The World According To Music - Ghani Gautama - theworldaccordingtomusic.weebly.com

You may not have heard of him yet, but you probably will soon.  Ghani Guatama is not the typical hip hop artist nor the typical thinker. Get him started talking about the music industry and you are bound to learn a lot from him. Ghani Guatama is full of opinions, information, and insight; and before we picked his brain fully of musical politics, the World According to Music wanted to hear a little bit more about him as an artist.   


   Where did the name Ghani Guatama come from?

The origin of my Ghani Gautama moniker is actually rather unspectacular.  I really just chose it because it sounds cool.  Ghani was my tag name during my short career as a graffiti artist.  I came up with it one day when I was smoking a bunch of Afghani and liked the way the letters looked.  I added Gautama to that and started using it as my stage name.  I wanted to have a name that could have been an actual given name instead of “MC so and so” or “Lil' so and so.”  I felt like my government name, Ian James Currie, didn't sound very rapper-ish so I went with Ghani Gautama.  I felt like it created a sense of exotic origins while also paying subliminal homage to my Irish roots.  Ghani is a West African surname and during the dark ages Ireland was the only northern European country that maintained trade relations with west Africa. There's a book called “How the Irish Saved Western Civilization” or something of that nature, that's where I found out about that.  Gautama is an Indian surname, it is attributed to the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.   Buddhist monks were some of the most well-traveled of antiquity.  It is believed by some anthropologists that they made it as far as Ireland where their teaching gave birth to the religion of the druids.   Plus I think it sounds cool.

      How long have you been doing music? What got you into it?

In a lot of ways I feel like I've been doing it my whole life, but my formal entry into it was in the late 90's.  I took guitar lessons when I was younger and I've always liked to sing and write lyrics.  Eventually I joined band with the intention of being a rhythm guitar player and singer.  As it turns out the other members of the band were much better than me at both things.  I knew my stock was slipping so I needed to find a way to make myself valuable to the band.  One day at practice everyone was jamming and I started rapping.  Everybody in the band said “you should do that.”  I've never looked back since.  I couldn't really pinpoint any one thing that got me into it but I feel like I am the musical sum of my parents.  My mom is an excellent singer, she has the natural gift for it but she's pretty conservative in her taste.  She sang in choirs and stuff.  My dad was more rock 'n' roll, he had more rebellious musical taste and was passionate and charismatic about it but had not a lick of natural ability.  I think I inherited the best of both.

             How would you describe your music?

I try not to honestly, I prefer to let it speak for itself but for the sake of conversation I consider myself a songwriter first.  I don't necessarily dazzle with verbal dexterity, I'm not really interested in writing a “hot sixteen.”  I strive to write complete songs and just happen to use hip hop as my medium (probably because I can't sing or play an instrument.

                What are you working on right now?

I am currently in the process of recording a project called “Strong Medicine” it's the first of three 5-song E.P.s that I'll be releasing this year through my deal with First Team Music/Halogen Records.  It's a bit of a departure for me because it will be the first time I've recorded an album using beats from producers besides my long time creative partner Metrognome.  He's got one song on it but each of the 5 tracks are from a different producer.

               What are your artistic goals?

To be like B.B. King.  The man played 200+ shows a year well into his 80's.  I'd also like to play a show on every continent (except maybe Antarctica) and learn how to say “thank you” in 50 languages.

              Who/what are your influences?

I'm a sponge when it comes to rap so I've easily stolen a trick or two from pretty much any rapper that I've ever heard as far as style and delivery goes.  Lyrics wise I borrow heavily from Issac Brock and Ian McKaye.  I'm also huge into outlaw country, I've been listening to a lot of Waylon Jennings recently.  Plus I read a lot, non-fiction mostly and I'm a big fan of the speculative fiction of Harlan Ellison.

             What are some of your favorite tracks of yours?

The song I'm most proud of is a cut off of “Few Against Many,” my last album, called “Maybe” it was an idea about 8 years in the making.  I remember being in the room while Metrognome was making the beat for it and it ended up becoming a perfect storm of a song.  It is always a hit at shows and is a lot of my friends' favorite track.  I'm also really proud of a song from that album called “Another Day At The Office” it was the first track I ever did with guest verses and I feel like that brought the best out of me.  The title track to my 1st solo album “Give 'Em Enough Hope” is another highlight.  Another instance of an idea years in the making that turned out so well.

                What do you want your fans to know about you?
I'm a man of the people.  I have somewhat extreme viewpoints about the world and make rather intense music but at the end of the day I'm just a person like everyone else.  I think that sometimes hip hop music can put too much emphasis on people's differences.  I like to focus on our similarities.  Every day that I wake up and get to make music is a victory to me and I am extremely thankful for all of the people that have made that possible.  I'd also like people to know that if I can make my dream work so can they, and probably better.

              Who are some of your biggest supporters?

I'm fortunate to have incredibly supportive family and friends.  My label mates Quanstar, Evaready RAW, and Metrognome have been invaluable in getting to where I am.  Besides that everyone who's ever supported me is my biggest supporter, I value each and every person who's ever watched me play a set or listened to a song of mine.  I look at music as a lifestyle choice and a life-long commitment so every person that shows support makes it what it is.

              How can your fans access your music?

All my stuff is available through all major digital outlets.  I'm also active on social networks so just Google “Ghani Gautama” and you'll find me.  And don't hesitate to leave comments and send messages, I always answer them and this might sound sad but I live for fan feedback.

              What has been your biggest challenge as an upcoming artist?

Today's industry is basically a struggle for legitimacy.  Technology has made it possible for anyone to create and market music.  This has evened the playing field to a large degree but it has also created a vast amount of over-choice.  My biggest challenge has been getting that third party recognition and credibility.  Things like press coverage are important to growing a career.  With virtually billions of artists out there fighting for the same limited media space.  An artist like me who is entirely independent often gets overlooked in favor of artists with buckets of money to throw at the situation.

             What is your music making process?

I don't really have a set method.  I'm pretty much always making music, even when I'm cooking dinner or at the gym I'm always tossing around ideas in my head.  Sometimes if I have a deadline or something I'll just lock myself in my room put a beat on repeat and won't come out until I have a song.  Editing is very important, I never bring notebooks into the vocal booth so everything I record has been dedicated to memory.  The process of memorizing the song is the best editing method.  By the time I've recited something a couple hundred times I've usually trimmed out the fat and optimized the execution of the verse.  I also like to perform my songs live a lot before I record them.  That helps me work out all of the kinks.  When you’re live on stage, there's an audience, the music is loud, there's no second takes or punch-ins.  Once a song is down cold for a live show it is a piece of cake to knock out in the studio where conditions are optimal.

              Do you have a main theme to your music?

I know it sounds trite but my life is pretty much the theme of my music.  I try to present it in a way that is universally understandable.  Instead of focusing on specific details I emphasize the underlying sentiments.  For instance, if I write a song about a lame ass job that I hate, I don't focus my writing on specific details like what kind of tasks I'm doing or the eccentricities of customers and co-workers.  Instead I focus on the feelings of being undervalued of misunderstood or stuck in a situation because of responsibilities.  Those are things that any working person could understand from the janitor to the hedge fund manager.  It ties into the whole idea of finding commonalities between people as opposed to finding differences.

*Check the Upcoming Shows tab to see when you can see Ghani Guatama next.

Have you ever heard of Ghani Gautama (exclusive interview included) - humanfankind.com

I recently came across the sound of Ghani Gautama and am surprised that it took me so long hear about him!

A short bio:

Ghani Gautama got his start in music as the front man for Pure Irate Souls, a rap/rock outfit active in Myrtle Beach SC in the early 90′s. He relocated to Atlanta, GA in 2000 and shortly emerged on the cities blossoming independent hip hop scene as a founding member of Street Temple Emcees After a brief hiatus from music, Ghani Gautama reunited with former Street Temple Emcees DJ and producer, Metrognome and resurfaced as a solo act. The creative team of Gautama and Metrognome released two albums, “Give ‘Em Enough Hope” in 2008 and “Few Against Many” in 2010. During that time he also linked up with fellow Atlanta indie veterans, Quanstar and Evaready R.A.W. and with Metrognome on DJ duties, began playing nationally under the banner of United Underworld.

Ghani just released his latest album “Strong Medicine” in November titled “Strong Medicine” which is receiving positive feedback.

After listening to the music on his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ghanigautama) I quickly fell in love with his sound. “What am I waiting for” is extremely catchy (listen below), so make sure that you have time on your hands and room on your ipod before you listen to it once. The rest of the songs continue his catchy rhythm and toe tapping beats. Give it a listen, you wont regret it!

A brief interview with Ghani:

What inspires you to wake up and record?

“It’s more like what doesn’t inspire me.  I try to let the world be my muse and find inspiration everywhere but at those moments when I really start to doubt the merits of this path I always think about the people who have supported me for all these years.  Folks who watched me awkwardly attempt to perform 15 years ago who still root for me today, I feel a sense of personal responsibility to them to keep making music and hopefully get better at it.”

What do you consider success?

“Not riding the bus to a day job that I hate.  I strive for the day when I record when inspiration strikes, I tour when I feel like traveling and I subsist off of more than Ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches all off of the merits of my music.”

 What are your thoughts on HumanFankind and fans giving back for piracy / funding artists dreams?

“I don’t necessarily believe that fans are obligated to “give back for piracy.”  Sure I’d love to get paid for every time someone acquires my music but I feel like when you’re doing it the right way it doesn’t matter how people get a hold of your recordings.  If you are making music that’s worthwhile the people who enjoy it will compensate you in some way at some point.  I do, however, believe that it’s important to develop systems other than retail sales and tour proceeds to compensate artists.  I don’t hold it against someone for not being able to pay 5 or 10 dollars for an album, but if they’ve got a dollar to spare I think it’s imperative for there to be a mechanism in place for that person to deliver that dollar to the artist.  So I think HumanFankind is doing important work towards shifting the paradigm and empowering fans and artists to work together to ensure that the music can go on as long as both parties see fit to have it do so.”

You can also find Ghani at http://ghanigautmama.bandcamp.com . He allows you to download some of his music for free, so if you do enjoy it, please give some back through HumanFankind.

Quanstar: Momentum: as reviewed by Pedro 'DJ Complejo' Hernandez

Quanstar is the true definition of a hustler. By that I don't mean that his music brags about how much he hustles, how he always hustles, or even mentions the word "hustle." Instead, Quanstar's work ethic says everything that needs to be said about his work ethic. His name may be unfamiliar to the masses, but that has not kept the man from releasing multiple albums and EPs, music videos, and touring consistently to promote his music. His music doesn't reflect the desperate delusions of a man trying to rap for a big hit or ringtone sales, but instead conveys his love for hip-hop and his determination to make quality music. "Momentum" is the latest EP from Quanstar and delivers another small, but potent, dose of dope hip-hop. The EP's name doesn't convey much about the music contained, but reflects the fact that Quanstar wanted to release this music ASAP rather than wait to compile an album's worth of material. While the EP lacks a cohesive purpose, the individual songs overcome any thematic shortcomings. "I'm Through" is a short barrage of punch lines and positive advice that serves as an appropriate intro. "Higher Standards" is a clever proclamation of Quanstar's abilities as an emcee as he declares "higher standards, giving these niggas nosebleeds" on the hook. "On My Brain" is a reflective track where Quanstar details some of the struggles he has faced as an artist. "She Did Me Wrong" features one of the EP's dopest beats with a warm, soulful sample looped over soft piano keys. The instrumental serves as the perfect backdrop for Quanstar to reflect on young love and the problems that can come with it. "Christmas List" is the EP's strongest track as Quanstar finds a strong way to convey his sorrow: "A couple months ago Dale died in Iraq Two weeks before he was supposed to come back Married about a year, newlywed to the widow Still can't believe it so she staring out the window Never got a chance to see his daughter The only thing she'll know is a picture of her father Never learned a lesson he'd have taught her Shaking and trembling, barely even hold a glass of water Eyes swollen up, blood red, bone dry First couple of weeks only thing she did was cry Mother came down to help with the baby Only time she cool is when you rocking little Katie Thought it was right so he took another tour Pissed because she shouldn't have let him out the door Does it even ever get better than this? Wrote "bring him back" on your Christmas list And please cruel world don't look at me I'm a shell of the person that I used to be Because God don't love me, that much clear And wonder why Santa won't come around here It's "happiness" on my Christmas list And I still didn't get that wish" Presenting sorrow, sadness, and disappointment in adulthood through the concept of unfulfilled Christmas wishes is very unique and clever. The EP ends on a strong note with "I Need You," an up tempo track about perceptions with an eerie, robotic beat. Overall, "Momentum" is a dope EP from a passionate artist. That said, the last three tracks are definitely stronger than the first three. One minor gripe with the project is just the vocal quality of Quanstar's vocals on most tracks. They don't sound unprofessional at all, but do lack something in terms of mastering that make them sound at odds with the beats on some songs. Oddly enough, the distortion effect used on "I Need You" is just right to mesh his vocals with that particular song. Despite that small issue, Quanstar's passion and lyrics shine through on this EP and he gives us plenty of dopeness to hold you over for his next project. Knowing his work ethic and passion, that next project should be right around the corner. Music Vibes: 6.5 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 6.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 6.5 of 10 Originally posted: October 4th, 2011 source: www.RapReviews.com

Rapper gives poetry program a twist - Bennington Banner

RAPPER GIVES POETRY PROGRAM A TWIST

BENNINGTON - Atlanta rapper Quanstar brought a different culture to Bennington last week through written and spoken words as a guest teacher in a summer poetry class.

After two weeks of focusing on slam poetry and more traditional poetic styles in the summer program, Quanstar introduced the class to rap and asked members to write songs that flowed with musical beats. "I want them to enjoy it and do something fun, but I want them to experience the art of song writing and what goes into doing this," he said.

As a recorded emcee, as well as a publicist, songwriter and movie producer, Quanstar also gave participants in the free program an inside look at the music business, which he said is focused on money and has little concern about messages it promotes.

"Any company, but record companies specifically, since the '40s have been out for money and absolutely nothing else," Quanstar told the class. "You got the record labels telling you you've got to do music like this, because, to be perfectly honest with you, it's what sells and record labels are in it to make money. They're not in it to make social change, and they shouldn't be; they're a business."

A number of students disagreed, saying businesses have a responsibility to inspire social change as well as consumers. While the rapper from Compton, Calif., agreed with the premise, he said it's up to the artist to determine what they want to promote.

"Those are the questions as artists that we deal with - should we do this or should we do that - on a daily basis," Quanstar said.

Slam poetry and rap was chosen as the main focus of the program to draw students into a class that teaches poetry - a topic that by itself didn't draw much interest, said Robert Marine, director of summer and after-school programs for the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union, which sponsored the four-week program through a grant.

"Get them involved"

"I want to get them involved in poetry, and I want to do more than that. I want to get them involved in expressing themselves, a way for kids to talk about things that interest them or bother them, and through slam, that's what it's all about," Marine said. "This is a great way for youth to talk about the things that bother them in their life or things they want to improve ... I think that slam poetry, hip-hop and rap give them an avenue where they feel comfortable expressing their ideas and who they are and finding their individuality and personality."

Individuality is part of the focus of slam poetry and hip-hop, said the program's first instructor Kiah Morris, who was involved with a group that promotes urban arts and culture to youth in Chicago called Kuumba Lynx before moving to Bennington.

Through the program, Morris said he tried getting students to expand their writing comfort zone and their confidence.

"I hope they get not only a confidence of how they can use their voice, but also that they see themselves as poetic artists and learn that their voice is valued," she said.

The second week was led by Jessica Marine, Robert Marine's daughter, who focused on poetic literature and structure.

This week, published poet Clara Rose, of Brattleboro, is teaching the class, which is held at Southern Vermont College.

Unlike many Mosaic programs, the poetry session has also been available to the community as a whole in addition to students.