* WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT PEOPLE THAT AREN'T FANS OF YOU MUSIC TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?
That I've been rapping for a long ass time. I'm not trying to sound like the old rapper that never made it, but I've been doing this for a while, working on my craft and my sound to really best represent me. Its not really over-thinking it, I think its just more being self aware while developing your sound. Being in Upstate NY it makes you want to speak your voice that much louder to be heard.
* HOW MANY MIXTAPES/ALBUMS HAVE YOU MADE?
a few that'll never see the light of day,probably 8 or 9 otherwise. I'm also in a group with my homeboy Sime Gezus aka Pete Pluto called Good Product. You can check that out at GoodProductProduction and cop my new album OBNOXIOUS at gmmusic.bandcamp.com
* WHAT ARE YOU TRYNA BRING TO THE GAME?
I think I'm honestly trying to bring something BACK to the game at this point, with a bit of a twist. I feel like I've always been looked at as "too underground" or "too commercial", but I just grew up sounding similar to what I listened to. Between early Bootcamp Click, older Cash Money, the Lyricist Lounge/Sound Bombings, etc. it just turns into a giant mesh of raw, unfiltered, somewhat intelligent ignorance with a lot of underlying definition.
* WHO ARE SUM OF MUSICAL INFLUENCES?
Guess I jumped the gun on that last one a little huh? I grew up on a lot of 60's, 70's classic rock growing up in a rural area. A lot of being out on the lake in the boat and just being young. Around 11-12 years old I got into a decent amount of west coast artists, from Warren G to the Luniz, Alkoholiks,etc. Then got into everything from Biggie to Mobb Deep to Jay to Scarface to UGK, etc. I also listen to a good deal of 70's soul, Screwed & Chopped, lots of variety when I'm not listening to the home team.
* WHO/WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
I think most of the time I've been doing this its been the area that I live in and the people I'm around. Weather its the 518 or outside of Chicago for the few years I was there. There's a constant push and pull with me in most area's I've lived, weather its the people or the climate or whatever, I just seem to draw a lot off of my surroundings.
* WHO TAUGHT YOU ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE LESSONS IN LIFE?
Mann, I think that'd probably be my pops. I've seen him work 2-3 jobs a week during some points of my life time, and i appreciate that so fucking much, it made me realize you have to go after what you really want in life. It may not work out the way you intended but at least you're able to say you're working for a better day regardless.
* WHAT MADE YOU PICK UP THE MIC FOR THE FIRST TIME?
I wrote poetry when I was younger, then I just remember feeling like I had something to say and I figured it'd be fun. After that it got more serious and I just progressed with it as being my main focus. Did I tell you about OBNOXIOUS? Its over at gmmusic.bandcamp.com...
* IF YOU COULD CHANGE 1 THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU? WHAT WOULD IT BE? AND WHY?
No Regrets. I've had a lot of ups and a lot of downs but I'm not about living in the past like that. I acknowledge whats what and just try to keep pushing forward with it.
* IF YOU HAD TO WORK A 9-5 WHAT WOULD YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING?
Something that involved music. I'd say work at a music store but that shit is prehistoric. Id prolly be a pimp. A real one though, with gold chains and all that. But with 9-5 hours only.
* WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE WHAT WOULD TRULY MAKE YOU HAPPY?
For people to hear my music..all of it...yesterday.
* WHAT IS YOUR FAVE SPORT AND TEAM?
I roll with the Knicks, I'm a Packers fan too, but the Knicks are my squad. I will yell at the TV like a true New Yorker and expect the game to change if I don't watch it or change the channel. If you don't know, thats how we do with the Knicks..ask any Knicks fan. I'm not superstitious,only with the Knicks.
* WHAT YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE STATE OF MUSIC?
Shits cool...I think every ones too much of a critic now though. If you fuck with someones music, then support that shit. If you don't, just keep it movin. Theirs SO much talent out right now that you should spend time supporting artists that are dope and don't bother filling up your speech with who you think isn't worth listening to.
* WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAD RIDICULOUS SKILLS?
RIDICULOUS?! Well damn...I think when I made my first cd and then took a little time off just because it wasn't really something I kept up with or was happy with for the most part. I started writing again and realized I felt like I could keep up with a lot of the music I was hearing. Weather that was the truth at the time or not, I don't really care, it got me to where I'm at now, so I'm goood. Good enough that I just released my new album OBNOXIOUS ...at gmmusic.bandcamp.com...
* HOW LONG YOU BEEN IN THE GAME?
I recorded my first cd when i was 16, so a little over 10 years now.
* WHY DO YOU LOVE MUSIC?
Music's been the only real constant in my life....other than Elio's frozen pizza and bagels...
* WHO ARE YOU TOP 5 MC'S ?
I can try to answer that. How about favorite? I'd say Biggie, Jay, Pimp C, Scarface, Royce
* WHAT ARE YOU TOP 5 MOVIES?
Paid In Full, City of God, Clockwork Orange, Friday the 13ths (yes, ALL of them), Gummo
* WHAT ARE 3 THINGS YOU CANT LIVE WITHOUT?
music, females, pizza. easy.
* HOW DO YOU THINK THAT BEING RAISED IN NEW YORK THE #518 INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE, FLOW, AND THE FEELINGS THAT YOU CONVEY IN YOUR RHYMES?
I think being around here it keeps you hungry. Nothing comes easy and theirs a lot you can learn from the people in the area, both positive and negative. You gotta learn a lot on your own sometimes. But theirs a lot of cats out here grinding and it takes a lot of heart to come out and keep participating every night, week, or month, year,etc. We've never had a "claim to fame" where I'm from. Theirs definitely a sense of a small town mentality in a capital city. I feel like we're shaking that lately though. Everyones starting to pull together more. Live together, die alone, right? Don't forget about OBNOXIOUS, my new album CLICK THE LINK> DOWNLOAD #OBNOXIOUS....
* IF YOU COULD PICK 3 ARTISTS PAST OR PRESENT TO WORK WITH WHO WOULD YOU PICK?
Marvin Gaye, Sean Price, ODB
* HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE COOL LAID BACK, INYOUR FACE, CONSCIOUS
I think most people would say its in your face. I think i have the capability to rock over whatever though, and that's mainly because I never really had a giant variety of production coming up, so I started off doing a lot of mixtape tracks, just finding beats and finding a vibe to them. Its something I caught a lot of flack for but ended up working in my favor as I get deeper in the game.
* HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED, IN THE MIDST OF ALL THE BULLSH!T?
Honestly a lot of it are the people that stay interested in what we're doing. With Glass Ceiling Effect and what we're creating now I feel like the positive energy is finally starting to push some of that negative bullshit to the background a bit. So really, to everyone who's out there listening to what I, and the rest of GCE are doing, we all appreciate that shit, more than you'll probably ever realize. We've been doing this for a while, but we're just getting started. OBNOXIOUS! DOWNLOAD #OBNOXIOUS and of course glassceilingeffect
* WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOUR GOIN TO SUCCEED?
I think my music's relatable. I think you can listen to it during different points in your day and feel something different from it, but its not "emo". I don't try to beat you over the head with similes and leave a lot of it up to the listener to connect what I'm trying to really get across.
* WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO RELAX? (THAT YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT) = )
I honestly don't get a lot of time to really relax since the hustle is so involved at this point, with Internet networking,etc. but when I get some time I'll get it in on some NBA 2k11 or I've been developing a side hobby of takin pics and what not, so I try to do that here and there.
* WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU LOVED MUSIC MORE THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON?
When I could hear the DJ cross-fade a track on the radio and tell the incoming track at least 30 seconds before the average person. From a bass line or a snare or a hit, I always felt like it was telling me something before everyone else.
* IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME AT HOW RAPPERS CAN JUST GO OFF THE TOP WHEN FREESTYLIN... HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU, DO YOU JUST SAY AIIGHT IMA GO ON THIS TOPIC OR DOES IT JUST COME TO YOU AS YOUR SPITTIN?
Honestly, I don't really freestyle much. I know alot of cats are gonna be like "oh you're too good for that huh?" but if anything its the exact opposite. I got a ton of respect for cats that can freestyle of the top and be DOPE at it or at least have some kind of appeal with it. Coming up around Albany we got a few cats that are on their freestyle game, so if you don't step up with something off the top and ill, you might as well get your studio game right. I feel I chose the latter.
Check out my music at GMmusic.bandcamp.com. And check out the crew at GlassCeilingEffect for more links to my music and what I'm up to as well as the family and what we're bringing to the table.
