Interview with Access Immortal

Interview with Access Immortal

Access Immortal has been paying his dues in hip hop. With albums, mixtapes and blessed guest appearances on other artist’s albums, he is a force to be reckoned with. Hailing from Bed-Stuy do or die, we get the chance to interview with Access Immortal as he sheds light about the state of hip hop, his works, discovering Verse and putting in that extra grind in the state of hip hop.

1)            We got Access Immortal in the building, what you been up to these days?

Grinding, grinding and grinding, in that exact order

2)            You got a long resume with albums and compilations, what does it take for an artist to get you as a guest appearance?

I want to work with people who have things going for themselves. I don't want to be anyone's come up where I do a verse for them and they get fans from it or never put it out. I've had quite a few people I've done verses for in the past who still haven't put anything out years later. It's also a business because my time is valuable and having me step away from what I’m doing to make sure someone else gets what they want isn't ideal just for the love of it. Hip Hop seems like the only form of business where people want you to do work for free, and then get offended when you decline. It's not always about money but even when you throw money at strippers all night, you’re getting something out of it. You don't just get a thank you and get ignored for the rest of the time. So if I’m helping you out, it has to be worth my time and I have to believe in what you’re doing with your own music to want to be a part of that.

3)            You have many roles: MC, engineer, executive producer and director. How do you juggle each role?

With a serious lack of sleep! Every night I go to sleep late and wake up earlier than I should. When I'm out of town, I barely get the sleep part in. I've spent many late nights breaking dawn, and I work better at night so that's what I do when I'm up. It's hard to find time for everything though and things have to take a back seat sometimes. I help a lot of other people put together projects and right now I'm in the mode where I'm working on my own so I can't be as hands on with everything else outside of my own music. Directing videos has made things even more hectic because of the work that goes into making things visual. I've only been at that for about a year now, so I'm still learning as I go along but I do everything that I do because you can't expect everyone else to do it for you.

4)            What has going independent taught you as an artist?

It's hard to work with people sometimes but it's always harder to do your own thing. Most people couldn't handle it because when you make a mistake, it's your mistake, and you have to deal with the consequences. You have to put in a lot more hard work and dedication and sometimes you wake up wondering if you can really handle it. For me, it's such routine now that I do some things without even thinking because I’m used to it. It's also a whole different world doing it yourself with the way the internet and social media is now.

5)            You were like a mentor to Verse Essential, what qualities that you saw that made you say damn I want to work with him?

Verse was somebody I knew way before he started music full time but he was always doing it and into it. He had more passion for it than people who woke up every day involved in this lifestyle and I told him one day to go for it if that's what he wants. I know so many people who have been doing this for over a decade and haven't done a thing, don't even have the slightest amount of a presence in this industry but Verse was always like a kid eager to work and do whatever to make it. That's the type of passion you want from the people around you in your camp. Someone who looks at the odds and doesn't let it faze them.

6)            How was it working with Jukstopose?

Juks is so underrated and creative with everything he does. He's also a natural being on stage and in front of the camera when we shoot videos. If there's anyone who deserves to be in that spotlight, it's Juks, and I know whenever I work with him on something, it's going to turn out great. He has so much music out that it can be hard to keep track of it, but you know whatever you listen to is going to be quality.

7)            You worked with producers from overseas. What made you decided to take that route?

People from overseas are hungrier sometimes. To them it's just about making music, without the politics involved. They don't care about the minor details and their love for the craft will make them work with a stranger if they have talent. In the United States, everything is more corporate, so someone can love what you do, but not lift a finger to help you, because they’re not getting paid for it, and its profit over substance and longevity.

8)            Last Summer in Brooklyn 2 is a classic gem. What was the concept behind the mixtape CD?

I wanted to make a project with no leashes on me or pre-determined outcome of what a project was supposed to sound like. I also started messing with more of a wider sound on songs like "This Can't Be Life" and "Bag Full of Shwag" to show people I’m not a one dimensional artist. I just wanted to make a full length album without a label attached, or sticking with one producer and just kept working on music until I felt it was done, ignoring any release time frames I had previously set.

9)            What was the difference between Last Summer in Brooklyn and part 2?”

With the first one, I kind of just made it to have something new out there. I made a bunch of new songs, and took some older beats I always liked and did songs over them. I also worked with a select few artists that I featured on a bunch of songs spread out over the track list and saw the first one as a means of promoting me, as well as the people I’m down with. With Last Summer 2, I threw all the rules out the window and said this is about me, and whoever I work with is based on me feeling they would sound great on the record I want them on. I picked out every feature and didn't just put people together cause of a name or because they were down with me, I made sure every feature fit, and created a project I feel is timeless and something you can bump in the house, car, club, wherever and love what your hearing 5 year from now the same way as when it first came out.

10)         “Bag Full of Shwag” had a radio friendly beat with an underground bounce that worked in all angles. Were you trying to expand to the mainstream audience?

For sure, but I didn't make a radio record to just make one, it just turned out that way. I had an idea I wanted to do a song about and when I thought it out and came up with the song, it just so happened that it ended up being a catchy song and people started knowing me for it. Some people wouldn't even remember my name, but they would know the song. It's also fun to perform it live because the people catch on to the hook so quick and it's just a fun record. When I did the video, it was even more fun because when I explained the concept, everybody was with it to cameo in the vid and so far, this video has the most well know people appearing in it telling you what Bag Full of Shwag means.

11)         You also had two mixtape CD’s with the group Empire Nation. What’s up with the group?

Everybody is doing their own thing right now. It's hard to pull together a group of people to make one cohesive project. What most people didn't understand about the difference between the first mixtape and the 2nd was the amount of original songs. The first mixtape had 6 or 7 tracks on it that were just remaking other people's records, but the 2nd one was like an Empire Nation album because of the original content. After we did that, I think it set people up nice and people went off and did the solo thing. People have asked me about another EN mixtape or project, but I believe you have to savor what you have right now, and if you do get it, you'll appreciate it that much more because we didn't oversaturate the market.

12)         You was about to get signed to a label and you turned it down. What made you decide to turn them down?

I'm not aware of what deal you’re talking about but I have turned down a few over the years. After already being signed a few times, you realize saying you’re signed to a label isn’t the most important thing in the world. You can have the backing but lose ownership of all of your hard work over the years. I think it's more important to come to a more mutual agreement with a label, than have them take all your music, and say be honored to be signed to us. If you sign that type of deal and get dropped, they still own your music, and you have nothing, so why risk that. If you really want to be signed and someone is really interested, you can work out something that benefits both of you. People have to remember record deals are rarely fair; you just have to see if it's worth what you get out of it.

13)         Describe your writing process.

I just write what I’m feeling. Some of it is about what I see with other people but most of it is about me. I've told a lot of stories in my songs that sound crazy, but are completely true. I used to hold back at various points from being worried about going overboard with lines, but not too often. Unless you live in an asylum and don't ever see daylight, there's always something going on, so I feel like people should always have something to talk about. I write when I have something to say though, not just to write. And that can happen anywhere, anytime, and when something pops in my head, I write it down, or remember it if I can't at the moment.

14)         Many artists believe that fans from other countries embrace the art form more than in the states. Do you agree?

I do. In the states, everything is about glamour and glitz. Even when you’re known, there are different levels of fame. Watch any Summer Jam show and see how people who are all over the radio barely get reactions sometimes, because they’re not a top act. Overseas tends to appreciate good music more. They’re not stuck on how rich you are, or famous, they like you because you’re good and deserve the attention they give you. They also hold onto acts longer than we do here, so even an early 90's artist who is 1 hit wonder to us is making big money overseas. To them, it really is about the culture and I think Hip Hop is so corporate here, we forget what made it a global phenomenon in the first place.

15)         Talk to us about your tour experiences. What were the craziest tours experiences you had?

I don't have any that I can think of, and the things that have happened out of state, I can't really talk about haha. Let's just say that I'm a lot wilder out of state and sometimes things happen, because all I'm trying to do is have fun. It can get a little
reckless at times, you know.

16)         You also performed with Fess Gotchu and Verse Essential at Exxxotica 2011. How that hookup came about?

I've been to Exxxotica a few times before and we spoke about performing there and they gave me an opportunity to hit that stage. It was a crazy experience too, cause I never thought I would be in front of that type of crowd and it went down real well. Once I got the word that I was going to rock, I had to bring the homies along to take part in it cause they always held me down since way back with music and life things in general. I'm also very appreciative of all the adult entertainers reception to me rocking, letting me share the stage with them, and also to Jada Cheng for working with us to pull off an impromptu show that benefited both of us at the same time, and doing something at Exxxotica I don't believe had ever been done before.

17)         What do you think about the direction hip hop is going these days?

I don't know. In one sense I think that the music aspect of it is great. There's so much diversity going on that whatever you like, you have a lot to choose from. If anyone thinks there is no good hip hop out there, they’re just not looking in the right place. On the other hand, I think everything outside of the music could be better. Since we have so many artists, we have fewer fans now, because people always feel like they’re better than whoever people are listening too. The big shows with the bigger artist always have nice crowds but the indie artist; the people who need these crowds at their shows aren't getting them because everyone wants to rap, or produce or do something besides just listen, because they can. Instead of everyone getting a piece of the pie, it's 15% of the people getting everything, and the rest fighting for scraps. In a way it's sort of like the economic system in this country. There's far more people not at the top than the ones who are but the separation is very apparent between who is getting what they deserve and who isn't. A better opportunity for artist to make a living doing what they love would do so much in the long run, and the way we are going now could potentially have a huge negative effect sooner than later.

18)         Do you think ever since hip hop went corporate and people are making money, do you think they have negated the diversity in hip hop?

I don't think it's less diverse, but I do think if you want a certain type of artist who's different and making money or well known, you only have a small selection to choose from in each category. You know who to go to for what, but why limit us to 3 choices if I want to hear street hip hop, or conscious or political if I could be choosing from 50 different people. We have the diversity; unfortunately it's only a few choices in the mainstream per genre.

19)         Love the chorus to Insomnia, when you mentioned you don’t sleep and this is my life. It pretty much describes your crazy work ethic and how determination makes you a successful artist.

Insomnia was 100% truthful for me. I don't sleep good at all, but I use my awake time to the fullest. If I’m going to be up, I might as well benefit from it. I'm not big on sleep anyway. I can't just sleep for hours because there's nothing to do, there's always something to do. You would be surprised how much time is wasted wondering what you could be doing, rather than just doing it. Time is precious and while we sit around thinking about how not to waste it, we are already wasting it by not acting on it. I know people hate to hear Y.O.L.O. but if you don't know if you’re going to come back after your gone, than why waste time as if you are.

20)         If you were a fan instead of an artist, which Access Immortal album you considered is the best work: 9th Gate, Shades of Reality, Birth of a Dream, New York Yankee or American Me?

I would say American Me. It was my 2nd album after my debut but I got to do it 100% the way I wanted too. Not saying I didn't with Shades, but it was different because everything on Shades was emotion built up over the years finally being addressed. When I did American Me, it was a new beginning, and me speaking to the people about who I am now. It was also deep title wise because a lot of people were on their anti-American tip and I went against the grain. I stood up for what I am and let people know a few people in the government don't define who I am as a person, which is an American. I covered a lot of things that were on my mind at the time, and I was completely happy with what I put on that album from front to back.

21)         What do we expect from Access Immortal? Do you have new projects coming out?

I do, but nothing I can mention at the moment because it's not set in stone but next year will be a big year and I'll throw some things out this year to satisfy the thirst for new music I've been asked about lately. In the meantime, people can check out Last Summer In Brooklyn 2. A lot of people have heard it but there are so many who haven't and if your one of them, you’re missing out on quality if you like hip hop. I also have 5 videos released off the project as well you can catch on YouTube.

22)         What are the future plans for you?

Making music, but more importantly making artistry in general. I'm just getting my feet wet with all of the video stuff so expect a lot more with that in the future and the music to continue to come your way. I would also like to do some more shows, hopefully out of the country, international fans have been asking for me as lot and I’d like to perform for anyone who wants to see me rock. Def trying to get overseas though, that's a definite plan.

23)         What advice would you give artists on the come up?

This business isn't for everyone. It's a lot of hard work, more than it used to be because it's more competitive. Sometimes the smartest thing you can realize is that you shouldn't be doing something, for whatever those reasons are. I've been fortunate enough to have time spent as a DJ before I ever started recording my own music, so I was around the culture for a long time as a fan and contributing to it before I decided to add to it in a different way. The bigger you get, the more you seem to lose around you because success sheds light on those around you and it's not always what it appeared to be. I wouldn’t advise anyone against chasing their dreams but it does come with a price, and make sure your willing to pay it before you get involved.

24)         Where heads can get at your music?

I'm everywhere on the web. You can find me on bandcamp at accessimmortal.bandcamp.com/ as well as Itunes, Amazon, CDBaby, Rhapsody, plus a bunch of videos on YouTube. Google me, I’ll pop up

25)         Any shoutouts!

I just want to thank all the fans who have always supported the music. They've stuck with me since the start when it was much more different than it is now, and I appreciate that. Some might think that as an artist, the fans live for us, but the truth is we live for them. Without them all we have is a silent voice. So thanks for allowing my thoughts continue to be heard.