Chicago’s genre-bending MC Tree loves to make predictions. Last year, while attending Pitchfork as a guest, he told everyone who would listen that a year from then he would be on one of the four stages in Union Park. On July 21st, he proved that estimate true as he played the opening 1pm set on Sunday. It was an appropriate setting for the Soul Trap creator.
As he dabbled between the duo of Sunday School mixtapes released over the past year and a half, church bells rang out from service at First Baptist Congregational Church just west of the festival. By all accounts, it was a solid fest debut for Tree, who was joined onstage by a drummer and vocalists Lili K and BenOfficial. Tree’s prediction this year? Read it in the Q+A below and hear the lofty goals the producer/MC has for the rest of this year and 2014. Continue reading Soul Trapping with Tree at Pitchfork 2013→
Chief Keef has been arrested again, this time on trespassing charges. In what has become somewhat of a routine for the 17-year-old artist who has seemingly spent as much time in legal custody as not this year, Keef was apprehended as he left a court appearance in Skokie for a speeding violation last month in Northbrook. After learning that he was barred from driving a vehicle for 18 months due to his 110 mph joy ride down the Edens, Keef and his team were surprised to be confronted by an unmarked police car with officers allegedly brandishing automatic weapons to arrest the unarmed Keef. The trespassing charge allegedly stems from a gathering near a school about a month and a half ago when Keef visited his old neighborhood. Continue reading [Interview] Idris “Peeda Pan” Speaks Out on Chief Keef’s Arrest→
It’s hard to miss James King when he enters a room. When I first met him he was wearing green fatigue pants tightly tucked into black combat boots and topped off by a patchwork bomber jacket. King, better known as The GTW (Greater Than Wealth), explains that his dress reflects his art, taking from many different scenes and cultures around Chicago and abroad to create a sound and attitude that is wholly his own. The sound he dubs “Chigerian” is a nod to the Nigerian heritage his immigrant parents bestowed on him since he was an infant.
The rapper/singer/producer embodies the collage of influences in everything he does, calling it a “random” mix of everything from art to music and life. His music is a sort of new-age 90′s R&B with tribal twinges and a mix of down-tempo house with carefully crafted electronic undertones. His most recent project, 4814 with producer Beng Feng showed a flexibility to adapt and assimilate his tone and sound to a different production, something the 22-year old artist prides himself on. The GTW is a big Manchester United fan and has a keen eye on the european electronic scene and 4814 garnered him a write-up in the UK newspaperThe Guardian before he had much of any press here at home. With a video for his song “Cravings” on the way and upcoming projects with Beng Feng and others in the works, expect to see plenty more headlines on The GTW in 2013. I was able to catch up with the multi-talented artist just before his show January 25 at The Temple Head Gallery in Humboldt Park.
The GTW’s parents grew up in Nigeria
RubyHornet: Tell me about the various influences you employ in your music and what is Chigerian?
GTW: It’s good to build up other people. First you have to start off making the music that you like, but it’s cool to build other people up. Being into other cultures, not just the music but what actually makes the pain, what makes them sing the way they do, what makes them make the types of beats they make and that’s why I’m into so many different cultures. I really like Brazillian jazz music, I’m into house music, I’m into trap and soul and to understand all of these different influences you have to understand the cultures. Just reading a lot or watching documentaries, and I know I have a little bit of every culture with me but more specifically with Chigerian, just being born in Chicago and having parents that are actually from Nigeria and having gone there it actually shaped my mindset. So the whole Chigerian thing is not only Chicago, it’s pretty much anyone who lives in the city with a world influence.
RubyHornet: How many times have you been to Nigeria?
GTW: I’ve been to Nigeria once. It was cool, kind of a culture shock because as soon as I got there I’m hot and sweating and the airport wasn’t really up to par so as soon as I walk in when I’m 10 years old I see a rat running around and I was used to everything being super clean. I was really prissy, really spoiled as a kid so when people were running for our bags to help us I was like ‘whoa, what’s going on?’ Just the culture too, the culture there is really go out and get it as opposed to having something handed to you. It’s really like go out and get it and very forceful and that’s kind of what I really learned. I lived there for six months and I came out a man, being 10 years old. It was a good experience and I’d really like to go back.
RubyHornet: What affect did that have on your life or your music?
GTW: It really did change my life at that time because I learned to appreciate everything a little bit more. Years later, ten years later, I can’t say it affected me as much so because I was only there for six months, but I still remember what I learned. Maybe if I stayed there a little longer now it would have a bigger impact and I would make better decision (laughs).
RubyHornet: Do you feel as though your experiences or interests in other cultures sets you apart?
GTW: I feel everybody has their own culture, everyone. I’m not any more cultured than anyone else is. It’s cool just to live in Chicago and have parents from Nigeria. It helps me look at things differently and allows me a different outlook on life. There was that whole Nigerian culture that was going on not only in Nigeria but around the world. I’m not only wrapped up in Nigerian politics, I like to look around and see what’s going on in like the Middle East and other places. I like hearing good news, I like hearing bad news around the world. It helps me find inspiration elsewhere.I can be from a country in the middle of the diaspora and be inspired by a country on the southern tip of South America. Here I’m inspired by Texas, Houston and whatever little scenes they have going on down there. Musically I can get inspired by really anything, including local culture.
Whether it be clothes, music or everyday actions, The GTW embodies his music
RubyHornet: Tell me about your style, it is very eclectic both musically and day to day.
GTW: I’m just like, really random. I believe that with music I’m inspired aesthetically first so that when I look at a picture I’ll tend to write off of that image and I feel if you make a certain type of music you don’t need to ask me what kind of music I make. You can tell, it’s easy to say ‘I make this.’ Everyone’s left lane, everyone’s doing their own thing. If I look at you, can I really tell that you’re making the kind of art you believe in? It doesn’t have to be wild or crazy.
I’m not really into fashion at all, I’m just really random with it. I feel like aesthetically I like to connect with my audio, my music. When I go out I just grab random stuff like pants I like. My whole sound I’m working on now, like tribal bass, is really inspired by a lot of tropical bass music, shit like that, mixing it in with Hip Hop, sinking soul music. That’s kind of like my style, it’s really traditional and still I’m wrapped up in the internet. You’ll see a lot of visual influence with anything I do, not just style but aesthetic or design work, anything I do.
RubyHornet: As someone who does everything from producing to singing and rapping, how important is it to you to be well-versed in many different aspects?
GTW: It’s important, but it’s fun doing anything because I don’t have all the money in the world to pay people to do this and that and don’t really have anything to offer anyone, so all I have is time and I can learn to do what other people do and create my own vision and have my hand in everything, it’s fun. It’s hard but like, what’re you doing it for? Experimenting is fun with me. I’m not the best at everything. Like, I may not out sing some people but I may know how to say a couple catchy notes. Or maybe I can’t out-rap anyone but I can say some simple, everyday things that may connect to someone.
RubyHornet: How grateful are you to be a part of this rising music scene in Chicago?
GTW: It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of. I’m really grateful because I’ve gotten to work with cats in the soul scene, artists in the Hip Hop scene and artists from all different scenes and every scene is progressing in their own lane. I may not know it but there will be soul artists you’ve never heard of touring or an experimental artist touring or a Hip Hop artist on the street; all kinds of people you wouldn’t really know what they’re doing unless you’re connected to it. As far as music, it’s really beneficial and inspires me to make the best music I can make. I can make the kind of music I want to make here in Chicago and succeed with it internationally. It’s really given me hope that this is a great city to be from and you don’t really have to worry about rent.
RubyHornet: What is your motivation with music, what gets you out of bed and working everyday?
GTW: The fact that I just want to live better of course. I just really want have fun right now making music and I just want people to hear it because there will be down times I’ll have in my life, I wouldn’t say suicidal, but I’ll be down and listen to certain songs and I just want to be that artist that people are like “Oh, I love this artist because I was down and listened to his music.” I want to connect to people. I feel like now that’s how you solidify yourself. There’s a lot of artists so if you don’t connect people are looking for the next thing. I want to come with what I have to offer and have fun but at the same time I want to connect with people.
Alex Wiley has been working hard lately. The Southside MC has been busy for the better part of 2012 garnering followers through a steady flow of videos and songs online and collaborations with Kembe X and a host of other Chicago artists. Wiley is now looking to drop his own solo project, one that has gone through several changes throughout the last few months. What originally started as an EP under the name Village Up, has transformed several times during endless recording at SoundScape Studios, where I recent met and spoke with the budding emcee. To be sure, Wiley was due for a nap. Luckily, I was able to catch him just before he curled up on the couch, exhausted from a long day.
That Wiley sleeps at all may be the most surprising thing. The high-energy emcee can be found around town rapping in a Santa suit like he did onstage at Chance The Rapper’s AcidRap Live show at The Metro November 23, or chopping up philosophies on the intricacies of the perfect taco bar, which he has plans to unveil somewhere in the near future. A glance at Wiley’s robust Twitter feed could make anyone wonder if the kid sleeps at all. Since releasing #MoPurp with Chance and Kembe earlier this year, a video for which has garnered over 75,000 YouTube views in just under six months, Wiley has set about making his mark on the Chicago scene and beyond and is nearing the release of his debut project, Club Wiley, which has spanned almost a full year of his progression and is set to drop early 2013 via the indie label, Closed Sessions.
Wiley at SoundScape Studios
RubyHornet: How did all this get started for you?
Alex Wiley: My friend Kembe was rapping and shit, and I used to go to the studio with him and we started making these joke songs whenever he was done recording what he had written. We would just call it Swag Village because we just made really dumb songs and put them on Facebook. I just kept doing that and just started rapping over old “Electric Relaxation” and Nas beats. It was just like a weird progression, it was really slow. When Kembe’s mixtape was about to come out, this kid Genesis was harassing like every blogger with it and it found it’s way to Alex at RubyHornet and Andrew at FakeShore first. Once we started getting local blog posts, it just progressed and my friend Calez got on 2DopeBoyz and then we did a song and that went up, and then all of a sudden people were kinda taking us seriously as rappers.
RubyHornet: What’s the transition like, going from another kid to being taken seriously in Hip Hop?
Alex Wiley: I dropped out of school at like 17, and I used to intern at a couple boutiques around town and that was probably what I was going to do for the time being, working at some little store. Then I just got to rapping, and it was cool and once I started doing it I just really, really like doing it.
RubyHornet: With everyone coming out of Chicago, how do you stay different?
Alex Wiley: I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it a whole lot to be honest. I think me and my friends have just been in a good situation and we are just ourselves, and get good enough feedback to where we can keep doing it. I don’t think our particular side of the Chicago scene has a whole lot of competition and shit going on. I think everyone’s just themselves and people will fuck with it, or they won’t so much.
RubyHornet: Do you feel fortunate to be part of the rising scene in Chicago?
Alex Wiley: This is amazing. I mean, there are people who have been doing it way longer and have way more material out that are still trying to put it all together. I just feel like I’m in a good situation with local people that I fuck with, but that we can still get the job done on a non-local level. I think it’s cool, I do feel fortunate to just be able to come by and be in the studio like this and work regularly.
RubyHornet: What do you credit that to?
Alex Wiley: Man, I don’t know. I’m just thinking how I got to a point where a label would even want to fuck with me. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to be honest. I mean it’s cool, I’m just fortunate to be where I’m at. I feel like it’s on me now, you know? It’s not going to be where I didn’t make it because my situation was fucked up, it’ll be because people don’t really like my music, but I don’t really see that being the case.
RubyHornet: Do you feel any pressure from that?
Alex Wiley: I haven’t had the experience of putting something out where people were just like “this is terrible.” So I don’t know, I feel like I can just do what I want to do, and people are going to fuck with me on some level. yeah, I don’t think so.
RubyHornet: What’s the relationship like with SaveMoney and Chance and those guys?
Alex Wiley: I went to grammar school with Chance, so I knew him since I was like five and then went to high school with most of the rest of them. So I’ve just known them for awhile, I have songs with a few of them and I fuck with them.
RubyHornet: How big was it for you to get on #10Day?
Wiley and Chance The Rapper – #MoPurp
Alex Wiley: I wanted to be on it just because I knew how good it was going to be. I don’t think any of us knew it was going to crack the way it did. I had heard a couple records on the album and had been sort of subliminally asking Chance to be on it for awhile. When he came to the studio to do “MoPurp” and this other song, “Spaceship”, we did both of those in one night. He played me a couple records and I was like, I guess it wasn’t so subliminal, I just asked him, but jokingly because it was still his decision. He called me like three weeks before 10Day was out basically and was like “I want you to add a verse to ‘Windows’” because “Windows” was already out and he said he wanted me to add a verse to it and give it a little more bounce. So we just did that, and I think it came out cool. That tape, I think, is like a Chicago classic.
RubyHornet: Tell me a little about your label situation with Closed Sessions.
Alex Wiley: Man, it’s cool. I just think what we have in store is cool, like our plan for this shit, just where we’re trying to go. I think it’s just going to be very interesting to watch. If we do it right, and I think we will, I think it’ll be something to really watch because I think we’ll be getting at this shit that only major artists get at and still be doing it our way while still keeping it indie.
RubyHornet: What does Chicago mean to you?
Alex Wiley: I don’t want to leave. I feel like other rappers want to get rich and move to LA or some shit, but I really like it here. I think you can hear it in my music that I’m from Chicago and this is what I’m about. I feel like Chicago, all the people that are hot here, you can just hear they’re from Chicago, they’re popping because they bring that Chicago shit.
RubyHornet: What do you want listeners to take away from an Alex Wiley record?
Alex Wiley: I want them to just inherently like it as a song. I’m not trying to make music that’s preachy or making people think too deeply. I just want people to hear it and like it and just be pleasing to the ear. I just want people to like it and fuck with it. I just want people to feel it.
RubyHornet: What can we expect from Alex Wiley moving into the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013?
Alex Wiley: Just like a barrage of shit coming in January. We got videos, several more singles, it’s just a whole bunch of shit. We’ve been saving records for a long time. People think that because I’ve only dropped a couple songs in the past couple months that I haven’t been recording, but I’ve been recording a lot of shit for the coming weeks. I think it’ll be a good gauge of whether people will fuck with my tape too, because a lot of these songs didn’t quite make the project but they still kind of had that sound. I’m really eager to see if people fuck with it, I think they will but you never know what happens.
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Jake Krzeczowski 