Posts belonging to Category 'My Interviews'

While Chevy Woods was in Ann Arbor, Michigan wrapping his first solo tour, I caught back up with him before the show for a slightly unorthodox interview, which was featured in the latest episode of his “In Living Color” series. Meeting in his hotel room, I surprised the Taylor Gang general with gifts of classic Willie Hutch vinyls and stumped him by playing the theme song to Gangland, the namesake of his upcoming mixtape. Don’t miss Chevy’s candid message when our chat about obscure tidbits comes to a close.

Sidenote: Watch our first interview here!

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“MuziksMyLife.com. Make sure you check that shit out for this interview. When you’re YouTubing Mac Miller interviews and this pops up and you watch it…and you’re like, ‘Awe man, that was a dope interview. Where should I go to check out other interviews like this?‘ Go to MuziksMyLife.com!” -Mac Miller

Mac Miller’s got the “Moves Like Jagger.” Following his sold-out show at The Fillmore Detroit on Saturday (which included a surprise-guest performance by Three 6 Mafia), the Pittsburgh native and I kicked it backstage for a 10-minute interview exactly one month before the release of his independent debut album Blue Slide Park (Nov. 8).

With his Most Dope crewmates gazing at us, I presented the “Donald Trump” rapper with Shel Silverstein’s Falling Up (“This is, like, one of the first books and authors that got me into anything creative.”), Larry Clark’s K.I.D.S. (“I saw this movie when I was probably in eighth grade and it fuckin’ changed my life.”), and the original inspiration for his album cover artwork (“Oh, wow! You are the only—you found this!”).

Sidenote: Special thanks to Rostrum Records for making this possible. Shout out to Q for hooking us up with tickets to the show and doing his job so well. Thanks to Jon Golm for filming and Cory Jamieson for editing. Thumbs up!

With a following of more than 500,000 on Facebook and Twitter, and a No. 3 ranking on the iTunes albums chart, Grammy-nominated Christian rapper Lecrae has reached beyond the religious community and into the mainstream. On Friday (September 30), I caught up with the Reach Records recording artist and co-founder during his Rehab tour stop at the Orbit Room in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Lecrae and I sat down to chat about the authenticity of his music in terms of hip-hop perspective, as well as Christian outlook; overcoming the misconceptions associated with his craft in order to encompass a mainstream audience; and even his thoughts regarding Odd Future. He went as far as to simulate a conversation between himself and the controversial collective’s frontman Tyler, The Creator.

“I think ultimately what I would ask somebody like Tyler, The Creator is, ‘What do you live for?’ And I’m sure he’d have a response—’I live for XYZ.’ And I would say, ‘Well, why?’ You know, and whatever his answer is, he may have a ‘why.’ And I’ll say, ‘Is that good?’ And, you know, hopefully he would say, ‘Yeah, it’s good.’ And I’ll say, “Well, what is good? And where do you get your standard of good? ‘Cause standards have to come from somewhere. And if there’s no standard of good or evil, then why live like your life is significant? Why pursue things? Why have dreams? Why have passions? It doesn’t matter, your life doesn’t mean anything because there’s no God, and there’s no standard, and there’s no purpose. So when you cry at the MTV Video Awards, or you’re excited for winning that, why? Because it’s significant to you. But it shouldn’t be, ’cause nothing matters. So you’re the source of your significance now, and the only things that matter, matter to you. So now you’re essentially God, and you’re significant. But if you don’t believe there’s a God, then there’s no such thing as significance because there’s no standard.’ And then he probably would be confused, and we’d have to have more conversations. [Laughs]“

Sidenote: Special thanks to all who made this possible! Thanks to Drew Gensler for filming and Cory Jamieson for editing.

Sidenote: For all intents and purposes, those of you in my area can see Odd Future perform live at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on October 16! RSVP on Facebook and purchase tickets here!

Skylar Grey hosted an intimate meet-and-greet with fans today (September 22) at 104.5 WSNX in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter opened with a piano medley of her hits consisting of “Coming Home,” “Words I Never Said,” “I Need a Doctor,” and “Love the Way You Lie”. She remained seated for an impromptu Q&A session, fielding questions from staff and contest winners about her upcoming album Invinsible, collaborating with Marilyn Manson, and more.

I asked Skylar about her experience guest starring on Comedy Central’s Tosh.0 this past Tuesday, to which she responded, “Tosh… [Laughs] That was so random; I got a call to do Tosh. Yeah, that was really fun.”

After gauging her audience’s familiarity with the show, she continued, “So Tosh does these web redemptions, and he found this YouTube video of Eli Porter, a rapper who kind of went down in history for being…kind of terrible [Laughs], and gave him the opportunity on the show to redeem himself. So they got the school cheerleaders to dance around him on a golden throne and had me sing the hook for this hip-hop song. So we were on the season premiere a couple days ago. You can find it online; it’s quite funny. It’s like the worst lyrics in history; I did not write them. [Laughs]”

Sidebar: Photos

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Royce Da 5’9″ is on fire. As one half of Bad Meets Evil, Nickel Nine’s collaborative EP Hell: The Sequel with Eminem has become certified gold, while “Lighters” continues to burn up the charts. Now that he has fulfilled all contractual obligations to his former independent label with his new album Success Is Certain, the Detroit rapper is a solo artist on the prowl. But he remains a member of the rap supergroup Slaughterhouse—also consisting of lyricists Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Crooked I—that is readying its Shady Records debut. I recently conducted a brief interview with Royce via email, which can be read below…

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After Lil Wayne made headlines this week with a head-splitting skateboard accident, it’s a no brainer that the YMCMB rapper is exploring a newfound passion for skating. Following his I Am Still Music tour stop at the DTE Energy Music Theatre on Saturday, he skated a private session at Transitions Skatepark in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Among the select few involved was local skater Jordan Garland, whose footage from the session has already accumulated over 400,000 views! I wasted little time getting on the horn with Jordan to discuss how this was set up, what went down during the session, and what has happened since…

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“I remember it like it was yesterday,” recalls Big Sean’s on-stage hype man and best friend since childhood, SAYITAINTTONE, who clearly looked into his crystal ball before calling a prosthetic limb-selling telemarketer and urging the Detroit resident to forgo cashing his $120 check so he could go rap for Kanye West at the local radio station and be signed to his G.O.O.D. Music label. Now an emerging rapper in his own right, the Finally Famous representer welcomed me into his hotel room last Thursday, July 14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a conversation which spans nearly 30-minutes!

[0:00] My Closet
- Showcases jewelry and other accessories from his closet.

[3:17] Finally Famous
- Learning from Big Sean.
- Tells story of calling Big Sean to rap for Kanye West. (Didn’t answer first 19 calls!)
- Tells stories of Big Sean rapping in high school.
- Performing with Kanye West at Finally Famous album release concert. (Jay-Z hiding from crowd.)

[11:27] Chevy Woods vs. SAYITAINTTONE
- Chevy Woods similarities.
- Chevy Woods Rolling Papers World Tour set.
- Relationships with Taylor Gang members.
- Collaborating with Chevy Woods. (Wiz Khalifa studio bus.)
- Songs from Chevy Woods’ upcoming mixtape The Cookout.
- Reveals he’s shooting more music videos from debut mixtape SAYITAINT.
- EXCLUSIVELY reveals title of new mixtape: SAYITAINT II: The Return Of The Don!
- Experience gained as Big Sean’s hype man.

[16:33] Taylor Gang vs. Finally Famous (MUST SEE!!!)
- Life on Rolling Papers World Tour.
- Competition between Taylor Gang and Finally Famous (basketball, Madden, etc.)
- Inside scoop on Wiz Khalifa MTV2 celebrity basketball tournament.

[20:30] Muzik’s My Life
- Love for music.
- Types of music and specific artists he listens to.
- NFL and NBA lockouts.
- Mac Miller (Donald Trump’s tweet, doing a song together, etc.)
- Taylor Gang and Finally Famous comradery.
- New school vs. old school.
- Artists who inspired him to rap.
- Lil Wayne’s “My Last” freestyle. (More Big Sean high school stories.)

Sidebar: Special thanks go to SAYITAINTTONE, Mike Brinks, and Zeno Jones for this incredible opportunity! Thanks to Cory Jamieson (@CoryJamo) for editing!

“Make sure you do what you love to do; follow your heart—that’s the realest shit I could tell you. You don’t wanna be 50, 60 years old wishing you woulda, coulda, shoulda did something, man. So make sure you do what the fuck you wanna do.” As the epitomy of this advice, these were Big Sean’s famous last words for his hometown crowd after headlining Hot 102.7′s Summer Jamz 14 concert at the Chene Park Ampitheater on the Detroit River this past Saturday.

After miraculously overcoming discouraging obstacles with venue security throughout the night, I was finally escorted into the G.O.O.D. Music representer’s dressing room by his manager for a brief interview following the show. With his entire entourage consisting of family and friends watching, the down-to-earth Detroit native reflected on how far he has come as a result of listening to his heart and following his dreams, rather than listening to those who second-guessed his controversial decisions.

“I learned in physics that if you keep pushing on a building, like a human body keeps pushing on a building, eventually it’s gonna move a little bit, even if it’s just a tiny task. So, you know, if you just keep on somethin’ man, it’s a proven theory that it’s always gonna come through for you—always.” That building is about to move a whole lot for Kanye West’s protégé, because Big Sean is Finally Famous June 28! Pre-order the Deluxe Edition of his debut album from Best Buy NOW!

Sidenote: Special thanks to Big Sean and his manager, Mike Brings for making this opportunity possible! Thanks to their Weekend Recap camera man for filming and my camera man, Drew Gensler for serving as a sacrificial lamb (with security)! Thanks to Cory Jamieson for editing! Continue below for footage from the show…

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Yesterday afternoon, the tracklist for Big Sean’s debut album, Finally Famous surfaced onto the Internet, revealing the G.O.O.D. Music rapper’s collaboration with his mentor, Kanye West and Roscoe Dash, “Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay”. Last night, the Detroit representer held a listening session in NYC for his June 28 release, and the general consensus among those in attendance was that this song was the highlight of the album. As you can see, I wasted little time in getting on the phone with the much-anticipated track’s producer, Andrew “Pop” Wansel for an interview centered around the record and how it ultimately came to fruition…

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In a world where music and fashion coincide, the newly established, Taylor Gang and Heavy Hustle-affiliated company, Plane Clothing is elevating streetwear to an even higher altitude. Following the release of their Spring line, I booked a flight up into the clouds and collaborated with Plane Clothing’s founder, Corey Griffith and his co-pilot, Marrie Freeman on an extensive interview and exclusive giveaway contest!

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Fire in the hole! With over one million YouTube views and close to 300,000 Facebook fans; a single that was featured on MTV’s The Hills; merchandice so popular that it’s sparked a full-blown fashion line; and having performed shows with the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Mike Posner, Mac Miller, Sam Adams, The Cool Kids, LMFAO, and Far East Movement; the world needs to be warned about the explosiveness of Na Palm.

Two weeks ago, I caught up with the electronic hip-hop artist in my state’s capital for a 14-minute interview—his first that utilized microphones—in the green room prior to his show at The Loft in downtown Lansing, Michigan! Consider this your warning…

Sidenote: Special thanks to Na Palm, Woody Wood, and Tricoastal Records for this opportunity! Shout out to Drew Gensler for filming and Cory Jamieson for editing!

Tune into the 6:57 mark for a live freestyle and the 21:08 mark for the burning question: “Are you currently in negotiation with Shady Records?”

A few weeks ago, I traveled across my home state to Fli-City (Flint, Michigan) and caught up with one of hip-hop’s newest, most promising sensations, Jon Connor! Frequently prophesied to be a savior of his beloved craft, The People’s Rapper and I sat down for a 24-minute interview in the living room of his manager and Co-CEO of All Varsity Music, Mateen Cleaves, perhaps more commonly known—especially in my neck of the woods—as a former 14th pick in the NBA draft after leading his Michigan State Spartans to the 2000 NCAA Championship as the Final 4 MVP!

Reluctant to glorify the crime and poverty-stricken surroundings in which he grew up, Jon Connor explained his ability to overcome adversity while being raised in the hopeless environment of Civic Hood on the north side of Flint—adding that he had always seen himself living a better life. As someone who typically forked over a whopping $25 for CDs from a local record store prior to becoming an artist himself, Jon Connor described his adaptation to today’s more common procedures of music distribution as a necessary one—crediting the internet-savvy artists before him for laying out the viral marketing blueprint he now follows.

Off camera, the Flint native revealed that he suffered a flat tire during his recent eyebrow-raising, 30-hour drive to Austin, Texas to perform at the SXSW Festival. In spite of this challenge, he was ultimately able to reach his destination and referred to the event as positive reinforcement while reflecting on the overall experience. As is evident while witnessing such, his performances are admittedly a release for Jon Connor. He explained that mentally, he envisions thousands of people in the crowd during his performances and then embodies this manufactured reality. In fact, he has conditioned himself to perform this way ever since he was a kid—rehearsing in his basement in front of nobody, yet imagining a sold-out stadium crowd.

After I presented Jon Connor with a physical copy of his latest mixtape, Jon Connor As Vinnie Chase Season 1 and reminded him that he handed it to me during Willie The Kid’s in-store event this past March at All City Kicks in Grand Rapids, he proceeded to discuss the project’s significance and what it has done for his career. But music is much more than just simply a career choice for Jon Connor. As a third-generation musician, he considers music his life and became long-winded when describing his passion for the art form. As an example of how he’s able to incorporate lyricism and wordply into his music, Jon Connor broke down a portion of his recently released “I C U Lookin’” freestyle, providing a glimpse into his complex process of writing music.

The highlight of our discussion came when I sparked a flame (literally) and asked Jon Connor the burning question: “Are you currently in negotiation with Shady Records?” Did his answer extinguish the combustion, or add more fuel to the fire? Tune into the 21:08 mark of our interview to find out!

Sidenote: Special thanks goes to Jon Connor (@JonConnorMusic), Savvy Davis Jr. (@youngsavv), and Mateen Cleaves (@Mateen_Cleaves) for the opportunity! Thanks to Alex Lyle for filming and Cory Jamieson (@CoryJamo) for editing!

In association with my man Tevin, founder of Pittsburgh Sound, I’m privileged to present this new interview with Taylor Gang and 2011 XXL Freshman Producer Sledgren, who’s most prominent production credit to date comes as Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & OJ fruits of labor, “Never Been”! Originally intended to take place over the phone, our interview ultimately occurred through email. Why was Sledgren’s production famously absent from Wiz Khalifa’s debut album? How does he feel Rolling Papers compares to Kush & OJ? Find out that and more below…

Muzik’s My Life: Your real name is Edward, so how did your moniker Sledgren come to fruition?
Sledgren: I used to be called Edgerrin because of the football player [Edgerrin James] and somehow, someone added an ‘sl’ and changed the spelling.

As a gamer, how do video games tend to influence your productions?
Music period influences me the most. Video games give me other outlets for ideas.

How do emotions tie into your productions? Do you ever produce something based on the way you feel at the time, or a type of emotion you want the instrumental to portray?
Not at all. I just make beats, save them, and keep going.

As a producer, do you feel like you hear music differently than the Average Joe? Perhaps even have more of an appreciation for certain things you hear in music?
I think I hear differently. I love deep melodies and organized drums. I can tell when a lot is put into a song, whether it was the beat or the lyrics. I actually take other people’s beats apart in my head and rebuild them if I like [the beat], or can’t figure out what it is exactly I like about it.

Congratulations on becoming a 2011 XXL Freshman Producer! What does this honor mean to you, personally?
Means a lot to me. XXL is one of the first major publications that noticed me.

On Twitter you recently said, “When we first listened to Kush & OJ, I knew the impact it would have. We listened to it straight through about 10 times.” What was the initial reaction or feeling shared among you and the Gang while listening to Rolling Papers for the first time?
We all never got the chance to listen to Rolling Papers as a whole. We had alot more at the time to gain when we released Kush & OJ. Rolling Papers meant more, but Kush & OJ I feel was one of the biggest projects to get us to that certain point.

Your production is famously absent from Rolling Papers. Why do you feel that is, and can fans expect to hear your production on Wiz’s next project?
A lot of records weren’t used that were initially meant for that project. That happens a lot with albums. I’m working on production for High School—currently and through the summer.

Why is gin the best drink?
Try and you shall find out…

Sidenote: Special thanks to Sledgren (@ImSledgren) and Tevin (@Tevin412) for the opportunity!

This past Tuesday, Wiz Khalifa rolled out his Green Carpet Tour with Mac Miller at the intimate Majestic Theater in Detroit for students of Wayne State University. Earlier that evening, I had the pleasure of interviewing Taylor Gang’s own, Chevy Woods—at their hotel, keep in mind. “This is Damon,” announced Wiz Khalifa’s tour manager, Will as he introduced Chevy and I. However, this wasn’t our first time meeting—or even shaking hands, for that matter. Upon his return from a brief exit of the room, Chevy acknowledged he remembered me from my interview with Wiz Khalifa this past January—also in Detroit—claiming he knew I looked familiar. A laugh was shared among the four of us—Will; Chevy; my camera man, Drew; and myself—and then we sat down for the interview. There was an immediate sense of comfort felt throughout the room. As our conversation progressed, this comfort ultimately grew to a feeling of serenity.

Our interview began with discussion concerning Chevy Woods’ experience gained as Wiz Khalifa’s hypeman, and how the role has prepared him for when he eventually performs a set of his own. While on the road—as they almost always are—Chevy provides Wiz with backup vocal support during performances. The Pittsburgh natives have been recording together for about eight years. Curious about ways they have been able to feed off one another, I asked Chevy the best advice and/or criticism the duo has shared. As you will find out, the two have clearly taken each other’s advice and headed for the hills.

Featured on all of Wiz Khalifa’s solo projects, Chevy made the biggest splash when he sprung up on one-third of Wiz’s latest mixtape, Cabin Fever. After recognizing the recent increase in Chevy’s notoriety first-hand among the people I hang out with, I asked if he, himself, has observed a significant addition to his fan base. Noticeably delighted by my remarks, he gave a shout out to my friends! Chevy revealed he hoped to keep the ball rolling with his own recently released mixtape, Red Cup Music, which was reviewed for your interest here. After pointing out the growth of his music since his previous mixtape, Pilot Shit, Chevy then detailed the musical developments he has experienced throughout the course of his entire career. Largely responsible for these advancements has been Chevy’s creative process, which he interestingly compared to that of Wiz.

In closing, the artist formerly known as Kev Tha Hustler revealed what influenced him to change his rap moniker to Chevy Woods—a decision that left many fans scratching their heads with confusion, but continues to pay dividends. Stay tuned as his career unfolds right here on Muzik’s My Life. And for a more intimate approach, join Chevy at the following outlets: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube |

Sidenote: Special thanks to Will Dzombak (@RealTaylorGang) and Stephen \ˈstē-vən\ Deems (@deems412) for helping this all come to fruition! Thanks to Chevy for the opportunity! Thanks to Drew Gensler for filming and Cory Jamieson (@CoryJamo) for editing!

Sidenote 2: As I previously mentioned, the show later that night was intended for Wayne State University students only. Thankfully, I was placed on the guest list and granted access to the photo pit. Continue below for some footage from the show . . .

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Photo credit: DJ Bonics

The Taylor Gang general gathered his troops and infiltrated Michigan last weekend — performing three sold out shows in two short days! Saturday night, I sat down with Wiz Khalifa for an interview between his first two back-to-back shows at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, just outside Detroit. At the time, he was ironically enjoying his newfound mainstream success while underground — in a secluded cement-walled area of the venue’s basement, occupied only by those he shared the stage with merely an hour before. Following a brief escort from his Tour Manager, Will, I had now reached a point envied by 1,700 screaming fans in attendance for the earlier show. I, too, enjoyed the prior performance as a patron, but now—more than ever—was time for business and proper display of professionalism.

Upon entering the room, my ears perked in response to Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday collaboaration with Kanye West pouring through the speakers of Wiz Khalifa’s personal laptop — “I fly! I fly high! I’m blazin’!” Wiz was doing just that while taking flight with a paper plane, yet remaining seated in the comfort of his rolling computer chair. After a round of introductions, I sat down and began to interview arguably the most buzzed about rapper in 2011. See how it all unfolded below . . .

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