Author: Ashley E

Author: Ashley E.

20 year old singer and song-writer Joshua Waters knew at an early age he had a passion for performing and singing, but it wasn’t until around his freshman year in college that it became clear to him music is what he wanted to pursue professionally. Josh was so adamant about his music career that he decided to drop out of college to eliminate having a plan B option.  He knew not having a plan B would force him to put everything he had into his music.

He and a few other talented artists are known to some as “The God Particles,” and they are changing the way artists and music from Mississippi are perceived. I caught up with Josh for a quick interview to talk about his rising career and plans for the future. Check it out below!

Ashley E: I know there is a group of you all. You and some other Mississippi artists are known as “The God Particles.” How did all of you link up?

JW: Yea shout out to D. Horton, Dev Maccc and Kway. I knew Kway prior, he was like a older brother to me. I had a show with Kway back in March or April at Offbeat and before that show I felt he was the best rapper in Mississippi until I heard D. Horton and Dev Macc that night. After the show they both came up to me and told me they were fans of my music and since then we’ve been working together.  We all just have this chemistry…..we are like family.

 

Ashley E: You have a single out called That Road. What was the inspiration behind that track?

JW:  I was dating this young lady in college and it didn’t work out. It’s like when you’re trapped in the world or lost in the world, you don’t really know who you are. Everybody you meet is pretty much the same until you meet someone that knows who they are. You feel like that person is just so different or not like everyone else. I was that “different” person to her; a step out of her comfort zone as far as dating goes. I was her experiment.

Ashley E: Who are some of your musical influences?

JW: This is one of the most difficult questions I am asked. There are so many… Musiq Soulchild, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, BJ The Chicago Kid, Jazmine Sullivan…. As a singer maturing and coming into my sound more, I try not to listen to a lot of singers because I don’t want to bite anyone. I’m trying to make music for myself. I listen to a lot of hip hop.

Ashley E: Is your family supportive of your music career?

JW: Well it’s just me, my mom and my brothers. My dad passed when I was 6. My mom was actually a singer so she really pushes me to pursue  my talent because she was unable to pursue hers. She supports me 100 percent.

Ashley E: That’s great that you have that support. A lot of parents and just people in general encourage pursuing the “safe route.”

JW: Yea there were so many people against my decision but I left college so I wouldn’t have a plan B. I have a one year old son now too so I’m putting all my energy and time into my music. This has to work.

Ashley E: How far do you want to take your career?

JW: Man I have no limits. It’s not me, it’s God. I sing a lot about love because God is love. God gives me the ideas when I’m writing music. I’m walking in the purpose He gave me so as far as He allows me to go. I’m leaving Mississippi soon moving to Atlanta but I plan to come back. It’s not in a sense to get rich and come back and give people money. I want to get more knowledge about the game, make connections, and come back to create a platform for artists here. There is so much talent here but we don’t know what to do with it.

 

I got a chance to see Josh perform for the second time in Jackson, Mississippi on the Silas Gullah Gullah Island Tour two weeks ago. He performed a new single called This Fire that hasn’t officially been released. The song is fire just like the name! Josh was very excited about the track and gave me some details about a possible industry feature.

Check out more about the rising star here.

“Who you are and who you want to be are choices away….you can follow or determine your fate…” ~QB

Author: Ashley E.

Quavius Black, known to most as “Kway” made a choice to determine his own fate when he decided to drop out of college after the first year to pursue music as a career. He was a straight A student in high school with a 3.7 gpa, and after graduating he was awarded a full academic scholarship to Alcorn State University. Kway had a smooth path to success majoring in computer engineering and graphic design, but things are never clear cut when it comes to what your heart wants and what your mind thinks is right. He realized early on that the non-traditional path to success wasn’t going to be easy when he was kicked out of the house and forced to live out of his car because of his decision to choose music over a degree.
I got a chance to see him perform for the first time a few months ago at a concert in Jackson, Mississippi and I instantly became a fan. His lyrical content, delivery, and the instrumentation in his music caught my attention so I’ve been following his work since. I connected with him for a interview to get to know more about the artist behind the music. Check it out below.

Ashley E: In one of your songs you mentioned that your dad is a pastor. Does he listen to your music?
QB: Not even a little bit. I create pretty positive music so I do send my family some of my content to listen to, but I try to keep myself distant from family affairs because I don’t want to embarrass my dad’s name.

Ashley E: When did you get into music, writing and recording?
QB: When I was younger Lil Wayne and Ray Charles were two of my biggest influences. I know that’s a weird collaboration but I’m a weird guy. I learned to play the piano listening to Ray Charles. When I heard Lil Wayne’s lyrics and metaphors it really made me say this is what I want to do. I love blues, jazz and all kinds of music.

Ashley E: Yea you can really hear the different genres and elements in your music. Do you consider yourself to be just a rapper?
QB: I don’t want to label myself as just a rapper. I’m a music engineer, a song writer, recorder and a mixer.

Ashley E: How far do you want to take your career? Some artists are content once they get to a certain point.
QB: I could be content making music that is sustainable or that I can live off of, but I would never be fully satisfied. I mean I want to go as far as I can. I want to be that person that people approach to score music for their films. I want to direct, write screen-plays, style. It’s all an art form.

Ashley E: You have two singles called Cliche and Cliche Part 2. I listened to both and I got the points you were making about the messages in most mainstream rap music. It’s the usual…. money, drugs and hoes. Tell me what was going through your mind when you created these tracks.
QB: I wrote Cliche about 4 years ago and it was created out of a place of almost hatred for that type of music. I felt like that kind of music was bringing us down as a people and pushing the wrong perspective. When I created Cliche Part 2, it was coming from a place of understanding about why artists created that type of music. When I went homeless and had to live in a trap house with a bunch of other guys waking up not knowing where my next meal was going to come from, I got a better understanding of people being a product of their environment. I could understand only living for the moment and not for tomorrow because right now is all we have.

Ashley E: Do you think it’s harder being an artist from Mississippi with all of the negative perceptions associated with the state?
QB: Maybe it’s harder but I can look at it from two perspectives. Being in Mississippi could be a disadvantage because nobody is really paying attention to artists here. Or I can say it’s the perfect place to be because when people start paying attention there aren’t many artists to pay attention to. People expect to hear static or ABC rap from artists here so when they come across some with quality it makes them stop and take notice.

Ashley E: Do you ever get nervous or afraid that the path you chose might not get you anywhere or that it was in vain?
QB: Oh yea. I think all artists go through depression and anxiety wondering if they are wasting their time. And not just artists, but lawyers and doctors wonder if they made the right decision with their career. I dropped out of school for this. I’m 23 and will be 24 soon so the time to make something happen is right now. The thing about being a doctor is that there is a timeline. You know once you go to school for this many years, you have this path laid out for you. You know with all the time you put in for this career, you will have success at the end. There isn’t a timeline or guideline to be a rapper. Your future is uncertain. People call me childish and tell me that I need to grow up but I’m glad I’m not afraid to still be a kid.

Ashley E: Yea we spend so much of our lives living for someone else or being what others want us to be instead of who we truly want to be.
QB: Exactly. You have to ask yourself who are you living for. We have to make ourselves happy.

Quavius is working on a new project that will be released soon. He calls it an “experimental” project and he says it will be something that hasn’t really been heard before. In addition to that he started a “free verse challenge” on his soundcloud. He creates a beat and gives artists an opportunity to send him a verse over the beat. The artist with the best verse wins a free studio session where they can record professionally. It’s a way to inspire artist to keep chasing their dreams.

Check out Kway’s music here.

Author: Ashley E.

While scrolling through Instagram a few months ago I randomly came across a musician’s page named Calligraphy. So like most people do when they come across a stranger’s open page on Instagram, I lurked to get a glimpse of what this person’s life was like. While lurking I came across a video that he posted of himself playing a keyboard and singing. Not to sound cliche or corny but his voice was mesmerizing and he had a unique sound especially coming out of Mississippi. I reached out to let him know I was digging his vibe and to see if we could possibly work together in some way. Later I got a chance to hear him for the first time live at an event this past June in Jackson, Mississippi. The crowd loved him that night! After the show I introduced myself and told him I would love to interview him for the blog.

The interview didn’t happen right away due to crazy schedules but the perfect summer day and time arrived. We met up at Cups in the Fondren art district of Jackson the following month. When I saw him he looked like he could be a model; tall, attractive, nice smile, oh…. and he had an afro. He definitely had the free-spirited look and vibe and he was very genuine and down to earth. He is known to friends and family as Anthony or AJ, but as an artist he is known by the name Calligraphy. A while back people always complimented him about his beautiful handwriting so the name was very fitting as an artist. Surprisingly he has only been performing since March of this year but he has been involved in music since the age of 5.

Check out our interview below:

Ashley E:  So how did you get your start in music?
Calligraphy: At an early age I played the piano and that’s when I realized I liked music. In junior high I started playing the saxophone and violin and during that time I started writing lyrics and songs. From there things just kind of evolved. Last year I decided I wanted to do something portable so I started playing the guitar.

Ashley E: Did you teach yourself how to play the guitar?
Calligraphy: Yea. I learned from watching other people play and I used a app that helped teach me different chords.

Ashley E: Do you have a musical background? Like are any of your family members into music?
Calligraphy: In my extended family there are a lot of musicians, singers, and producers. Not really in my immediate family. My family especially my mom wasn’t really that supportive of my decision to become a musician. I don’t think they realized how serious I was about it.

Ashley E: But now that you have evolved more and have fans are they more supportive?
Calligraphy: Yea some of my family have come out to see me perform now that they know I’m serious about it. My major was music industry studies so I learned all I needed to know about the business side of music.

Ashley E: When was your first performance?
Calligraphy: It was actually here at Cups. I’m a perfectionist so I kept putting it off but my friends kept telling me I needed to go ahead and put myself out there. During the performance I just kept thinking about how horrible I was doing but the crowd loved it. So many people kept coming up to me after my set.

Ashley E: Do you have any projects coming out?
Calligraphy: I’m working on an album called Love Child. It’s really about finding out what love is and going through that emotional journey of love; trust, anger, breakups etc.. I originally wanted it to be geared towards teens because most have a blind perception of love.

Ashley E: A lot of adults have a blind perception of love.
Calligraphy: Yea they do and a lot of my friends were telling me that this album could help a lot of adults too.

Ashley E: Do you have a release date set?
Calligraphy: Not yet, maybe some time next year. I’m raising money because I really want to get it professionally recorded.

Ashley E: Are there any artists that influence your sound?
Calligraphy: I really don’t listen to a lot of music besides piano music. I like John Mayer and Ed Sheeran. Ed is really where I got that inspiration to start looping… multi-tasking like playing the guitar and singing at the same time. I was like if he can do it there is no excuse why I can’t. And I like Alicia Keys. You can hear the emotion in her voice when she sings and she is an artist that developed her own sound.

Ashley E: What’s a word that describes your music?
Calligraphy: Therapy. I’ve had women come up to me after shows crying because my music touched them so much. I was shocked by that kind of reaction. I want my music to revolve around love because it’s needed. And it’s something I felt like I didn’t receive that much growing up especially being the middle child.

Ashley E: Do you want to expand beyond Jackson?
Calligraphy: Yes, of course. I feel like I’m a role model to a lot of people in my family so now I kind of have this pressure to succeed.

If you want to keep up with Calligraphy check him out here. If you’re in the Jackson, Mississippi area you can catch him live every 3rd Saturday along with other talented artists at the M7 coffee house in Ridgeland for their Coffee and Vibes series. He will be performing there next Saturday, September 17th.

Photograph: Mitch C. Davis, Jackson, MS

Author: Ashley E.

Looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to 18 year old hip-hop artist Prymo. Hip hop are actually two of the last two words you would even think to associate with the Philippines native. I didn’t know what to expect the first time I saw him live at a show in Jackson, Mississippi. He walked up to front of the room, grabbed the mic that was taller than him, and while fixing his glasses introduced himself just as articulate as a college professor. The lights dimmed, the music started, the beat dropped, and then he opened his mouth and for a second I questioned was he the same person. I love those type of artists, the ones that come with a shock factor. His performance was dope; I heard lyricism and word-play mixed with a little poetry. He put me in the mindset of Eminem who is ironically one of his musical influences as well as artists like Royce, Slaughterhouse, ASM, J Dilla, Yeezy, and many others. We connected after his last show for a quick interview to get to know him better and to discuss his recently released project The broly EP.

Check out my interview with Prymo and broly. below.

 

Ashley E: How long have you been performing and when did you decide to seriously pursue music as an artist?

P: Well, if we’re discussing semantics, first verse I wrote was when I was in the 4th grade, and started battling when I was about 12 or 13. My first real performance was when I was 13, at an inter-city rap contest back in my home country (Philippines). We came in third. I’ve been clawing my way to self-sufficiency in terms of music and the business behind it ever since.”

Ashley E: What do you feel distinguishes your music from other artists?

P: My point-of-view and my overall being, really. Growing up in a third-world country where morality is more flexible than my underwear’s elastic will do that. A lot of folks think that I belong in a rich-ass country club somewhere, but I literally grew up in the urban slums without the faintest notion that I would ever set foot in America and be able to go to college, and that background really influences how I create. Plus the fact that I don’t really conform to the conventional “rapper” image. I’m into comic books, video games, I don’t do drugs, I try to inject an element of stand-up to my performances, and just an overall atmosphere of awkward wackiness really, cuz that’s who I am in real life.

Ashley E: Do you find it challenging to be taken serious as a rap artist because of your age, being in the south, your background etc…?

P: Absolutely. When I first came here, people absolutely REFUSED to believe I even LISTENED to hiphop, let alone make hiphop music. I literally heard the words “Why you listen to hiphop? You ain’t black” from a friend of mine (who was black). People I personally knew said I suck for the sole reason that I didn’t curse as much as other rappers (I actually do that a lot) and don’t talk about the stuff they do. My reasoning behind that was I talk about what I know. And yes, I’m VERY far from saintly, but I DO know that the wrongs that I DID make aren’t in the least bit brag-worthy (not in scale, but in nature).

P: On another note, my age is a double-edged sword, since a lot of people cut me slack for being so young and going to tackle everything alone which is kind of bad for me since I want to be taken seriously (to an extent), but at the same time, my own ego starts spazzing since SO MANY other artists are getting their slice of the pie way earlier than I am. But the upside to everything is the look on people’s faces when I speak English eloquently and I give them a sixteen instead of speaking in a Chinese accent with broken ‘Engrish’ and doing a crane kick. Shit’s priceless.”

Ashley E: How did you and broly. link up to produce this project, and what was the process like of working together?

P: We met in high school (Shout out to the Mustang Debate Team), and when I found out he produced shit, I wanted to collaborate. See, the thing I love most about this project was how organic and personal it felt. I wanted to work with him since you can feel what he’s trying to say through the beat. It’s spirited. He gave me some beats that I picked from to do songs on, and I wrote and recorded to it, working independently from each other. But that didn’t make it any less collaborative, we just had our own personal freedom within the confines of the project itself, and it just meshed together. We’re actually working on an extended cut of it which we’ll release soon.”

b.: Working with Prymo was easy. All he wanted was something different and that’s what I gave him. He needed some inspiration.”

broly.

Ashley E: The EP is comprised of three songs; Thr33, Mug O’ Joe, and Busted. Can you tell me a little bit about the inspiration and meaning behind each track?

P: Thr33’s lyrics are actually a love song dedicated to @geiszl_star (my partner and the EP’s cover artist). Hidden in the song’s folds of fat is an apology/love note/way of dealing with “what if she leaves me?” syndrome. The first verse is my internal dialogue dealing with attachment/dependency on her, and nearly all of the lyrics are based on independent fights we’ve had in the past that we’ve since resolved.

‘Mug O’ Joe’ has this element of me role playing as this exaggerated version of broly.’s outward demeanor when he’s ‘not himself’, dealing with his frustrations the way I would. Sort of like a Saiyan fusion. The words’ concept stemmed from my perspective on social circles around here, since a lot of emotion and decorum is considered when dealing with issues, versus when I was growing up where if you guys can’t agree on something and you felt wronged, you either had a rap battle grudge match or you beat the snot out of their noses, but either way, you depart the battlefield as friends.

‘Busted’ is a lot like my other song ‘Nightingale’ in the sense that it’s a narrative-based song (I wracked my brain trying to think of a Taylor Swift-narrative joke, couldn’t swing it). It’s about infidelity and empty sex that I grew up thinking was the measure of a man. ‘You gotta sleep with a lot of bitches’ and all of that nonsense. It’s from the perspective of a guy who’s very happy with his significant other, but is still seeking sexual relations with other women from fear of ‘being whipped’.

b.: I was at a weird time in my life when I did the music for Thr33, but in Mug O’ Joe, I was determined to make something different than anything else I’ve done.”

Ashley E: How far do you want to take your career?

P: “At its pinnacle, I want everyone to consider me a close personal friend, even though they only know me through my music. For everyone to be able to relate with me at least on one level, and have a community sprout from my ideas, and in turn fuel new ones from different people. Also, it would be nice if I had enough dough to personally fund research to help punch Alzheimer’s Disease in the face. I grew up with my grandma calling me by my aunt’s nickname because of that shit. So until I’m either dead, unknown and penniless, or dead, famous, and have my head right next to Walt Disney’s in the deep freezer, waiting till science catches up and resurrects us. Either way, I’m doing this for life.”

 

Comprised of only 3 tracks, The broly EP is 6 minutes and 22 seconds of intergalactic beats, wit, lyricism and wordplay. Tr33 is my favorite track on the album because I’m a sucker for love stories and I liked that I didn’t realize it was a love song until towards the end of the track. It’s a snippet of what’s to come; Prymo and broly. have an extended cut in the works.

Check out The broly EP here.

 

The broly EP cover