Salute to the legends and the up & comers representing for the true school
Monthly Archives: September 2014
Interview: Tha Soloist
1. Peace family! Who are you & where are you from?
Peace. I go by Tha Soloist, and I’m from Jersey City, New Jersey.
2. What inspires you?
I’m inspired by so many things. Inspiration can come from anywhere…
but if I had to choose a few of them it would have to be film,
instrumentals, and everyday life. The good and the bad times.
My music usually comes from a deep place, so I’m always inspired by
the events that are life changing. One more thing that inspires me is
the fans that hit me up every day to tell me that I inspire them.
That’s the best feeling in the world, just knowing that they can
relate to the joy and the pain. It makes it all worthwhile.
3. If you could work with any producer who would it be & why?
I’d have to pick two, not one. Mr. Green and Apollo Brown.
They both have mad soul. You can’t fake that. My stuff is soulful too,
so it’s only right. Green is very talented, and Brown’s beats fit me
just right. Check out my track with C-Lance, “Heart of Justice”
so you can get a better idea.
4. Top 5 Dead or Alive?
I don’t really like to pick five flavors out of the melting pot,
but I’ll give you a list of five emcee’s that are great to me.
Nas
DOOM
GZA
2Pac
Eminem
and I gotta add ODB!
5. Greatest musical group of all time (outside of Hip-Hop)
I like Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, and Elton John. As for groups though
I’d have to say The Beatles. I also like Aphrodite’s Child, The Beach Boys,
and Green Day is up there as well (I grew up listening to all their stuff)
As for soul singers, I really like The Stylistics, The Miracles, and The Isley Brothers.
I almost forgot Johnny Cash! Sorry, I could go on for days.
I know I’m forgetting a lot of them.
6. Who is your favorite upcoming MC right now?
That’s a tough question. I like what Focus is doing right now.
Ron-Ron was dope too, but he disappeared. But yeah, Focus got lyrics.
The boy can spit. Trust me. I gotta throw Coal in there. I know he’s been
doing it for a minute, but he’s extremely gifted. Shout out to Dead Rabbits.
7. I admire your drive. Do you have any advice to give other artists?
Thanks. I’m always busy. I’m dead if I’m not creating. It’s as simple as that.
My advice is this…NEVER get too personal with anyone right away.
Take your time. A lot of these guys are out for blood. A lot of them want
to see you fail. It’s that crab in a bucket mentality. Just do your thing,
work hard, and be kind. Never give up on your dreams. And remember this,
a lot of the artists you admire are watching, so handle yourself like a
professional. Don’t do anyone dirty in this game. There’s enough of that
going around anyway. Try not to jump the gun, paying for verses right away.
Earn your respect and pay your dues first. Let them come to you. I’m not
saying it’s bad to support the artist, but try to build a catalog.
8. What project’s should we be looking forward to in the near future?
I’ll be on Disturbia Music Group producer Sultan Mir’s debut album dropping
in the winter (Sultans Empire)
I’m working on an LP with Focus (untitled)
I got an EP with Tone Liv on the way (Spill Ritual)
Rated R is another emcee I’ve been working with.
Me and Trilian need to get back to work on our LP (Exit Thru Gift)
and I got an album already out (The New Terrah) with Mark Deez,
Edd Bundy and DJ TMB
You can download my free LP on Audiomack (The Glorious Bastard)
Last but not least, got some tracks with Joell Ortiz, Planetery,
Death Star and more.
9. Any last shout outs?
Shout out to every DJ, Emcee and Producer that’s keeping Hip-Hop alive.
I had a good time answering your questions. “Be kind, for everyone you meet
is fighting a hard battle.”
P.S. Appetite and Mister Digital are two of my favorite producers right now!
Plus massive respect to Billy Ballantine for putting me on stage last minute
at Diabolic’s listening party. Shout out to Ixion Form, Pryme, Godilla, Eff Yoo,
Ghetto MC, UG, Lord Digga, Maze, Cliff, Coal, Tabs, Grim, Dro, Mercy Gang,
and Tones.
Peace to TMB, Madhandz and Trickalome
Interview: AWKWORD
1. Now for everybody out here in the digital universe, what’s your name & location?
AWKWORD. I recently moved from NYC to Upstate NY to be with my new wife and kids.
2. What inspires you to be who you are?
My mental illness, my mom’s (RIP) heart and activism, my love for nature and the innocent youth, my lifelong guttural disdain for injustice and inequality, my allegiance to and love for Hip Hop culture, and my need to write and record rap. And ILL BILLand Remedy helped me realize this could be possible.
3. Before the age/era of “super producers” most Hip-Hop album’s were handled by a DJ/MC & one “producer” (occasionally being the DJ themselves). If you could do a whole project with one producer who would it be and why?
Because he’s the GOAT, DJ Premier. But because he’s the future and a long-time friend and collaborator, I would choose the incredibly talented SRFSCHL captain Harry Fraud.
4. Where was the first show you ever rocked?
I performed at my high school when I worked with the Anti-Defamation League to create and host the first-ever/now annual Diversity Day. I performed in my hometown in Connecticut for MLK Day. I rocked mad parties and entered freestyle battles at Vassar College, while earning my degree in Sociology and English. But my first REAL performance was probably Don Hill’s in NYC or Tuxedo Junction in Danbury, CT. Can’t really remember. But I ended up doing shows a lot, opening for BLESTeNATION and The Cool Kids, J Live, Masta Ace, Grandmaster Caz, and many others.
5. How did the collaboration track “Bars & Hooks” (Produced By Harry Fraud, and featuring Sean Price, Shakespeare & The Kid Daytona) come to life?
Fraud has been producing for me for more than a decade. He and I chose the beat and agreed on Sean Price as the main feature. We got our verses recorded. And Shakespeare was in Fraud’s studio with me, so it made perfect sense to ask him to do the hook. His voice and his writing are great. And then not long after that, on Halloween I think, I was at a club in the Lower East Side of Manhattan with Statik Selektah and ATG, and we ran into Daytona, who I had never met before that. He loved the idea and recorded his part at Fraud’s studio within a day or two. And that was the start of their relationship — now Daytona is signed to Fraud’s Surf School label.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RxMJ43kdlw&hd=1
6. What made you want to do a project for charity? Was that your initial plan from the beginning?
I have been an activist, community organizer, volunteer and philanthropist for years, and since I am no longer as active on the streets and in the community centers, I wanted to give back — specifically to the youth in the neighborhoods that birthed Hip Hop and keep it alive and fresh today — through my medium: rap music.
Doing this album, World View, for charity was actually was not my original plan. The concept really started through myspace more than 5 years ago. I dropped my solo debut LP ‘See the Light’ (no longer available), and DJs and producers from all over the world were contacting me on myspace asking for acapellas so they could create remixes. That gave me the idea of publicizing on myspace a remix contest, with the best submissions being used for a free remix mixtape. Realizing the global nature of this, how worldwide Hip Hop has become, I thought of the name “World View”, as the album would essentially illustrate the world view of Hip Hop. What ended up happening though was that I continued to make more and more new music and receive more and more positive press, so I expanded ‘World View’ to include 38 songs across two discs. The first, featuring mostly new music, was released February 2 through DJBooth, with all proceeds going to a 501c3 charity fighting to eradicate street violence through education and empowerment of “at-risk” youth (Guns 4 Cameras). The second, featuring a lot of new music and a number of remixes, was released March 17 through DJBooth as a FREE thank you to my supporters.
http://AWKWORDrap.com/World-View
7. I’ve heard from an MC I respect before say something along the lines of “Don’t let your name describe you”…Are you really awkward, Awkword?
My name is more than anything about being a tragic personality — accepting, owning, taking pride in my problems. One of them was feeling like an outcast, an outsider, uncomfortable and awkward within a community of people who were conservative, Christian, rich, racist, homophobic and misogynist. So when I chose the name AWKWORD it was a direct response to all of them, and who I used to be, as well as a celebration of being different, and overcoming the awkwardness. Today, I am anything but awkward around others. But I will always be different, never following trends, perpetually pushing boundaries.
8. If you were in the middle of nowhere, on a deserted island, and could have one THING with you what would it be?
Sunscreen or sunglasses. My partial Palestinian Jewish heritage doesn’t help — I am not a fan of sunlight or heat.
9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
http://lyricallyfit.com/breaking-news-is-awkword-retiring-talks-working-w-legends-
In the home studio, recording with my talented wife and daughters. And in my library, writing.
10. Any last shout outs?
Rest in peace, my brother Praverb, who we lost yesterday completely unexpectedly. He had a wife and baby child. And he was one of the good guys in this perverse rap game. Help us pay for his funeral costs at bit.ly/Praverb-Fund
CONTACT:
[@AWKWORDrap]
Rap Singer. Activist. Sociologist. Gonzo Journalist.
NYC x Upstate NY x Worldwide
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUMS:
djbooth.it/wrldvw X djbooth.it/wvbonus
AWKWORD.bandcamp.com/album/World-View x AWKWORD.bandcamp.com/album/World-View-Bonus-Disc
FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE & CONNECT:
http://twitter.com/AWKWORDrap
http://facebook.com/AWKWORDrap
http://instagram.com/AWKWORDrap
http://youtube.com/AWKWORDvideos
Interview: Rich Quick
1. Peace! Who are you and where are you from?
I go by the name of Rich Quick+I’m an emcee in the Philly Hip-Hop scene hailing from South Jersey.
2. How long have you been rhyming for?
Way too long! I started in Elementary School around second grade and took it more and more seriously as time went on. I grew to learn the different aspects of the game, like freestyling, counting bars, recording and eventually performing. Part of the reason that I’m so polished as an artist is because I’ve been doing it for so long.
3. What motivates you to create?
I’m not only motivated, but determined. I have said time and time again that I’m going to make this rap thing work for me. And I’ve accomplished a lot, but I’m not quite there yet. That’s what keeps me going. Knowing that I haven’t reached my ultimate goals yet. It motivates me to go further.
4. I know you have worked with some pretty credible names in the industry…If you could work with any producer or MC who would it be and why?
I’ve always wanted to work with Busta Rhymes. He’s a total genius and has managed to maintain his relevancy year after year after year. I think that would be a great artist to spar with lyrically on a record.
5. I noticed yourself, and other south Jersey artists have a close association with Philadelphia. I also noticed northern Jersey artists having a close association with New York City…What do you think stops NJ from having a bigger music scene and/or major media market of their own?
Well, there’s a lot of reasons for that. I can only speak for myself in saying that; I’m not quite sure why, but in South Jersey, Hip-Hop venues are few and far between. I can’t even think of one off the top of my head. I was sort of forced to cross the bridge into Philadelphia in order to have more opportunities to perform. Once I stepped on the scene though, I realized the opportunity to succeed in Philly was far greater than South Jersey. There is a much more tangible Hip-Hop culture. And I’d assume it’s the same in North Jersey currently, in terms of New York. But with all of that being said; I’ve still performed really awesome showz in both North Jersey and South Jersey. It’s absolutely possible to make it work.
6. You have quite the track record..What are you working on right now that we should be expecting in the near future?
There are so many things in the works that I’m not even certain if I can speak on all of them. I have a project in the works with CORFU Am Down brother ASK? Produced by Rob Devious. As well as two other projects with some real heavy hitters. More info on that as it becomes available! We haven’t made any official announcements yet, but I’m stoked to get the ball rolling on these. Be on the look out!
7. Any last shout outs?
Shouts out to CORFU Am Down. That’s my clique! And my main man Skrewtape, his album No Filter is dropping soon produced by US Natives and I’m fortunate enough to be featured on it. Stay tuned!
LIBERATION LIVE 