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  Wordsmith Interview
interview 0561 added 28.03.08 words:
Nina Carmela
technical:
Spoon
Hip-Hop is dominated with aspiring music professionals that make an appearance on the scene consistently. The advantage to being independent is there is full control of projects and campaigns; the downfall is the lack in finance to reach certain promotional markets. This obstacle will never faze Baltimore’s Wordsmith, as he holds on to the advantages of being an independent artist and is adamant to reach higher heights no matter how or when he gets there.
Wordsmith’s musical background is so exquisite it’s shocking to believe that he’s grafted single handily and still remains to be holding out strong. His alternative style of Hip-Hop that’s influenced with the Rock music genre has a commercial feel to it without being manufactured, Wordsmith’s deliverance and conscience lyrical content concludes a status of compelling artistry and projects.
You’ve been working within the Hip-Hop circuit for quite some time now with numerous highly-acclaimed projects, with being independent how have you been promoting your projects?
I basically do guerrilla marketing when it comes to promoting my projects. It’s crazy; I burn copies of my mix tape and singles at my job to save time at home burning them. I order a thousand promo flyers from clubflyers.com every week to put in the malls, gas stations and at shows. I put together databases for upcoming shows, so I can promote when local and signed artists perform and I do the same for radio stations. I’m always doing internet promo because you can reach so many people at one time, so putting together HTML codes for flyers, exclusive tracks, radio station debuts, interviews, reviews, features, etc. are regular occurrences. I’m just very hungry to become a national recording artist, so even when I do sign, I will still market myself because promotion is the key. The public are the one’s who in the end decide how successful you will be in your career.
 How have you seen yourself develop as an artist since you first started out?
That is a good question that is never asked too much, so I appreciate it. I would definitely say I started out as an MC and now I am an artist. When I first started rapping I was just writing rhymes and free styling. I wasn’t to in tune with putting songs together or writing my music to fit particular styles of Hip-Hop. I never had that one person who sat me down and showed me the ropes, so I relied on my old school tape collection, trial and error, & resilience. Now, I pretty much mastered writing verses, hooks, and bridges to the level of my project or exclusive track. When I do my mix tape work, I make a track that is above the average quality of a mix tape track to the point it could probably go on someone’s album, but it wouldn’t fit a nationwide audience. When I do an exclusive track that I just drop in audio sections, I make a track that makes a statement, but would only be for a mix tape placement. My album material is heavy on catchy lyrics, hooks & bridges because I want those tracks to touch a worldwide audience. When I write my music in levels like that, I am never giving the listener everything at one time. I see artist give away there whole life story on there first album and then they have no where else to go with there 2nd project. I want to feed the public my life little by little, so they will want to go back to the store and see what I will be talking about next. I want longevity in this game, not a one or two year career.
You’re an extremely versatile artist, how would you describe your music coming away from categorising it as Hip-Hop?
I actually want to eventually be categorised as having universal music. I love Hip-Hop, but my taste in music stretches from Rock to Jazz, to classical, to alternative, to easy listening. I am 28 now, so my sound continues to mature as well. I want to make music that touches people on a broad scale as I would like to do global charity work like U2. In the future I am looking for my music to set a mood for the average person’s daily life. I want my music to affect your attitude at any given time, whether it makes you sad, happy, angry, amped, chill, or just gives you that musical fix for today. I truly believe God has given me a gift for doing music, but also think he wants my music to help the world someday as well. So…away from Hip-Hop, I would say I do Alternative Hip-Hop music, so prepare for the Next Level in Rap….
Who’s influenced your music ambitions?
My brother Professa has been my biggest fan and critic since I got serious about being an artist, so he has really influenced my music ambitions. On the artist tip, great artists like LL Cool J, EPMD, Redman, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Blackstarr, Gangstarr, BDP, Public Enemy, X-Clan, DMX, K-Solo, Ice Cube, Das EFX, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, A tribe called Quest, Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, & Big L, to name a few helped start my fire for Hip-Hop music.
You’re also a theatre trained actor and have participated in various shows; do you have any plans to take your craft further?
I would love to act right now, but I want to do it the right way. My first love is doing this music and it is a full time job for me everyday, so I can’t cheat myself. I’ve seen great artists like Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Fresh Prince, & Ice T do great acting jobs in movies/sitcoms, but their music ends up suffering for some reason. Its like once they crossed over to the acting side of the business, there fans couldn’t relate to them anymore. I want my music career and my acting career to be separate. When I am done with music, I will pick up acting again, so I can give it a hundred percent. I am not knocking those great artists at all because I look up to all of them, but I am more learning from the trend that seems to hit rappers that turn actors. See, I gained my acting experience in the theatre where everything is live. There are no cuts or redoing anything, you have to be on the money each and every performance. I enjoy figuring out who my character is and then becoming that character and presenting it to an audience. It is a different type of high from music, but they are both fulfilling. For now, I incorporate my theatre experience in my live shows. Its never to far fetched to see me use tables, chairs, fake snow, fake rain, umbrella’s, cups, plates, swords, brooms, etc. during my shows. I was heavy into acting, so the only way I know how to put on a show is in a very creative, yet theatrical manner. Check out my myspace page at www.myspace.com/classicwordsmithmusic to see if I am coming to your area.
Your debut album ‘Vintage Material’ is set for release this year, what should we be expecting from it?
I would say expect an album you will actually want to go to the stores and buy. The singles off the project will have you excited about good music and the album tracks will make you feel like you’re in the 90’s again. I say that because it is a very quality project with a universal sound to it. I named it “Vintage Material” for two reasons; one being I knew this album wouldn’t be out for a while, so it would be vintage when it drops. I wrote this album at the end of 2005 going into 2006, so it will be 3 years old if it drops this year. Two, I wanted this album to represent how Hip-Hop would of sounded if it didn’t veer off its course to today’s bubble gum rap. My first single, “Special Request,” is slowly being released to radio stations over the next few months while I lock up some distribution for it. I would say my intentions are to release the album at the end of the 3rd quarter or the middle of the 4th.
 You’ll be releasing the "Appetizer at the Pioneer Pub" EP before the album, how will this project help promote it?
I was going to release it before the album, but I have now chosen to release it in 2009, but hey that can change as well. The EP is really heavy on storytelling and concepts, so I want to broaden my fan base some more before I release it. As a business man, I looked at the other projects that will be coming out to support the project, so I felt like I could save it. HipHopdx.com/mixtapekings.com already dropped my first mix tape this year, “The Revolution Begins with a Takeover” Vol. 1 and that will be followed by Vol. 2 in May, Vol. 3 in September, The “Mid Year Review” Mix tape in June, Chubb Rock and I collaboration album called “Bridging the Gap” in late ’08, and “The Year End Review” Mix tape in December. Continue to check www.wordsmithmusic.com for my new projects and upcoming changes.
What’s the story behind your project with Chubb Rock and what’s it been like working with him?
Basically, I met Chubb a year ago through this deejay named DJ Speek Greene. He was doing a mix tape and he wanted me to do an exclusive for it, so he sent me over a beat. I ended up doing a track called “Block Party Bonanza” that he let Chubb hear and the next thing I knew Chubb had a hot verse on the track. It was a true honour to have a pioneer like Chubb on the track and it brought some chills to my spine when he said “Words” on the track. I grew up on Chubb just like a lot of other people. He had some of the best party anthems ever with “Treat em Right” and “Just the Two of Us.” After that track we stayed in contact with each other and started building a friendship to the point that Chubb allowed me to book some shows for both of us. I ended up putting together a 3 show series called “The Bridging the Gap” Concert Series that featured Jaz-O as well. Now, we are just about done with our album and I can truly say the thing that surprised me the most about Chubb was how humble and down to earth he was. Every time, he took the stage, he let the crowd know,” I am here to support my man words.” To have a legend tell a crowd that is mainly there to see him that, it was amazing each and every time. Chubb has always put me on his level when I don’t think I deserve it because my career hasn’t really started yet, but I know it’s has to do with the fact that Chubb trust what I can do for Hip-Hop. Look for our album to drop in late 2008.
Are you still running your club night, CoCo’s? What have been the intentions of the night?
Nah that ended April of last year. I was given a great opportunity to promote my own night there every Wednesday, so I gained some valuable knowledge about booking/promoting while doing that. I was also able to give other artist in Baltimore the chance to step on a stage and show an audience what there made of. I was very strict about who I booked as I wanted to create any atmosphere where there were quality acts from the top to the bottom of the card. Unfortunately, when my part of the night would end, the club would turn the night into a dance party. Well, that wasn’t working out to good as too many shootings kept taking place, so between the cops and the community, they shut down Wednesday night activities. Still, I learned a lot and that experience helped me book the “Bridging the Gap” Concert Series I spoke of.
The Hip-Hop scene is forever expanding with aspiring musical professionals, how does your brand stand out above the rest? How will you be creating a positive impact to the scene?
I would say my brand stands above the rest because I do not pigeon whole myself into making one form of music. I don’t only do snap music, or dance music, or conscious music, I do Universal music as I said earlier. My music is also for all ages as I chose to stop cursing back in 2004 when I got saved and baptized again. My music got more creative, I was able to let my kids & family listen to my music and it allowed me to do shows with P.A.L Centres, schools, and churches. On the business tip, it just made more sense to make my music accessible to all ages as I want a huge global fan base.
Where do your inspirations come from when you write?
I’m not really big on having inspirations when I write unless it’s a personal track. Most of the time, it’s about getting into a nice groove and mind state to be creative. Life can be stressful, work can be stressful, this music can be stressful as well, so blocking all those things out and finding a peaceful place to write music is important to me.
 What obstacles have you faced and how have you overcome them?
The biggest obstacles I have faced are dealing with fake people and empty promises. There are so many snakes in this business its ridiculous. My problem is, I give everyone a fair opportunity to show me what there made of and most people are spineless. It’s said to say, but there are not too many good people left in the music business or life for that matter. I’m the type of artist that never lets anyone do all the work because I am use to doing everything on my own, so I can’t understand why some people have helped me for a little bit and then disappear into thin air. It happened so much that I started chalking it up as God is trying to teach me every facet of this business before I reach my goal. It gets tiring and it has made me very paranoid of help, but I still hold out that hope of someone being legit.
What’s been your biggest musical achievement to date?
I don’t think I have had my biggest musical achievement yet. I’ve had small achievements that I am proud of like having my record “Ode to tha Pioneers” peak at number 4 on the National Rap College Charts, booking/promoting my own concert series with legends, working at 103.9/0C 104 on a regular basis, being an unsigned hype in HipHop Weekly, my first mix tape, “Statements & Stipulations,” being on mix tape Mondays and much more, but I have so much farther to go.
What is your ultimate musical goal?
To change the world with my music!!!! That is my ultimate goal. A minor goal I have is to make my Nu Revolution Crew an official imprint. I have 5 other MC’s below me named Kontact & SoL, Black Knight, RhymeZwell, & All-Biz that I want the world to hear and I have 5 producers; Professa, Strada, Capish, Street Level, & Lucki Handz that I want to get some serious production credits for as well. I have a true movement going on, not just a name and worthless talk.
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Nina Carmela
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