Starving Artists: 88-Keys (interview)

LaurenM — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:14:54 +0000

Photo courtesy of eightyocho.com | Eric Vogel

WORDS BY LAUREN MCEWEN

Nepotism is alive and well in the music industry. For years, fans have watched as everyone from Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco to 50 Cent and Drake were able to break into the scene after being backed by a hip-hop heavyweight. Such is the case with 88-Keys, a seasoned producer who made his rap debut in 2008.

Cosigned by long-time friend, Kanye West and equipped with a nice flow, a gift for production and a hyphen in his name that he takes very seriously, 88-Keys is gunning for a spot among hip-hop’s elite. His first album, The Death of Adam, was a feature-heavy tribute to a fictional friend named “Adam,” who allowed his love and lust for women to lead him to his demise. Executively produced by West, 88-Keys’ debut was a virtual roll call of musical talent. Artists including Kid Cudi, Phonte of Little Brother, J*DaVeY, Bilal, Redman, Shitake Monkey and of course, Kanye West all paid their respects to Adam, the fallen “everyman.”

After the video for his first single, “Stay Up! (Viagra),” featuring Kanye West, began popping up on video playlists, 88-Keys gained a considerable amount of buzz in the music world. The Death of Adam made it’s way onto a variety of top albums lists, including MySpace’s “Top 50 Albums” and AllMusic’s “Top Hip Hop Albums.”

88-Keys’ latest song “Baggage Claim,” produced by multi-platinum talent Needlz, is themed after ABC’s hit show Lost, shows that Keys has more hits to offer hip-hop. He is currently working on a follow-up album to Adam and it should not disappoint.

Check out his new single, “Baggage Claim”:

Baggage Claim by 88-keys

25 Magazine: When did you decide to pursue a career in music?

88-keys: I guess it was ’97 or ’98 when I first got paid for my music, after doing it for a couple of years. I got about 700 or 900 bucks for selling my very first music that I ever made on a machine that I still use to this day. So I was like, “Ok, so, this is how this is going down. I see.” So I decided to make music my life.

25: Who are your major inspirations?

88-keys: Overall, my inspirations are my brother, Dr. Anthony K. Njapa, Q-Tip, Ralph Lauren and Pete Rock.

25: What’s behind your Polo obsession? Just loving the brand?

88-keys: It’s like you can’t go wrong with Ralph. I started buying the Polo brand back in ’91, but back then I was still buying other brands, but I always noticed that I was spending a long time rummaging through other people’s brands, and always coming up short because I didn’t really like the stuff, but by the time I went to the Ralph Lauren Polo section, of the department stores I used to shop in I couldn’t even decide which ones to pick because they were all fresh.

Finally I just said, “Why am I wasting my time trying to shop with other brands when I don’t love their clothing,” but I always love Polo stuff, so that was it, since ’92 until now. And then since ’06 is when I decided to wear Polo from head to toe. I don’t own any Nikes or whatever cats are wearing now days, Supras. I don’t own any New Era, or New York fitted hats, or anything like that. It’s just all Ralph Lauren Polo.

25: What made you choose dedicate entire debut album to your friend?

88-keys: It’s a story that everybody knows, and everybody is familiar with, but I felt like that story hadn’t been told through music in such detail. Sure, there are love songs, of course. There are songs about meeting that special someone. There are even songs about catching STDs out there, I’m sure, but I don’t think anyone has pulled it off quite the way I have: making the story very concise and fluid, almost.

25: Your bio on your website said that some of his other friends were upset that you dedicated your entire album to him. Why do you think that they feel that way?

88-keys: My bio is actually just a play on my album. Anything regarding myself on my bio is all true, but Adam is actually a fictional person, but he’s everybody. I do have friends who went through the same stuff that Adam went through, and I feel that every man has gone through some, if not all, of what Adam went through on my album—like what he actually went through physically and thought processes and his emotions.

And I feel that every woman of age knows an “Adam” in their lives. Whether they dealt with that person or their homegirls went out with that person and they were trying to steer them clear of that person. Adam could be mine and your father. So, Adam is every man in one way or the other.

Photo courtesy of eightyocho.com | Eric Vogel

25: How does it feel to be a family man breaking out into the music industry? Hip-hop isn’t always the most family-friendly of genres?

88-keys: I’m a father of two and a husband of one. That’s one of the reasons that I made the album because I’m trying to restore the traditional family unit. It definitely has its downsides. I don’t work on my music as much as I used to because I have other obligations to my wife and my daughters, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I love them, and we plan on making more to add to the clan.

We’re actually working on a schedule. The schedule has allowed me to have three free days to work, and then my wife helps out as often as she can, like holding the kids down while I try to bring home the bacon. But she brings in bacon, too. She actually might wind up bringing home more bacon than I am, because she’s awesome and she has her creative business going on that she started.

25: Doing what?

88-keys: I’ll just say that it deals with photography. My wife is a self-taught photographer. She’s pretty dope. She has a website up. She met another woman who shares her interest and is a self-taught photographer. They clicked and formed a business plan, and it’s crazy. I think she might wind up making an “M” before I do, to be honest. But we’re married so, what’s mine is hers and what’s hers is mine.

25: What’s your favorite song on your entire album?

88-keys: My favorite song would be numbers 1 through 14. Had you asked me the same question before Kanye came in as executive producer, I would have said a song that no longer appears on the album, and everything else was secondary. But now, that the song was taken off I just love every song as much as the previous one. Yeah…my album’s pretty dope.

25: Who are three people that you would love to collaborate with in the future?

88-keys: Michael McDonald, Lupe Fiasco and, had he not passed so suddenly, I’d like to say the late, great, J-Dilla.

25: Do you have any plans for a tour in the future?

88-keys: Yeah, my management is working to get a meeting with a very well-known, reputable agency, but it’s been pretty hectic. The agency actually put me on tour with Kid Cudi, Asher Roth and B.O.B., and through them I also did a show with Lupe Fiasco a little while ago at Governors Island. As far as getting more touring gigs, that’s kind of up in the air right now. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna happen, but we just have to get the meeting. I’m actually happy that I’m not on the road right now because now I’m working on my next album, my next mixtape, and a bunch of projects, like some feature verses that I owe people, and my next beat CD—so I am a busy man!

25: Do any of your other projects have themes to them?

88-keys: They will. My next album most likely will, but I haven’t really decided yet. But I will say this—it’ll be dope! You heard it here first, folks.

25: Do you have any advice for other people who want to break into the music industry?

88-keys: Yes, don’t do it! Stay your ass in school! No, seriously. Be honest with yourself. That’s first and foremost. If you’re a rapper, and you know you’re not rapping as well as a Consequence, or a Lupe, or Kanye, or whoever. If you’re nowhere near their level of freshness, work on it behind closed doors, but don’t start putting songs up on MySpace, like “Yo! I’m the next Kid Cudi!” Be honest with yourself.

I have a feeling that people actually know that they’re not that fresh, but they’re just, like, throwing pasta at the wall. If you’re not that fresh then you’re just wasting people’s time. For producers, it’s the same thing. If your beats aren’t that crazy, keep working on it and actually surface when you have something buzzworthy. I mean, music is all a matter of opinion, but there are some people who should just know that they’re wack. I’m not saying hang it up completely—well, there does come a time when one should hang it up completely—but don’t like puff your chest out when there’s no air in your lungs.

25 Magazine » 88 Keys