Interview with Aperiod

Interview with APeriod

            The state of Massachusetts has been on the map in hip hop for many years from Guru of Gang Starr to Ed O.G and the Bulldogs. The hunger of central Massachusetts MC APeriod is shining light in Boston and around the tri-state area. The fiery lyrics of APeriod have made a name for himself putting Massachusetts on the map. I got with APeriod to discuss about his group Main Aim, his music and the state of hip hop in Massachusetts. 

1)            What’s good APeriod, how is everything going?

Maintaining right now chilling with my beautiful family, feeling blessed that so many people have taken notice of what I and my team are trying to do.

2)            Hailing from Massachusetts, is there a big hip hop scene?

Yeah Hip Hop is huge hear especially Underground Hip Hop, Boston holds down some great and talented artists that are allowing people like myself to walk in making good music.

3)            What made you decide to get into hip hop?

Hip Hop and I are kinda like brothers, we were raised with each other. Hip Hop is my older brother. He was there before me and taught me the ropes of life. My Father listened to Rakim, Kool G Rap, Kool Moe Dee, Ice T, Big Daddy Kane, and Sugarhill Records all the time especially cleaning the house. Then my mom was really into Disco, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, all the popular disco records were bumping when i was a child. My Uncle Jay lived with me and we had basement dance parties from before I could walk. So every type of hip hop was playing radio hits and all, but he would always slip in the Main Source, Tribe, De la soul, Gangstarr etc... That had me gassed and I’ve been a junky ever since. I spit my first freestyles early in my teens and bought a notebook the next day, and never looked back.

4)            Are other cities receptive to your music since you’re from Massachusetts?

Well you’re out in NY right!!! lol On a serious note, I’ve gotten love all over the country right now and overseas, people respect what I’m saying in my lyrics and I try my best to have great beat choice. If i did not produce it then it will be the cream of the crop from another cats beat tape. I also only use original beats for my tracks, so people hear something new when they play my records it’s an experience that I’m giving the listener not karaoke night. It’s a Universal thing to make good music its timeless so people from all walks of life and area codes have def. been responding.

5)            Has being an independent artist open doors for you such as having creative control of your music?

Well to tell you the truth I can’t say from the other side because I have yet to have constraints from a record label or producer who laid claim to my music through contract or anything like that. So I can’t speak much on the other side except what I might perceive it to be like. On that note I have full creative control because I make my own beats and write my own lyrics. So at the end of the day I do what I feel is GOOD music. That being said any doors that have opened for me i have been there with my own creative control making decisions and things have moved along well this year.

6)            Talk to us about Main Aim productions?

Main Aim was originally two guys A.P and Haze we started out together diggin for records and making pause button beat tapes, off of soul samples we jacked from Rza mostly in the beginning, slowly but surely we found our own samples and started writing tracks and came up with the name as a direction to stay on track and make the best music we could make and that’s been the target ever Since. Now we have used the name as an idea bigger then ourselves and added other talented cats into the mix; Juan C DJ and personality of Indie Corna at Nichols College, Nu Element Producer/emcee, E.S.P emcee, and Josh Bliss where do I begin with this cat? He is just an amazing talent, videographer, emcee, graphic artist, engineer he does it all and does it well. Watch out for him he’s definitely going places. Rounding off the MAIN AIM is DJ John Gotem amazing turntablist new style with old school feel, DJ at Flipside radio, and Ds401 on Musicfeen.com in providence, RI.

7)            You got a balance of soulful and hard beats. Who are your influences?

I like Dark Jazz, Spanish, Psychadelic, and Soul Records those are my go too. My Influences as a producer are, first and foremost Premier, after that ill rattle off a few i constantly jack from all respect due, 9th wonder, Evidence, Joey Chavez, Hi Tek, Alchemist, Madlib, Dilla, Pete Rock, Large Pro, Jake One, Buckwild, Kanye, Rza, Nottz, and too many more to say, there’s a lot of records in my collection I’ve taken influence from.

8)            What equipment do you use?

I use an MPC 1000, M audio midi keyboard, Mac Book Pro, Nu mark Portable and a lot of dope records that I have been diggin for my whole life. 

9)            Take us to an A-Period session!

When I’m recording I usually freak out an hour before and can’t find shit lol!! Then when I figure my shit out I grab my MPC and double check the beat if I produced the track myself. If I didn’t then it’s a lot easier and i check my writtens and ride out. I always grab an energy drink the biggest you got and water. If it is night time, the beers sometimes come out but mostly its work these days no time to act Hollywood just time to get some positive things done. I’m usually so amped up the first bars spike all the levels I’m just that kind of guy. Then I’ll pace behind the engineer and make sure everything is how I want it. I’m very particular and I always have an idea of what I want my records to sound like.

10)         Is there a difference between producing your own tracks and Main Aim’s?

There is not much difference, the fact is that I give myself beats that compliment me of course, but I give some of my best work to my peoples. I believe in them so they will get the cream of the crop as well. For the most part, I produce what I feel and these guys write only to what evokes the emotion from them. So it’s just an easy process.

11)         Is there an A-Period and/or Main Aim album in the works?

There is a lot of projects coming, First is an album out now by Josh Bliss called "Louisiana Born Hip Hop Raised". Def. Grab that at Nerdliving.com, Haze's new album is coming out and it’s amazing his first single is at 12k views on youtube and it’s been out only a few months amazing lyricist. His album is titled "The Difference" coming out soon.

My Debut full LP is coming out shortly and it’s a big deal for me. I’ve put everything I have into it. It’s titled "Carry The Torch" and people will understand when they hear my music what I mean. Featuring Mr. Green, Termanology, Edo G, El Da Sensei, Reks, Haze, Josh Bliss, Nu Element, Paranom, Leon Legacy, Louie gonz, Evil Dewer, Sicarii, Vorheez and Busted Fuse. The Main Aim will have an album it is currently in production and it will be like a superteam up, and will be ready shortly after these projects are released because we make a lot of the music when we get together and the vibe is there.

12)         Do you find that there is a supportive fan base in Massachusetts?

In Boston, most definitely there is, in central Mass where I live not so much. We have been desperately trying to build the culture, but unfortunately people are not willing to leave the comforts of popular music anytime soon. That is why we congregate in Boston mostly to get our point across to large amounts of like minded people. So instead we are out pushing and getting love in Jersey, Philly, and NY recently, so we def. are on the right track.

13)         If you can collaborate with any MC and/or producer, who would it be (independent or major)?

I’ll start with the MC's and give you a couple, Rakim, Evidence, Pharoe Monche, Phonte, Mos Def, Kanye, Jay Electronica, Lil Fame and probably a million more I’m a fan first. As far as Producers go, the list is in my influences you can read above.

14)         How did the concept for “The Bad Guy” featuring Termanology and Joey Barbieri came about?

Originally the track was just a beat that I made with the chorus and all. Then I was trying to reach out and shop out some beats I feel are top notch to get my name out and I mentioned to Joey that Term would sound perfect on it, and he agreed. I hit him up and played hi the beat and he was down right away. I pitched the topic to Term and He was with it. It was real easy. The track ended up being a late addition to Joey’s album out now. The remix will be on my album this time featuring APeriod, Termanology, and Edo G prod. by APeriod

15)         How was it working with Termanology?

To tell you the truth it was pretty dope and very easy. No ego involved he told me a few stories and schooled on a few things in the game. He even had a brand new video from "1982" with Statik Selektah debut while we were chilling in the studio. He shut all the lights off and we watched it on his laptop. We were actually the first cats to ever see it. I felt like I was in the right place.

16)         How would you describe your sound?

My sound is mix of so many dope legends I have absorbed knowledge from, I’m standing on their shoulders every time I make a beat or spit a bar. I would say I have some unmistakable late 90's feel to a lot of my music, but I also have some progressive touches to it. I really don’t set out to make a sound I just hear samples I like and or get inspired by what’s goin on and music is made. That being said I would still say Gangstarr records, Wu Tang, ABB records with Joey Chavez and Evidence and the whole Rawkus movement def. come out in my approach.

17)         Has being from Massachusetts influenced your music?

I would say to a certain degree yes I learned a lot from cats like DJ Shame out here in Mass doing it with L tha Headtoucha out of Worcester early on. The rest is from being a fan having OCD lol and being a sponge then taking the knowledge and applying it.

18)         Is hip hop really dead?

If you chill with me, it’s definitely not. Every time some dope drums are put to an ill rare sample and an emcee starts going in, the feeling is there. Hip Hop was made from nothing so its gonna be a tough one to kill. It doesn’t take much for us to make a cypher or a track happen if anything it’s only gotten more powerful and more accessible worldwide.

19)         You spit the reals on “Get That Money” and put your life story in it. Explain about peeps that want the same thing as you but don’t want to work for it?

That was a little message to a lot of people I see out here trying to do their thing but are more interested in chilling or whatever else. Rather than grinding, but then want to eat off your plate you been working hard to make ya dig!

20)         Sounds like an entitlement attitude to me!

I’ve never been or felt entitled I just work real hard for what I have. So it’s hard for me to give away things I work hard for too undeserving rappers. Some of these cats started rapping last year and want to shine next to me? I’m just not having it a lot of the time. They don’t give everything to the Music like I and my team do. A lot of rappers will run with any trend you put in front of them. Pop, Rock, Reggaeton etc.. They really don’t care about making a real movement and a brand.

21)         I’m impressed with your work ethic, how do you stay grounded while still being hungry in hip hop?

My family and wife keeps me grounded I have two beautiful babies at home and a wife so when I come back from conquering the stages I get humbled real quick hahaha.  The hunger always fuels back up and I hit the road to make things happen it’s a constant cycle that will probably never go away.

22)         What’s coming up for you?

Album out soon "Carry the Torch" mixtape out now called Heavyweight vol. 1 mixed by DJ John Gotem free dload www.facebook.com/aphiphop website coming out shortly. Tons of productions by me for my team MAIN AIM and the most talented cats in Mass and beyond. Show in Boston July 15th with the legendary Krumbsnatcha at the Church of Boston, along with more shows in the Boston area, New Jersey, Philly, Rhode island and more... stay tuned

23)         How peeps can get at your music?

Right now grab some tracks for free @ www.soundcloud.com/apofmainaim, check out some beats for sale @ www.soundclick.com/aperiodbeats, www.twitter.com/aperiodmusic, and you can find my very first project on itunes under A.P APdamicpro vol. zero and you can actually find it under my gov't  name Michael Arrastia def. worth checking out all original production. email me @ mainaim27@gmail.com with any ideas, beat submissions, and or artists who are ready to make good hip hop.

I also wanted to say thanks for the oppurtunity to speak my mind and thanks for your time much appreciated. Peace brother APeriod