally as I do. This is the best coworker I’ve ever had.

Would you two collaborate with another artist or two together?

Tony: It depends on who it is. We’re not the type of people to make music or projects with people who aren’t our friends.

What do you want listeners to get out of this mixtape?

Tony: For people to get off of their asses and get some money.

Robb: A lot of the things I’m saying on my solo project are more personal about my life and family. When it was time to rap with Tony, it felt more about how I felt about everything going on. It got more aggressive. I sound more confident. The skits tie everything together. I hope people can get the gist of what I’m saying. I also want people to make their own assumptions when they listen to it.

What do you guys want to achieve in the near future?

Robb: More money, more opportunities, bigger venues, bigger shows, and tap back into my acting side.

Tony: I want a Grammy independently. I’m fresh as a bitch, and I’m gonna keep getting money forever.