DRO FE

For this week's Mahal, I cruised around the streets of New York with Dro FE, a Texan rapper who recently released a free self-titled EP exploring his childhood in the Rio Grande Valley. In between skating and checking out Symbol, his Lower East Side pop-up shop, we chatted about his music and life on the border of Mexico and Texas.

VICE: Why did you name your last album The Last American Migo?
Dro FE: I named it that as a statement. “Look at me,” [I was saying]. “This is a real migo. This is how I look act and sound.”

What's it like living in the Rio Grande Valley?
It's a place where you can see the poorest of the poor living in a shack, and then one block over, there's a brick mansion with Lambos and pools. The amount of government authorities patrolling the area has increased to the point where all you see are drones and helicopters patrolling the air space at night.

You're a Texan, but you spend a lot of time in New York City. What's your connection to the city?
I have my flagship store for my brands Symbol and Narco Wave in the LES at 17 Essex Street. This city has showed me mad love.

What's the concept for Symbol and Narco Wave?
Narco Wave was actually the name of my first EP, and it developed into its own brand and movement—it's like a wave of drugs. Symbol is a brand for the people. We use it to express certain views that we feel are important.

Do Texans and New Yorkers view your work differently?
Both areas are completely different, but both are supportive. I'm saying real shit from real experiences, so real people fuck with it—plus the concept is new, and the records are based on a real point of view. I think that's why people all over America have been receptive to it. - Tajii Ameen ( VICE )

On the border of Texas and Mexico, lives a rapper by the name of Dro-FE aka The Last American Migo. With a title like that it should be self explanatory but if not, I suggest you take a long listen to the list of projects available on The Last American Migo website. Dro FE music is a sure testament to the on going drug war at the border of Mexico and Texas, from a first person view of the good and the bad. I caught up with Dro-FE recently to talk about his most recent self-titled project, his visual work released last week and his start and future plans.

Robbie: What’s up Dro FE and what are you up to today?
Dro-FE: Out here on the border trying to get it as usual.

Robbie: So how long have you been doing music? And what inspired you to start?
Dro-FE: I've been doing music since I was a teen. I recently have been inspired to give the border a voice and show people the perspective of someone who lives in an area where drugs are everywhere and plenty of it.

Robbie: In your own words what would you label your music as?
Dro-FE: I Think my music has evolved into... I would say, very musical gangster rap from a drug traffickers perspective rather than a drug pushers perspective.



Robbie: How much has you area embraced you as an artist?
Dro-FE: I have always been in the public eye around my area. Popular I guess you could say. So the reaction from most is all love.

Robbie: You recently released the video "Hold Up" from your self-titled project DRO FE. Do you have any more visuals planned from this project?
Dro-FE: Yeah, dropping the video to "Nightmare Dreams" next month.

Robbie: With producers such as Mannie Fresh, Happy Pérez and a few others on this project, how did that come together and what is your favorite track on your self titled project?
Dro-FE: Basically Happy Perez called me up and was like let's work, and when I was up another producer in our camp. Steve Valdez brought Manny Fresh in on the situation and we just made it happen. My favorite record is hard to pick, I think Nightmare Dreams is the most dramatic and I think "Hold Up" is a good representation of how I am everyday.

Robbie: What should we look forward to seeing from you for the rest of 2014?
Dro-FE: Happiness. I'm jumping back in the studio for a follow up to my first EP Narcowave in June. So expect that out in the third quarter sometime.

From the recently released Self titlted Dro Fe EP: - ROBBIE LEE

Texas has its own unique identity and DRO FĒ is a rapper who’s sharing his experiences about coming up in the Lone Star State. We caught up with the emcee in NYC at Franks Chop Shop where he gave us the scoop on his roots, inspiration, and plans for the future. Check out what he had to say.

What’s your name and where are you from?

My name is DRO FĒ, and I reside in the Rio Grande Valley on the border of Texas and Mexico. I'm originally from a small town called Kingsville in Texas. I’ve moved all around Texas and have been on the Rio Grande Valley for about 15 years now.

What got you started making music and what’s your music about?

I've been making music for a long time. I used to be in a group and we made music for years, but I've evolved into Jojo. I rap about stories from my life; things I’ve been through or witnessed. It’s my own perception and it’s real. It’s different here in the South. It’s ours, but that’s something that needs to be told.

What inspired you to start rapping? Who are your music musical influences?

I grew up listening to rap in the ’90s and late ’80s, so the people that inspired me are all the greats like Snoop Dre, 2Pac, Wu-Tang and DJ Screw. I probably wouldn’t be rapping if it wasn’t for the golden era of hip-hop. When I was young, everyone was just all about freestyle. Once we saw Screw make it, it made us feel like we could do it, too, since he’s from where we’re from.

Do any other types of music inspire you?

Yeah, I listen to a lot of Spanish music, old-school stuff like Selena and Luis Miguel. Real romantic music is the kind of stuff I listen to when I’m writing. When I’m writing, I try not to listen to hip-hop, beside 2Pac, who I listen to everyday.

What projects do you have going on for 2014?

Last American Migos just dropped three weeks ago and it’s out right now. It's a concept album about a person from my area really making it, and what it would look like and sound like if they had a commercial level. It’s still rugged, just presented in another way.

I see you also have a clothing line called Symbol. Tell us a little bit about it.

My brand Symbol is about the revolution. It’s a vision of something that means a lot and it’s its own thing. Nowadays you have so many brands making clothing and pushing symbols and people wearing symbols, and most people don’t even really know what they are. That’s why we took the name — you feel me? Once we took over the name, we knew we could do something right with it. - GREEN LABEL

The Lone Star states’ very own Dro FE is gearing up to release his forthcoming project, No, on March 31st. Bubbling with the Johnny Cinco assisted “Trenches” and “The Circle,” the Texas Titan debuts a new track with Houston OG, Z-Ro, - VIBE

Trap star Dro Fe is on one with “The Circle”. Dark and haunting, Dro lets you know his serious stance and how his team “Don’t Fuck With Nobody”. Dro has an album on the way titled, No Borders dropping on March 10th. This trap sound he seems to rap well with is produced by Happy Perez, who handles a majority of the album. You can hear his last release, “Trenches”, featuring Johnny Cinco. - Datwon Thomas [ Respect Mag ]

Peep the official music video by Dro Fe performing “The Circle.” The homie is dropping a project via Narcowave / YSE and he buzzing hard online. Everything comes full circle and you can hear that here in his raps. Look out for Dro Fe in 2015. - Jake Crates [ AllHipHop.Com }

Texas emcee Dro Fe isn’t wasting anytime with his music as he delivers the highly anticipated mixtape No Borders that includes production from Happy Perez throughout the whole tape.

If your not familiar with Happy Perez then you might want to know he is responsible for creating “End Of The Night” for Ludacris and also won a grammy for the same record. More recently he made Miguel’s smash hit “Sure Thing”. Adding Happy Perez to the mix was a no brainer for Dro Fe and the producer was happy to take him on.

Dro Fe holds nothing back on this 9 track project that includes features from Z-Ro, Fat Trel, Johnny Cinco, Tracy T and more. Expect more music from Dro Fe and another project from the duo to drop at a later time. - Scooby Wilson

Texas emcee Dro Fe channels Fat Trel for high energy new record “Early In The Morning” which is set to be on his forthcoming album No Borders set to drop March 10th. - Scooby Wilson

Dro Fe is repping the Lone Star state and is prepping the release of his forthcoming project, No, set to drop on March 31st. After dropping “Trenches” featuring Johnny Cinco and “The Circle”, the Texas Titan debuts his new single “I’m Just Sayin” featuring the Houston OG Z-Ro. - Scooby Wilson

Texas isn’t all about lean sipping and riding elbows. When necessary, them Texas boys will show their ugly side, mayne.

Enter Dro Fe. The Texan spitter dropped a new visual to his infectious cut, “The Circle.” In the John Colombo-directed video, Dro and his ride or die shawty mob under the city lights to pull a caper on a would-be hustler, and afterwards Dro’s team digs a ditch to get rid of the evidence.

In case you aren’t familiar with Dro’s menacing street tales, peep his No Borders mixtape below, which includes features from Fat Trel, Z-Ro, and Johnny Cinco. - Darryl Robertson

South Texas MC Dro FE is on a roll. His previous releases from his upcoming project “No Borders”, the Johnny Cinco assisted “Trenches” and “The Circle” are at over 35,000 and 56,000 plays respectively and his Happy Perez-hosted Texas tour is receiving a warm reception from attending media. Houston Press’ Marco From Houston recently wrote, “We all survived the show and will live to tell the tale of one of the craziest nights in Fitzgerald’s history….” and… “I for one would much rather hear someone like Dro rap about this subject matter (street life), than hear it from a wannabe gangster who once upon a time sold a few grams to his cousin in high school. Either way, the reality rap of Dro FÉ is hard-hitting, honest and entertaining.” That is why Z-Ro is the perfect co-star for this week’s release; coming as he does with his own hard-won reputation for a no-nonsense approach to storytelling. The board work again comes courtesy of Happy Perez and the result is a good ol’ dose of ‘don’t mess with Texas.’

“No Borders” drops March 10th. - Hip Hop Weekly

Fresh Atlanta (via Texas boarderland) prospect Dro Fé has tapped one of the city's most respected artists, 21 Savage, to join him on "Re-Up," a new cut off his forthcoming project Narcowave 3.

Over a twinkling beat by Sonny Digital and DJ Fu (of the Ear Drummers), they cover most of the usual talking points: trapping, counting stacks, and pre-nups. I'm fuckin' with my vatos like the Chapo they deserve, spits Savage, his pinched-voice rising as if in salute.
"Before anything, we vibed on some street shit," wrote Fé in an email to
The FADER about this collaboration. "At that point, the energy was great and we just went in and cut a record. There's no better way to work together than vibing in person. We'll be shooting the video at the end of this month so watch out for it."

Listen to "Re-Up" below; Narcowave 3 drops next month. - The FADER