Q: What incident sparked your initial interest in becoming a hip-hop
artist?
A: There was never an incident. I think I just eased into it when I realized I could do it. Before, these rappers looked like superheroes.
They had superhero names, the look... The music was magic. I was
just a listener. It never occurred to me to try it. I think I started out rewriting lyrics of songs I liked, and reciting them like they were mine
with my friends. Then I tried writing my own and eventually I got the
writing bug. Eventually you start writing new songs, and then you
start looking for your own beats, when you’re tired of rapping to other rappers’ beats. It takes shape organically, step by step.
Q: Talk a little about “Pirate Radio Star” and what it represents.
A: Pirate Radio Star is really a concept album. I really got tired of
dealing with the industry, trying to set your foot in. Mainstream radio,
magazines, they all have their in crowd and their politics, but so do
the underground and college radio shows. There’s always an inner
circle to pierce through. So Pirate Radio Star is basically a metaphor. The Pirate Radio is you finding your own place, being yourself.
The pirate radio basically finds a place on the dial to operate free,
without the politics and constraints, to deliver unfiltered material. The
Star part is to be the best at it. So it basically means to be the best at
being yourself. The record was basically all about just doing me.
Q: Talk about your upcoming project, “Ironworld” and what your fans shoal expect.
A: “Ironworld” is a much harder, darker record. I specifically made it so it’s not single
driven, but you feel the aggression throughout the record. The theme is basically in this
game everybody is always on the grind, or
hustling. Everybody is moving around, clawing
for something greater. This record is basically
about the long-term effect, how you can become affected by always grinding and striving. (Cont’d)
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