“Being a musician or instrumentalist is a dying art in a way.”
Do you want to further pursue not just graffiti, but art, in the traditional sense, that would one day be shown in a gallery setting?
Definitely. I’m really doing that now. I feel like they’re the same thing to me. I do different things, sometimes it’s in the form of music, sometimes it’ll manifest in the form of a canvas or video or just a conversation. It’s just me — it’s a life thing. Everything I do in life is through the lens of art. I’ve always had that art influence from my parents, who were both architects.
For me, life is constantly through the lens of art. Music is art. When I go to a museum or exhibition, that’s where I feel like, ‘okay, this feels like art to me.’ But when I log onto Spotify…do you know what I mean? Why is a Damien Hirst $5m USD and a Jeezy album $28 USD? I just choose to do my own thing but for the next album, there will be an exhibition/installation.
Can we get a preview as to where that’ll be?
It’s going to start in Paris. I won’t give too much away, but it’s going to be an immersive experience that’s going to embody all my creative influences.
At its core, Jazz is the truest form of American music. It was largely the most popular genre here in the U.S. up until the advent of Rock in the ‘50s and ‘60s. It hasn’t really been as popular since, especially with the youth in America at least. It’s starting to come back, but why do you think that is?
I can’t say really, but I try not to call it Jazz too much, because I think that represented a certain era, like Miles Davis for example. I think music comes around in different waves. There are a lot of live gigs happening and I guess people want to experience something physical in the flesh. Now we’ve got streaming and all that, but being a musician or instrumentalist is a dying art in a way. Not as many kids now are going to pick up a guitar or keyboard. Kids now are on computers or within Logic.
I wonder if the kids now, who are like 15-16, how’re the music departments looking now? I wonder…I don’t really know. Me personally, I never really got into the instrument thing at school, because you were either in a rock band or an emcee. I never really listened to rock like that. So as a drummer, I was trying to be a hip-hop fan and listening to Grime.
Do you keep your faith separate from your music?
No, faith is very much everything. It’s a way of life, so for me, everything I do is for the creator, the most high, whatever you want to call it, God. Ultimately, we’re here for a very short period of time. Music is ethereal. It’s an immaterial element and so is God. I think being in touch with a musical spiritual wave does connect you to that higher force.
You know, in Star Wars, they say ‘May the force be with you’ — that’s essentially what they’re trying to say. Where does the music come from? You’ve got to conjure it up in your mind in the material realm, or you’re going to close your eyes and say, ‘you know what, if this is the last thing I’m going to say to the world, make it something people will remember. Make it something that’s going to heal people.’
Tagged: entertainment blog, music, music blog