NEWS
EVENTS
The Nutritious BLACK MILK
RnB/Hip Hop | Wednesday 18th December 2013 | Chenda
So Black let’s talk about when it all started?
My first official album came out in 07, but I put out a project in 05, so I have been doing solo things for a while. Damn I feel like a veteran or an OG already, especially when these young cats are coming up to me saying ‘Yo man check my mix-tape’. I was one of those younger cats so it’s crazy! Now young beat makers and producers are saying ‘I was listening to you when I was at high school’ shit!
Well when we take it back indeed you were a younger cat mixing with hip-hop royalty-Dilla, Elzhi in Detroit.
I tell you man, time flies. I mean, I turn thirty this year. Now I feel that I have to really push my shit, because I have loads of shit that I want to do before I am thirty five.
Why thirty-five and what are you planning?
When you are an artist like me, there are so many different creative things you want to do and that you want to tackle, so many creative things you want to get out and so many people you want to work with. It is only physically possible to put out one or two projects a year and by the time five six years pass you like ‘damn I am just getting started’. Well anyway, that is how I feel.
Is it too much to assume that when you started out you had some over-riding wish to be some hip-hop god-or was it simply: “let me put out my music”?
When you start out (I think this is the way most artists feel) you are just happy that you are putting music out there and people who aren’t your friends or your family are hearing it. That is all you're excited about really, but as you get into the industry more and you see all the antics and things that can go on, the criticism and all of the things that come with being an artist when you start to get some form of popularity, you start to see the type of artist you want to be and the legacy you want to leave.
Is it too early to talk about your legacy?
I am still formulating my legacy because every year there is a new spark. It’s a new inspiration so it is hard to say. I want to be seen as an artist who was consistent, who did not try and follow anyone else. More than that I want to inspire people to create.
Talking about inspiring people and affecting people to be drawn into music what about your label?
I have been in the game for a while and I have started getting into the executive part of the game. I own my own label [Computer Ugly] and I'm trying to bring in other artists under my wing. I feel that it is the right time. I know how to put out albums, I know the game in the underground and commercial world and I have information. I still do my artist thing but I am stepping into that role where I am more behind the scenes.
So is the label part of this Black Milk macro strategy?
I tried to do the label thing early in my career like 07 but it was too early. This time I kind of stumbled on the label thing. Early this year I worked with this visual artist and we were looking at each other’s art. I would send him instrumentals and he would send me his visual art and being inspired we thought, why don’t we do a project where each other’s art inspires creativity in the other? We came up with this group Fuzz, Freqs and Colours and we dropped a project this year called Synth or Soul. We did limited vinyl release little over a thousand and they all sold out.
Ok before we get onto No Poison No Paradise your banging new album, you are a Detroit emcee so everyone expects you to collaborate with Em but I heard you say somewhere people think it is too easy for you to do that.
Well yes. What people do not understand fully is that Eminem is an artist, as a celebrity he is bigger than Detroit, he is bigger than rap music, he is basically not accessible. I know he knows who I am, he mentioned my name in an interview a little while back but he is not just from Detroit he is like the biggest artist in the world. He’s on Michael Jacksons status so I can’t just get to him! I would defo be down for that but I have to keep it realistic.
So No Poison No Paradise remains as soulful as ever but it’s a bit of a concept album. Was there a different approach from your other releases?
It’s funny after I recorded the album I realized it was like a concept album. It is a story about this character who is going through his ups and downs in his life, like most people do and I was trying to think about the way to explain good and bad, ying and yang, so the no poison no paradise explains that whole idea. You have to go through the bad in a way to get to the paradise.
And the differences in making this album…….
Most of the time my processes start with the beats and for this album when I banged out like three four beats, I realized that the beats were already making a story before I even wrote any lyrics to the beats. So when I did start writing to the first two beats I was like ‘damn the beats and the stories are connecting” and that was not purposefully done. So I started to make it like a literal album of my life and so I created this character called Sonny Junior and I used him to tell my life or tell people’s life.
It sounds like you really enjoyed making this album and indeed felt creatively fulfilled.
I feel that out of all the projects I have done and I have put out, that this one where there was a concept and a thread to the tracks really helped me write a lot better. It was not just bars, I was writing songs which made it easier for me to write. This is definitely a way forward for me because I enjoyed it so much more and I think that comes through for the people that like my music.
Lastly when are you coming to SA? People absolutely love the vibes you drop so you need to talk directly to the SA crew and tell them when you are visiting.
Damn I get so many people requesting for me to come down there but it has just never happened. One time we were about to but it fell through for one reason or another. I am trying my hardest to get over there. They have been supporting me from MySpace days so it’s been a while defo, but possibly (because I don’t want to make guarantees) next year I can hopefully get there and give you guys some live shit!
