I find myself losing brain cells every time I turn on any device made to play music. I was losing hope for our generation of music. Mk gave me a flashlight in the dark. The light was none other than our featured artist, The GTW. Not only does he produce his own music along with music for other artists and collectives like Jody and SAT Youth, but he also has a pretty nice flow. I immediately loved pretty much every song on his first solo project, “Don’t Smoke the Cigarette”, so it was only natural that I got to speak to one of the best artist in this new era of music.
Me: How did you begin rapping? GTW: I was humming melodies a lot. I started off singing, but my cousin gave me these little speakers and that’s how I really started producing. I recorded my first song, and it was like a singing rap song. I did it very melodically, but I really got serious about the music thing a few years ago. Me: That’s cool. How has your style changed as you grew from Greedy (original rap name) to the GTW? GTW: I got into a lot more cultural music with the GTW. Greedy was more electronic up tempo music. My first official album was The GTW. Me: What inspired your style? GTW: I would say different music from around the world. People like Miriam Makeba who is a South African artist, Whitney Houston, and the Big Band Theory, but I try to rework the track and make sure it’s different than the original. I won’t have any samples on the next album. Me: How would you describe your sound? GTW: A mix between El Debarge and early 90’s hip hop. Me: Is there a specific reason why you’re independent? GTW: Majors don’t really promote a lot of progressive music. I need a label that will push what’s new. Me: Have you encountered any obstacles being independent? GTW: It’s hard to promote shows and things without a label. It’s just a grassroots project. Me: What’s your creative process? GTW: I walk around, think, and eat. Me: Do you ever get writer’s block? GTW: Yeah, all the time. Me: What has been your biggest performance so far? GTW: I do a show in Chicago called Pop Tart Art Series. I also did a show with Iggy Azalea and Trinidad James before he really blew up. Me: How do you feel when you’re performing? GTW: I feel happy, cool, and it always just feels good when other artists support the shows. Me: What was your worst performance so far? GTW: It was a show in Chicago, and I had just got off a flight from another show. I just really wasn’t thinking about it and I just did bad. Me: Have you gotten any nods from any celebrities? GTW: No not yet; people haven’t really connected a face to a name yet. Me: Do you feel like a celebrity? Have you made it yet? GTW: No, I have a long way to go. It felt good to be featured in The Fader though, I’ve always loved there stuff. The money still isn’t there. Me: What are you most proud of so far? GTW: I’m really happy I got work on some house music with Braxton Holmes. There you have it folks! The epic interview with the one and only GTW! If you would like to hear more of his music you can check out his Soundcloud page The GTW or his website www.thegtw.us I promise you won’t regret it. Oh and he wanted me to add…CHIGERIA!!!
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ATS MagAgainst the Stream Magazine is an urban platform. We edify our readers by finding noble, pure, and true talent and giving it a stage to flourish. While we love bragging about the folks around us, we also tackle urban issues by giving real world solutions. Archives
September 2015
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