Quanstar interview with CulturalOrganizing.org

You can love or hate me, idolize or despise me greatly
you can yell my name at the top of your lungs or talk about ever so faintly
but you ain’t me
ain’t worn my shoes, walked my path
been through the times that made my cry
don’t understand what makes my laugh
lived my past.

— Quanstar, from I’m Through

This week I had a chance to interview Quanstar, an independent hip-hop artist whose new book, Water from Turnips, is a candid, raw, funny, and often touching account of his early life, and his struggle to make it as a truly independent hip-hop artist in a massive, corporate industry. Starting with his early life in Compton, and pulling no punches, readers follow him through being introduced to rap, getting in numerous tangles with women, and feeling out the industry. Today, Quanstar boasts ten albums, blogs about the hip hop industry for newer artists, and even does a cooking show with his son. In case you don’t know him already, here’s a taste off his most recent album:

You are very honest about yourself in the book, putting forward the good and the bad. What was that experience like for you?
Therapeutic. I’d say 70% of the things I put in Water From Turnips were never discussed with anyone before. So as I wrote and dug deep into why I acted a certain way, I began to understand the reasons.

You write about being young, during the heyday of Public Enemy and X-Clan, and having your eyes opened socially and politically by hip-hop music. Do you see hip hop as playing that same role for young people today?

Yes and No. I think that it’s important to understand the context and the time in which Public Enemy thrived. Back then, the great barrier in our society was still racial, and any problem that was considered a black problem was basically left alone. So things like police brutality, unemployment, dilapidated  schools, and under funded social programs were allowed to fester and grow. So hip hop became that solution to a lot of our issues.

Now, I think hip hop has a different role. While the world today isn’t, by any means, “post-racial,” thanks to hip hop we are a ways from the late 80′s and and early 90′s (mostly thanks to hip hop). The issues that face black folks today are the pretty much the same as the ones that face other races…economics. Poor people, no matter their color, are the new ‘niggas’. So hip hop’s role today mostly deals with economics. It inspires entrepreneurialism, materialism (which isn’t always a bad thing), and confidence. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of that shit is over the top, but a lot of rap always has been.

What led you to create Indie Hip Hop 101? What is the most common advice you give to hip hop artists like yourself today, if they are trying to get into the music business?

I created Indie Hip Hop 101 because I always found myself giving advice to other independent artists on the business and thought that it would be cool to share that on larger scale. The most common advice that I find giving to others like myself is to learn the business before looking into hiring a manager, and when you do find someone remember that they work for you.

Apart from the business side of things — the hustling, the gigs, the albums — how has the process of making the music itself affected or changed you over the years?

It taught me that people in Boise, ID and Charleston, WV deal with a lot of the same problems as folks in Compton and Atlanta.

What gifts has hip-hop culture given the world, and what does it still have to offer for the future?

Actually, it has allowed us to see the similarities that we all have with each other. It has also given generations a creative outlet by which they could express themselves without expensive lessons or formal training. It’s influenced an entire generation of thinkers and business people. I believe that hip hop is the building blocks of the future. The creative “something from nothing” nature has infused itself into the world culture. It’s a beautiful thing.

Do you have any final thoughts to share with this blog’s readers, who are interested in art and social change?

Believe and fight for something because you know it’s the right thing to do…not because you think it is.

"Water From Turnips" review for booksandjunk.tumblr.com

Water for Turnips (the greatest story ever written about the best rapper you’ve never heard of) is a jolting twist into a life I honestly knew nothing about. I know nothing about rap music and the lifestyle that comes with it and this story gave my insight I never knew I could have, or even knew that I was missing. The first half of the book is about him growing up in Compton. And I’ll be the first to admit I was raised in a sheltered suburban home so reading about the kind of crazy that kids as young as he was have dealt with was pretty heart wrenching. Seeing his life through the eyes of a boy growing up that way is intense. Just reading through the dozens of names of his family members got over whelming coming from a 3-person household. His story puts his difficulty with school (he was smart-just didn’t like the actual school work part) and even his borderline sex addiction on display for the world to see. It goes behind the scenes in getting a career in the music business started. There are many moments that make you cringe, some that make you laugh out loud (“I thought being married was about yelling, fighting, have kids, and buying a house” made me laugh for some bitter reasons), and other times that just amaze you. 

The story of his success had many bumps in the road and reading this book was basically watching a boy grow up into a man through many hardships and struggles. 

There’s a lot more to Quanstar than meets the eye, including 10 albums, a documentary, his own blog, and a cooking show he does with his kids. You can find out more about those amazing feats and watch some of his music videos on his website- http://quanstarmusic.com/#

Here’s a video book trailer for Water for Turnips if you would like to see more on it- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5HIUNpxiQ8&feature=youtu.be

And if you’d like your own print copy of the book, you can buy it offAmazon here- http://www.amazon.com/Water-From-Turnips-Greatest-Rapper/dp/1438962126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344582065&sr=8-1&keywords=water+from+turnips

Definitely Destined For Greatness: Quanstar - definitelyamazing.com

Definitely Destined For Greatness: Quanstar

I was privileged to read the Amazing book from Emcee/Author Quanstar entitled "Water From Turnips"Which gives you an in-depth look into the struggles of an Independent Emcee in the world of the Underground. I was inspired by reading this book and you will too. Whomever comments on this post can receive a free copy of the book so please share and comment.

When you first came up with the idea to do this book what were some of the first obstacles you had to overcome to get it done?

Q: Myself. Songs are basically short stories, so I had to rethink the entire way that I wrote in order to do Water From Turnips. It took almost four years to feel like I got it right.

  

I know writing a book this had to bring up many memories, what were some of toughest memories you had to relive due to doing the book?

 

Q: None that I wrote about. Just kidding. There were a few moments that took me a while to write. Watching my cousin get shot was a pretty obvious one; however, the roughest was recalling being reunited with my dad my freshman year at Clark. Those feelings have never been something that I'd explored or discussed with anyone before writing about it in the book.

 Explain the title and its significance?

  

 Q: My original idea for Water From Turnips was to only write about my experiences in the music industry and how I did all of the things that I did despite the limited funds and resources. Turnips, despite their nutrients and ability to be cooked with anything, they don't get credit for much. I booked my own tours, designed my marketing plans, oversaw my projects, and built my fan base; however, I still had a 9 to 5, struggled to pay bills, and rode the bus. I was a turnip. Lol. The water part came from the fact that I thought that turnips were dry and had very little of it, which went the original premise. I was wrong about that though. A turnip is full of as much water; additionally, my story was a lot more significant than just being a struggling hip hop artist.

 Why did you decide to write that introduction about the tunnel and the dream?

Q: It was originally a chapter in the middle of the book, but I felt it went better at the beginning because it set the tone of what Water From Turnips is about. When I thought about, facing my dreams they had no clue about what I was getting into. I just felt compelled to get out of the 'rat race' and succeed; however, once the reality set in of how hard I was going to have to work to get what I wanted, I had to make the decision of whether I was going to go back to my life or get tunnel vision and chase that light.

Who was your intended audience when you began writing this project?

Q: Honestly, the more I wrote, the more I was unsure about who my audience for this book is. Actually, I'm still figuring that out now.

What do you think an underground artist can learn from reading this book?

   

Q: That life isn't always simple, it isn't always easy, but that's no excuse to give up on your dreams.

What makes Quanstar Amazing Personified?

Q: I’m no different from anyone else.

"Water From Turnips" Interview w/ Quanstar - June 5, 2012

By now, you all should be familiar with Quanstar. He's a friend of Straight Outta Hip Hop and in addition to an interview or two, we've also supported projects he's dropped over the past year and a half. He was also featured on the Commercial From Commercialmixtape that Hip Hop Hope Dealers and I collaborated on. After a few minutes talking about graduation (congrats to my brother who just graduated from Morehouse!) I got to ask Quanstar a few questions about his new book, Water From Turnips, and what purpose this served for him as well as his fans:


S.O. Hip Hop: The book is now out. I've had a chance to dig through it and read a bit of it, but before we get into the details of the book, what was it that made you decide to put the book out now? You mentioned almost procrastinating to put it out, so what made you finally pull the trigger?Quanstar: Just because it was done. It's honestly been written since January. We had to do a few more re-reads. We've done about eleven to twelve re-reads and once all that was done, it was time. It wasn't so much a constant procrastination as much as it was just getting it right. The original form of the book was probably only about half of what the book is now because I glossed over so many things. But then there was a blessing in disguise when my computer crashed and I lost all a form of the [original] book, it forced me to rethink how I was writing it. 

And that pretty much ties into the first chapter in the book when you describe a dream you had that eventually set you on the path you're on now in terms of musical endeavors and entrepreneurial pursuits. Essentially, just like you're computer crashing, this dream wasn't a coincidence. So, in regards to that dream, and I don't want to give too much away, but do you have any more like it that tell you what you're supposed to be aiming for next?Yeah. That particular vision was a culmination of a bunch of different dreams. I didn't want to write one chapter on twenty dreams, so I had a dream about a tunnel. I've had a dream about something else. I've had a dream about being in a tunnel. I've had a dream about certain women representing different things. I've had a dream about walking towards a light and just keep walking. So, I always have dreams and visions and certain thought processes because I'm always trying to think about the next step ahead. So, I think the dreams I have are basically a continuation of my thought process from when I'm awake. I don't want to say it's this grand vision or anything that deep, but it's just my thought process and the dreams are an extension of my daily "work, work, work" mindset.

In addition to all the hustles you have going on and this constant grind mind-state you have, you also talk about your relationship with your wife and the ups and downs you all have gone through. This chapter would probably be interesting for any career driven person, but especially men, who are chasing a dream, but trying to maintain a healthy relationship. What can people going through that get out of the book and what have you learned in dealing with that situation?I think the biggest thing is that if you're going to meet someone and pursue someone, you need to do it with someone that also has things going on. When we met, she had an E-Bay business, her own business, while still working a full-time job, just like I did. And she was making like two to three grand a week being an E-Bay seller. So, the fact that she had her own thing going on, and it was something she created herself, she understood the difference between working for yourself and just working for somebody else. When you work for yourself, the responsibility and worries and everything you have are exponentially more, when it's yours to build up or lose. I think the key to that is to find a woman that already has something else going on. So, those nights, when you're up all night, or you might have to be on the road for a week, or whatever, it's not so much of an issue. You still have to make time [for your family]. We make time at least once a week to do something. I have three kids, so you have to make time where it's just us. But the key is to a) find someone that already has something going on and can understand your focus, and b) - and this is important - the thing she's doing is separate from what you're doing. Two people in the music industry is a disaster waiting to happen. At some point, it's a conflict of interest. I would never date another artist. 

I think that's sound advice and I think it's good that people see you can have success and it doesn't have to be at the expense of your family because a lot of people get caught up in their ambitions and, unfortunately, their family almost gets lost in the shuffle.I mean, you have to prioritize. There's certain things I won't do. I don't go on the road for two, three months at a time because I have children. I'm not even going to be on the road for a month at a time because I have children. That's just my perspective and those are the things I've realized and understand there are sacrifices you have to make. But those sacrifices start with your system and that support comes from the people around you both understanding your hustle and accepting your hustle. And if they've never experienced that hustle themselves, they can't accept it.

Now I'm going to backtrack here a little bit and get back to some details of the book. I know a lot of people, especially artists, they have a co-author or they simply tell somebody their story that ends up writing it, but I have feeling you wrote this whole thing yourself.This is all me, homie. It's all me.

How long did it take you to write it?About four years. The original version took about a year, but when the computer crashed, I decided to re-write it. So, I spent another three years or so on [the published one], sent it to the publisher, and now we're here. The reason the final version took so long is because I wanted to take my time, be specific, and have points. I went through most of my life validating this, validating that, I was a sexual deviant. I talked about when I was in college what I was doing and how I couldn't see. My whole thought process, I had nothing going on, so the only way I could feel like a man was for me to womanize and womanize heavily. But I didn't really explain it in the first version, so in this final version, I traced that aspect of my life back to its origin, so people could see where it came from and how it grew. So, that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to take my time. I didn't want to inflate it. I didn't want to brag about it. I just wanted to record it, like it was. 

That sexual deviant chapter in the book is a crazy one. I think people might be caught off guard with that one. But, even in revealing all this, in the beginning of the book when you explain why you wrote the book, you say you didn't want this to be an autobiography. You do say, though, that it was important for you to unveil many parts of your life. Now that the book is finished, what do you hope people do get from this?I didn't want it to be an autobiography in any way. I had all of these ideas about how to write this book, but at the end of the day, it ended up being an autobiography because out of all those other ideas, this told the story the best. I want people to understand that it doesn't matter where you're born, or how many chances you get in life. To be frank, I f*cked off half of my life. I didn't even start thinking about get things together until I was 23. I want people to understand it's never too late. It's never too late to do the right thing, to want to be something better than what you are. It's also a matter of explaining...basically, I ain't sh*t. You know what I'm saying. I ain't sh*t. We're just all the same. I don't have money behind me, I don't have things like that. And my story, I wanted people to see, this is where I came from, this is what I did, and I'm still hustling. I basically floated through high school, flunked out of college. I did all of the things that are supposed to make you fail. If you grow up in the hood, you're supposed to fail. I'm from Compton, I'm supposed to fail. I didn't graduate with A's, I'm supposed to fail. I dropped out of college, I'm supposed to fail. I'm 23 and didn't have any money, I'm supposed to fail. I had a kid out of wedlock, I'm supposed to fail. But I didn't, and I'm not. After finishing the book, and looking at it right now, because I'm holding it in my hand, looking at the cover, that's what I want people to know. You're not supposed to fail. You're only supposed to fail, when you give up. 

I think that's always been your message. Even with The Underdog and all your music, that's always been what you've portrayed. Regardless of what the circumstances are, you've come out of it and found another way. But, now that you've put your story out there, and people will have a chance to read it and understand you better, how does it feel? I'd assume it's hard to get everything out in the form of music, but it seems like you did a lot more with this book.It feels pretty good. I wouldn't say that I got it all out there. There's a ton of things I condensed or left out because I didn't want to give twenty stories conveying the same message. But, it feels great because a lot of those stories, I never shared with anybody. I'm not the most open of people. There may be things I don't tell my wife. It might not be anything big, but I just don't talk about my childhood. There's probably four or five things in there I've never really discussed with folks. So, in a way, that was pretty therapeutic for me. It surprised a lot of people. There were things in the book that my mom never knew. My wife and her mom and other people read and were shocked. And let me say that all of the things that have happened is a testament to me, but also to my family and how I was raised. I have a really close knit, crazy, but big family that always stuck together and looked out for each other. So, I just want to take this time to say that my success or my drive as a person comes from my family. It comes from a lot of the sacrifices my family made in order for me to achieve. To get out of the hood and step my game up. A lot of this is because of my family structure, albeit sort of unorthodox. I was living in a house with four women, but they kept me on the up-and-up as an adult. Sometimes, the only thing that motivates me is the sacrifices my family has made. When I want to give up and can't figure stuff out, I think about my momma and my granny and my auntie and my wife and my kids. It makes me step my game up. 

Since you were able to write all of this down and actually see it on paper in the form of a book, have you seen any difference in your approach to how you write music? Are you more open in your music since you know these stories are out there now?It hasn't a great deal, but it has allowed me to venture off into other areas of my music and do other things with music. Now I have all these things to discuss and deal with and talk about. I wasn't ever really compelled to write about certain things before. I'm still not compelled to, but since I know that these stories are out there, I'm not as hesitant to talk about them in my music. Also, since it's out there, those stories aren't quite as close to my heart. It allows me to be a little bit more celebratory. That kinda started with The Underdog because I was starting to get that stuff out. I had the freedom to write with a free heart and that felt good. 

Well, I know people will definitely enjoy reading the book. I looking forward to getting even further into it than I already have. For most of your fans, it should lend to even more understanding of your music, but if nothing else, it's just a compelling story. Tell everybody where they can get it.It's pretty much everywhere. Barnes & Noble and barnesandnoble.com, Amazon.com, Google Books, Scribd.com, Quanstarmusic.com. It's in a bunch of places. Feel free to leave a comment. On Amazon there's been a bunch of reader reviews and it's been getting a bunch of four and five stars, tell me what you think.