Late November, Notes To Self dropped the most meta rap video ever for their single “Nobody.” Archival footage of ’90s hip-hop classics were spliced together to make it seem like most all of the genre’s historical figures were rapping along to the song. “That video was game changing for us,” explains Roshin, one-fourth of Notes, alongside Swamp Donkey, Bronze One and World DMC Champion DJ Dopey. “It got like 50,000 views in one month.”

For Notes To Self, a foursome since 2004, it was a turning point, taking them one step closer to critical mass. Despite Canada-wide acclaim, multiple mixtapes and collaborations, worldwide tours and a very tight working partnership with celebrated California rap crew Dilated Peoples, the members of Notes know they can go further.

On the cusp of their new release Used To Be Dark (RECOIL), I talked with Bronze, Dopey and Roshin. Catch them tonight in Ottawa, and Saturday at Droppin’ Knowledge at the Rivoli, opening up for 2011 XXL Freshman rapper Fashawn.

So, you’ve got your second official release out in a couple of weeks. Notes is known for really ‘hip-hop’-type hip-hop; is this record in that vein?
Roshin: It’s not a big departure for Notes To Self; we’re going to maintain our lane. We wanted some personal oomph this time because the past couple of years have been tumultuous and intense. We wanted to bring a new edge to the music we’ve always made as a way to unify us again.

Has the city, and the scene, changed in that time?
Dopey: With Drake’s success and that new spotlight on the city, I’d like to think I’m seeing people helping each other instead of being on that haterade all the time. We’re all headed in the right direction, but it’s too soon to tell where it’ll go.

So it’s been a couple years since you last put something out, the scene seems a bit different, and you’ve come off a label situation. Has any of this changed the way you actually make music?
D: I think it’s allowed us to realize we can exist without a home; completely independent and without someone to help put us on.

Bronze: Do you see how people are creating their own products via teams like Drake’s OVO crew, and other more independent models? In order to get the exposure we want, we need to create our own ‘brand’ and have someone come to us. Hip-hop seems like the last genre that still relies on or has the label deal as the ultimate end goal…

R: Well in other genres there tends to be a lot more love in the community. I really think once you see talent or feel like there’s chemistry, you need to embrace that and not look at it as direct competition.

D: Rap is still very competitive.

R: That’s where the team thing comes in because it’s support. You see it with rappers like Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa establishing independent teams and then dealing with a label, but the key is it’s on their own terms. Labels are then like, ‘We want to get down with y’all,’ instead of ‘We can turn you into something.’

So that’s why your production, your DJ, is all in-house. Even the guy who does your artwork (well-known Toronto-based graffiti artist Elicser) is part of the wider Notes team, right?
R: Yup. All that in-house production by Bronze and Book of Beatface helps keep the sound unique but cohesive. We consider Fashawn, who’s on “Mr. Polite,” to be part of our West Coast expansion team as well as Evidence (of Dilated Peoples), who’s on the first single “Nobody.” But we’re doing stuff that’s not on the record with some of The Remix Project guys. We’re sitting on heat, Anupa.

Why are you hoarding it!
B: I was joking the other day about a Rap Hoarders show, like producers and rappers holding on to all these joints that are like, crazy…

And Dr. Dre would be the ultimate hoarder…

B: Yeah, like, ‘I’m just waiting for the right time.’

Speaking of hoarding, that “All of the Above” video looks pretty wintry. Has it even snowed this winter? When did that happen?
B: That was shot about four hours north of Toronto last March. The idea just came to me. Like, ‘I’m about to go up north and put some fur on with my boys and do some straight up blizzard-y, snow shit.’ Roshin had written this verse and he called it “Big Bad Wolf,” and it was this grimey shit about being out in the cold and I think that sparked something in me.

R: We wanted to take the concept of rap going worldwide in an extreme way, like talking about the pioneers of rap, frontiersman. We were being literal.

Yeah, I remember tweeting something dumb about it having ‘Farley Mowat swag.’ It made me want to re-read Lost In The Barrens.
B: Yeah, I like that ‘Farley Mowat swag.’ I don’t know if this is off the record or not but Dopey only did the trailer because he couldn’t grow the beard.

D: Yeah, peach fuzz doesn’t compare to coconut fuzz. It didn’t happen.

Why couldn’t you just wear a fake beard?
D: It’s not the same thing.

B: Yeah, we spent like three months growing those beards!

R: Also, we had just we had just committed to making the “Nobody” video, which is like the most analog thing possible. You’re not gonna put a fake beard on!

Tell me about that video then, because it seems like it really did big things.
R: We’ve never had a reception like that. And we were sitting on it for a while terrified someone would do the same concept. It was a big deal.

B: ’90s hip-hop culture has become pop culture now; it really has that reach, so it works. It took three months to piece together stuff from 30 VHS tapes. We have some post-videos coming out that will give some insight into the process.  But we really had to finesse it and cut so many pieces down to make it work. If you watch it and you’re really a head, you’ll understand why the verses are edited the way they are and why each person is in each verse. It’s super specific.

I’m so used to everyone in hip-hop just putting shit out constantly. It seems like you guys enjoy taking your time to make stuff, which is nice.

R: There is a lot of artistry in stuff that’s fresh off the press, and we’re still learning about that, because you can’t take months and months on one thing. Since it’s been a while for us, we just wanted to come out of the gate right.

Anupa Mistry is the most chill girl Toronto Standard can think of. (Oh, and an amazing music writer). You can follow her on Twitter at @_anupa.