[Interview] Kids These Days Speak on New Album, Personal Growth and More
"Let's show motherfuckers what Kids These Days is about right now."
Vic Mensa and Nico Segal from Kids These Days joined me and JR Bang in studio last week for the latest edition of Closed Sessions Radio on WindyCityUnderground.com. Vic and Nico talked candidly about their new album, Traphouse Rock, balancing the talents of everyone in the band, the make or break moment surrounding their appearance on Conan O'Brian, as well as youth violence in Chicago and the mistake of making that shit seem cool. The interview is quite in-depth, sit down, listen and enjoy.
[Interview] RH First Look: JD Era
While the world moves faster than ever, and patience is a rare attribute, Toronto emcee JD Era is bracing himself for the long haul. JD comes from Toronto's independent Hip Hop community, earning stripes and respect in the battle scene while dropping gems since 2008, a few featuring his fellow Toronto native, Drake. While he collaborated with Drake, JD didn't seek to ride any coattails, nor use Drake's star to build his own. He has continued that theme since inking a deal with Raekwon, and releasing the new mixtape, No Handouts. It this old-fashioned attitude that has JD Era poised for continued success and a strong member of Hip Hop's new class. We get to know JD a little better in our latest First Look.
[Interview] RH First Look: Black EL X Durkin
Black EL X Durkin take a conservative approach to their music. The Boston-based duo is not conservative in the sense that they produce formulaic tracks that cater to likes of pop radio stations. They’re far from that, producing a unique selection of cuts with witty lyricism and dynamic production. Black EL X Durkin are conservative in that they would rather put out a few tracks that you’ll really like instead of throwing a 20-something track tape at listeners and hoping something sticks.
Their condensed catalog consists of two mixtapes, 2010’s Color Commentary and this year’s The Collage EP, as well as a handful of other tracks. These guys are worth paying attention to and we know what to expect from them, “More singles…More videos. More parties. More shows. Global takeover. Profit.”
Check out RubyHornet’s First Look with Black EL X Durkin.
[Interview] RH First Look: Kami De Chukwu
SaveMoney has made as much noise as anyone lately in Chicago's Hip Hop scene. And while Vic Mensa and Chance The Rapper have led the initial charge for the army, it's clear that the crew has an onslaught of talent in its arsenal. Following in the footsteps of Vic, Chance, and Caleb James, in comes Kami De Chukwu. De Chukwu is looking to match the success of the aforementioned trio, who he met in high school and has been close with ever since.
"You know when you're scattering to make friends on the first day of high school and that first week?" Kami asks during our interview, "It's really been the same tight knit people since day one, for real." While they messed around with music and performing arts throughout high school, it took a serious turn when Vic Mensa broke the barrier by opting not to attend college in exchange for recording studios and road trips as part of his band, Kids These Days. As Kami says in the interview, Vic's decision impacted everybody, including Kami, and forced him to pursue his music with the same dedication and effort.
As Kami readies his August 20th project Light, we caught up with him for a First Look. Read the full interview to learn more about Kami De Chukwu.
Interview by Charles Farr
[Interview] Mikkey Halsted: All or Nothing
Mikkey Halsted knows plenty about patience. The veteran emcee is still waiting on his major label debut, a puzzling occurrence given the fact that he's been signed to Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, and Jermaine Dupri all at different times in his career. For one reason or another, things haven't gone the way of Mikkey Halsted, causing multiple delays as well as several critically acclaimed mixtapes to the delight of fans and Hip Hop heads worldwide. In 2012 though, Mikkey appears to be getting a lot right. He moved out to Los Angeles to work with No I.D. and Traxster, and in his own words, has made the best music of his career.
Part of Mikkey's roll in the studio has been the L.A. environment. Not so much the Cali weather, but the fact that Mikkey as well as his wife and two children all made the trip out West. This wasn't just taking a vacation to create music outside of Chicago, this was an all or nothing move, a 100% dedication to the music. It was make or break time for Halsted, bringing back the feelings he had on the southside of Chicago, living in poverty, rapping for survival.
"The music I created in that space, that hungry space, that space where you don't really know what tomorrow's going to bring, it's all or nothing, now or never, that space, that desperation, that hunger, that point, I think that inspired the best music," Mikkey tells me, sitting comfortably at Chicago's SoundScape Studio, during a brief trip back to the Chi. "I feel like when you look at artists, they're always trying to capture that first place that they were in. For me to have such a level of work and a cache of work before that and be able to press reset, that was dope for me."
Mikkey is also trying new things musically out in Cali. He's soaking in a different lifestyle and allowing it to broaden his subject material. He's known for soulful, conscious Hip Hop, a categorization he doesn't shy away from, but doesn't want to be defined by either. "We try to put people in a hole, then we get disappointed with people because we feel they're supposed to be like 'this.' That's really not human. It's like, the ill thing about where I'm at right now is that I'm in touch with my whole self. My higher self, my lower self, every part of me. When you put all of that together with lyrical integrity, meaning you're skillfully telling these stories, painting these pictures and regardless if the picture is of a liquor store, strip club, or it's a woman that you really like, whatever you're painting, man, paint that shit perfectly. And if you do that, that's Hip Hop. That's what it is."
In this in-depth interview Mikkey Halsted talks about working with No I.D. and Traxster, moving to California, the new Chicago Hip Hop scene, and a possible reunion with Kanye West. Check it out.
[Interview] First Look: St. Millie
Back in January, as I was cleaning up my stuff after ending my class at Columbia College, one of my students came up to me and asked if he could introduce me to a new artist that he supported. I'm always interested in music brought me to by my students, who are often times on the ground level with many of the young artists in Chicago's scene. The following week, as I lectured to my class, St. Millie sat patiently outside the classroom door waiting for my students' dismissal and his time to enter the room and share his music. That was my first meeting with St. Millie, who spoke humbly about his music and his hopes for it. He played me a couple records and mentioned that The Gift -who is most well known for his work with Rockie Fresh- was serving as a musical mentor on his forthcoming project.
Millie didn't brag or boast. He played the music and asked me questions about each song and exactly what he could do to improve, or any places he could get his foot in the door. A couple months later Millie opened up our Digital Freshness Under 21 edition, earning a coveted spot on the showcase of up and coming emcees that also featured Chance The Rapper, Caleb James, and Calez, all of whom are garnering interest from beyond the windy city right now. Millie's work ethic, approach, and respect for teamwork have greatly helped in getting him to this point, a place where he has a chance to break through with the August 11th release of his new mixtape, No Religion But Up.
In this new edition of RH First Look, Millie talks about the spiritual concept behind the project as well as his journey from near homelessness to finding his place within the Chicago Hip Hop community. Hit the next page to read on.
[Interview] RH First Look: The O'My's
Creating a band in 2012 takes a few different shapes than it did during the 70's or 80's, before the age of the the computer. Today, the emergence of the digital era has drawn so many musicians into an independent frenzy, creating all genres of music behind closed doors and sitting endlessly behind computer screens. Yet, not everyone is running out buying Ableton and locking themselves in their rooms, and most definitely not Chicago's premiere Soul, funk and R&B based band The O'My's. While they can appreciate technology's contributions to music, they aren't digging the auto-tune.
"In reference of what's going on in popular music now with the auto tuning and some synth based stuff, which is stuff we are not against, but there is a certain amount of honesty that comes from putting your voice and your instrument on tracks as is," says Maceo Vidal-Haymes, the lead vocalist and guitarist who is one of the leaders of the band. Vidal-Haymes met keyboardist and vocalist Nick Hennessey in 2007 at Lollapalooza after hearing about each other in the city's young music scene. The two connected in the studio soon after with amazing chemistry and the O'My's were born.
The O'My's have gained a solid following thanks to their great live show and the release their acclaimed mixtape, Chicago Style, the band plans to go full throttle in the studio this summer. They have plans to release up to 2 projects by the end of the season as well as help their friends record, mix and promote their own projects. They also plan to collaborate with the likes of Chuck Inglish and Chip Tha Ripper. "We just want people to listen man," Maceo told us. "We put [Chicago Style] and probably our next one out for free because we just want people to hear it."
Read on to learn more about The O'My's in this new First Look.
[Interview] RH First Look: theWHOevers
For Dotkom and J. Arthur, Hip Hop isn't just about the music. The two met at Northern Illinois University and quickly found that they each shared an appreciation for Hip Hop culture. That shared appreciation is at the core of their bond, and a mindset that informs them in their work as theWHOevers, one of Chicago's best new groups. "We both knew we wanted to create music that we as listeners would enjoy," says J. Arthur, "something that represents the essence of the Hip Hop culture we adored growing up."
In September of 2011, theWHOevers released their debut project, Renovations. The mixtape is an eclectic collection of beats and rhymes in the spirit of Hip Hop's golden era with influences from Chicago house and freestyle movements. Following that release, Dotkom and J. Arthur upped the creative ante and released a new song every Wednesday, forcing each other to push themselves beyond hot 16's and one-liners. Much like an athlete hitting the gym, or a samurai sharpening his sword, theWHOevers have only gotten better since Renovations. And this summer they will release a new mixtape, which will then set the table for a proper follow-up to Renovations.
In this First Look, we talked to Dotkom and J. Arthur about their influences, their solo projects, where they fit in Chicago Hip Hop, and much more. Check it out.