Congratulations on the release of These Things Take Time last month. What would you consider to be a stand out track?

Chaz French: Probably “Mind To It” and “Question.” All of them are special to me, but “Mind To It” and “Question” were the most fun to make as far as recording. How the records came about, being that it was more random, make them stand out to me.

How does this tape differ from Happy Belated?

Chaz French: I think we took a lot of time, literally. We didn’t rush anything. We just really took our time and were really consistent with how we wanted it to sound and who we wanted to work with. Everything from the cover, and recording in Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Atlanta, helped us take our time. I feel like it’s a much bigger sound as far as instruments and content matter.

A big part of your story is that you were in a near-fatal car crash, which definitely can change one’s perspective on things. How did that impact your music?

Chaz French: I was in shock for awhile. Even now, I won’t drive. I hate driving on the highway. I hate being in the car for a certain amount of time. I don’t know. I’ll just always think back to that moment. It’s weird. As far as music, that’s a part of my music. I mean, I almost died. It’s hard to explain. I guess I’m just more conscious. I won’t get in the car with certain people! It’s that serious.

You’re also a father of two now. Has that changed the way you approach your music and career?

Chaz French: Yes, absolutely. Everything I do is literally for them. Every decision I make goes around making sure I can take care of them. How I go about music, life, or anything is all about my son and my daughter.

You’ve been able to work with a lot of DMV artists, including Goldlink. Is there a personal favorite or someone you loved working in the studio with?

Chaz French: I don’t work with a lot of people as is. There’s people I’ve done work with where we don’t have to make music, we can just vibe off of each other. But I really love working with my brother, Eddie Vanz. We live with each other, so we really feed off of each other. We don’t even really have to be around each other to make a song together. We know each other like the back of each other’s hands. I really love working with him.