Day Two The Context and interview
Hello and welcome to the next part of Sides of growth. We are here with Kidd Amaze to talk about this overlaying message in his work and talk about there being a theme in his music. We’ll break down some of his favorite songs as well as songs that tied closely to the theme that he was going for. This project was going to be ending to that theme and that’s why we wanted people a chance to get it before it was all said and done. We first went into the catalog to talk about what songs stood out. “This is going to be the genius episode where I go back and talk about the things that I may have slip pass a lot of people and why I did some of the things I did. Alright so the total arc or story is about a person trying to make it in music. So, let’s go back to the beginning, Listen and be amazed. It starts off with this person realizing his dream but getting shot down. People telling him that you aren’t going to make it you’re not good enough. He keeps working and while things change around him he takes some losses he keeps fighting and at the end I talks about doing whatever it takes and this voice tell him that he will help him out.”
So did you planned all this out or try to make a conscious effort to keep the story going. I know that a lot of times people throw things together and fans just come up with ideas about the album and what it means. You did that intentionally.
“Yes, I wanted to created a naritive and a storyline through this. So we have our character, the artist, and it talks about his journey to be the best rapper he can be. It starts off all about having fun and doing what you love to do but you get beat down and reality throws mud in your face that you really have to be in love with what you do. Listened and Be Amazed was the start and Sides is the end of his story."
In an interview, you talked about how all three projects followed a certain timeline while the mixtape was just an offset. So for everyone listening and wanting to know what is the general story you told in three albums and is this character you? “Listen And Be Amazed I think was the prologue it talks about the humble beginings and how people try to do their best. It also on the last part talks about an important character, The Ego. Kidd at the adult table, the artist ,the guy who want to be a success in the business, and his ego , This persona that is about doing whatever it takes to make it big and you see him in the first mixtape, they start making a run and little buzz going on. Until music finds him and signed him to her, having his dreams come true but it comes at a price. The Rapper Handbook is the price, The artist the ego the music are pulling and tugging and finding out what is the best for them and you see in Grown Up The artist breaks away and becomes something different he meets the last figure. The self, Is this talking about me? it could be but I wanted to make it as ambiguous as I could while having thing connected. When people take in media weither it be Art, music, video, movement. you get a piece of what the creator was feeling at the time and you also put yourself in that position and feeling so I want to be able to give people a immersive experience and really follow this person through the ups and downs.”
Both singles Hate that I love you and Iron Fist where both release with some buzz but nothing surprising and it shows. WHy did you pick those songs and what is the meaning behind all of those songs. “I didn’t want to sing on hate that I love you, I tell that every time cause that an important song to the story and I just like the music that went with it. It had a chill piano chords and was just something that I could vibe with so well. And this girl was the personification of music he worked so hard to get this girls attention and when he finally gets it, oh man. It takes a while but it’s an eye-opening experience. The beginning you have the ego and the ego takes you to see music. If music likes and approves of you she will take you and give you your dream for a price and you just have to agree to it. In Grown up we see the self and what happens if you get “woke” for lack of a better term, balance. And that takes time to know who is using you, who is pulling your leg, and who is really there. You started at the adult table with all this expectation and promise, you learn and improve in the rapper’s handbook and this is the last one this is it. You learn about your mistake and now this last one deals with the self and that's why it's called sides cause there so much that goes into these project that you have to be you."
There is a song on the first album that felt a little misplace and you have some of those you have Iron Fist, and you had What stardom means? Those were a little out of place what was the meaning behind putting them on the album?"To me it's important to know where claims are coming from we you talk about being the best. You have a lot of people who claim there the best out there but they don't write their songs. and I'm called a lyricst. If I was a hit maker where my goal was to make hit records that last on the radio and digital then this wouldn't really matter cause it is a different lane. I'm trying to let people know that I write this. There no ghost writer no help with this but also it talks up the artist and ego persona relationship. That ghost writer could be a different verison of you, that was just something that I wanted to just pay tribute to the hard work I did before."
There was some big names that you collab with but on your album you keep the list small and hardly use features on your album, why is that and what was your favorite people to work with that might be on this new album "I want people to listen to me and I think that features are great if you want to get more ears on you and listen but I want people to know that buying my work means listening to me and I don't want to spoil them thinking that there is always going to be a track they can fall on and catch to cause that means they going to listen to that song and not really pay attention to the whole album. As far as people being on the album you never know what's going to be on here. I would like to have Dominic and I to do something and I have some music that I think he would be great on."
Lets talk about some song that are important to the story then the first song would be what and why is it important?"Two song on my first album that really kick starts the story is I will give you everything and Advice part two. Commitment to what your doing is very important. You have to be all the way in in order to get the most out of something but you are leaving other things on the back burner when you do. In the rap itself I have different points of view. From a guy trying to prove himself, and has other people not knowing with worth to him get bigheaded and cutting that past of him off. That happens to the best of us sometimes when you do something well and people just feed into your ego and now you think your better than you are. Advice part 2 comes right after and the two kind of butt heads until they both agree that they need each other to get better. That was the goal when putting the album together how do we tied these thing together and make a story while keeping thing seperate enough that they can stand on their own."
You talking about setting a tone and it through the project that there are some upbeat track to Listen and be Amazed but the more and more you go into this the darker the tone get. The last track on The Rappers Handbook is born to fail. And you hear this chorus of nothing you do matter, and it's like you trying to convince to yourself that you do matter. Is this album going to be darker?"It going to be darker than the things I did before cause I felt up and down when doing the album. There was some dark emotions with the Kidd At the Adult Table and while The handbook like of snuck in there it had some dark undertones as well. I think the biggest thing is channelling what your going through and using that fuel to make something."
So we meet this Ego, we have the character, where do you see music in the second one? and how does he woo her?"Really you can play all the songs in the reverse order and it will give you a clearer picture of the story. But the whole idea is getting to the point where the character finally makes it big. All the struggles was worth it he woo her with I want you. but as you go to the beginning you see she isn't really feeling the character but hear something about this Kidd Amaze the first song is this character saying how what I think is the good life is really just a dream and it isn't like that. Reality is always different from expections. Finally The Rapper Handbook is the lessons that the character went through from the pressure of signning thing to finally thinking maybe the people back in the beginning were right?"
Finally what do you want to tell everyone about the new album is this going to be it? "This album coming is going to be about the self. It is getting back to the person that isn't a persona and can be a human again. Grown Up is on it and I'm always going to try and do new things but this one is going to be different I hope everyone enjoys it cause I spent a lot of time and effort on it and it will be out very soon."