Just caught this interview that Moosh & Twist did with Fuse one Facebook, it gives you a little insight into the minds of the Philly rap duo. I haven’t really seen many interviews with these two in the past so this is a good look in, they talk Grammys, Philly rap, and what it’ll feel like when “the deal” comes among other things. Check it out!
Archives for category: Interview
It hasn’t really been the best day in music, I’ve still got a few things up my sleeve but I saw this profile of Wiz on a few sites and thought it was hilarious so I figured I’d share it. It’s done by Dee Vasquez and is pretty much just her asking Wiz a bunch of random questions. As you can imagine his answers have a lot to do with a certain green substance, and Juicy J’s comments in the background are classic. Check it out and enjoy. Taylor Allderdice drops March 13th.
G-Eazy teams up with fellow New Orleans native and indie songstress Dominique Lejeune for this more serious track with the dope, old-school influenced flow we’ve come to expect from G-Eazy. Interview Magazine had the premiere on this one and they actually did a really good interview with G that has some insight into how he came up and how this song came to be. Click the link below to head over to their website to peep that and check out the song below. No download link yet, we’ll just have to wait and see where this track ends up. Enjoy.
One of the things I really want to get going that we haven’t done in a while is our Meet The Artist segment. In today’s music market with blogs and all of the free music being released, the consumer is closer to the artist in ways they have never been before and the artists are much more accessible than in the past. I think interviews are a great way to give you, the music fan, some insight into the artists mind and how different things play out for them. I recently did my first interview for the site with Jacob Es, the rapper out of Burlington, VT and UVM who recently just released his latest project The Road. Without further adieu, here it is:
StagsFlow : Jacob Es, first off I just want to say thanks for taking the time to do this interview for us, lets start out pretty general, why don’t you just introduce yourself to the readers, Who you are, where you’re from and a little about yourself?
Jacob Es: I am Jacob Es, and I am an artist from outside of Boston attending school at University of Vermont. I started getting into music after my third elbow operation following Tommy John Surgery failed and I had to give up my dream of playing baseball at the collegiate level.
SF: Who would you say are your biggest influences musically or otherwise?
JE: Musically I draw influences from a wide variety of genres. Growing up being an athlete I always loved listening to hip hop before I hit the field because it got me pumped up, and I used to spit some of my favorite verses from memory while playing centerfield during summer baseball. Artists like Kanye West, Macklemore, and Kendrick Lamar who consistently stretch the boundaries of hip hop and music in general are probably the artists that most heavily influence me. Otherwise, my family has always had a big influence on me in particular my grandfather. He was able to accomplish a lot coming from nothing and his dedication, humor, and loving nature are attributes that I try to emulate in my own life.
SF: You’ve been a staple on the site for quite some time now and I’ve always been impressed by your mixtapes. Right now your in the midst of a series of three mini-mixtapes, how did that concept come about, and why did you choose to go that route rather than dropping singles followed by one mixtape?
JE: This is an interesting question because I originally set out to do this mini-mixtape project at the end of 2011, and since my perspective has changed dramatically. Taking some time to step back and evaluate my music has allowed me to realize that my aspirations with music stretch too far beyond remixes to continue doing them at this juncture. The next project that you hear from me will feature original production as I work to create a more unique sound for myself. I don’t feel the need to do what everyone else is doing, and while I fully intend to complete the project The Road, right now my motivation to make original music is too great to deny.
SF: Your work with fellow Burlington artist Whole-Z has always been dope, how did that relationship come about, and what can we expect from you two in the future?
JE: I met Whole-Z in Burlington and we instantly were good homies, he has produced a bunch of tracks for me and we will definitely be working together in the future.
SF: If you could collaborate with one artist in the game now who would that be and why?
JE: What I would really love to do is collaborate with Miike Snow, one of my favorite bands. They have an incredibly unique sound and I love all their music.
SF: What seperates you from other up-and-coming artists in the blog scene?
JE: I think the thing that really separates me from other up and coming artists is that I don’t feel like a rapper. I meet a lot of different types of people being a full time student as well as a recording artist, and the more I have shared with people that I do music, the less I feel like I fit into the stereotypical “rapper” mold. Hip hop has a cloud of ignorance and moral flexibility ingrained in its culture that I simply do not subscribe to. Your never going to hear the Jacob Es song about fucking bitches and blowing money because that’s not my life, nor do I want it to be. What you get from me is music with artistic integrity, a message, and hopefully some good vibes haha.
SF: What would you say was the biggest moment in your career thus far?
JE: The biggest moment for me thus far is probably sitting in my car earlier this year and hearing my tracks Pumped Up Kicks and Under My Brim play live on the radio. Thinking back to writing those tracks in my shitty apartment in Burlington my first year at UVM really takes me back and helps me appreciate how much of a turn this has taken for me.
SF: On the other side what’s been your biggest obstacle as a young artist on the rise?
JE: The biggest obstacle has been getting my music to the masses, which is why I always will have love for StagsFlow because you guys are consistent so much love for that. There are a million artists out there these days who want to get their music heard, so I guess being original and heard in an overflooded market is the hardest part.
SF: What goes into writing a track for you? Whats the first thing you do when you sit down to write a new song?
JE: When I sit down to work on a track I listen to the instrumental a bunch of times first and usually will write a hook and work from their unless I catch a flow I’m feeling when I put it on. I’m not the type of artist you will see writing their verse on their phone on the way to the studio, because that’s just not how I get down. My philosophy is that if someone is going to hear my music one time, I want it to be something I meant for them to hear. That’s why I never read my lyrics either, when you hear my music its all coming off the dome because that’s when it feels the most organic.
SF: What’s next for Jacob Es? What can we expect in the near future as far as the next projects are concerned?
JE: As far as the next project is concerned, I am going to get in and be more hands on with the production of my beats and work on making a sound for myself and challenge myself creatively. I want to make music that when I look back in twenty years and have my kids ask me “Who Is Jacob Es?” I can put on and be proud of still. I believe that there’s no point in doing something unless your going to do it right, and that’s what I intend to do.
SF: Finally I just want to thank you again for taking the time to do this interview, anything else you want to add?
JE: I just want to sincerely thank anyone that’s checked out my music and encourage them to share it with your friends. Every single fan means a lot to me, and its been really incredible to see my music spread so much in under a year and that’s all on the people who have been jammin to it so MUCH LOVE and tell a friend, to tell a friend.
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To me, Frank Ocean is one of the most intriguing new artists to come around in a little while. While Tyler The Creator is sort of the leader / spark plug of Odd Future, I believe it’s Frank Ocean who is going to leave a bigger footprint on the music industry. Last week, Frank was named runner up of BBC’s Sound of 2012.
Frank has recieved praise from everyone from the occasional blogger to major industry heads from Def Jam and other labels. Frank beganwork writing for the likes of Brandy, John Legend and most recently Beyonce on I Miss You. As most of you know, Ocean was also called up to work on two tracks from Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne. If you thought Frank Ocean was going to stop there, you’re definitely mistaken.
This interview with BBC gives you an indepth look on who Frank Ocean is. He discusses his inspiration, playing live with Odd Future, how he is a short story teller / visual artist, his debut album, and what’s next for the young superstar.
My trip home today from school is really killing my posting game but I’ve got a few things to post tonight, one of them is this interview with Mac that he did with Forbes for their 30 under 30 list. In this one Mac talks the inevitable Eminem comparisons, how he comes up with the concepts for his videos, the release of his debut album Blue Slide Park and his stance on Major labels. Check it out!
Sean just sent me this interview of Childish Gambino done by Hardknock.tv. In the interview Donald talks Kanye, Nas, Tyler the Creator, and the transition from comedian to rapper. Enjoy.
So our next artist in our “Meet The Artist” segment is Dave Patten. I have been more than impressed with Dave when I first heard his music. Hailing from Philadelphia, Dave is an unreal talent in this music industry. Dave Patten creates his own brand of music from start to finish. Everything you hear on the singer/songwriter’s self-produced albums – acoustic and electric guitars, piano, drums, bass, synthesized horns and string parts – is Dave. Rarely does a musician have the ability and talent to synchronize each aspect of his tracks to the exact specifications of his creative vision. It is not only these talents that Dave impresses everyone with, but also his vocals. He has the the vocal capability to hit numerous genres of music. Dave also directs his own music videos, which you can see above. They are real dope. I’ve included some of my favorite tracks below from Dave’s album “Exposure”. Enjoy the tracks, and music videos. Just wanted to give Dave a huge thank you for taking the time to do this!
1. Thank you Dave for sitting down with us today, why don’t you introduce yourself to all the readers, where your from, and a little about yourself?
I’m a musician and an artist – I write and produce my music here in Philly. I have just released my sixth album, “Exposure”, and my youtube channel just recently broke 2 million views, so I’m in a pretty good mood haha.
2. You are a jack-of-all-trades, like a Ryan Leslie, how do you separate yourself from the pack of new artists?
I work with a lot of awesome rappers and hip-hop artists. I’m a pop artist. I think those collaborations bring a lot of attention to the fact that I’m doing something different, out of the box. You have to be different like that to get any attention. You also have to produce great material and be persistent. I’ve averaged about a video/week, which has been great for creating buzz.
3. Who are some of your biggest inspirations?
Relationships are my biggest. There are a few particular relationships I’ve had that I tap into when I write songs and feed off of. They meant a lot to me at the time and still do.
4. What goes into writing a new track or when you’re making a new beat?
Everything starts out on the piano for me. When I’m in the mood I know it, and I just let things roll. Usually I’ll come up with the chorus first, and record myself singing with my phone so I don’t forget haha. Then I’ll head over to the Pro Tools rig and start producing the song. Lay piano, maybe a few strings to fill in the chorus and then I get into drums. After that it’s all just layering in small sounds that give the track character and definition.
5. Your style definitely varies, from a soulful sound to an upbeat pop sound, describe your versatility?
I like to experiment. I don’t like to do the same thing over and over again, even if I know it works. The challenge of coming up with new material is fun to me, so I try out different directions.
6. What do you think are some of the biggest challenges you face as a new artist in the game?
Exposure is the hardest part, thus why I named my most recent album “Exposure”. There are so many artists and the market is so saturated you really have to work, be persistent and consistently release great material. It’s a slow grind for sure.
7. “How Good” has been a fan favorite on the site right now, how did you link up with Meek Mill?
I met Meek on set of a video shoot. He liked my work and got in touch so I started shooting his videos (Rosé Red, Where They Do That At, Indian Bounce to name a few). After I had developed a relationship with him I introduced my music. I refused to run up on him with a CD the first time I met him. I hate when people do that to me, so I wasn’t about to do that to him. Good things take time, and real recognize real.
8. If you could work with any artist, band, or producer right now, who would it be?
Kanye West. Despite what you think about his personality, musically he’s amazing. The College Dropout changed my life haha I want to work with him.
9. There has been a huge trend of new artists coming out of the Illadelph, what do you think the reason for that is?
We’re all working our butts off out here. Plus, there was really no competition so the space was going to be filled eventually. Now here we are. My main hope is that everyone works together – I’d like to see everyone I work with on a day to day basis now up there at the top too.
10. I notice that you have released a lot of your music for free, how do you think Social Media has affected your rise as an artist?
Social Media is a huge outlet of exposure. Sure you can sell your music on iTunes, but that deters 99% of listeners from hearing your music. If you give it away for free, tons of people will download it and it give it a shot. That’s what I need right now: listeners!!
11. What is next for Dave Patten? What are some of the goals you want to accomplish in this New Year?
I’m ready to make some big moves. Meek Mill and I are looking to put out a collabo album. I’m putting the live show together for a spring/summer tour. I plan to keep shooting as many music videos for as many songs as I can, and keep on writing. I’ll probably release a new album late Summer 2011. It’s going to be a great year!
12: Dave, thank you for doing the interview, is there anything else you want to let the readers know?
If you want to make it, get out there and make it happen. It’s not overnight lol. Add me on facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Patten/11362996778 follow me on twitter @dave_patten and download my new album “Exposure” free at www.DavePatten.com
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How Good feat. Meek Mill [Click To Download]
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Meek Mill feat. Dave Patten – Believe Me [Click To Download]
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Echo [Click To Download]
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Won’t Give Up feat. Fese [Click To Download]
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Oh No feat. Fese [Click To Download]
So we started off our Meet The Artist segment with Timeflies and now we have our second installment with our boys representing Philly, Fortune Family. I have always had a little soft spot for Fortune Fam because they were the first artist / group to ever reach out to me when I started Stags Flow. They are an extremely talented duo and have made some serious strides in the game with their music. Get an inside look at Fortune Family and what they have lined up in our interview with them after the drop. If you are new and have never heard of Fortune Family, I have also added some of their tracks to get a feel for their dope style. Make sure you join the movement and support Fortune Family here (Fortune Family Facebook). Shout out to Reef and Hobson for taking the time to sit down with us. Enjoy!
1. SF: Fortune Family thanks for sitting down with us today, why don’t you introduce yourselves and how Fortune Family came to be?
Sherif: Stags Flow, Sean, thank you for having us. We are Fortune Family – I go by Reef, my partner in crime is Hobson and we are from right outside of Philly. We got started back in the day when I was a senior. I made a track with my buddy about dumb high school shit, Hop ended up hearing it and invited me over to his studio. He was a little doubtful at first – but I layed down a pretty solid verse that day and ever since we’ve been FF.
2. SF: What are your biggest influences and what goes into making a track?
Hobson: I have a lot of big influences, most of which are the artists that I choose to sample. It’s always something about their songs that inspires me to flip it in my own way. Our tracks used to be strictly samples and drums, but you can hear on Paradox, our upcoming EP, how I’ve started to add my own real instruments over samples. It gives me the opportunity to diversify the sound.
3. SF: What are your guys’ thoughts on this new college music movement and the rise in all the new acts rising across the college scene, as well as how do you guys fit in?
Sherif: I’m a huge fan of this new college movement – it just hits home to a new demographic and a new generation. We don’t want to hear about stuff that doesn’t apply to our everyday lives anymore. And I think we fit right in. With me at NYU and Hop still holdin’ down high school, we rhyme about topics that matter to our fans.
4. SF: How do your describe the Fortune Family genre, obviously you guys are a hip-hop group but “Take Me Away” illustrates some versatility?
Hobson: Yeah we definitely don’t feel the need to stay inside the lines of traditional hip-hop. Right now it’s important for us to step outside of our comfort zones and experiment with new sounds. “Take Me Away” is a track like that, and it was a success. Definitely not the follow up you would expect after My Energy.
5. SF: What has been the most rewarding experience for you guys as an artist thus far?
Sherif: This may sound cliché – but every single time someone says they appreciate our music, that’s what makes it all worth it. That’s a bigger reward than anything else.
6. SF: What has been the most challenging thing for you guys so far in your early career?
Hobson: Definitely has to be making a name for ourselves and finding our niche. There are a lot of really dope rappers coming up with the same aspirations as us, and its important for us to stand out from the pack.
7. SF: Being a lacrosse player myself I know you guys performed with Wale at the LXM Pro Tour, describe that experience and how it has expanded your music to people.
Sherif: Damn, the LXM Tour was something else. Where we are from, lacrosse is part of the youth culture so this was a pretty big deal. The guys who ran LXM Pro really made us feel like a part of the event and until this day I still keep in touch with some of them. I gotta give a shout out to Max Ritz and Kyle Harrison for all their help. Many of the kids who are into lacrosse compose part of the same demographic who will enjoy the college music movement – quite a few of our favorite bloggers seem to be laxxers as well, which isn’t a coincidence.
8. SF: What type of shows do you guys have lined up and where?
Sherif: Our next one is our show that got postponed with Hoodie Allen, OCD and Tayyib (Feb. 18th), and the following night we’ll be opening for Mac Miller – it’s gonna be a crazy weekend. Then we got some college shows lined up. Sean, maybe a Fairfield stop? Haha.
9. SF: What’s next for Fortune Family in terms of new music, “Take Me Away” and “My Energy” have been huge successes, but also are extremely different, what type of sound will your new tracks have?
Hobson: I’m real excited about our EP. I guess it’s like a mid-point between those two tracks. We’ve got a track called “Take a Seat” that’s got a raw hip-hop feel to it. But we also have tracks with interesting samples and chord progressions that anyone who sweated “Take Me Away” will appreciate.
10. SF: Fortune Family can’t thank you guys enough for taking the time to sit down with us today, is there anything else you would like to say?
Hobson: DESEAN JACKSON
Sherif: Haha, thank you Stags Flow. Lastly, we just want to say that our EP, Paradox, is dropping in January and it’s going to be crazy. Hope you guys will enjoy it.
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Take Me Away
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My Energy
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Circus
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Let It Go
I’m going to try a new segment of Stags Flow, which is going to be called “Meet The Artist”, which will provide you guys with some interviews with the up and coming artist you’re bumping on your iPod. Today, we are starting with our boys Timeflies.
Timeflies has been a favorite of Stags Flow since their very beginning. I have been a big fan of Cal and Rob Resnick when their man Jared first hit me up. I think they’ve got the talent, but also innovation and versatility to make an enormous impact in the music industry. In their short beginning as a group, they’ve made everything from dance party bangers like “Lost My Mind” to acoustic chill tracks like “Pipe Dreams”. Check out our interview with the boys. Hopefully, this will give you an insight into some of the behind the scenes stuff going on with these new artists. Check out the Interview and some of their dope tracks after the jump! Enjoy!
1. Thanks Timeflies for sitting down with us today, let’s start off with some basics. Who are you guys, where are you from, and how’d you guys come together?
TF: First off, thanks for having us. Rob’s from the dirty Jers and I’m from New York. Our paths collided at Tufts University when Rob heard me drunkenly freestyle one night and saw potential. We decided to start a funk band, with me (Cal) as the singer and Rob on drums. After finding success with the band we decided to breakaway and do our own thing. And so… Timeflies was born
2. Who would you say have been the biggest influences to your style and music?
Our musical influences are completely different, across the board. Given Rob’s background as a dj, he tends to be a lot more interested in all things electronic. While his early roots were pretty wide ranging from Jason Mraz to Avenged Sevenfold ha, the past years he’s been listening to stuff like Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Pretty Lights, Armin Van Buuren, Flux Pavilion, as well as Derek Trucks, The XX, pretty much anything by Xaphoon Jones, and a lot more. My influences lie more with the blues genre. I was raised on Muddy Waters Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder with a steady balance of oldies to go with it. While I rarely sang in public before College, I became more interested in performance. I fell in love with rap and freestyling in particular when I heard Jay-Z and Big L’s 7 minute freestyle, if you haven’t heard it, check it, it’s epic. Big L is definitely the biggest rap influence for me and is by far and away my favorite rapper. I’m not sure how these influences directly manifest themselves in our songs but I think there’s a piece of it in everything we do.
3. I know you guys have blown up across the internet, what separates you guys from other college artists?
Given that we’re both music majors, we approach things from a little bit of a different perspective. We’re not looking to fit into one specific genre, but rather, take whats good in a lot of them and create something cool, fresh and new. No disrespect to all our friends in the college music scene, but we’re not necessarily looking to discriminate when it comes to our listeners. As in, we’re not producing college music, we’re putting out music for anyone and everyone. While we love the club bangers, the chill acoustics, and rap, in general we’re striving to make music fans can remember and identify with.
4. If you could collaborate with one non-mainstream artist right now, who would it be? Why?
Hard question. We’re having some trouble agreeing here.
Rob: I’m gonna cheat and get two names in here. I wasn’t sure if you’d consider him mainstream or not (yet) but my first answer would be skrillex. If you’re not satisfied with that answer than I’ll have to go with Hans Zimmer, the genius behind The Pirates of the Caribbean.
Cal: Hmmm. This is an impossible question to answer. If I could get into the studio with one person or group right now, I think it would be Mumford and Sons. I love how they incorporate the banjo and their musicianship is off the charts.
5. “Lose Your Mind” has been the most downloaded song off our site, but “Pipe Dreams” offers a different feel, do you guys feel that you’re a versatile group?
I think versatility is what we’re all about. As we stated earlier we’re not looking to satisfy one genre necessarily- -we want to take a shot at everything. We’re just happy that people are liking it. To be honest, as clearly different as they are, I think we wrote both songs from a maybe surprisingly similar perspective. Its not like we go into “acoustic mode” or “banger mode” or anything like that. Rob does work on a bunch of instruments and I like singing whatever feels good, so depending on whats inspiring at the moment we may end up in a lot of different places.
6. I know you guys are both college students, what are the biggest challenges you guys have faced so far?
Shit… Work. Trying to get our schedules to match up is impossible as is– so hours are scarce and all nighters are plentiful. And unfortunately we’ve had some teachers who don’t respect the creative process, ie missing class. Thus, they don’t hesitate to throw some d’s on it, haha, but it’s all good. No complaints.
7. What has been the most rewarding experience so far with your increases exposure?
Wow. how to answer this– I mean, all of it. The fact that shit that we’ve worked on for days on end starts playing at a party. Rob and I just look at each other and its like, shit, is this really us? Who wrote this garbage, haha. But no, its rewarding just to see that people are listening.
8. Where do you guys see your music career taking you? Do you want this to be a long term thing or is it just a hobby?
Definitely long term. Music will be a mainstay in both of our lives, whether it be in the spotlight or not. In some capacity we’ll always be involved in music. It’s our passion
9. This one is more directed towards Rob, but what goes into the process of your beat making and where do you find your inspiration?
Some days I’ll think of a hook in my head walking to class, or hear a song somewhere and run home to sample it. I’ll get home and work for hours and hate everything I do, the next day to write something dope in 20 minutes. Point is, its a process that like any artist, I (hate and) love. I try to keep my sound from ever being too similar track to track, but also think its important that there is something thats ‘me’ in everything I produce. Love when my friends hear stuff on the radio or random tracks and go “oh thats a Rob Resnick beat”, especially when its hot haha. In general though I just find everythings better when I try to think of it as writing a song, not making a beat.
10. What’s next for Timeflies? Are there any collaborations that fans can look forward to?
We’ve got a lot of projects in the works right now. Finals definitely needs to end, but after that we’re gonna keep at it. We’ve got things coming with Collin McLoughlin, Loggy and a few others.
11. I know we are working on putting together a show here at Fairfield University, describe what you concert here would be like?
Were talkin strippers, pyrotechnics, you know Cirque du soleil type shit. Ummm, but more seriously we’re gonna give fans the songs they love as well as showing the creative side of the process with some free styling and beat building right on stage. It should be a lot of fun
12. Well guys thanks for sitting down with us today, is there anything else that you’d like the readers to know about Timeflies?
Thanks for the interview. If there’s any final take away, its that if you’re feeling our music, don’t wait till you hear our new song playing somewhere. The internet is changing the game, everyones on their laptop all day – make one of the things you do setting aside a second to check out some new music, whether it be on our page, or one of the many really awesome blogs that spends a lot of time getting the crackest shit so you don’t have to (like this one!)… and tell your school to bring us out for a show!
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Lose My Mind
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Pipe Dreams (la da da)
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All Night
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Fade (Prod. by Rob Resnick)
Stag Flow 