The music industry has been over-saturated with poppy, clichd nonsense for quite some time now.The late 90s wave of Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears left the realm of pop and flooded into all genres of music, most specifically Hip Hop.Hip Hop has been completely infected with a rash of artists seeking to promote the degradation of women, the use of violence, and often times completely nonsensical lyrics.The pillars hip hop was built on have been left behind, lyrics forgotten, and the presence of self, and individuality lost.
A strong Indy Rap scene has helped to keep lyrics and passionate Hip Hop alive, but overall major labels and distributors have strayed away from what made hip hop such an important art form when it began.Certified Hip Hop receives a lot of interview requests, and often times when we do not recognize an artist we assume they are going to fall into the current norm of nonsense and general lack of talent (and unfortunately our assumptions often end up being true).When asked to interview MYSELF, through no fault of his, the same was assumed.What became evident very quickly was that bringing assumptions or stereotypes to MYSELF as an artist simply would not work.
MYSELF is the type of artist and voice that hip hop urgently needs.Every song may not be a smash pop-hit, and every track may not be a radio single, but MYSELF is focused on bringing back a sense of purpose, artistic quality and yes, even lyrical ability to a genre that has fallen behind in all of these categories.In speaking with him, his passion for music and desire to cause change within the art form, but also on issues he feels strongly about is abundantly clear.Whether or not you agree with all of his stances, enjoy every song, or love every video does not matter; what is clear, is that those who have asked for a strong voice in music to stand up, push the bounds of the genre creatively (check him performing with his full band) and those who wish to see the Hip Hop pushed back to its roots and attempt to mean something, have a strong voice fighting for their wishes.
Could you take a minute and introduce yourself to our readers who may not be familiar with you?
For people who that don't know, MYSELF is not a new kid on the block.I've worked with Grammy winners R. Kelly, The Roots, Chris Thomas King & Arrested Development to name a few.I'm originally born and raised in New Orleans so my musical stylings range from Southern Fried Funk, spicy hot jazz & blues with a dash of rock -n-soul!This is my third record....but my first major label release.Not only am I a recording artist, but I'm an actor (just completed a film w/Busta Rhymes & Oscar nominated actor Tom Berenger) and I arrange and produce as wellso as you can see for yourself I'm a renaissance man of every sense of the word.
You probably get asked about this a lot, and I want to get it out of the way before we got more into the more music-based questions...but how did you decide upon the name MYSELF?
You know thats a good question, it doesnt get asked that much.It just kind of happened, it kind of manifested itselfat the time I wanted to come up with a name that could capture who I am.I feel like a lot of times, we as artists we hide behind monikers.We become people that were not, and I wanted it to represent me and I was like you know I can only be myself.Who else should I be but me?
So you approach hip hop or I guess more specifically music in a way that tries to tackle issues and present ideasthe market is currently saturated with music of a much different ilk; bling, hoes, bitches, shaking asses, etc.Do you think there is a strong market/desire for music that is attempting to shift away from this type of content?
I believe truthfully that the masses are not into JUST SHAKING THEIR ASSES!Now more than ever there is a strong desire from consumers who value and appreciate quality music that's not solely reliant on commercialism and trendiness.Technology has played an important role in giving artist a sense of empowerment by allowing US the ability to self produce, promote and market OURSELVES to the rest of the world!I've been quite fortunate to be able to balance being a creative artist and a shrewd/savvy businessman.I think in today's social & political climate it's extremely invaluable to align yourself within the music marketplace and one way to certainly do so is by BRANDING your image & concept which I think we're well ahead of the game in that department!! Artist need to really recognize in order to obtain longevity in the current state of music you have to tour, self promote, brand and merchandise your products if you're planning on sustaining a viable lucrative career as a musician and/or recording artist!
You feel a personal need to create a dialogue, and this seems like something artists would want to dowhy do you think music has become so watered down from the artists perspective?
I think there are several reasons.I think one, we have shows like American Idol that really approach people who hear music in that way and make people overnight like youve never heard of them and overnight you have stars.I think the whole work aesthetic has been kind of devalued by people that want to run in the booth drop a 16 and get their stuff pressed up.You got to realize a lot more goes into being creative but also making an album.I think thats were a lot of emcees and artists struggle creatively.When you really look at it some of the old valuable components to hip hop are not even being highlighted.Like break dancing thats one of the cornerstones of hip hopI think we really need to document the culture more and showcase these connections.You know like not knowing these cornerstones is totally blasphemous to B-Boyswe really got to refresh the view, and balance and showcase that connection.
Its very important man, cause Ive seen it many times.Weve seen it with jazz music and weve seen it with rock.Once you lose that balance and creative control, once you lose the self-empowerment aspect then you start seeing that it becomes something that it never was and I dont want that to happen to hip hop because I grew up with it, Im very passionate about it and it shaped my life in many ways.I want to get that back for the younger generation.
So you have signed with Raptivism, a label which focuses very much on music that is more reflective, introspective, critical of society at broad, and tends to take on broader social issues...What are you hoping to give people with your debut album from the label?
First off I want people to recognize that hip hop is worldwide.That you listen to my record there are some elements in thereyour going to get elements in there that you might not think are hip hop.Musically I tried to really reach and expand on where I see hip hop going.There are issues on there I am talking about and tracks added to the record since we got signed we went back and added like a song called Katrina that I wrote after hearing my parents and my family be affected by Katrina.Its a really heart wrenching song that really captures the issues, the day to day and what happened.I definitely want to evoke emotions and establish connections and this is a constant thread throughout the album.And I go through lots on the record and there are negative points but I always like to accentuate the positive and I just want people to be open when you put it ondont have expectationsI am the type of artist, Im not going to show you the same thing twice.Dont expect what you expect, just be open to something different.
On top of the label situation you have landed a role in a new Busta Rhymes/Tom Beringer/Sticky Fingaz flick. Could you give some info on the project and how did that come about?
It's all like in divine orderits not something I was even chasing90% of the time its been being in the right place at the right time.I met the producer of the film and she saw my video, she fell in love with the clip and really its a testimony, cause weve done a lot of hard work and now we see the pieces coming together.Its been connecting, being prepared, being at the right place at the right time, and you can be in the right place but if your not prepared to receive an opportunity you may not receive an opportunity again.So Ive done it all with this record, even though Im signed to a label, Im still grinding hard, harder now then before I had a label.Making sure the album is done, pressed up, I did everything on my own with the video, everything.I didnt want to give my power away with the project. Thats important for young artists to know, you can do things on your own and it gives you more credibility.For me, its about longevity not just being successful for a couple of years.I never base my methods on trends, Im a critical thinker, I think outside of the box.People go right I go left, the whole film project was divine order thats how the video happened, thats how the label happened, the album happened, and how the movie project happened.
You have really been able to effectively integrate yourself into types of media that tend to not necessarily promote music that of a higher level of social awareness be it with Billboard or being featured in an MTV Jams campaign or through avenues such as the aforementioned movie...how have you been so effective at carving a strong niche for yourself in markets that tend to have such different focuses then on what you are trying to do?
I think a lot of success we've received from MTV JAMS & The Billboard magazines of the world has a lot to do with the way I present MYSELFpresentation is a key ingredient in the marketing world.By me being able to diversify as an artist has enabled me to penetrate areas that traditional hip hop & rock artist haven't been successful at.My approach first and foremost has been never take no for an answer...which constitutes for a lot of my progress/success and the rest is timing and blessingswhen you work hard THE UNIVERSE HONORS THAT!! More importantly I feel it's beneficial when you think outside of the boxit's always for the most part worked towards my advantage. My motto is never let em see you sweat and Keep the fire burning!!
You have also been getting more and more tour dates including spots with M-1 from Dead Prez. How did that relationship come about and what does it mean to you to be able to get to tour with an artist of his caliber?
One thingtouring is one of the most underappreciated aspects of hip hop.Putting on a good show and being able to get out there and connect with fans.Touring in hip hopits one of the most important aspects.Touring has always been a strength of mine.I think to be able to get tour dates is great and to be able to do it on the national scene.Working with people like M-1 is great because he brings so much and also people come out and you get to show them what you do and the people that come out for M-1 are different then are people that will come out for me, and I love getting to work with other artists.
So do you prefer performing live or making music in the studio?
Thats a great questionthats like a parent with children which one do you love more.I think they are both very necessary but I think I am a natural performer at heart because even when I am recording, Im performing as well.I always approach all aspects as [if I am] performing even when I am writing, I am thinking of how the song will be.When Im touringwith me its all about expression its all about letting it outfirst and foremost its a way to be open, a way to get things off my chest.I love writing and recording and how it all manifests.Im already working on the next album, the concepts, and the recording process is something I am thinking about.But performing is natural for me and its all about expression.
With the label deal, working on a movie, touring, etc. you have a lot going on right now, how has your day to day changed?
It changes a lot because I am really involved in pretty much every aspect.Im still wearing several hats, because I take my career very, very seriously.Im not going to just give it up, Ive always been pretty involved, sometimes too much in every level.And I enjoy the work, and sometimes you know how it is, if you want something done sometimes you need to just do it.But with the record, with the marketing, with everything my involvement changes every day and sometimes it is too much.but its necessarythis is my child, this is my conception.And I have people who trust my judgment and I trust theirs and its all about balancing it.
Being from Louisiana and New Orleans how have you personally been affected by Katrina and how has it affected your music?
The Katrina catastrophe impacted me and my family tremendously...I personally was not in New Orleans, but the rest of my entire family were there and they had to struggle to survive and get out!!! Even though I wasn't there...spiritually my HEART & SOUL was present with my fellow friends, family and other New Orleanians.MY MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN FUELED & CHARGED BY THE SAME FIRE!! THAT THIS COUNTRY DESPERATELY TRIES TO PUT OUT (i.e. police brutality, racial injustices/economic divide, poverty, racial profiling, political corruption...on & on & on!!) so when KATRINA hit, it basically proved the point that so many of us already know that America is a truly unjust country!!! Ironically the hurricane hit right at the time I finished recording my album...so there's songs on the record that captures the intensity of effects of Katrina (pre and post New Orleans)..I guess you can say musically it was Divine Intervention regarding the time of the hurricane and the timing/message of my music!!
You are from New Orleans and there has been a huge amount of south vs. the world type of discussion in hip hop as of late. How do you think the hip hop community can sort of shift its focus from this New York vs. the south mentality to seeing itself as one community? It seems like that would be beneficial for everyone involved.
Its all contrived by the media.People from down south they love New York!Anything New York is about they want to be on it and we are about the culture.We really want the dynamicsthe record labels they really came in and shifted the focus from the people connecting to the music to a billion dollar business.Hip hop first was created for people, to make and connect to the music it wasnt about making moneynow its become a Microsoft kind of industry.Its so important for people to understand where all this comes fromits about changing peoples view pointsso we are all together, and about cultureso there is no beef New York vs. New Orleans, trust me, its eye and eye.
On that same topic the focus lyrically in hip hop regardless of where its from has really gotten away from content based lyrics that make a statement and focus on being positive to a lot of violent, homophobic, sexist type content...what do you think can be done to shift away from these types of lyrics to focusing more on positive song making?
I think everything goes in cycles.There was a time where being a lyricist was what it was all aboutyou know Big Daddy Kane, LLif you wasnt coming with lyrics, you wasnt an emcee.Im not talking about the emcee we say today, I mean an emceeyou know Chuck D, KRS One.I think the shift now its more about the music, lyrics have been pushed to the side, people dont really want to think about anything.I think if an artist is legit and genuine people are going to want to listen.I mean there are emcees that are real, Common, Andre 3000, people like that, they are bringing lyrics and they are doing it in their own way.I think lyrics have always been here, and people need to make a connection, its about people reallythere are those die hard people out there that really only want lyrics, and they want things to be positive and there are things people should know.And I think it will come back to lyrics being the most important thing again.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Im taking it back to where it comes frommy mom would always play Earth Wind and Fire around the houseAl Green, Coltrane, stuff like that.I was always around that type of stuff, so I always had an appreciation for that type of stuff.With hip hop, Run DMC by far was the biggest to me.LL Cool J, really all of old Def Jam, Public Enemy, Beastie Boysnow I appreciate stuff like Bob Marley, James Brown, people like that, but I am all over the place.I need all types of music, rock, jazz, hip hop.I tend to like more singer-song writers, even if its rock you have to say something and you have to feel it.
When did you decide that doing music full time was what you wanted to do?
Probably coming out of high school...music has always been an intricate part of my life.Growing up as a child my music always had vinyl around from gospel to funk, it was a great platform for me.I knew early on that I had a gift with writing and I started writing a lot in junior high school.I just wasnt quite sure if I could make a career out of it.But to me its like is your blood still running, is it in your veins?Yeah.its deeper then what people think it is.This is a part of my life and a part of me.Really music is a big piece of who I am and what I am.
Is there anything else you would like to get out/say to our readers?
Well one, I want to thank you for your questions we didnt even really talk about music at all.You ask questions, I can tell you want to get to know me and I appreciate that off the top.I just want people to take an open mind to my music and be ready to try to experience it.The album is about music, its about politics its about a lot of different things.So just be on the look out for MYSELF, be open to something thats different.
