“I’ve always taken pride in being a humble person. That’s just how I was raised. Even when I was making those cocky Supastition songs, I was a humble person in real life.” Those words pretty much summarize the man that we know as, Kam Moye. Fed up of dealing with the stresses of being the everyday label artist, he jumped ship and decided to start his very own label, Reform School Music. From marketing, booking shows, fan merchandise sales, and even some of album sales, Kam Moye controls every business aspect. No middle man, just him. The business change accompanies his name change (Supasition to Kam Moye), which is a representation of his inner growth. All of that is on display on Kam’s most recent piece of work, Splitting Image.
RH correspondent Ashydaykid caught up with the Charlotte, North Carolina native, Kam Moye for this week’s First Look. Check out the full interview right after the jump.
RubyHornet: So your latest album is called Splitting Image. Lets talk about that for a second. You also go by Supastition. Does this have anything to do with the title of the LP? Can you explain the ideology behind the title?
Kam Moye: Well, the title is a play off of the term ‘spitting image’. The theme of Splitting Image is changing on the inside as a person even though you still look the same on the outside. It’s about maturing and self-acceptance. For years, I kind of played it safe and stayed within the limits of what I was always taught that a Hip Hop album should be. Nowadays, I’m not afraid to try different things and do what I feel. As Supastition, I released albums in the past that were all boom bap-sounding albums. It was mostly just me just trying to prove that I’m an ill rapper. There was a little substance in it, but that was never my #1 focus back then. I’ve made some great music as Supastition but it was time to move on. Nobody wants to do the same thing in life at 30 years old that they did at 20 years old. Kam Moye is my real name, and I’d rather make music reflective of my age and my life rather than the blueprint of what Hip Hop is supposed to be. I’ve dedicated the rest of my career to making music that speaks honestly and inspires people for the most part. I’ve been through life-changing experiences and my mentality changed long ago. I just felt like I couldn’t show it in my older music. It’s more of my real personality now so there’s more charisma and sincerity. By now people should know that I can rap or not, so why keep trying to prove the same point on every album? There’s just more things to talk about.
RubyHornet: How has fan reaction been to the album as of today? Have people been receptive to it?
Kam Moye: I’ve heard great responses from the die-hard followers who have supported me since day one. I’ve gained a lot of new fans because the music has a broader appeal. I can say that the responses are more genuine and heartfelt because I’m speaking on some serious issues. It’s something that people around my age can relate to. I don’t expect the average teenager to be able to relate to an album with songs about maturing, marriage, depression, unemployment, and the things that someone in their thirties is going through. That’s not the audience I was aiming for on this project. Some people just want to hear dope beats and rhymes and nothing more than that. Then there are fans who want substance and consciousness but they only want to hear it from certain rappers. I’m just proud that I could show the world another side of who I am.
This record is the transition album between the Supa and Kam music, so of course I’m going to hear good and bad responses. People don’t really take notice until something changes. You’ve got some listeners who have always seen me as some kind of underground Hip Hop savior. Although a lot of people knew the Supastition name, nobody was really buying the music. I’ve had plenty of Supastition listeners, but very few supporters. I’ve seen the sales of every one of my albums and it was depressing. When your core audience is no longer buying the music that you make for them, then why continue watching your music fall on deaf ears? When I chose to stop going by Supa, that’s when everyone started paying attention again. I’ve made 4 or 5 projects of nothing but raw Hip Hop. I was losing my passion for recording so I felt that it was time to either progress or hang it up. I made the choice to progress instead. It’s funny now how all those years you’ve put in the game are null and void now as soon as you make an album that’s not for the purists. But that’s Hip Hop I guess. I’m happy with the album and it’s taking me in the direction that I want to go. Not the direction that everyone else feels I should go.
RubyHornet: After years of disappointments with independent labels you decided to start your very own label called Reform School Music or RSM back in 2006. What were some things that you had a hard time learning or understanding seeing that you were an artist first?
Kam Moye: I’ve always been disappointed with how labels were set up and how the artist is treated like a peasant. Outside of my first deal for 7 Years of Bad Luck, I wasn’t disappointed with my label situations. That’s a big misconception that has haunted me my entire career. I didn’t bounce from label to label because it didn’t work out. I was just never tied down to one label. I always signed non-exclusive deals so I had the freedom to work with any label that I wanted. Most artists who stay on the same label for years probably don’t have the option to go anywhere else and record. I kept all of my publishing and all of my masters. I could probably still go back and put a record out on Soulspazm. I see each record deal as a stepping stone. Soulspazm did what they could with the resources that they had. I didn’t expect to sell 200,000 records because they just didn’t have the resources and distribution for it. I actually inked an exclusive deal with Myx so this is my first official artist recording deal since the 90’s. A lot of people don’t know that.
As for hard lessons, one of the things that I’ve learned as an artist is that you want to eliminate as many middle men as possible. In the end, it will be a bunch of finger pointing and nobody ever has an immediate answer to anything. Labels do deals with other labels who have good distribution. That makes you the 4th party in your own record deal. Three other people have to get paid before you get paid. It doesn’t matter how you negotiate your contract if the label doesn’t have a good deal with the distributor. As an artist, find out the numbers and deal that your label has with the distributor and other companies because it’s your album. Running Reform School and working with different labels have opened up my eyes to a lot of the inner workings of the industry. You really have to know the business to understand how it operates on different levels.
RubyHornet: How important is it for an artist to really come in the game with prior business knowledge in order to completely and coherently understand that aspect of it?
Kam Moye: If you’re going to be in any business then it should be common sense for you to know the field that you are working in. You will either get ripped off or think everyone is ripping you off if you don’t know how the business works. Labels, lawyers, and managers can talk circles around artists because a lot of them are clueless to their rights and their own contracts. All that most artists know is when they aren’t getting paid but they rarely know why. You will hear how a label gave them a sh**ty contract but nobody held them at gunpoint to sign it. You’ve got artists signing with indie labels who are giving them major label percentages but not giving them major label money and budgets. I took it upon myself to learn the music biz at an early age and it has definitely helped. Educate yourself and you’re better off in the long run. Big Dho manages me, but we both bring ideas to the table and we work together to make s**t happen. I’m not the artist sitting back waiting on my manager to put food on the table because that’s not solely his job.
RubyHornet: I was doing a little research on you and I noticed that you have done a nice amount of overseas tours. I then heard in one of your songs that you prefer to be overseas because they understand and are receptive to your music. Why do you feel this way? Why do you think over seas Hip Hop fans are more receptive to your sound?
Kam Moye: The international market was my biggest audience for years. Of course, there are people overseas who listen to mainstream radio but there’s a huge audience that supports smaller artists. They want your entire catalog rather than just your hottest album. In the U.S. and Canada, we frown upon new artists before we actually hear them. We’ve heard so much bad music that we are conditioned to expect the worst. We are surprised when we hear something that doesn’t suck. It’s the opposite overseas sometimes. They are more willing to listen first and then decide if they like it or not. That alone gives you a better chance of being appreciated if you are talented. It’s not even about talent anymore over here anymore. Even on an indie level, U.S. fans are concerned with your features and record sales. It’s the same as the majors but just on a smaller scale.
RubyHornet: At the end of the song “Splitting Image” you said, “I was always seen as that bitter angry rapper who hated the industry. I mean I still hate the industry but I’m not mad about it.” Why do you hate the industry besides reasons of artist exploitation? How did you come from hating the industry and being angry with it to hating it and not being mad about it?
Kam Moye: I’ve always disliked the fact that there is so much politics that goes on behind the scenes. Regardless of your music, magazines aren’t reviewing your album without a publicist with a credible reputation. Radio isn’t getting behind your music unless there is a radio rep pushing your music and going for adds. Sometimes people can’t tell the difference between a good artist and a good marketing campaign. You spend enough money and you can buy acceptance into this music industry.
As far as not being mad anymore, I’ve accepted that both the music industry and Hip Hop as I once knew it is a thing of the past. The whole concept of buying music is on its way out. Before you could walk into a mall and you had access to any type of music that you wanted. It was part of your whole shopping experience but that’s no longer the case. There’s no experience with buying music and some fans don’t feel financially responsible for supporting the music that they listen to. I used to be one of those “save Hip Hop” dudes but 1994 isn’t ever coming back. That mentality has become just as cliché as some of the mainstream trends. I saw firsthand that the same ones complaining about how bad Hip Hop is nowadays are the same ones who aren’t supporting the artists who are making great music. There is plenty of good music out there and if you don’t think so, then you aren’t looking hard enough. I just refuse to sit around and be angry about it anymore.
RubyHornet: On your first single, “Lets Be Hones”t, off of the album Splitting Image, you talk about being content and happy with what you have. You said that you appreciate the small things. Where did this humble mentality in you come from? Was it always there, or was it something that came over time of maturing?
Kam Moye: I’ve always taken pride in being a humble person. That’s just how I was raised. Even when I was making those cocky Supastition songs, I was a humble person in real life. That’s where I felt conflicted as a person and an artist so I chose to go with my true personality. To rest of the world, this is a new mentality but for me it’s just the way that I’ve always been. Anyone who has had a conversation with me can tell you that I’m just a down to earth person. I’m not going to be extra with it just for the sake of entertainment. It’s hilarious when you see these guys who are always in ‘rapper mode’. There’s no on & off button for me. This is just who I am. I’m a father who has two daughters looking up to me so my choices and behavior are reflective of that. I became a father at the age of 16 so I had to mature at an early age. When you have gained a lot, and watched everything almost taken away from you then you have no choice but to humble yourself. This isn’t an everyman mentality; this is a grown, God-fearing man talking.
RubyHornet: I noticed that you have an online store on your website, where you sell your albums, t-shirts, and vinyl as well. You don’t usually see things like that on an indie artist’s website. It seems that you have the whole business aspect of the game down. Have you seen a direct revenue impact from the online store on your site?
Kam Moye: I’ve had the online store for years and the support is cool. I sign every CD and mail out every package myself. I usually throw in a bonus CD or something every chance I get. That’s a way of saying thanks to the fans that support me directly. CD sales are down so I make more money from my iTunes and digital sales. I have a little experience in almost every aspect of game and I’m still interested in learning more. It only makes you a better businessman and a more self-sufficient artist.
RubyHornet: With the releasing of your latest album a month ago, what else can fans and listeners be expecting from you in the near future? Tours mixtapes features etc..?
Kam Moye: The biggest project that I have in the works is a group project called Electric Ave with my homeboy D.R. He’s handling the production on the entire record. I’ve always wanted to do a MC/producer album in the same vein as Gangstarr and Pete Rock & CL Smooth. D.R. and me are in the same city so it’s easier to work that way and build the chemistry. I’ve been working on songs for that lately.
I’m also working on a mixtape with DJ Concept that will feature a lot of unreleased Supastition songs and collabos. I wanted to clean out the vaults and get those songs out of the way. I’m probably going to release another free EP very soon but it’s not 100%. I’m not sure yet if I’m doing another solo album, but I’ll weigh out the options when the time comes.
RubyHornet: This will work as a formal introduction for you to our readers so could you provide them with 3 reasons why they should continue to follow your music?
Kam Moye: My music brings a certain sincerity and honesty that is missing from Hip Hop. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin and not afraid of being judged… I consider myself the b-boy that grew up. I can spit with the best of them but I can write conceptual and storytelling songs without it sounding forced… My music represents a different side of southern hip-hop that the world doesn’t get to see too often. I was influenced by Outkast and the Goodie Mob just as much as I was influenced by Gangstarr and Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
More info: