The sound of Virginia is a vessel of hip-hop that exhales veracious breaths over soul-fueled beats. Well, at least that’s the case for Virginia native and producer, Shearz. When I was first introduced to his sound, I didn’t have the slightest clue who he was or what he was all about, but as I’ve always said, an artist’s truth comes from their art and that’s what I’m learning about Shearz. As a producer, he builds the foundation for V.A. hip-hop group, 1989 Wolfklan, by allowing their members to infiltrate bars beyond measure; so, get to know the tiers of one of Virginia's underground sounds.
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The Influence
It all began in the summer of '87- '88. My uncle bought me my first vinyl [disc]. I believe it was "Mary Mary" by Run-DMC. The only thing I knew how to do was play and spin the platter backwards. Originally, I wanted to DJ, while my homeboy Reggie wanted to produce. Over the years of listening to various types of music, it amazed me how producers could take segments from a record, chop it down, loop it and do whatever to create these new symphonies.
I respect every producer, no matter the genre. My main influences are the legends: Marley Marl, Premo, Wu-Elements, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, Daz Dillinger, Havoc, DJ Muggs, the whole DITC [Diggin’ In The Crates] Crew, Large Professor, Nottz, J-Dilla, Q-Tip, Trackmasters, and Alchemist; mainly, anyone who keeps the music at its essence. Listening to these individuals over the years gave me the inspiration to do what I do.
The Obstacle
Being from Virginia has its obstacles. We’re not mainstream like artists from NY, LA, ATL, and other major cities, however with the amount of talent we have, we can be an unstoppable force. The problem is that we lack unity. If crews would come together and actually build, then the outcome would be monumental. It's like it's every artist for himself though. Artists only want to deal with the people inside of their camps. Individuals will tell you they'll contact you just to say so, but they don't really want to spend any money. Life's not about handouts and nothing is free in this game. You gotta’ pay to play and that's real.
The Sound
Typically, when I start a track, I start with the actual sample, a drum loop, the bass line, etc. I don’t have a set way of producing. I might hear something on the oldies radio station or I might be digging through records, and I’ll hop on the track right then. Other than that, once I start the process, it can take anywhere from thirty minutes to a few days to complete one track…mixed and mastered. As far as concepts, I like to go beyond the typical mixtape [format], as I let the artist handle the vision while I just supply the beats. Lately, since I’ve stopped rapping, I've been releasing instrumental projects based off of whatever I'm feeling at the time. It can be fashion, the weather, people, my personal life, etc. It all factors into in my production style. I sample because it feels and sounds more genuine than production made from library sounds (e.g. Garageband). Not to knock other producers’ styles but I would get bored making a bunch of trap beats because they all sound the same. If I can sample the sound, then I will do so, and elevate it to the next level. People may call it copying, but I'm truly paying homage.
The Future
Currently, it’s still a hobby but we [i.e. Eighty9] aren't limited to being local artists for the rest of our lives. We all have career potential, so right now it’s all about networking and constantly releasing new material. I see myself making some artists cut to my records one day but I'm patient, so I'll just perfect my craft until that day comes. I'm not pressed for a record deal, but that doesn't mean I won’t negotiate a deal if it’s presented. In regards to VA's hip-hop scene, it’s stagnant right now but as long as artists can build among other crews, then we can benefit the industry.