Wordsmith lookin’ like a G (Mixter)
We posted Part 1 of the interview with emcee/producer tag-team Wordsmith and Jared Paul on Wednesday and here’s Part 2 along with the AYH2CM exclusive re-release of The Lab, Volume 1, a mixtape the two put together featuring some of their more serious work alongside some fun joints they threw together with friends. The AYH2CM edition boasts a few improvements over the original including album art by the lovely Nora Vogel, updated/cleaned file tags and a specified track order. All of you talent hawks out there can also peep the info sheet included in the .rar file. …now for Part 2 of the interview where the guys get chatty and talk about how hip-hop has evolved into one of the most powerful forms of communication for our generation… Enjoy the weekend. Salaam/Shalom/Peace. -You Don’t Have to Love Me The common conception is that hip-hop comes from the streets, and that hip-hop is a movement born in the shadows of social depravation, not private school collegiate life. How do you respond to that and where do you fit into that picture? That’s indeed where hip-hop originated, and in no way do I intend to ever disrespect the greats. But, hip-hop is one of the most rapidly evolving and expanding genres, and we’re part of a new generation of artists who know that hip-hop has unique and unprecedented communicative powers, whatever their background or message may be. Hip-hop has the potential to speak to anybody, and any sort of person can do great things with it, as long as you stay true to yourself. The possibilities are endless. Like Jared, I have all the respect in the world for where hip-hop came from and the artists who made it what it is today. I’m the first to recognize that I don’t come from the same background that many of those artists did. That said, hip-hop is a form of self-expression, and when it comes to expressing oneself and one’s experiences artistically, all perspectives are valid (excluding ones that don’t honor that rule themselves, i.e. discriminatory views). In the end, the truth will always have a more significant impact than some sort of front. So, I speak about what I know. I grew up a middle-class Jewish kid from upstate-NY, and, just as with every other lifestyle, that came with certain experience — what I write about reflects what I’ve gone through. Historically, hip-hop has served as a means of calling attention to the reality of lower-class life around the world, and nothing I do in using hip-hop to express myself is intended to take away from that. I just think emcees should express themselves in a way that is true to their own lives, so that’s what I do. I think it’s important that we get past these barriers regarding what sort of experiences rap is allowed to talk about, or what background it’s allowed to come from — let’s just be ourselves and make good music. Josh, Is there a white-rapper stigma? Definitely, but I try not to let it affect me. When people hear that I (a tall, kinda goofy Jewish kid from Upstate NY) rap, they don’t know whether or not to take it seriously. I don’t blame them, but I know that 8 bars into any of my songs they’ll realize I’m legit. In a certain way, the white rapper stigma helps…people wonder if a dude who looks like me can really spit, so they listen, that gives me a chance to show what I’m about, and they stick around. I remember Brother Ali once said in response to a question about how his physical appearance influences who listens to him, “They come for the albino, and stay for the fresh.” It’s a similar concept, they’re interested to see if I have skills, and then are hooked because I do. I don’t think I’m one of the best rappers alive, but you have to believe your music is good to succeed in hip-hop. There’s also the fact that people generalize all “white” rap being a certain way, maybe as being underground or part of a certain aesthetic. While I do believe in the do-it-yourself aesthetic of independent hip-hop, I try not to label my music as anything that’s too much of a generalization. There are incredible artists of all races and backgrounds in both commercial and more independent hip-hop, so I try not to classify too often. Like Tonedeff says, “Fuck mainstream and underground/ is this shit any good is what matters.”
The Celestial Jared Paul (Mixter)
The next few are for Jared. So, Jared, producing and learning how to use all the equipment is not exactly a commonly taught subject, where/how/when did you learn to do it? I was lucky because even though I went to a public school, we had a recording studio and audio classes (taught by the JV football coach, and later by a DJ from the local rock station). I got to learn the basics there, and I figured out the rest as I went along. Unlike rapping which you can do just about anytime anywhere, producing takes a few more pieces of equipment, can you talk about how you work around college? How has being a student helped/hindered your production? It’s tricky, for sure. My gear is usually just set up in my room, with my closet decked out with blankets and shit to use as a vocal booth. Our rapping sessions are usually mad late at night, and since I try to stay on top of my school work, it’s usually my sleep that ends up suffering. So the first beat of yours l ever heard was “Pickles vs. Palin” where you flipped The Rugrats theme [this beat is fire and you can hear it on The Lab, Volume 1]… Where did you get that idea? Haha, I don’t even know. Rugrats is just the shit. You’ll get no argument from me on that. That reminds me, my buddy showed me something, do you know the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang song? You should flip that too. [Click here to see why this has some serious fire potential] Word. What’s coming up next? Straight to the top, baby, straight to the top. So there you have it, the Wordsmith and Jared Paul interview. This is probably the first time you’ve heard of either one of these cats, but I’m sure you’ll be hearing from them soon. School ends in a few weeks, and that means one thing: work time. Stay locked to AYH2CM.
As promised, here’s the exclusive re-release of The Lab, Volume 1
The Lab,Volume 1! Art by Nora Vogel
One love, Thanks for checking in.
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