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(“Anybody listening” by Classified playing in background)
Hey, what’s up? It’s Classified
I came from a small town.
I’m from a place called Infield, Nova Scotia
which is like 3,000 – 4,000 people.
My dad was always in a band so there was always around music
but I got into hip hop when I was 12 or 13
and it was like me and two or three of my friends
who just listen to it and we were just like
‘oh let’s try to write our own stuff’
and that happened when we were 14 – 15.
just messing around as a hobby with me and my friends writing raps
and went from that to me buying my own equipment,
my own studio to start making my own beats
and you know, not having a label to put my music out
or a manager – I just became my manager.
I started my own label and put my own music out
and it kinda built from there.
Our first tour was like 1999-2000.
And we hooked up 5 or 6 shows.
Met a couple of people from Vancouver
I knew through email just like ‘hey, can you hook me up with a show?’
I think we got paid $100-150 for one show
maybe $50 for another and it grew from that.
And after you did 6 to 7 shows,
you got maybe $1,000 so it’s like,
‘OK let’s buy a plane ticket out of that’.
Fly out there, and it’s you know - you’re not out
there to make to money; you’re out there
to enjoy performing your stuff but,
at the same time you’re building
your business. You take that money you have
from these shows and a little bit of your own
money because you have to invest in yourself too.
It was just fun. I think that’s the main thing in
what we do in music, as long you’re enjoying
what you do get to do with all this stuff
it makes it worth it but, if you can’t handle that
and dealing with a lifestyle that is not glamour
and glitz, and everything is easy it’s
‘oh I have to go to the studio’, and
‘that’s it and play my shows’.
It’s a lot more to it so, if you really
want to make a career I really think
you have to put that energy to
really do all that stuff.
I think, I don’t know, once I left
my job and was doing music full-time
and surviving off it. I guess when it felt,
this is real now, this is my job and stuff.
I don’t know if there is ever a time
when you feel like you’ve made it
and think (pause) ‘that’s it, what else do you do?’
It’s something I like doing. I just want to
go and make some music, make some beats
and produce for other people, just working
on music. I like to be involved with it.
Everything. Just try and do – there’s not just
one thing, oh so you want to be an artist?
You just have do this. You just do anything
and everything you can. Any show that you
can do to get your name out, get on it.
can do to get your name out, get on it.
Sounds cliché but be original.
Obviously, people are always going to be
influenced by certain artists – that’s great,
that’s how every artist is kinda born but,
really try to make your mark and try to
be your own artist and your own sound
and represent what you are about
cause if you put a kind of image or
you portray something in your music,
you got to live that forever.
That’s a very hard thing to do.
So just be honest. Make some original stuff,
and tour. Do shows and then do more shows.
And talk to everybody, Get your music out there,
don’t be shy to be like, ‘hey, this is my music’.
You’re going to be that annoying guy but
it’s like hey, if you aren’t going to let people know
who you are no one is going to do it for you.
Friendly advice. (laughs)
(“Anybody listening” by Classified playing in background)