STUDENT OF THE GAME: SAVAGE 5IVE
NEW YORK, NEW YORK | SAVAGE 5IVE
INTERVIEW: TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK [@REALIFEVMG]
“TO ME HIP-HOP IS THE EVER EVOLVING REVOLUTION. IT’S THE VOICE OF THE STREETS. FOR ME IT’S THE HOOD’S STORY TOLD THROUGH EYES OF THOSE OF US IN THE TRENCHES.” - SAVAGE 5IVE
VALIDATED: A PRODUCT OF BOTH BROOKLYN AND HARLEM, NEW YORK, WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP CULTURE?
SAVAGE 5IVE: MY EARLIEST HIP HOP MEMORY WAS WATCHING THE LOX PERFORM AT UNCLE RALPH’S CONCERT IN MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE. WATCHING THE CROWD RESPOND WAS LIKE MAGIC TO ME AS A KID.
VALIDATED: HIP-HOP, HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN IT?
SAVAGE 5IVE: GROWING UP IN THE HOOD I WAS ALWAYS DOPE IN A CYPHER, BUT BACK IN 2016 I WAS ACTING AS A FAMILY MEMBER OF “TAYSTEE” (DANIELLE BROOKS) ON “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK”. THE CAST AND CREW HEARD ME IN A CYPHER AND STARTED CALLING ME 2 CHAINZ AND SAYING I SHOULD BE MAKING SONGS. BY THE TIME WE WRAPPED SEASON 5 I HAD MADE MY FIRST SONG “PIANO MAN” FEATURING NINO MAN.
VALIDATED: YOU’VE ALREADY RECEIVED SPINS ON SEVERAL IHEART REGIONAL FM RADIO STATIONS INCLUDING BOSTON, MARYLAND, ARKANSAS, AND THEIR FLAGSHIP STATION NY/NJ’S POWER 105.1 FM AS WELL AS NATIONWIDE ON SIRIUS XM'S TWO MOST PROMINENT RADIO STATIONS HIP-HOP NATION 44 PLUS SHADE45. IN TODAY’S MARKET HOW IMPORTANT ARE RADIO SPINS IN DIFFERENT MARKETS?
SAVAGE 5IVE: THEY ARE SUPER IMPORTANT. I TAKE MY MUSIC STATE TO STATE IN SHOWS AND CONCERTS AND LOVE INTERACTING WITH THE FANS BUT I ALSO REALIZE RADIO CAN REACH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS ALL AT ONCE. I’M GRATEFUL TO ALL THE DJ’S AND STATIONS SPINNING MY RECORDS.
VALIDATED: WHICH ARTISTS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOU AND WHAT IF ANYTHING DID YOU “BORROW” FROM THEM?
SAVAGE 5IVE: HONESTLY I’M A STUDENT OF THE GAME WHEN IT COMES TO HIP-HOP. I CALL MYSELF SAVAGE 5IVE BECAUSE I HAVE MULTIPLE FLOWS, DELIVERS, TONES, AND STYLES. LIL WAYNE, JAY-Z, BIGGIE, 21 SAVAGE, AND J. COLE HAVE ALL INFLUENCED ME.
VALIDATED: YOUR CLOTHING LINE "SAVAGE NATION", WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?
SAVAGE 5IVE: “SAVAGE NATION” WAS MADE AS A WAY FOR ME TO EXPRESS MY CREATIVITY THROUGH CLOTHING. I’M JUST HAPPY I CAN SHARE IT WITH MY FANS AND IT MAKES THEM FEEL CONNECTED TO ME.
VALIDATED: WHAT LED YOU TO START YOUR OWN CLOTHING LINE?
SAVAGE 5IVE: I REALLY LIKE WEARING WHAT I WANT TO AND IT’S EASIEST WHEN I MAKE MY OWN. THE OWNER OF THE D.I.E.M. CLOTHING LINE IN BROOKLYN GAVE ME SOME GOOD ADVICE WHICH HELPED ME START UP MY OWN LINE.
VALIDATED: YOU’VE ACTED ALONG SIDE METHOD MAN IN SEASON 2 OF THE HULU SERIES "DIFFICULT PEOPLE" AS WELL AS MINOR ROLES IN “SEVEN SECONDS”, “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK”, “BILLIONS”, AND THE JAMES FRANCO MOVIE “HIGH SCHOOL LOVER”. ASIDE FROM MUSIC IS ACTING ON THE BIG SCREEN SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE TO PURSUE PROFESSIONALLY?
SAVAGE 5IVE: DEFINITELY, I LOVE MAKING MUSIC BUT I ALSO LOVE ACTING. DAVE EAST IS ONE OF THE ARTIST THAT ALWAYS SHOWED ME LOVE. I MET HIM ON THE SET OF “THE BREAKS” WITH TEYANA TAYLOR AND MACK WILDS. THEY SHOWED ME THAT ALL FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT ARE ART, SO AS AN ARTIST I WANNA EXPLORE ALL FORMS OF ART PROFESSIONALLY.
VALIDATED: YOUR RECENT HIT “ASIAN MONEY” TOOK OVER THE AIRWAVES IN NYC EARLIER THIS YEAR LANDING YOU A SPOT ON THE “212 COME UP SHOW” ON THE HOME OF THE “BREAKFAST CLUB” POWER 1051. WHAT’S YOUR REACTION TO THE SUCCESS OF THE RECORD?
SAVAGE 5IVE: WELL POWER 105.1’S MUSIC COORDINATOR HONEY GERMAN WAS THE FIRST ONE TO TELL ME THE SONG WOULD BE A HIT. NEXT THING I KNEW IT WAS ALL OVER THE RADIO AND FOLKS WERE POSTING VIDEOS OF IT AIRING ON THE RADIO ON THEIR MYSTORY. I WAS SHOCKED, I MEAN IT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN WORKING FOR BUT WHEN DJ CLUE DROPED IT AND SHOUTED ME OUT IT WAS BANANAS!
VALIDATED: YOUR 2018 RELEASE “SAVAGE 5IVE: THE ARRIVAL”, WHAT PRODUCERS DID YOUR WORK WITH ON THE PROJECT? ARE THERE ANY ARTISTS FEATURES AND IF SO, WHO?
SAVAGE 5IVE: TV BEATS WAS THE MAIN PRODUCER ON MY FIRST ALBUM, BUT I GOT TO WORK WITH A FEW DOPE ARTISTS INCLUDING ROB J, SAKINAH IMAN, AND NINO MAN.
VALIDATED: WHAT DOES HIP-HOP MEAN TO YOU?
SAVAGE 5IVE: TO ME HIP-HOP IS THE EVER EVOLVING REVOLUTION. IT’S THE VOICE OF THE STREETS. FOR ME IT’S THE HOOD’S STORY TOLD THROUGH EYES OF THOSE OF US IN THE TRENCHES.
VALIDATED: RUMOR IS YOU’RE CURRENTLY BEING PURSUED BY DEF JAM AND ATLANTIC RECORDS FOR POSSIBLE DISTRIBUTION DEALS. FOR THE UPCOMING ARTISTS WHO DON’T KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO LAND A GOOD DISTRIBUTION DEAL?
SAVAGE 5IVE: LABELS HAVE A LOT OF POWER AND ACCESS. AS AN INDIE ARTIST BEING ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THROUGH A MAJOR LABEL CAN BE VERY HELPFUL. THERE ARE BENEFITS TO REMAINING COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT AS WELL AND EACH ARTIST SHOULD DO THEIR RESEARCH TO FIGURE WHICH PATH IS RIGHT FOR THEM.
VALIDATED: WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM SAVAGE 5IVE FOR THE 2ND HALF OF 2019?
SAVAGE 5IVE: MY NEW ALBUM “HEROES VS MONSTAZ” IS DROPPING IN AUGUST. I ALSO HAVE A FEW SURPRISES ON THE HORIZON FOR MY FANS. AS WELL AS THE FALL LINE OF SAVAGE NATION.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS?
SAVAGE 5IVE:
FACEBOOK: SAVAGE 5IVE
HTTPS://M.FACEBOOK.COM/SAVAGE5IVE/
INSTAGRAM: SAVAGE5IVE
HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/SAVAGE5IVE/?HL=EN
WEBSITE: HTTP://SAVAGE5IVE.COM/