carolina ardor | Jeremy Hagood

There’s not much information that I can provide about Jeremy Hagood, other than him being a rapper/producer out of my home state of South Carolina, but honestly, I really don’t need much more than that. While his rap persona acquired my attention, his production maintained my interest. The way he chopped and experimented with his beats had me replaying his instrumentals all week long...Yes, I’m serious. Check out three instrumental samples from Jeremy Hagood who’s also known as Buck C below…I think you’ll quickly catch onto his vibe.

   

underground sounds | Shearz

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. 

interview | We Are The Tay

There are producers that conform to the popular motion but then, there are rebels who create their own motion. We Are The Tay is definitely one of those producers. He understands that his instrumentation is more than  the music by creating an artistry that is cohesive with strong branding. With his undeniable wit and talent, this Detroit native is a visionary who will not only captivate you, but humor you as well. Get to know the man behind We Are The Tay. 

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Bria: Let's rewind to the days of Young Tay, an offspring of Detroit. He awakens in the morning and the first thing he does is:

Tay: Young Tay wakes up in a bunk bed above his little brother, on the second floor he shares with four other siblings. He goes downstairs to make a CD of beats that he stayed up until 4 AM creating, and songs he downloaded off Kazaa [P2P music software program]. Then, he treks through foot high snow to wait in fifteen degree weather for the bus to school.

B: Growing up in a cultural mecca such as Detroit, what aspects did you admire the most? Which did you despise the most?

T: I loved the car culture in Detroit. Old school cars would ride by with trunks rattling to the rhythm of the bass. I loved figuring out which song the person was listening to by hearing the trunk. What I hate? Well, in Detroit, I was kind of a homebody. I purposely sheltered myself because when I did step out, away from the beat machine, I got into trouble. I was a good kid, but I hated that all it took was walking down the wrong street, or talking to the wrong girl, to have your life be in danger. The one situation I did get in was over a girl. It was stupid.

B: What is responsible for cultivating you into becoming a producer? 

T: My brother really. I always thought it'd be cool to make a beat, but my brother showed me the program [software] he used to actually do it. He was/is a highly skilled rapper as well. I just wanted to be as cool as he was/is.

B: Conceptualization seems to be a large part of your brand; even the artwork for your projects is impeccable. What inspires the concepts for your music collections such as Girls Like Kings, Cool Under Shadows, and the rest of your repertoire? 

T: Stories. I'll come up with a crazy story in my head, write it out, and then figure out how to put it in music form. For instance, Girls Like Kings wasn't about girls at all. At one point in my life, I had gotten complacent. I was working at CVS  [retail pharmacy] and all of my dreams were fading each time I rang up a cigarillo and pregnancy test. The album was me reminding myself that I'm talented and worthy of realizing the dreams I had. I had to work hard to pull myself out of that situation, and I wouldn't get rewards (i.e. girls) until I did so. I had to be King, so I could get the girls. Because Girls Like Kings. Get it? Yeah you get it.

B: Your production is versatile throughout every element that you create. What separates you from the majority whom choose redundancy over diversity?