PHRESH Mentality Blogazine got a chance to chat with Brooklyn-bred lyricist, CURT@!N$, while he was on the road...
//YOU ONCE SAID THAT "YOU DON'T FIT INTO THE TYPICAL RAPPER MODE" WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES UP THE TYPICAL RAPPER...HOW DO YOU FEEL DO YOU DIFFER FROM THAT?
WHEN I SAY TYPICAL RAPPER MODE I MEAN IT IN TERMS OF PRESENTATION AND DEMEANOR. MY LOOK, MY ATTITUDE, MY TASTE, MY INFLUENCE IS "UN-RAPPER LIKE". MAYBE 5 YEARS AGO THAT WOULDA BEEN AN OUT THE BLUE ANSWER BUT LATELY I'M SEEING MORE RAPPERS EXPANDING THEIR HORIZONS AND REALLY DABBLING INTO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES AND BRINGING THAT INTO THE MUSIC.
//BROOKLYN, NEW YORK BROUGHT YOU UP, WHAT HAS LIVING THERE TAUGHT YOU AS YOU WERE GROWING UP?
BROOKLYN MADE ME SHARP AS A THINKER. BROOKLYN IS AN UNEXPECTED, ANYTHING MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE NEXT 2 SECONDS KINDA PLACE, BUT ITS FULL OF CULTURE AND INFLUENCE. BROOKLYN MADE ME SEE THAT LIFE WAS BIGGER THAN MY 4 WALLS, WITH THE BKLYN MUSEUM, THE BOTANICAL GARDENS, PROMENADE, THOSE PLACES GAVE YOU A SEMI- ESCAPE FROM THE NORM OF EVERYDAY "HOOD" LIVING BROOKLYN IS KNOWN FOR.
//HOW DID YOU INITIALLY GET DISCOVERED, OR WAS IT MORE OF A GRADUAL BUZZ THAT GAINED YOUR POPULARITY?
INITIALLY IT WAS JUST ME AND MY MANAGEMENT TRYING TO GET BEATS, SO I HAD TO RAP FOR ALL THESE PRODUCERS, I HAD TO BE 15 AND THESE DUDES WERE JUST IN AWE OF MY VOCAB, SUBJECT MATTER AND LYRICS AT THAT AGE. DEALING WITH PRODUCERS LED TO THEM PUMPING ME TO MORE INDUSTRY FOLK, THEN I HAD PEOPLE INTERESTED IN SIGNING ME LEFT AND RIGHT. THE SOURCE UNSIGNED HYPE COLUMN PUT THAT BUZZ OVER THE TOP FOR ME AS FAR AS THE INDUSTRY. IT KINDA CEMENTED WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING ABOUT ME. BACK THEN THE SOURCE WAS THE BIBLE OF HIP HOP SO THAT CO-SIGN MEANT A LOT. BEFORE I FORGET ANYTHING, BEFORE ANY DEMO, ANY PRODUCERS I WAS BATTLING ANYBODY ON 42ND STREET THAT EVEN WHISPERED THE WORD RAP AND I WAS KILLING EM LEFT AND RIGHT. LEMME JUST STATE THAT IN THERE.
//DISCOVERING NEW MUSIC IS RATHER OVERWHELMING NOWADAYS NOW THAT THE ERA OF THE INTERNET IS NOW PRESENT. WHAT PART DO YOU FEEL THE INTERNET PLAYS IN ARTISTS GETTING THEIR MUSIC OUT THERE?
THE INTERNET IS A VEHICLE FOR PEOPLE TO TEST THE MARKET. IF YOU THINK YOU HOT? PUT A RECORD OUT ONLINE AND SEE WHAT THE WORLD THINKS. I THINK ITS A GREAT LAUNCHING PAD FOR ARTISTS WHO DON'T HAVE THE MEANS TO DO THE WHOLE "PUT A RECORD OUT THING" ON A LARGE SCALE.
//WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE NY? DO YOU MISS NEW YORK AT ALL?
I'M A NOMAD, I'M ALWAYS TRAVELING. I GREW UP IN NY SO I JUST WANTED A NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE FROM A NEW ENVIRONMENT. I DON'T MISS NY AT ALL CUZ I'M THERE EVERY OTHER DAY IT FEELS LIKE.
//WHEN/HOW DID HIGH SOCIETY LIFE BEGIN?
TECHNICALLY JUNE '05...LEGALLY NOVEMBER '08. HIGH SOCIETY LIFE IS MY MIND FRAME ON ALL LEVELS. I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT ELEVATION. IT ALSO IS A MEANS FOR US TO CONTROL OUR DESTINY WHILE PLANTING SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE.
//A BEAUTIFUL MIND, THE ALBUM, IS THAT ALREADY SET AND READY TO GO OR ARE YOU MAKING ANY CHANGES AS YOU GO?
ITS NOT STARTED YET, ONLY IN MY MIND
//PEEPED THAT CALMATIC WORKED WITH YOU ON YOUR LETTER TO THE PEOPLE VIDEO, WE ACTUALLY JUST FEATURED CALMATIC'S BLOG ON OUR SITE, HOW DID YOU GUYS LINK UP?
JUST FROM BEING AROUND THE SCENE IN LA. DUDE RAPS, PRODUCES, MAKES VIDEOS, AND LORD KNOWS WHAT ELSE. I RESPECT HIS HUSTLE SO WE LINKED UP TO DO THOSE VIDEOS.
//WHEN DID YOU FIRST START RAPPING? WHO WERE YOUR INSPIRATIONS?
6 YEARS OLD. LL COOL J WAS MY MAIN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION INITIALLY. HE WAS THE DOPEST THING ALIVE TO ME AT THAT POINT.
//DO YOU HAVE ANY TALENTS/HOBBIES BESIDES BEING A LYRICIST?
I'M A GREAT MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER. LOL. NAH I'M A VISIONARY, I'M GREAT AT CONCEPTUALIZING AND ORCHESTRATING. I'M ALSO A PRETTY COOL ARTIST. I BEEN DRAWING SINCE I WAS BORN.
//AS POWERFUL OF A TRACK 'BLACK FOLKS" IS, WHAT LED YOU TO WRITE THE SONG?
I ALWAYS HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OLDER DUDES AND I GATHER BITS AND PIECES OF THEIR STORIES AND THEIR STRUGGLES, THAT SONG WAS AN ACCUMULATION OF MANY CONVERSATIONS AND THOUGHTS GOING ON IN MY HEAD.
//BEING ON THE EAST COAST, IT SEEMS A LITTLE HARDER FOR US TO FIND OUT ABOUT NEW WEST COAST RAPPERS, AS FAR AS 'WEST COAST ROCKERS', WHO DO YOU CO-SIGN FOR?
DOM KENNEDY IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE OUT HERE. KENDRICK LAMAR IS SERIOUS TOO.
//SO YE CALLED YOU A GENIUS OF FASHION, I WANNA KNOW WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO WEAR IN THE MORNING OR WHAT DETERMINES WHAT ITEMS APPEAL TO YOU ON THE RACK?
I WEAR THE SAME SHIT EVERYDAY. I'VE LOST MY APPETITE FOR FASHION. ITS PRETTY STALE TO ME NOW.
//LIKE EVERY VIDEO YOU'VE MADE THUS FAR HAS BEEN CRAZY. WHICH VIDEO DID YOU ENJOY MAKING THE MOST? DO YOU GIVE YOUR CREATIVE INPUT INTO THEM?
THANK YOU. MY FAVORITE HAD TO BE "BLACK FOLKS". JUST REENACTING THOSE HISTORICAL SCENES WAS ENOUGH FOR ME, BUT BEHIND THE SCENES A LOT OF OG'S CAME THRU AND DROPPED SOME INSIGHT INTO MANY OF THE ISSUES/IDEAS REPRESENTED IN THE SONG. THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS INCREDIBLE FROM START TO FINISH. I GIVE 1000% CREATIVE INPUT INTO EVERYTHING I DO. I'M A MICRO-MANAGER TO THE 10TH DEGREE
//AND VA$HTIE ALSO DIRECTED ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR VIDEOS, HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH HER?
VASHTIE'S COOL. VERY EASY GOING. I'VE DONE 3 PROJECTS WITH HER. 2 VIDEOS AND 1 COMMERCIAL AND ITS ALWAYS EASY AND SMOOTH WHILE ON SET.
//THE BEATS ON YOUR TRACKS HIT SO HARD. WHO PRODUCES THEM?
EVERY AND ANYBODY WITH GOOD BEATS. I DON'T GET TOO NAME PICKY WITH PRODUCERS, WHOEVER GOT GOOD SHIT I'M ALL FOR IT.
//HOW VITAL DO YOU THINK IS IT TO STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR AUDIENCE/PEOPLE AS AN ARTISTS?
ITS VITAL TO STAY CONNECTED BUT ITS DANGEROUS TO BE TOO ACCESABLE. THE INTERNET MAKES THE LINE BETWEEN FAN AND ARTIST VERY BLURRY. I THINK ARTISTS NEED TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN LEVEL OF MYSTIQUE BUT NOT BE TOO OUT OF REACH WHERE PPL DON'T CARE BOUT YOU AND ONLY DIG THE MUSIC. ITS A VERY FINE LINE TO WALK.
//EXPLAIN THE POINT IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU DECIDED TO QUIT MUSIC?
IF SOMETHING DOESN'T HAVE PURPOSE IN MY LIFE I KEEP IT MOVING. AT THAT POINT I WAS DOING IT FOR EVERYONE ELSE EXCEPT ME, SO I HAD TO FALL BACK.
//ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS?
T-2: LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD COMING SOON!
//CHOOSING TO QUIT MUSIC AT 1 POINT MUST HAVE BEEN A REALLY TOUGH DECISION TO MAKE, WHAT LED YOU TO MAKE THAT DECISION. AND WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO GO BACK INTO MAKING MUSIC?
I'M ADDICTED TO THIS SHIT. THERE'S NO RUSH LIKE PUTTING YOUR THOUGHTS OVER A BEAT. NOTHING LIKE IT. I FEEL I CAN BE A MOTIVATIONAL FORCE TO YOUNG PEOPLE COMING UP WITH MY VOICE, SO I DO IT FOR THAT IF NOTHING ELSE. BUT 5 ALBUMS AND I'M OUT.
[END]
SITE: HIGH SOCIETY LIFE
MYSPACE: CURT@!N$
