Hello my good good people! Today’s ‘People You Should Know’ feature is quite special because I will be presenting you all with not one but two talented individuals. I had the absolute privilege of interviewing two of who I believe are the most talented up-and-coming rappers: Moruf and Theo Martins. These young men are nothing short of inspiring; the fact that they are out in the world chasing their dreams and working endlessly at their craft is something that moves me deeply. Nas wasn’t lying when he said the world is yours. If you dream big and believe in yourself, you can achieve anything. It is up to us to claim ownership of our destinies. We were all born with the tools of success, we just have to put them to use.
Although their sounds are quite different, both Moruf and Theo have velvety smooth flows and soul gripping lyrics; two things that I look for in hip-hop music. And if that wasn’t reason enough for me to love them, they are both Nigerian (like me)! Nothing thrills me more than seeing my people succeed and that is exactly what these unsigned wonders are doing.
Moruf
The things that strike me the most about Moruf’s music are his flow, his lyrical content, and his choice of beats. The manner in which he seamlessly weaves storylines filled with riveting rhymes and witty wordplay over the soulful sound of clapping drums is mesmerizing. Moruf’s style of music is right up my alley; I am a huge fan of Slum Village so I was more than thrilled to hear some of their beats on his awesome mixtape entitled Garden State of Mind: Ready To Live. There is so much depth to his songs; I hear hope in his music. It's definitely something you can vibe to. I also appreciate the fact that his music stays true to what I would consider pure hip-hop: poetry to a beat. Like I always say, if you took a rap song and stripped away all the background noise and was left with the soulful sound of spoken word, you’ve got some genuine hip-hop. That is exactly what Moruf's work is; he is straight soul, no chaser.
Here are a few of my personal favorite tracks from Moruf (click to play): Love Jones, Slumdog, Peach Gone Bad, Canon
How long have you been making music? What initially got you interested?
I’ve been making music for the past 2-3yrs I would say. I always had a huge interest since I was young; started off singing in my middle school choir. I always wrote raps but I would say that’s making music. I actually started recording songs about 2-3yrs ago. The no riles factor within creating is what interested me. I love the fact I could say what I want over a beat and people would appreciate it. I’m a lover of music first before just hip-hop. I love oldies: Anita, Marvin, alternative, Theophilus London, Little Dragon, The Beatles…but hip-hop was something that I thought I was good at so I decided to give it a try.
Are you in school or doing any other type of work? If so, how do you balance these other activities with your music?
Yes, I attend Kean University in Union, NJ. Lord willing, I shall be done soon. 1 more year 8) And yes, I do work as well. Radio Shack..lol, a little part time gig. In all honesty, almost every day I’m busy from music, class or work and if I’m not doing either one I feel as though I’m not doing enough so I try to be balanced as possible when it comes to the timing. I feel I was born to keep myself busy…for now at least. It’s apart of the grind I would say.
How do you feel about the current state of hip-hop? Do you think it's dead?
Hip-hop isn’t dead; THE RADIO IS! The best music nowadays is not on the radio which really sucks. Everything is pretty much the same. It sucks how the radio nowadays doesn’t give new artists a chance but rather has the same 10 artists playing in a cycle ALL DAAAAAY! AND WHAT REALLY SUCKS IS THAT AT THE JOB I WORK AT, I HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO ALLL DAY.
Who are your favorite hip-hop artists?
Jay Electronica, Mos Def, Talib, Madlib, Quasimoto, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye, J Dilla (as a producer & MC), Andre 3000, Pete Rock, Baatin (Slum Village), Melo X
I love your mixtape, Garden State of Mind: Ready To Live because I get so much of that feel-good, soulful, genuine hip-hop vibe from it. In an age where most rap music is very commercial, what inspired you to stay true to a very conscious brand of hip-hop?
I don’t know to be honest. This is something that I just felt. I didn’t think "hmm, I wonder how the radio would feel about it"; I just simply created...it felt right the homies agreed as well so I put it out. I get that question a lot. I don’t know, I’m just myself within the music so by me not trying to sound like anyone else I guess it all works out for the best!
------------------------------------------------------------
Make sure you download Moruf’s mixtape, Garden State of Mind: Ready To Live (here).
You can follow Moruf on twitter (here), join his facebook group (here), and check out his blog, Streetwear Couture, (here).
Theo Martins : a 24 year old rapper from Providence, Rhode Island
I cannot help but start dancing every time I listen to Theo’s music; his sound is so fresh and exciting. Theo’s youthful energy and brilliant imagination certainly shines through his work. I love the way he takes hip-hop, coats it with a bit of pop, adds a dash of electro, and finishes it off with some funk. The final product is absolutely beautiful. Theo’s lyrical content is definitely on point as well; there is a strong message in his music. A message that says, “dream big”. A message that says, “enjoy life”. A message that says, “never give up”. Theo recently revealed his latest project entitled Sincerely Yours, The Dance Floor. You could definitely jam to these songs all day long; they have such a feel good sound.
Here are a few of my personal favorite tracks from Theo (click to play)
(You can skip to 5:30 to see Theo. I encourage you to watch the entire video, it's amazing!)
How long have you been making music? What initially got you interested?
I seriously started to create music just a little under 3 years ago, I'm an artist meaning that I draw/sketch, participated in the Arts as a youth and began DJing around the age of 14, which basically gave me the understanding on how music and songs are structured. I love art, I enjoy the form of expression in all outlets so I explore them, thank God that I am able talented enough to thrive in them.
Has breaking into the music industry been hard for you? If so, how did you overcome the challenges?
Not at all. Things come in due time, truly. What I wanted for myself a year ago is probably something I wouldn't consider now, so to me it's a matter of knowing myself. Thank God I didn't get everything I've asked for; otherwise I'd probably never have the opportunity to do this interview. The biggest challenge has been understanding myself, learning to remove fear and doubt from the equation, doing a self check on my motives for the things I work towards. I used to think I needed the music industry, but they need me. And I think once I realized that everything changed.
How do you feel about the current state of hip-hop? Do you think it's dead?
I think Hip-Hop is in a great place, I think it's evolving and becoming something new, progressive and much more widespread than it's ever been. I am a part of the Hip Hop culture so I speak what I know I deposit into it, I enjoy where it's going. The culture has died in that it's no longer just a personal, local culture; it has now become a global force. Hip Hop has so many subcultures and extensions than probably any other genre. What has happened now is that the culture has become bigger than all of us and we kind of don't like that, but it's okay, because the creators control the culture no one can because they don't fuel it.
I understand that you started out as a DJ. What are the benefits of having that type of experience under your belt as a rapper?
Yes, I did. DJing gave me the advantage over others because I understood the format on how song structure, flow and style play such a big part in how music is received. As a DJ you control the climate of a party, you dictate how you want your audience to receive the music, but more importantly it helps you understand crowd control and how people want to see and hear music. All of those small components play such a large part in how I create and perform my music.
Who are some of the artists who have inspired and influenced you?
I've been inspired by many artists, but off the top of my cranium I'll say: Andy Warhol & The Velvet Underground, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, The Roots, Little Brother, Lupe Fiasco, Sunny Ade, Will.I.Am.
------------------------------------------------------------
Make sure you download Theo’s mixtape, Sincerely Yours, The Dance Floor (here).
No comments:
Post a Comment