#hes too attached to his gimmick to let sonic r go so he only gets summoned once in a blue moon anyway | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

damnthatnoise · 6 years

Text

Has-lo | Taken Over Time | An Interview

Has-lo is of a different caliber of artist than most out, and that isn’t to say that the current crop of indie musicians within our culture aren’t gifted as fuck because they are....it’s just that Has-lo is on a wavelength that only a select few ever tap into each generation.

I came across Has a little late in the game but it’s a better late than never type of thing because as soon as I heard Conversation B which was the remixed companion to his In Case I Don’t Make it album that Mello Music Group dropped back in 2011 I was hooked. I searched for his work which took me on a journey of discovering his former crewmates and fellow Philly killers (Zilla Rocca, Castle, Curly Castro + Wrecking Crew fam). What draws me to Has-lo’s work is his approach to production which very much reminds me of Prince Paul in some spaces (Bahloone Mind State era) and Soul Assasins era DJ Muggs at times, but it’s also his writing style and his vocal tone that feels familiar and worn in sonically....like I’ve been listening to him wax poetic about life forever.

If you aren’t familiar with Has-lo than this might be the perfect time to get a jump on it. He has an extensive Bandcamp discovery that not only highlights his production chops but also his rhyming abilities with a recent Pen & Pixels monthly he’s been doing, he has several older releases on his former label Mello as a solo artist and also one with Castle as well as producing a remix of Castle’s album with Mello AND if that isn’t enough he has produced for Open Mike Eagle on a couple of occasions and can be heard as a featured vocal guest on both of those occasions.

I had the chance to talk with Has-lo a year ago when he had dropped his mixtape A Singluar Point of Light and then shit happened that put a pause on it all on my end, but then his new EP Take It Like It Is came out and it blew me away yet again and reminded me I needed to pick this back up....so here we fucking go!

_____________________________________________________________

Damn That Noise: Tell me about your thought process behind he new project "A Singular Point Of Light" and why it's labeled as a mixtape when it feels like an album?!

Has-lo: With "A Singular Point of Light" I wanted to accomplish a few things. I wanted to make a statement as an artist and lyricist. While I've done a good deal of feature work, production, collaborative work, etc., I haven't had a full-length solo record in a number of years. There are a number of reasons for the lull, but a tape seemed like a good way to make a reintroduce myself. When I put out my first album, it felt like I had barely said anything before being boxed up and categorized. Everything I did was labeled as old school. I became this king of sad rap, which was never what I was trying to be. I understand how it happens with how people digest music now, but I never wanted my struggles with depression to be a gimmick or a selling point. I also wanted an opportunity to express my range. To flesh out my personal tastes a bit so we could put that suicide rap stigma behind us. If I can show people my entire scope, not just the dark parts, I think we'd be able to build an even stronger connection. Or something like that.

It's labeled a mixtape because none of the music is original. It's stuff that's out. I chose a bunch of stuff that I enjoy personally and worked it out. I think it feels cohesive because of the way I write. There are always common subject threads throughout my projects.

DTN: You fairly recently (I think) moved to LA from Philly. Why the move out west? Was it for the music or personal shit? And how ha LA life impacted your creative process?

Has-lo: Both music and personal. Looking at it from afar, I'd thought the west coast vibe would be more suited to my personality and what I wanted to do as an artist. There didn't seem to be much opportunity for what I do in Philadelphia, despite its rich musical history. Turns out Cali hasn't been the sanctuary I thought it would be. As for my process, it hasn't really been affected.

DTN: So what do you see as a difference between coverage of your first release on Mello Music Group in 2011 and now? Aside from the issues with being tagged as "sad rap", do you think the 6-year difference and rise of blogs having such a stronghold has made getting visibility better or worse?

Has-lo: Yea there's a big difference. My 2011 album had a publicist working it so the reach was exponentially farther. None of my current music has had the luxury of a publicist being attached. The difference in blogs is that there isn't much of a middle ground anymore. There are big blogs/sites, and small ones. Much like labels, there isn't much in the mid-level anymore. It's absolutely made getting visibility much much worse. It's a lot harder. The 6-year gap hasn't helped either, but I'd rather put out a project that complements and competes with my previous work. It took me this long to find that zone. I hate that it's taken this long, but I think the results will speak.

DTN: What was the process like for the new album? The tone seems heavy at times but also a little funky and dusted in areas, and the production reminds me of something Prince Paul might've done post "Bahloone Mind State". How'd you approach the sound/content for this record?

Has-lo: The process for the tape was find a piece of music that made me wanna write, then try to disengage the part of me that wants to micromanage the process. To sort of let whatever thoughts bubble up happen and to follow them wherever they lead. For the most part that's what I did. The tone is heavy and dusty like that because that's what I gravitate to the most! I love Paul and Rza, Madlib, Dilla, Preemo, Pete and so many others who weren't afraid to make that grit work for them. For me, it's character and charisma over cleanliness. The magic lies somewhere in between. But yea, when I finished, I had all these odd stories and accounts. It was all very human without being as oppressive as "In Case I Don't Make It" was. As it should be. I'm not in the same place I was when I made that record.

DTN: So being that you are working DIY without the help of a label, what has the experience been so far with pushing the new project out on your own? Any feedback you've gotten from peers when it comes to media coverage or best approaches to cut through the white noise of all of the internet shit?

Has-lo: Working DIY isn't new to me. I was putting out music before the label stuff, you know? Once I was afforded more resources and got to see some growth...that made going back to the DIY approach a very difficult pill for me to swallow. I'm an artist who plays the jack of all trade angle because I HAVE to. Not because I'm particularly good at it. I got fronted on when I had a publicist too, but the amount of coverage I received vs. doing it entirely on my own is elephants and ants on see-saws. I know everyone's experience is different though. My man J-Zone had more success doing his own legwork for instance. The short answer is: the experience has been extremely stressful and not particularly fulfilling lol.

I don't get a ton of feedback from peers. Most of it is to the effect of 'such and such doesn't matter anymore' and 'this or that doesn't mean anything now.' Basically roundabout ways of saying "I can't help you." Somebody knows how to cut through the noise. They just aren't willing to tell ME is all. That's hip hop though. Almost nobody is brave enough to share the jewels.

DTN: I really dig your production style and having produced/produce myself I know there are so many approaches to creating music. Are you a strict sample from vinyl kind of person, or is it a by any means style? When you make beats for someone else like say Mike Eagle...are you producing with their voices in mind or are you just doing you, and sending out what you've got and seeing what sticks?

Has-lo: Thank you, I appreciate that. I'm strictly what sounds good. The rest is invisible rulesets based on personal preference. I mostly disregard that shit. Sometimes I sample, sometimes it's from wax, sometimes it's from a shitty MP3. Sometimes I don't sample at all, like the Mike Eagle record. So yea, it's whatever results in good music for me. I thought of Mike when I came up with the "95 Radios" joint and we kicked it around for a while. When he was deep into this new album, he felt it would fit and we finished it. When I make beats for people I usually have their voices in mind. I have ideas of what I think they'd sound dope on. Unless you have a relationship with the person, they usually just wanna pick something you already have. I prefer to make custom stuff though, that's tight.

DTN: In hip-hop, we can have a funny mentality where we think indie acts who are self-reflective or politically aware and address social issues always hate mainstream/club kind of shit. Is there anything fans would be surprised to know Has-Lo listens to semi-regularly (in mainstream hip-hop or any other mainstream genre)?

Has-lo: Probably, yea. I listen to a good amount of "mainstream" stuff. I don't love the separation, us vs. them mentality damages music. You limit what you allow yourself to be into. But I like Rae Sremmurd. "Swang" is my shit. I mess with Rocky and Ferg. I was fucking with XXX a little bit, but all this domestic abuse stuff is uncomfortable for me. Hopefully, that turns out to be untrue. I have a hard time separating the artist from their music. I rock with G Herbo, his shit is hard. Love Frank Ocean, Sza is dope of course on the R&B side. Me liking them probably wouldn't be a shock lol. Love Based God, man. Lil B is that guy, tybg. There's more but those are a few I don't think people would expect.

I've said I love Elliott Smith plenty of times. Love M83, Radiohead, Beck, The Shins, Death Cab, etc. Perfume Genius is dope. Still go back to Headlights, still exploring Broadcast's catalog. I'm not too knowledgeable but I love indie rock, lo-fi, dream pop, all that stuff. If I make an indie record that I think is authentic to the craft, you'll catch me on that side. I wanna make one, it just has to be right.

DTN: It's been a year since A Singular Form of Light and our conversation, and you now have done the "Pens & Pixels" project where you dropped a freestyle a month from January to August, and now you delivered "Take It Like It Is". What's transpired for you over the course of that year? What's the creative process been like...? what challenges have you faced?

Has-lo: I wanted to drastically step up my musical output. I've been making a lot of stuff since my first album, but I've had to do a ton of internal restructuring. It's still ongoing but it is coming into focus. A Singular Point of Light was meant as a starting point. Pens & Pixels is me exercising. Committing to something that you have to deliver every month is harder than it seems. It's rewarding though. September is about to drop, then there's only 3 left!

The biggest challenges have been perfecting the sonics of the music and promoting it. Usually, the only people involved in a Has-Lo project are me, my engineer Michael Moxham, and my art guy Kyle Tierce. Everyone's got responsibilities they have to deal with. I write and produce a lot. I record a lot. But if it doesn't SOUND good, we're not going to put it out. It's a slow process. We're breaking through to new ground though. I'd like to be putting out 2-4 projects a year. My goal is to create a reality where I can give my guys what they need to be comfortable. Then we can really cook.

DTN: What's the Has-lo trajectory for 2019 then? The new EP is very fucking dope and I'm sure you might want to let that breathe before something new...but this age of consumption moves fast, so where do you go from here?

Has-lo: To release a new full-length project finally. For me, a sophomore slump hasn't been the music not being tight so much as it's been having a hard time getting said music to fans.

I don't really want to let the EP breathe. I'd like to come right back with more music. As far as consumption...I don't have an answer. I'm going to work the equation until I get a solution I'm satisfied with. To me, it's more a connection thing. How do I best connect with people?

DTN: What have you learned over the course of the last year or two since your move, and working on these new projects in the new setting? How has the environmental change impacted you if it had at all?

Has-lo: To be completely honest, I haven't had much time to process the changes. I'm still in it.

DTN: Early on in our interview you talked about not wanting to be seen for just sad rap but given the recent deaths of several artists due to overdosing while self-medicating to cover up depression and other mental health issues, do you think it's high time we start having a broader conversation in not only Hip-Hop but communities of color/low income about mental health, PTSD, and the effects of witnessing and being the victims is abuse?

Has-lo: I think we're somewhat having the conversation. The problem (as I see it) is that we're not, societally, on the same page about what these things mean and are. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, Bi-Polar disorder, etc. aren't entirely understood, nor able to be understood by someone who isn't suffering. Add to that a lack of empathy, a lack of openness and you've got a toxic cocktail. This isn't a thing where you just pull yourself up by your bootstraps and soldier on. Because of that, they tend to be trivialized. It's easy to tell someone they aren't tough or manly or that they're too emotional when you wake up feeling fine every day. You aren't the one begging the god and the universe for reasons to not to blow your brains out. It's a daily operation. Hell, some people don't even believe that depression and other mental health issues are real, quantifiable medical issues. These are EXCEPTIONALLY damaging conditions. It's akin to...let's say a pregnant woman telling you labor pains were beyond any pain out there. I'm a guy. So I'll never know. But I trust that she's coming from a place that I should acknowledge. Following that logic, acknowledge the sufferers. We're not choosing to be unhappy. We don't want your pity. We did not choose for our minds to not work as intended. We're not weak. We are fatigued. We've been fighting a monster with a lot of hit points. I hope the conversation finds its footing. We could use a positive outcome. The world is...a cynical place.

________________________________________________________________

Please support Has-lo’s music which you can find below!

____________________________________________________________________

Take It Like It Is by Has-Lo

_____________________________________________________________________

Pens & Pixels: A Freestyle Series by Has-Lo

0 notes