I worked on this tape for around half a year. I collaborated with some amazing artists like Chedom, iNTeLL from the 2nd Generation Wu, Dogman Rukus and more. It turned out really great and it’s my favourite project that I made so far.
Which song of the mixtape is your favorite?
It’s hard to choose, because I had great fun making most of the songs. But I would probably have to go with “Rescue You” because I have been listening to iNTeLL for many years and it’s a big honour to have him on my mixtape.
Do you think there is a true underground hip hop sound today?
There is underground hip hop today for sure. You just have to look for it. I’m always happy to find some new real hip hop.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
It’s a culture. I met so many great people around the world through hip hop. I never experienced anything like this with other music genres. It’s one love.
Favorite music related film?
Ghost Dog is one of my favourite movies ever. RZA made a classic with this movie. I have watched it so many times.
What is the most useless talent you have?
I am very good at Fall Guys. I don’t know if it’s a talent but it’s useless for sure.
How many beats do you listen to before you end up using one? Tell us a few things about your creative process.
I usually make all my own beats so my process really depends on where I’m starting with the song. Like for this song I started off thinking about some old Kanye beats, found the samples I wanted and then was off to the races. Sometimes it’s not that simple and it can take months to craft something the way I want it to be, but usually it comes out as one big idea.
Do you like the idea of collaborating? Is songwriting a lonely process?
Songwriting for me is usually a pretty lonely process. I would say 9 times out 10 I’m just holed up in my studio working by myself, but I have collaborated some. I’ve worked with artists like Your Neighbors, Jaxxon Wynn, and Alex Jackson on past projects.
Do you think there is a true underground hip hop sound today?
I think hip hop and music in general is going through this weird phase where everything is underground and nothing is underground at the same time. Everything has influences of something else in it and with the way the internet is we can go extremely deep down the rabbit hole that is any given genre. So what is super mainstream to some people is super niche to others, but there’s not many household names coming out anymore so to put it all in one word. Both.
Is Spotify the music industry’s new Gatekeepers?
Yes. 1000%. Social media too.
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
I really haven’t watched a whole lot of films while I’ve been in quarantine, but I think the best new thing I’ve watched in general is Black Mirror, that show’s crazy as hell.
You’d give up making music for…
Nothing, this shit is my therapy and I don’t think there’s anything on earth that would make me want to stop creating
All the beats on my new EP are made by an amazing boom bap hip-hop producer named K. Pizzle. The tracks on this album have a range of vibes, from grimy to uptempo, while having a common underlying gritty feel about them. I had fun experimenting a little more with some singing on this one, but I’ll always stay true to myself and make sure the bars are on point no matter what.
Which song of the EP is your favorite?
My favorite songs vary day to day, but I’d say at the moment Neutered In Neutral is my personal favorite.
Do you think there is a true underground hip hop sound today?
I think underground artists should always make music they want to make and develop their OWN sound without trying to sound likeother. So, I guess by that definition there can’t be one true underground hip hop sound. With that said though, I do believe the listeners can tell when someone is being authentic with their art, or just trying to bandwagon.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
Hip hop is a representation of the people. The good, bad, and the ugly.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to be more patient. Stick with things, sometimes the pay out takes time.
You’d give up making music for…
I have a beautiful wife and 4 kids, so if I ever had to give up making music it would be for them. In a heartbeat.
Your music has an experimental tone. Should music as a form of art always challenge the listener?
In our opinion music doesn’t always have to challenge the listener. Often the exchange between a song and the listener can be purely a momentary pleasure. In terms of long lasting, impactful music that truly connects with its audience and keeps its cultural relevance over time, the answer would be, yes. In that case the art should challenge the listeners in some way. Evoque an emotion or incourage to stop and think for an instance. What music incorporates those attributes for each individual listener, who are we to say?
What is the story behind your name?
The idea behind it is that our names respectively begin with a “C” for Calvin and an “L” for Lawrence. In old roman numbers C and L stand for 100 and 50, you add those up and you get 150. Thats where ONE:FIFTY came from.
Favourite album of the past year?
Wasn’t released in 2020/21 but Mac Millers “Swimming” has been on heavy rotation ever since its release in 2018. Probably still the album that gets the most plays from us. There is something new to discover every time you listen.
Your also have very cool dark vibe. Tell us a song with an atmosphere, you wish you had composed yourself.
The atmosphere of “On My Shoulders” by Sabrina Claudio is something we would have loved to have come up with ourselves. Amazing song.
Should we always accept our demons? Tell us a few things about your new song.
I think we should be aware of demons, whatever it may be. “Trauma” is the first song and video where I comfortably talk about depression and ways of coping with it, whether healthy or unhealthy. I speak on my demons and how it has affected me throughout life. For instance I state, “I’m not even comfortable with love. Every time I think I’ve had enough. It stays on my mind. Like all the time. It’s just nature telling me that this time. It’s gon’ be alright. I hope so.” Although this line is self explanatory, I proclaim that I am not comfortable with love because I feel like I do not know what love is. Since I am aware of that demon, I actually try to practice showing affection and/or gratitude to my peers, for example.
Author, poet, musician, model , actor, record label owner, college student..How do all these fit together?
Well, being an author, poet, and musician allow me to tap into my deeper emotions by constantly writing. This continuous writing is extremely therapeutic for me. In addition, I am able to hone in on my publishing skills. On the other hand, modeling and acting is more psychological for me. Specifically, acting gives me the chance to show my many sides that I may not show in real life, based on the character. Lastly, owning a record label and being a college student helps with the entrepreneurial aspect of entertainment. By owning a record label, I have the freedom to express myself however I want and do business with whomever I deem a good fit. Moreover, being a college student is good for networking. Overall, these titles are applicable to entertainment and business, one way or another.
For which lyric are you most proud of?
Within “Trauma”, I have a line that says, “It’s just nature telling me that this time, it’s going to be alright.” This line is an indicator that sometimes we do not have control over what happens to us, for example, falling in love with someone or vice versa. Sometimes we have to learn how to adjust based on what is thrown our way.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
Being the voice for the voiceless. That’s what it symbolizes for me. Also, music in general allows artists to tap into a deeper consciousness that many other people may feel, but not know how to put it into words like a hip-hop artist, pop artist, etc. is able to. Musicians are like prophets.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Use what you feel to build an empire.
Future plans?
I am working on multiple mixtapes, leading up to my fourth album. I will have proper PR and publicity campaigns for my music, as well as booking live shows, if the pandemic permits. Movie roles and short films are currently in place, so I will still be trying my best to, not only help myself, but others in the process.
Warm, eclectic and inspired. Everything is home grown, I make all my own beats and write my own bars. Every project is exactly how I feel as I’m making it.
Tell us a few things about your new work LeSabre.
This whole album is an ode to my first car, a 1990 Buick LeSabre. I love it like it’s my child. There’s something so comforting about the sag of its seats and the hum of its old speakers. When I got to driving, it really inspired me to look for a sound akin to the energy it gave me.
We really liked that you released a full album. Do people listen to full albums these days?
Unfortunately, not as much as they should. A full length when done right should really lend you a peep inside the mind of the musician. Too often these days do I hear that someone loves an artist but can only name their top three cuts. Have some insight and see what the time of making this project was like for them.
Which song of the album reflects you the most?
Smooth Jazz. The song has some of my best bars and really puts how I’m feeling out through my music. Mothership would be a close second.
Your music has an old school vibe. Are you into today’s Hip Hop? Or do you prefer to listen to old classics?
I love all music as long as it has soul, but because of what inspired me to make this project I was listening to a lot of all time greats. A Tribe Called Quest, MF DOOM and Common all stayed in my rotation while making this album. Taking what legends can teach me through their craft and making it my own is most fun for me.
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
I have really been digging the Studio Ghibli films lately. Inspired animation and story telling always struck me more than action or suspense.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Keep trucking, you know what you want and you’ll find how to get it.
Tell us a few things about your new song Beethoven’s Spliff.
Beethoven’s Spliff is a track that kind of came spontaneously. My bro came with the loop while messing around one night and I thought it was dope. I write everyday regardless of it’s for a specific track or not and had a bunch of rhymes that I thought would fit it. It’s really just a lyrical exercise, no hook or anything. Just spitting and pushing the pen for two and a half minutes. It’s for those who appreciate bars.
Which album describes the Golden Era of hip-hop and boom bap?
Tough to narrow down to just one. Period is called the Golden Era for a reason since there’s so many classics that dropped and the audience was really spoiled with how much quality they got. For me, personally, there’s of course the Paid in Fulls and Long Live the Kanes, but the album that really did it for me and sealed the deal as far as my love for that kind of hip-hop was Illmatic.
What is your opinion about today’s hip-hop?
It’s a bit bipolar. There’s a lot of great music dropping these days, with guys like Griselda, Cordae, Freddie Gibbs making music that is sort of harkening back to the Golden Era and the traditional sound. And I think seeing people like Lloyd Banks and Roc Marci, and legends like Nas and Black Thought dropping new albums that are getting a lot of love in this climate is really encouraging to see, since you can see a renewed interest in what many would call “real Hip-Hop” and lyricism. At the same time, a lot of stuff that’s getting instant love at the moment in the mainstream I’m really not rocking with. Everything sounds the same and it’s all focused on the beat or a repetitive hook rather than what they’re actually saying. There’s no interest among some of these artists to go and study the craft and they often dismiss what came before them and just focus on the clout. Which unsurprisingly leads to a lot of bad music being made. I alternate between being optimistic and pessimistic about the state of hip-hop a lot.
What would you change in the music industry?
A lot probably. Though the benefits of the internet and social media are clear, and can really help artists of my type, I do think the emphasis on algorithms and numbers gets to a point where it really disincentivizes people from actually taking their time to make a quality body of work. There’s a lot of pressure to follow the rush, which can lead to a lot of music that won’t have much shelf life. That’s probably an old school mentality to have, but you definitely see the negative effects. Artists being so focused on capturing a meme moment rather than making a good song being one example, etc. Some of it has really led to a rapid dumbing down of the culture since artists are just generally incentivized to put less thought into their work.
What is the most useless talent you have?
I’d have to think about that one. I’ve always been able to remember obscure dates from history and stuff but that can sometimes be useful hah. That’s a good question.
One last thing we should know about you?
I have a really deep love of hip-hop and it’s been a dream of mine to be a part of it. I’m not doing this to chase clout or superficial reasons. I genuinely appreciate and have a deep respect for this culture and those who built it, since it’s given me an outlet and a voice and I really want to have a hand in helping push it in a positive direction since it’s given me so much personally. I have a lot of new stuff coming that I’m looking forward to people hearing and am excited for what the future holds. Stay tuned.
I was inspired to write this song after I finished watching Mike Newel’s movie “Donnie Brasco. I do worry a lot and I guess that’s what this song is about, I suffered a tough loss and I’ve caught myself to be slightly paranoid at times so I wanted to put it in the song too. This song is another one of those blunt impulses so I wanted to drop it right away, for no particular reason. I’d like it to make a bit of noise since.
Above the Law is a six-track EP is a sonic snapshot of New York City today, an uncompromising blend of the multi-cultural and multi-genre artists that call it home. Grammy nominated artists Theo Croker, Roots Percussionist, and Mike Larry Draw highlight the thriving jazz, reggae, and hip-hop communities that make up the foundation of QNA’s unique sound. A sound that’s as much NYC as it is global.
QNA sees Above the Law as a representation of their “pirate” way of life. As Míng, the bandleader describes, the EP is “a call to pirates everywhere – those forced to carve out their own way of survival in this world. It’s a call to immigrants working multiple jobs, fighting for their visas. To those who started new businesses so they can put jobs in the hands of those who deserve them. It’s a call to those feeding their communities instead of waiting on their politicians.” Above the Law embraces this grassroots, immigrant-survival mentality and creates a sonic landscape that is equally self-empowering and exploratory.
This was a labour of love. I initially wrote this song pre covid, however, with all that has happened in the past year, i felt like it was a message too strong not to complete.
ELMNT
The song was co-produced by Montreal’s Burton White & Nidal Eradi also known as Resort 46 in an apartment studio using live instruments.Scott Chancey of the Montreal Conservatory of Music added all the string arrangements to accompany the choir vocal stack in the chorus and outro, adding a much needed layer of somber soul to the song.Finally, Tatsuya Sato, mastered the song (The legend behind Kanye’s College Dropout, Jay-Z’s In My Lifetime).Sideways is available across all major platforms, powered by FREE.99 Records
HipHop Paranoia 