Interviews

Community Through Art: Interview with Write About Now Founder, Amir Safi | Written Wednesday

Published on February 21, 2018July 12, 2018 by shortlinereviewLeave a comment

Amir Safi is from College Station and is based out of Houston, Texas. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University. He is the co-founder of Mic Check 501(c)3, the Texas Grand Slam Poetry Festival and the founder of Write About Now. He is a 2017 Houston Poet Laureate Finalist, a 2013 and 2015 Southern Fried Poetry Slam Champion, a 2013 National Slam Poetry semi-finalist and his work has been featured by A plus, BuzzFeed, Upworthy, The Huffington Post, Whataburger, Total Frat Move and more. Most recently, his poetry has been published by Pittsburgh Poetry Review and Tincture Journal, and he has received recognitions as a semi-finalist for the Crab Creek Review 2017 Poetry Prize as well as a finalist for the North American Review’s 2018 James Hearst Poetry Prize.

We had the opportunity to meet and connect with Amir. Read more to see what we learned about him!

You co-founded Mic Check and the Texas Grand Slam Poetry Festival, then founded Write About Now. What made you decide to become involved in the organizational/curating aspect of poetry?

Great question. Mic Check existed long before me; however, Christopher Call and I are the ones who made the organization a non-profit. Basically, I didn’t like slam at first. My thought was that Oh, you think your writing is better because you say your poetry louder? But then, I went back one week and the poetry night barely had anyone there. It was then that I decided to become involved because an outlet of expression was really needed in Bryan/College Station and it was really important that it did not disappear. It was idealistic forming a nonprofit. We thought we’re a nonprofit now so people are just going to give us money! We were wrong, so I created Texas Grand Slam as a fundraiser for Mic Check.

Texas Grand Slam was also created because slam communities often spend resources they don’t have to travel and compete at slams across the nation. With Texas Grand Slam, we could cut down the expenses for our members, attract incredible poets to our community and raise some funding for our organization in the process.

By the time I moved to Houston, I was completely burnt out on community organizing and over it. But then, my friend introduced me to a venue named AvantGarden and I took it as a sign that I had no escape.

What are important factors that anyone interested in starting their own arts non-profit needs to consider?

I would ask certain questions such as:

What’s your mission?

Is anyone else doing this work?

Is there a gap that this organization will fill?

Can you just collaborate with someone and accomplish the same task?

Have you done your research and compared starting a nonprofit with other ventures?

If you’re happy with your answers, you’re good to go!

You use seemingly mundane things such as monkey bars, pepsi commercials, and Whataburger as devices to convey powerful narratives about identity through your poetry. How have you developed your writing style over the years?

Oh man, okay. Time for self reflection here. So, what I end up doing in those works specifically is answering a question through a series of events or images.

For example: Amir, why don’t you just let things go? Or Why was the Pepsi commercial problematic? Or Why do you love Whataburger so much? And then I just try to answer that question as many different ways as possible, which helps me better communicate my message to the viewer/reader.

Tell us about the start of Write About Now. What inspired you about the idea? What major obstacles did you face in developing it into reality? What is your proudest accomplishment from the outcome of WAN?

As I mentioned before, I moved to Houston with no intention of organizing ever again. I was burnt out. When I first moved to Houston, a friend of mine opened his home to me and invited me to stay with him for two months or until I figured the city out and was comfortable picking out a place to stay. Well, that friend lived with his fiancee and they were getting married at a venue named AvantGarden. He told me that the venue would be great for poetry and that I should talk to the owner. I politely declined and told him I was over organizing. One day he convinces me to go to AvantGarden to scope out the venue before the wedding. He introduces me to the owner, Mariana, and tells her that I have a lot of experience running poetry events and that I should do poetry at AvantGarden.

Mariana told me about how much she loved poetry. She gave me the recap of the history of poetry at her venue. She gave me the day, time, and space I wanted. And the venue’s name was AvantGarden. It was a sign and we’re about to celebrate our 4-year Wanniversary at AvantGarden.

Write About Now is different than my previous projects in that I’m older now and I’m in one of the largest cities in the country, which gives me access to more resources. My goal is to help your voices reach as many ears as possible. So I look at Write About Now as a platform that helps amplify the individual’s voice. The problem with a physical space is that you’re limited to those parameters. We’re meeting every week and bringing in featured poets. Why not film them? Boom! Now, we’re online, and the internet is another platform. Another source to help amplify the poet’s voice. We’re already filming the poets and we have audio. Why not use the audio to make a podcast? Boom! We created a podcast channel. These poems are on the internet already. Why not link up with media influencers like Upworthy, We are mitu, AFROPUNK, George Takei. Boom! Now, we have working relationships with these artists.

I’m really proud of it existing for four years and the community and quality of individuals and poets this organization has attracted. Honestly, my favorite part is building this wonderful community we have.

What is it like acquiring permission to record an event? Do artists ask for compensation?

It’s important to always receive the consent of the artist before you post their videos. We typically have general media release forms that we have artists sign. I can’t recall anyone ever asking us to be compensated. Most people appreciate having high quality video of their work published.

How is it like with competing organizations like Button Poetry and Def Jam?

The way I look at it is that other poetry channels aren’t my competition. In fact, the greater appeal they have the more opportunity it creates for Write About Now and vice versa. All of us are paving a larger runway that allows for these poems to take flight and that’s, really, what’s important.

Name some of your favorite poets that you featured/collaborated with.

I love working with Christopher Diaz, Ebony Stewart, Danny Strack, Mason Granger and Dena Igusti.

What experiences have you found to be the most frustrating and/or challenging when organizing your own events and programs? Which have you found to be the most rewarding?

As a community organizer, you have to always be prepared and on your game because anything that can go wrong will go run. Some difficulties I’ve had are trying to do high level production of shows and media while having limited resources; navigating how to keep a live outdoor show running with weather variability; collaborating with different artists and personalities and expectations, working with different media platforms, etc. The most rewarding thing about organizing is watching people grow, become better writers, and gain confidence on stage.

From your own perspective what are the most crucial elements to consider when building an organization from the ground up?

The most important thing is consistency. People need to know that you’re going to meet at a certain place at a certain time at a certain frequency. But also, what’s your mission? Are you actions consistent with reaching its goal? Are you consistent in the way you make decisions and govern?

What connections/type of connections have you found to be the most valuable and beneficial to your organizing?

connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect

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connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect connect

As Hafiz says, no one knows in which shell the priceless pearl lies. You can never have too many friends or too many people in your corner.

You recently started adding captions to the poetry videos you post on YouTube. Tell us why you did/do this. Are there other ways like this that poets can help when performing/submitting poems?

A lot of times people ask what they can do to help Write About Now and I don’t often have a lot of tasks other than volunteering at the physical show. But, recently, we’ve opened up community contributions on YouTube to allow people to help add captions to videos on our channel. Captioning poems helps make videos more accessible for people with disabilities and people who may not be fluent in English. It also optimizes the video’s shareability. A lot of time people want to watch vids in an area where there cannot be volume. It’s super easy to add captions. All it takes is watching a small tutorial video and then trying it out.

Be sure to check out Amir Safi on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and watch Amir and other phenomenal poets on Write About Now!

Multifaceted: Interview with Christopher Diaz | Written Wednesday

Published on February 14, 2018March 23, 2018 by shortlinereviewLeave a comment

Christopher Diaz is a Chamorro poet, freelance photographer, and military veteran. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2009 with a B.A. in English, then served for six years as a Public Affairs officer in the U.S. Air Force. As a writer in residence with “Writers in the Schools”, he teaches performance poetry and creative writing to students across Houston. He is the Grand Slam Champion and co-coach of Write About Now’s 2017 slam poetry team; currently ranked ninth in the nation. He lives in Houston with his partner Emily, his dog Benny, and currently serves his poetry community as an organizer, workshop facilitator, video producer.

You are a photographer and poet. Do you ever find yourself drawn to one over the other?

I’ve definitely been more drawn to poetry over the past year than I have photography. I’m passionate about both but writing has always been my first love. My mom still has anthologies from grade school with these ridiculous poems I wrote — one about saving the Amazon rainforest, another one full of awful puns — you know, classic poetry themes. It’s a long story, but I stopped writing poetry for more than seven years straight. So I constantly feel like I’m trying to make up for lost time, and I think that’s why poetry feels so much more urgent to me. I often preach patience for the process, but half of the time it’s me projecting my own insecurities — trying to convince myself it’s okay that I went on hiatus for so long.

Are there ways you’ve learned to fuse the two together?

Yes! But it was never a conscious effort. Back in 2014, my friend Amir Safi invited me to attend TGS (Texas Grand Slam Poetry Festival) in Bryan/College Station, TX. I was in the Air Force at the time, stationed in South Dakota, and had never photographed poets performing. I offered to shoot the event, and instantly fell in love with it (stayed up ‘til 4am the first night editing and posting photos). Fast forward four years later, and now I regularly shoot live performances. So many of us here in the South (and beyond, for that matter) love TGS, but it truly has a special place in my heart because it sparked a significant turning point in my life. Amir will deflect any credit, but I owe a lot to him for convincing me to come down that weekend. I will say, however, the proposition was to leave the snow in South Dakota for a weekend of poetry. And a free hotel room. And Whataburger, on him (his M.O. for out-of-towners). So … yeah — not the hardest decision I’ve ever made.

Tell us about how you got involved with Write About Now (both on and behind the camera).

My journey to WAN starts with hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life — leaving the the Air Force (s/o to an awesome segue from that last question). I come from a military family and always thought I’d go career. When I decided to hang it up in 2015, my partner (Emily) and I were talking about potential places we’d move to after I got out. Barcelona, Seattle, anywhere but Texas (we love it but wanted somewhere new). So, long story long, Amir convinced me to try out Houston, and Emily agreed to support me (even though she had just moved from Houston to live with me in South Dakota. Trust me. I know.). I started slamming and managed to make it on WAN’s inaugural team, and eventually began filming when Amir and Brady Ware asked if I’d like to join the video team. Sidenote #2: Brady Ware = videographer/editor/master of all trades imaginable. He and Safi started the WAN YouTube channel and Brady taught both of us everything we know behind the camera and in post production. That guy is love, talent, and magic incarnate.

Describe to us the behind-the-scenes process of filming, editing, and producing videos. What is the feeling once everything is uploaded?

The vision has always been to amplify poets’ voices. We know how dope and beautiful and necessary their work is, and we want the rest of the world to experience that, too. When anyone tell us their WAN videos help them book gigs or sell merch, or share their work with family and friends — it makes me so happy. And I know that’s a lazy way of describing it coming from a so-called poet, but, honestly, it just makes me really, really happy. I mean, last week I had a feature at a local library. A seven-year old girl and her mom came up to me afterward and the little girl said, “I came here to see you. I saw your video on the internet.” If one person on our channel has experienced that anywhere, it makes all of it worth it. And coming from someone who thought they’d never write again, I mean that.

I don’t want to get into too much detail with the technical behind the scenes work because it’s tedious and boring. I will say the process can definitely take time, from the moment we film a poet to the moment we publish their poem. At WAN we really care about the quality of our audio and aesthetic, and there’s a lot that goes into that — researching/purchasing/updating equipment, learning editing software/refining skills, establishing back-up procedures for inevitable technical difficulties, adjusting on the fly for the environment, blah blah boring, etc. It’s a labor of love though because we take pride in the end-product and hope the quality will help boost the poem’s/poet’s exposure.

Tell us about your experience with teaching performance poetry (as co-coach of the WAN slam team and an educator to 8th grade classes). How can one get involved in something similar?

To anyone who wants get involved, I’d encourage them to connect with the poetry organizers in their community. I’ve been afforded all of these wonderful teaching opportunities through the non-profit Writers In the Schools, and I found out about the organization through Houston’s poetry leaders.

It’s been such a blessing to guide young writers through the craft. To watch a student find their voice, believe in the power of their story, and have fun with it — is incredibly inspiring. In addition to eighth-graders, I’ve worked with young adults with disabilities, high schoolers, and students as young as 1st grade. If I’ve learned anything about teaching, it’s that it’s not as easy as most people seem to think it is. I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect and gratitude for teachers, but being in the classroom has made me realize how much our educators actually do (and sadly how much our country undervalues them).

Co-coaching the WAN slam team was an incredible learning experience as well (s/o to my fellow co-coach RJ Wright). I’ll admit that it was stressful to be both a coach and team member, but my team was always there for me and I’m so grateful to have been trusted with that responsibility (ok I gotta s/o my teammates Ana and Xach, too). I’ve grown as both a writer and performer over the last year, and I’ve no doubt that coaching played a huge role.

How does one go about developing a unit plan for teaching performance poetry? Were there any lessons you found challenging to teach?

In my personal experience, the first step is always finding out where your students are coming from — socioeconomically, reading/writing level, everything. You have to make a consistent and conscious effort to get to know them throughout the year, but that basic info has to inform the way you approach the classroom and develop lesson/unit plans. Additionally, you have to expect that each class is going to be different, because rarely are they ever the same (e.g. first period is mostly quiet, fourth period is restless after lunch, third period is AP with tons of energy, varying comprehension levels throughout, etc.).

In between the resources at WITS, advice from my poet friends across the country, and online examples, I’ve had a lot of help in developing lessons. There are a million different ways to structure a unit plan and the beautiful thing is that you’re not the first to do it. Most educators I’ve met are eager to help those starting out and I certainly try to pay it forward whenever I can.

To me, the most challenging lesson to teach is any lesson on editing and revising. It becomes a delicate balance of showing students the power of revision, while simultaneously leaving their confidence in tact (as well as the integrity and authenticity of their voice). Creative writing can be such a personal and intimate endeavor, so you’ve got to guide students in viewing their art through an objective lens. Admittedly I’m not the best at these kinds of lessons, but I’ve learned a lot about guiding students through editing from Brendan Constantine and Bill Moran.

How do you cater your lessons around your students before meeting them? What factors do you consider when creating lessons for a specific demographic?

I think this goes along the same lines as the previous answer, but you have to meet students where they are. You hear it all the time in education, but it’s because it’s true. Whether you’re teaching students for a year or leading a one-time workshop in the park, you’ve got to do what you can to find out who your audience is. Sometimes it’s speaking with the school/organizer, other times it’s spending the first ten minutes of a workshop on introductions.

One of the most important things to me in creating lesson plans has been the consideration for representation. For example, the majority of my 8th-grade classes were filled with black and brown students. Beyond the fact that marginalized voices are already underrepresented, it was imperative that my students see successful and talented poets who look like them. That was always (and easily) at the forefront of my mind, because growing up, I can’t remember seeing myself represented either.

How do you foster community in spaces you have never been to?

I’m not sure I ever walk into a space thinking that people need me to foster community. I think with most spaces there is likely a community existing and/or thriving there already. If I’m invited into a space for any reason, I try to listen and learn how the community works (or doesn’t work) together. From there it’s about serving them as best as I can if they’re open to it. If my presence isn’t based on serving them, I probably don’t have any business being there.

You have worked in a wide range of mediums both in art and education, how do your approaches to both fields differ? How are they similar? Which aspects of each do you find most challenging and which came most naturally to you?

The approach to both has been fairly similar for me. The biggest challenge I find in art and education is fostering artistic integrity and authenticity. I think it’s a challenge that has forever plagued any artist. Specifically with my own experience, I have to make a conscious effort to guide students in writing what they want to write — and doing it how they want to do. I think that’s hard for anyone though. Especially if you’re just starting out, it’s perfectly natural for your art to resemble the art that inspires you. There’s a quote I’ve seen (that I can’t find on Google right now) but it goes something like, “Don’t write what you think they want to hear, write what you have to say.” And I still have to remind myself of that sometimes. It’s wonderful because the internet provides endless examples when it comes to spoken word. It’s delicate because sometimes young writers (any writers, including myself) feel like they have to write or sound like the poetry they consume, or subconsciously do it and never realize it. Ultimately I find comfort in it all, and I say the more examples the better. Not only because more and more poets get to shine, but because I think, “Wow — look at all of these talented people with such vastly different styles and stories to share… I’m going to lean into everything that makes me, me.”

If you’re interested in learning more about Christopher Diaz, follow him on social media! Facebook, Twitter & IG: all @lightbulbchris

Written Wednesday | Interview With Shawn Crysis

Published on February 7, 2018March 23, 2018 by shortlinereviewLeave a comment

The mission has been revamped for the current time. Shawn Crysis, bred from New/North Brunswick, New Jersey, has had change at his core from the moment he realized the impact he can have. Passion rivets through him as he expresses all phases of his life, thoughts, dreams, questions and everything in between. This is for the bigger purpose of aligning the world with love and truth. He is #hereforthechange.

Shawn Crysis, is a writer, poet, rapper, and a performer. We got a chance to talk to him about being a multi-faceted artist in the digital age. Read on to find out what we learned!

Tell us about your journey and introduction to poetry/rap.

Before all, it was poetry. I had a crush on a girl named Tamilia in middle school and my interest sparked from there and I began to write. In total, though, I probably only wrote 4-7 poems during those times. Then it started as a love for making beats on lunch tables; I used to be the unofficial drummer for the cyphers at my high school, NBTHS. When everyone was done rapping, the crowd was just in awe; the words that flew out were tight. And in certain times, I was able to control the pace of it: how the breakdown sounded with the bars that were coming. But, the rappers were always given the love.

I wanted that kind of love and appreciation so I began to write. I broke out my Sidekick (cell phone), opened the notes, and began to write. I noticed that I made sense a lot, and I enjoyed making things connect and associate with each other. Words were fun. I then brought them to the lunch tables and my peers were feeling it. I remember practicing mad freestyles to make sure I had something to spit.

From there, I got into the studio first with my boy Marquis. He was rapping as well so we formed a group called L.S., short for Light Skins *LMFAO*. We made, probably, a total of 5 tracks and I loved every bit of it so I continued to write and flow. Actually, if you look up L.S. – One Night Freak on Youtube you’ll see the work. The rest I have archived for my own amusement *LOL*.

After writing, I began to see it was making me happier and helping me process through events and situations in my life. Writing brought me clarity and a different perspective. It was therapy after a while. My first album, Table for One, was just that – therapy for self before I ever cared to appease the ears of folks. It was about aligning my self with me.

From there came performing. My very first open mic was at Soul by the Pound in New Brunswick, NJ and I had to sit down, actually, due to my nervousness. But they (the audience) enjoyed it. They enjoyed my life, pain, questions and struggle I was dealing with. They could relate. That’s when all hell broke loose for me. I loved giving my words in any form I can, song or spoken word.

While your music is easily accessible online, you do have CD’s available for sale. Tell us about what you learned regarding selling music this way in today’s digital world.

It is more personable. You know your answer right then and there whether someone will support you rather than waiting for a follow or a comment. It’s a more genuine connection with someone, especially cause it was done face to face – breaking todays social norms of actually interacting with people and allowing an actual relationship to be formed. I remember almost every face. It is bit harder, though; especially ’cause CD’s are becoming obsolete, more especially if you don’t have a car to listen to it in. But, the aspect of going up to someone to ask them to buy something from you makes it easier for online sales to be interacted. For me, now, it’s learning the marketing behind it.

Which way do you find more popular and why?

Online. The network is endless and folks are reachable at literally anytime of the day. I can be working or on the toilet making a sale or having someone tell me about my music. It is Mr. Fantastic reaching level, from Jersey to Beijing all with the click of a button.

Which way makes you feel more “successful”?

Hand-to-hand. You see the impact that you had on someone and their willingness to support, especially if I just performed. It’s like getting paid at the end of the day when you work and not waiting for a check. Someone enjoyed me and connected so much that they will support me to keep on doing it. I love that and I pray that it helps them do what they want to do.

What was your inspiration behind your most project “nice to meet u ep (a she cursor)”?

She is. She is the women I have been in relationships with. Things I have learned, gained, took, given all while still appreciating who she is to me. It is my ode to woman. ‘nice to meet u’ is the pre-cursor, (she-cursor) to my album entitled she. which is an acronym for she’s his everything. It is the exploration also of my voice and looking into ways to bend it, pitch it and still make good sounding music while giving some bars.

In what ways do the samples used in the project help convey your message?

It helped set the tone of what the song was to be about or the feel I wanted to give. Earth, Wind and Fire was about how she was all of these natural forces all in one; in each verse, each beat breakdown/switch up I used the elements and described who she is to me. Sade eloquently provided the soul of the track and I followed suit.

Never Let Me Go was a quick run, something of an interlude but still a track, still impactful, still meaningful and pivotal. As just as quick the sample and tempo was, I wanted to match that and began to drift in between it.

You have been seen performing at various platforms across the country. How do you secure a spot at these venues?

Networking from past events, people will inquire if I want to participate at the event. If I can, I’m there. Before being reached out to, it was looking in every nook and cranny of the tri-state area to find out where there was an open mic or showcase that I can be a part of. My friends would also tell me about events happening and who to contact if they seen a flyer online or knew someone.

Tell us about your experience(s) with competitions using your art.

I have made it to California for free – flight, room and board all paid for. I was apart of Daze Summit created by Scott Morris, which is a week long run of music shows, workshops, and a panel in NYC. It’s main purpose was to generate scholarship money for high school students.

This past year was the Fly Me to LA edition in which the two winners would receive an all expense paid trip to California for the BET Awards and I was sold on it right there. Being apart of the Deans List Tour, a musical artist based tour out of NYC, helped greatly with the gearing and rearing of performing and artist development. Having been apart of that, I knew that I had to simply perform my heart out -in which I did.

In a certain case when performing solely poetry, I was in the running to be a part of the New Jeru Slam Team. It was a heavy day when it comes to the greatness that was in that room and I had no idea that there people were SPITTING. There is something about poetry that I love with every inch of my heart. It enthralls me because I appreciate the words of people and what they are saying -and they were saying some SHIT! Sadly, I did not qualify to be a part of the Slam team. But, just the experience of doing it riveted me to want to try again. I love being heard, I want my words to be heard, no beat, no melody, just me.

While also working towards growing as an artist, you volunteer your time at local schools to work with kids in exploring their own artistic identity. How have these experiences been for you?

Shawn luhh da kids! They teach me so much about the world they live and how it impacts them directly. I’ve learned about the school-to-prison pipeline working at the Dr. Marion Bolden Center in Newark. Having them (the students) explain what is so relevant to them and the sensitivity of being in the face of the dragon inspires me to help sharpen their blades. They bring me glee and hope for the future. Seeing them doing what they love to do brings me so much happiness. I want to let them know that their art, their talent, their actions are appreciated and can take them anywhere they choose to go. They explore a territory in which the process isn’t celebrated, only the creation. But it is showing them to celebrate the process of trying new things, failing, resiliency, all while trying to get what is in their mind out into the world.

Tell us how your life experiences have shaped your artistry.

They allow me to speak my truth and uncover my lies I have told myself. They make me deal with things I’m afraid of or unwilling to. They allow the passion to speak through me and come out as vividly as it came in. They teach me more about myself and the world and how to portray it to myself and others. It has been my life and while the artistry is only a part of me, it’s a major component of how life has been experienced.

Complexity and Clarity with Sadaway| Written Wednesday

Published on January 24, 2018January 25, 2018 by shortlinereviewLeave a comment

While not a huge fan of labels, Sadaway would call himself an artist in the broadest sense. He creates visual art (mostly in the form of pen and ink works, but occasionally paintings and, recently, jewelry), poetry, raps, sings, and produces beats. While he wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘I do it all,’ Sadaway is definitely open to trying it all.

For his art and image as an artist and performer, Sadaway puts a lot of thought and effort into cultivating a unique aesthetic. He has managed this through choosing specific motifs that persist across all mediums of his work. From the visual pieces released to his sound and, even, the style of his outfits, Sadaway keeps certain elements in mind.

If he were to put a name to his specific genre/aesthetic, Sadaway thinks it would be something along the lines of: Post-Apocalyptic Alternative Vapor Rap (ridiculousness intended).

To check out what he means, follow his Instagram, SoundCloud, and art page?? (find these***). If you are interested in learning more about the creation behind his aesthetic and style, read our interview with Sadaway below!

How do you cultivate and maintain a following on social media?

Building an Instagram account up to 10k followers was easier than it sounds, actually. In all honesty I could of grown the account even more effectively if I had stayed more consistent with the content I posted. But, I decided to compromise sheer numbers for individuality and creative freedom. The account started as a meme account which, unsurprisingly (at least in my experience), grows very quickly. Humor is a great medium, as it transcends particular interests and has huge sharing/reposting/whatever potential. The theme of my meme account was Fallout, as that game franchise has been near and dear to my heart since I was the ripe young age of 13. I started it on a whim during my first semester at college, just for fun, to see how many jokes I could think of. Unbeknownst to me there was already an entire community of similar content creators on the platform. Connecting and collaborating with these community members gave a huge boost to my following and introduced me to some really cool people. Eventually, I decided to transform my account into a showcase for my art and music as this is what I am truly passionate about. Making the transition was difficult as the account did stagnate to a degree and I lost my momentum. The account is still a pet project and asset of mine and I’m confident I will accumulate new followers with the same techniques. (@sadaway.jpg if y’all wanna join the wave)

Overall my advice to burgeoning content creators would be to stay consistent both in content and uploading habits.

What inspired the song “Fuckin’ Cat” ft NGGA? What is the meaning behind the song?

Fuckin’ Cat was my first venture into the sometimes frustrating but ALWAYS rewarding realm of beat making. Beat making, for me, is pretty straight forward albeit time consuming (not helped by the fact I’m lazy and distractible as fuck). It sometimes starts with a concept, it sometimes starts with nothing. I find that having one specific sound or feel in mind is the more difficult route. It’s easy for me to pigeonhole myself into a mindset of how the beat should come out and lose my creative edge. For me, it’s often best to just sit down and start plucking keys and experimenting with drum patterns. Depending on what I’m feeling at that moment, my beat will come out accordingly.

Not only do you rap but you make your own beats. Describe your beatmaking process.

Ok, so bear with me on this one. Speaking of Instagram, y’know those sponsored ads in your feed for clothing brands you’ve never heard of before? The ones selling overpriced streetwear, ironic graphic tees, or something like that? Well, one day I happened upon one selling all-over print ski masks. More importantly, they were giving away the first 100 units free (just pay shipping). So, one was a kitten and immediately I thought, “damn, that shit’s tough. I need me one for shows.” It just so happened that when that mask arrived I was just beginning to experiment with making beats. As soon as I got it and proceeded to put it on, the idea just came to me along with the music and I got to work. I had the beat completed in time to perform it the same day. Thus, Fuckin’ Cat was born. It’s definitely a lighthearted, sort of gag track. I’m not trying to impress anyone with it, I was just having fun. But, at the same time, it was my first ever song completely produced and written by just me. It’s special for that reason. There’s really no rhyme or reason to this song. It’s just a 5 minute bombardment of awful cat puns and wild ad libs (shout out to NGGA for coming thru with those).

You have very fast-paced, multi-syllabic verses. How do you learn to balance complexity and clarity?

I personally feel that’s it’s one thing to rap and have a catchy hook, but it’s a game changer to have lyrics that flow seamlessly or, even, poetically on a track. That’s why I have such a tremendous amount of respect for artists like Earl Sweatshirt and MF Doom, I think they really own this style of music. I try to emulate this style too in my own work. But, my approach has evolved as I have grown as an artist. When I first started writing and performing, I would often cram as much wordplay into a verse as possible. Usually this would lead me to being forced to rap really fast which, in turn, lead to me choking or running out of breath. On top of this, most listeners couldn’t appreciate everything I was saying. So, over time, I slowed my pace and started writing in spaces to breathe. Now, writing a line is kind of like a game, the objective being to see how many rhymes and how much wordplay I can fit into the shortest amount of words. My takeaway here is that if you want to flaunt how clever you are on a track, emphasis comes first. Speed is a bonus.

In what ways do you combine your different art forms and present them to your audience?

As was stated earlier, I try my best to capture a similar aesthetic across all mediums of my art. This means that most, if not all, of the visuals I put out should be almost interchangeable with most, if not all, of my music. And, of course, you have to dress the part too. I aim for bright neon colors and gradients that compliment each other and contrast this with drab, piecemeal designs and textures like rust, corrugated metal, and torn fabric for my outfits. My visual art shares many of the same elements along with computer generated graphics and scenes from popular post-apocalyptic games and movies (mostly Fallout if you hadn’t already guessed). For my music, I use a lot of synths and electric instrumentation to create elaborate, serene soundscapes then contrast this with rough, heavy percussion and sound effects. My goal is to establish a recognizable and unique aesthetic that permeates all fields of my work.

In what ways does your music style allow you to discuss different topics while maintaining a consistent theme?

I think that my style of music should not have a significant impact on what I communicate through it, on my own beliefs, or values. While the instrumental aspect of my music may be fairly homogeneous, thematically, my lyrics and messages could ultimately be anything. That’s the beauty of poetry and hip-hop to me. People expect rappers and poets to give them something raw and real, something they can relate to. Rapping allows an artist to speak their mind as frankly as possible. It’s really just rhythmic talking. Whether that talking comes in the form of a story or a conversation is at the artist’s discretion. For instance, in my own music I’ve discussed everything from childhood nostalgia to regret, from love lost to being that fuckin’ cat.

As a visual artist how do you ensure you are being properly compensated and credited for your work?

This is a tricky one. In short, I don’t. Unfortunately, being a novice independent artist and putting your personal creations out into the world always poses the risk of having your ideas be stolen, especially in the internet age. I used to get fired up when seeing someone post a meme I had spent time imagining and editing without so much as a mention of my name. After that, I began to watermark my work. But, even then, anyone could crop a watermark out of a photo, edit it out with a program like photoshop, or even reproduce the same idea on their own. Now, I take these situations in stride as they’re really just a fact of life for artists like me. The dream is that once you become established, your work will be able to stand out from the rest and immediately be recognized as your’s, with or without your name attached. For compensation, it’s pretty much the same, you win some you lose some. I think the visibility that the art I make for others provides me is more valuable than the $20+ I ask for small pieces anyway.

In what ways do you network and collaborate with other artists?

I network with any opportunity I get to. You never know who’s a creator, who’s a connoisseur, or who has connections. It’s not like we all have sticky notes on our backs that show who’ll fuck with the vision and who won’t. So to that end, I just engage people about their interests and go from there. I really love a good conversation and, for the most part, I’m an open book. If someone asks, I’m more than willing to share what I’m about. In my opinion I think that’s the most natural way to go about it, just get out there, drop the phone and talk to another human being face-to-face dammit. I really can’t stand the guys sliding into every dm or comment section they can with the shameless self promotion. I guess I give them props for their tenacity but I find it really obnoxious and a sure fire way to have me never check out your stuff. For me, it’s as simple as if you appreciate what I’m doing and the feeling is mutual then let’s swap contact info and make something radical.

Over the span of your career, you have changed your stage name multiple times. Tell us about the process of deciding the right name for you. How do you know when it’s time to change it? How do you ensure that your audience remains familiar with who you are despite your name change?

Hahaha, damn. I knew this one was coming. I can make it short for this one. Basically, being a successful artist or visionary means not giving a single fuck about what anyone thinks of you,your talent, and making your own way. In that respect, I do what I want because I want to. If I’m not feeling a name, a look, an idea, or whatever it might be, I switch it up. Typically there’s been a good reason in the past. I change, my art changes, and I need a fresh start to seize upon the new energy and direction. Other times, I just realize the old name is lame and that’s that. I see it as no harm no foul since I don’t exactly have legions of adoring fans to catch off guard. And for the fans who might be confused? They either get with the program or move on, I won’t lose any sleep either way. As for the name itself, it’s whatever the coolest thing to pop into my head is.