AllHipHop.com: How did you first get involved with rap?
Wordsmith: This is gonna sound a little crazy, but I actually got involved with rap when I lived in Germany. My pops was in the Army for over 25 years and we were stationed in Germany for a second time when we met a family named the Wilson's there. One of their older sons had a ridiculous tape collection that spanned over 10 shoes boxes in his room. Check this, just so you know how much Rap was influencing people back then, this guy was as white as they come, but he had a great knowledge of Hip-Hop and that was back in 1989. I remember he introduced my brother and I to N.W.A, Digital Underground, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Biz Markie and much more during that time. We became so hooked on Hip-Hop that when my parents bought us our first stereo they got us Run-DMC's Tougher Than Leather and a Fat Boys tape as well. From that point on I was faithful to watching shows like YO MTV Raps and The Box. I even use to get up at 8 am on Saturdays just so I could tape the YO MTV Raps top ten countdown that later went to a top 20 countdown. Over the years I built up my tape collection and I can still somewhat tell a person the album title and track number for certain songs on albums. I memorized all that stuff back in the day and even starved myself a lot of times in High School to buy new tapes. Like Nice & Smooth said, I was a true Hip Hop Junkie.
AllHipHop.com: You mentioned that you would save your lunch money to buy tapes. What drew you to rap so strongly at such a young age?
Wordsmith: I think the creativity of the music really drew me in at the time. When rap was getting started it wasn't like today where everybody copies one another's fashion sense, hair styles and overall swag. Just about all the old school MC's who made an imprint on the game had there own style. I was fascinated with that as a kid and every time I could buy a new tape I literally felt like it was Christmas. You can ask my cousin Black Knight this cause its funny as hell, but my favorite rapper is Redman because he never conformed to what the labels wanted, he did him. For that, I was his biggest fan and I remember when I was playing football at Morgan State I got up at 7AM just to get to a mom and pop store to buy Redman's new album Doc's The Name. I was that psycho about rap music and I guess something never change when you love Hip Hop
AllHipHop.com: Where did you get your name from?
Wordsmith: I actually came to grips with my name back in 2004 when I came across the word "Blacksmith" in an article I was reading. For some reason it really stuck out to me because I was writing this freestyle called "The Essence" and I used the word "Wordsmith" in my verse. I remember looking up the meaning of Blacksmith and how it referred to the crafting of instruments and tools. I said, Hey, I do that with my verses, hooks, bridges and songs on general, so I dropped the black part and added the smith.
AllHipHop.com: You're a theater trained actor. How did you go from wanting to act to rap?
Wordsmith: Well, I always had rapping in my heart as I said, so it was more the other way around. I didn't start acting until my Junior year in College but, it was something I was always good at since I was young. My mother was probably my biggest supporter with acting ever since she saw me in a play I did as a kid. She thought it was my calling because I was so natural at it and she was right as I was very privileged to get my acting degree from Salisbury University and star in leading roles for big plays like "All My Sons" and "1776." This in turn helped out my music considerably because I was able to think out of the box when it came to my stage shows and being extra expressive on the mic. I do what I call "Hip-Hop Plays" on stage and I am known to use props to visually display the detail I put into my music. I can't wait until I have access to big sets because I will truly put on a spectacle on stage that no other Hip-Hop artist has done yet.
AllHipHop.com: What struck your interest in acting?
Wordsmith: That's easy, I loved the fact that I could be someone else. I liked learning about my characters traits, thoughts, personality and tendencies. Once you can master those things, you truly become the person you are studying for a few months. My greatest joy through acting is when you know your in the zone on stage and you feel every word that your speaking and you can invoke numerous emotions out of the audience. All in all, I believe God has blessed me to be an entertainer and I mean that in the most humble way possible.
AllHipHop.com: What music projects are you working on right now?
Wordsmith: Whoooo, right now I have my hands on a lot of things. I have two albums dropping this year, one in the US and one overseas in the UK. My US album is with the legendary Chubb Rock and its called Bridging the Gap. I or my team from NU Revolution Entertainment are handling the coordination of the videos, interviews, reviews, radio push and more for this album. It’s a lot of work, but I am thankful for the knowledge I am gaining during the process. When my label, NU Revolution Entertainment, goes live this month I will have the connections and know how to put out albums as much as I like. On the flip side, I have deals in the UK for another collaboration album with dutch artist I.N.C The Poet. Our album is called A Baltimore Martini and I.N.C and I worked a distro deal with Dented Records in the UK and I worked a major P&D deal with Pickwick Group as well. I already got extended for 2 more years, I signed a marketing deal with Joint One Radio (76.1 FM) in Japan. Already that has been a pivotal in my career as I scored some music for the Sega/Platinum Games release Madworld for the Nintendo Wii. Look for that to drop on March 10th. Keeping it global I have a marketing deal with RVUP in the UK as well and they were pivotal in connecting me with the Pickwick Group. They also helped get my track "Ode to the Pioneers" licensed with Puma Sports for an upcoming CD-Rom game they have dropping this year. Other side deals I have is for my podcast, "Revolt Radio," that is hosted by NU Revolution Camp member Black Knight and Mixed by North Carolina State Urban Director DJ Nominal with Amalgam Digital. They have been syndicating our podcast since last year, so that was a huge blessing. Even more recent, I did deals with two of my in house producers "Street Level" to produce ring tones for a German based company called Bob's Mobile and I signed a deal with the Independent Coffee Network to have my music and videos running in coffee shops around the nation. I'm even doing some part time booking of the "Producer Pop Off" and "Record Breaker" sections in Hip Hop Weekly Magazine.
AllHipHop.com: You have a lot going on. On another note, tell me about your experience working with Chubb Rock?
Wordsmith: I am gonna answer this question very honest, cause that's what I pride myself in doing. It has been great and tough at the same time. The great part is I think we made a classic album without ever stepping into a studio together. I think that is a good testament to our musical abilities and seeing eye to eye on this album. Chubb has told me a few times that he is more doing this album to help my career take off more because he believes so much in what I have to offer Hip-Hop. That's what makes this album and story unique because Chubb hasn't released an album since 1997, yet he is coming back better then ever with a cat like myself who hasn't officially arrived in the eyes of some people. He could of easily done this album with a well known artist but, obviously he saw something in me, so I am very thankful for that. I am also grateful to have one of my in house producers, Strada, produce 90 percent of the album, which didn't have to happen either. Like I said, there is a good story behind this album and Chubb and I lives, so we look forward to sharing that with the world. Now, when I referred to it being tough at times, I meant that in the business sense of this album. I get up at 4:00 am 5 days a week and work 10 hour shifts. By the time I get home, its 6 to 7 pm and I am handling all the things I mentioned above for the album along with going to meetings, writing, recording, promoting, working out, rehearsing and being a father to my kids. Besides the distance, Chubb does a lot of shows on the weekends and hasn't really took part in the business process of getting this album out. Sure, I am definitely learning a lot, but it has been stressful at the same time because I basically have 5, maybe 6 hours a day to get as much work done as possible before I have to tuck it in and get up at 4 again. The only time I get real good work in is on the weekends, but I have my kids every other week as well, so it has been tough going through some of the growing pains of this project at times. Chubb's situation is more free because he established himself back in the day with some hit records and lives off of his shows and royalties. I guess it goes along with our album, especially the gap part because we are in two different stages of our careers. Still, this is what this is all about and that's why there are major deals, which pamper the artist and there are Indie deals, which force the artist to still do guerrilla marketing. Hey that's what I know best.
AllHipHop.com: That is pretty amazing. You got a plate full. Tell me about Bridging The Gap and your album Vintage?
Wordsmith: Bridging The Gap symbolizes uniting the old school with the new school. That might seem simple, but I consider cats like Chubb Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, while I consider myself, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West new school. Sorry but rappers like Soulja Boy, Gucci Mane and so on do not represent the new school culture. Chubb and I am basically telling the tale of how rap would be, look, and sound if both sides were represented equally. The old school rappers have to accept that the music was going to change lyrically, production wise and the money that can be made. Us new school guys need to pay homage to the old school guys for paving the path for us and that is rarely done nowadays. With that said, on June 16th you will get Chubb Rock & Wordsmith's Bridging the Gap.
In regards to Vintage Material, that will be my solo debut. I dubbed it Vintage because I wrote it back in 2005, so its dated and I believe it represents how Hip-Hop should of sounded today if it never fell off course.
AllHipHop.com: You are also working on a Rock/Hip-Hop album. Tell me about that and what made you go in that direction?
Wordsmith: My Rock/HipHop album is a two part series called Rockstrumentals and I'm sorry if I take heat for this, but its nothing like that garbage Lil Wayne is about to put out with the Rebirth. I'm not hating in that comment at all because I support good music and something like Prom Queen is a disgrace to the Rock world. Okay, I said it and I promised to keep it real in my interviews. I don't plan on releasing these albums until later on in my career when I am well established, thats the only thing I agree with Wayne on. This is the brainchild of my brother/producer Professa because when I was down and out and didn't have the producers I have now, he saved me by becoming my one and only producer. I remember he started making this Hip Hop/Rock beats on Fruit Loops back in 2003 and I was like what the hell is this at first. Once I took a deeper listen I realized the genius in what he was doing. Imagine a real lyricist and storyteller like myself spitting over hardcore, ballad, pop, & Hip Hop rock beats. Some will say Rage Against the Machine did it , but none of those guys were true Hip-Hop artists if ya feel me. These Rockstrumentals projects are my baby's and I look forward to releasing them in the future with my partner on the project D-Dub, who is apart of my NU Revolution Camp.
AllHipHop.com: Tell me about the situation with the songs As The Art Fades and Surviving The Times. There was a situation between you and Nas and some similarities in your music.
Wordsmith:That situation was really an eye opener for me because as an unsigned artist you never think someone signed would or could steal your music. I am a Nas fan, so there was some flattery when it came to hearing the similarities between my As the Art Fades Away track and his Surviving the Times. Still, the problem truly stemmed from a friend of mine introducing Chris Webber to my myspace page two years ago for his listening pleasure I guess. At that time, I had heard Chris produced a little, but I nor anyone else looked at him as a serious producer. On my page I had this As the Art Fades Away track, which was just a promo copy and not the version that is on my Vintage Material project. A few months later I get wind of this Surviving the Times track hitting the net and everything from the intro, baseline and chorus were very similar to the beat my man Strada put together. Nas's discussion of pioneers and Hip Hop surviving through the change of times was too close to my song, which talked about the pioneers/HipHop fading away and how it needs to survive. I realize I am nobody, but I had that track up for a while and it really backfired on Nas cause I wasn't going to say anything, but people on the net and the streets started weighing in with there opinion. This all went down around the time Nas was dropping his Greatest Hits album, so it was bad press for him and Def Jam. The most that happen was a conference call was set up between me, my producer and one of Nas's A&R's Mike Brinkley. To stick a fork in this nothing was resolved and till this day the situation has never came to a conclusion. The type of cat I am I don't like harping on stuff like this cause I would rather build my career on my own as oppose to controversy being my biggest advocate.
AllHipHop.com: I can dig it. You have your music being promoted in Japan. That is something that many unsigned American artists do not have. How did it happen? What has the experience been like?
Wordsmith: Yeah, getting that exposure in Japan is definitely big and it was relatively simple for me. I started working with Joint One Radio 76.1 FM 4 years ago when I was researching stations overseas. I had got a contact for a guy named Shuzz and I started sending him my music. Little by little they started playing my music and really supporting my movement. Last year they offered me a 2 year marketing contract that actually got extended already as well. I do consider myself privileged to have this deal, but at the same time I earned it. They pumped my music for 3 years and watched other deals I made before they knew I was a good investment. If only major labels still did there homework they would realize I am the type of artist they can make money off of for the next 10 years. In the end, if your music is good, it will carry you a long way.
AllHipHop.com: Tell me about your writing for Mad World, the video game. How did that happen?
Wordsmith: The Madworld deal was worked through Joint One Radio and it was a hell of an experience. I was able to see footage of the game in the middle of 2008, so I saw that this was gonna be a major game. I was hired to write some theme music for one of the main boss stages in the game, so it was a new and exciting challenge for me. My track is called "Death & Honor", so make sure you cop the game on March 10th.
AllHipHop.com: You are unsigned but have been afforded many opportunities. Do you have any advice for other unsigned hype?
Wordsmith: I definitely do, please take some time from writing and recording everyday and get on the net, go to the library, or seek the advice of those making moves and learn the damn business before you proceed in your career. A lot of the opportunities I have was due to my music, but it also has to do with business sense as well. As long as you qualify there shouldn't be a single artist not signed up with a performing rights society like ASCAP or BMI. There should be no way your music is not copyrighted or you failed to sign up with Soundexchange, the AARC, BDS, Soundscan etc. If you don't know what these things are then I advise you to get on the net and do some research on it. Once you do that, you will get what I like to call bargaining chips when you do some business deals.
AllHipHop.com: Anything else you want to add?
Wordsmith: In closing, look for my new independent label NU Revolution Entertainment to be live this month, so look forward to great music from myself, Black Knight, Kontact, & Sly Solomon. Look for great production and services from in house producers Capish, Strada, Professa and Street Level. We will even have in-house radio promotions through Dan Wachter, Web design through DJ Andrew, Graphic Design through Nick Dyer and Tax Consulting as well. We will be a full service label that signed and unsigned artists can use equally, while I am dropping albums and numerous other projects as well.
http://allhiphop.com/stories/breedingground/archive/2009/04/16/21378973.aspx
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