Spitting Naledge | Amalgam Digital Blog

Spitting Naledge Artist: Naledge Interviewer: JAKE WEINREB

Spitting Naledge

Naledge Interview with Jake Weinreb 06-08-2009

AmalgamDigital.com: How did you and Double-O meet?

Naledge: We met in college at the University of Pennsylvania.

AmalgamDigital.com: What has your experience with Duck Down Records been like so Far?

Naledge: It’s been great. Honestly they’ve allowed us the space to be creative and to really do what we want to do, and then put that out on a global scale. They’ve been truly a partner in letting us voice our opinions and ideas to them and then they try to make those things come to fruition. They don’t get in our way and we don’t get in theirs. We know what they’re good at and they know what we’re good at and we work together.  We communicate and that’s the key to any good partnership.

AmalgamDigital.com: How did it feel having your track “Work To Do” endorsed by president Obama’s campaign and do you feel like you contributed to his win?

Naledge: I don’t know if I can say that we had a big impact, but I would like to think that we contributed in our own way. In our corner of the Earth of people who really listen to what I have to say, it was brought to light. If they didn’t vote for Obama, they at least knew to vote. For me to sit here and act like I have more say so than Kanye, Will-i-am, John Legend, or any of those types of people who voiced their opinion on it, I would have to be delusional. However I felt like I was very early in making my stance. I’m from Chicago, I’m from the neighborhood, and I’ve seen his work well prior to him ever running for president.

AmalgamDigital.com: Who are some artists that inspire you musically?

Naledge: It goes all across the board. If we want to stick to the hip-hop realm I would say, Q-Tip, Jay Electronica, Young Dro. There’s always Mos Def and Black Thought.  There’s a lot of new artists too. I really like what Drake’s doing, Drake is fresh.  A lot of the people that inspire me are on my project. I listen to jazz, a lot of Coltrane. Even Nirvana, Gunz N’ Roses, Motley Cru, Kiss. Good music is going to have an undertone of a message and thoughtfulness in the lyrics, that makes it connect.

AmalgamDigital.com: Your New album Chicago Picasso is about your home town. What were some experiences that you had growing up in Chicago?

Naledge: I grew up here so my whole life is based around Chicago. It’s something that represents me and is a part of me. It doesn’t matter how many states I go to and perform in, I’m still a Chicago dude. It’s all reflected in the way I talk and the way I walk. While I’m a city kid I’m not necessarily a hood kid. I grew up on the south side of Chicago and had both parents, but at the same time I had to dodge and avoid certain situations just like everybody else. I wasn’t a sheltered kid. I was out and about in the streets trying to get my music heard, and meeting girls. It’s a very fun loving city environment. There’s definitely a unique experience that is Chicago. It’s got a big city feel, a country feel, and a blue collar feel and all those thing are evident in the project.

AmalgamDigital.com: What made you decide to pursue this solo album?

Naledge: I don’t ask why I ask why not? I had a million songs recorded and I’m always working. ducI was originally a solo artist and that’s kind of just how things worked out. I’m still in the group and we have an album coming out in October. But In reality I had so many songs, and the stuff is too good not to release.

AmalgamDigital.com: How does this record differ lyrically from you work in Kidz in the Hall?

Naledge: It doesn’t really differ to be honest. The major difference is the sound. The way I approach music is, you hear a beat and you react to it. This record has different types of beats that people aren’t used to hearing me on. It’s also more personal. When your speaking for yourself there’s no one to censor you which meant that I had the final say so on every song.

AmalgamDigital.com: You said that “Chicago Picasso” provides a new perspective on Chicago rap. In what ways does it do this?

Naledge: I’m different. There’s no rapper to come from my city and represent where I’m from, what I stand for, and my background. There are people who have come out of Chicago, but they’re not me. There’s a whole section of kids who grew up exactly like me, that I speak for. The south shore and east side of Chicago have never been exposed to the world. Chicago is a very wealthy city, and has a strong black community. A lot of the rappers that have come out of Chicago have been from the deep south or west side. I’m kind of a middle-brow MC and there hasn’t been someone like that before to represent all sections of the city. I know the richest of the rich and I know the poorest of the poor and I’m comfortable around all of them. Everyone has their own take on Chicago and I bring something that hasn’t been heard yet.

AmalgamDigital.com: You said that all the artists featured on the record are people you have known for a long time. Curren$y is one of our artists. How and when did you meet him?

Naledge: I’ve been familiar with Curren$y since way back. He’s one of the few MC’s who really care about hip-hop. Most cats that I meet, north, south, east, or west, don’t know hip-hop like he does. We really have the same spirit. He’s a very care free fun loving dude. He’s real, and so am I. I met him at one of our shows in New Orleans and from then on we kept in touch. I sent him this record and he hopped on and that was it.

AmalgamDigital.com: “Chicago Picasso” was supposed to be your masterpiece. Do you feel like you accomplished that with this record?

Naledge: Of course! I mean there are always things you want to change, but that’s like being a Monday morning quarterback. It’s perfect for what it was at the point in time that I made it. I’m sure that I’ll think the next album is better, but that’s just the way I am. But for the public and the fans, this is something for them to hold onto for a long time.

Tags: Interviews, Naledge

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 12:23 PM and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.