Tonight Add-2 will take the stage at The Mid, opening up for Black Thought of The Roots. We caught up with Add to talk about the show, what it’s like performing with one of his main influences, and what audiences can expect when he takes the stage. Check out the interview below.
For more information on Black Thought at The Mid click here.
RubyHornet: So you are opening up for Black Thought this week at The Mid. I know that Black Thought and The Roots are amongst your influences. Where would you put them as far as your favorite artists? Are there any hints of Black Thought that show up in your style?
Add-2: I love The Roots, ever since I was younger watching videos on Rap City & The Box I have been a fan of their music & artistic integrity. I would stayed glued to the television just to watch “What They Do” (which in my opinion is still one of the best Hip Hop satire videos), “The Seed 2.0”, “Proceed” and “You Got Me”. They helped changed the scope of how we as Hip Hop artists perform and also showed us that a great live show can generate a strong base for touring and longevity. I believe my style is a mixture of a lot of artists I’ve grown up hearing from Hip Hop to R&B and I can say that Black Thought is definitely a part of that group of artists. As an emcee I admire his style and the lyrical acrobatics he displays consistently on every track. His versatility, breath control and the way his voice commands your attention is amazing. One of my favorite verses is from “75” Bars where he demolishes every single bar effortlessly like he’s saying “Yea I know I’m killing this shit and there’s nothing you can do or say to match this”. That type of mentality I try to emulate and bring to every song or performance.
RubyHornet: You’ve performed with The Roots before right? What was that experience like, does that impact anything you have planned for this upcoming set?
Add-2: Yea, I had the opportunity to share the stage with The Roots last summer at The Highline Ballroom in New York. I was in town for another show and the Okayplayer family invited me to the concert and told me they wanted me to rap with Black Thought & the band on stage. I tried to keep it as cool as I could but on the inside I was bugging out cause backstage I would look to my left and there was Questlove just chilling next to me and then Black Thought would walk passed every now and then and would say with a smirk “You ready?…you sure?” Once I got on stage all the nerves left and it was just like any other show but once I left the stage it hit me like “Damn…you know you just rapped along side Thought & the band was playing the beat for you?”. That’s always been one of my life long dreams so its something that I will never forget… The shows we have been doing lately we have been stepping up in all aspects from energy, creativity and showmanship but being on a bill with Black Thought forces you to raise your level of expectations for yourself. It makes me work harder, rehearse more intensely and try to construct the best show possible cause you know he and J. Period are going to tear it up. I want the people to leave in awe and feeling like they’ve seen one of best concerts period.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYQv3Pb6WnY
RubyHornet: How do you describe an Add-2 performance for those that have never seen you? What can we expect this week?
Add-2: An Add-2 show is crazy. Anybody who has seen me, Slot-A, DJ J-Rell and Mike Curran perform know to expect that ANYTHING can happen so I couldn’t give a precise answer what all to expect. All I can say is it will be energetic, great vibes, great music and some randomness. You never quite know what’s going to happen when we all get on stage.
RubyHornet: What have you been up to lately? Where can people get familiar with more of your music?
Add-2: I’m still wrapping up a few videos from the last project Tale Of Two’s City Vol.4: Better Days, my last video “Dream Girl” is currently in rotation on MtvU and I been slowly coming around to the idea of doing a few new projects. Everything is still tentative but as of right I’m in the early stages of it and still recording more music. You can find all the mixtapes here or here and remember to follow me on twitter @ADD2theMC.