What have decided you guys to get into the Wedidit crew ?
Well the Wedidit crew was already established before I came in. Henry and all of those guys knew each other from high school and I had just been corresponding with Henry over myspace. We were fans of each other’s music, and when he blew up over night it was really exciting. Then when I came fourth about making beats and started doing shows we had a talk and decided it would be a good move to induct me. We all just have this similar vibe that I feel extends to a good part of our generation, and that’s what brings us all together, occasionally. They’re friends, first and foremost.
You just signed with Stones Throw Records. What do you share with the label ?
I’ve been a huge fan since high school. I actually just looked at pictures from my Myspace profile, which hasn’t been touched in years, to discover I had pictures of Percee P and Madlib and Dilla on my page like the little fanboy I was. I think having such an affection for the material on the label definitely shaped my style and my overall feel in the music.
« Daddy Kev once told me the new music scene is kind of like the wild west all over again, you just gotta get out there and take it »
Was it unexpected ?
It definitely was but when I met Wolf for the first time, life was most definitely surreal, so I wasn’t tripping like that. It just seemed to fit in with everything that was going on. In 2010 I happened to be caught up in an oddly coordinated series of random coincidences that have lead me to where I am now. It could be argued that I was simply persistent but the prospect of making all of the things that happened that year an act of my persistence would be a little ludicrus for me.
More generally, in your opinion, what should be the role of the label in the internet era ? Are they still important to the the development of an artist ?
I feel like in this day and age, the average label and the services they offer aren’t necessary for an artist to succeed. Daddy Kev once told me the new music scene is kind of like the wild west all over again, you just gotta get out there and take it, and I feel like that in itself can be done without the help of a label. But then you have these labels like Stones Throw who immerse themselves in the careers of their artists and really step in to help them get to where they need to be. It really all depends on the situation.
With megaupload takedown, are the two last stuffs free, porn and air ?
Depends what kind of porn you’re looking for.
While releasing the « I don’t care » mixtape you briefly said « Working on an official rap record », could you tell us more about this project ?
I can’t say much other than it’s being worked on. I signed onto Stones Throw primarily as an emcee, but it isn’t crippling my ventures with production or anything else I’d like to do. But I’m kind of settling down behind the mic for a bit and getting back to establishing myself in the rap world. I’ve made so much music containing verses but I’ve never actually put out an official solo rap album and I’m kind of happy I haven’t, because now I get to do that with the group of people that are largely responsible for me rapping in the first place.
Also, about « Thanks Bro » you said « they (the tracks) are no longer relevant to what I’m trying to do at the moment. » What should we expect now ? More songs like the track King, your last project released on Alpha Pup ?
No. Those songs were just leftovers of aesthetics. I have no idea what you guys should expect. I change up styles every week. In fact if you guys know what to expect, let me know so I can prepare in advance.
« I have no idea what you guys should expect. I change up styles every week. »
Why are you all coming from L.A. ? How do you explain this density of beatmakers ?
I’m not exactly certain why the outpour of beatmakers started here, because I wasn’t here for that. I can say, though, that Los Angeles owes a great deal of credit to Low End Theory, which acts as a central hub to everyone and anyone trying to create this type of music in the area and beyond. I’ve talked with people who have moved from half way across the world to LA just to attend LET every week. If that isn’t an attraction of creativity, I don’t know what is.
JonWayne without H is the serial killer, right ?
Jon is short for Jonathan. There’s a bunch of Jon Wayne’s, man. It’s kind of annoying but I’m not too phased by it. I wanted to originally go by « Jon Wayne » but since there was an 80′s cow-punk-alt-? band by the same name that was recently reissued by Jack White’s label, I had to change it back in 2008 to the way it is, now. Saying « Jonwayne without the H and no space between the names » is now as normal to me as « hello » or « Mom, what’s for lunch? »
Some New Year’s Resolutions ?
No more soda or caffinated drinks!
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