IN REAL LIFE: H-D
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | H-D
INTERVIEW REALIFE PHOTOGRAPH SHOT WITH ANT
THE BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN HAS A LONG LINEAGE OF WITTY LYRICALLY EMCEES. WITH THE NUMBER OF NEW RAPPERS LOOKING TO MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IT CAN BE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD. YET IN AN ERA WHERE A LOT OF ARTIST TEND TO FOLLOW THE “NEW WAVE” ONE BROOKLYN EMCEE HAS MANAGED TO GRAB THE INDUSTRY'S ATTENTION BY SHOWING GLIMPSES OF THE 90’S ERA OF HIP-HOP. YOU KNOW, BACK WHEN YOUR ABILITY TO “SPIT” COULD MAKE OR BREAK YOU AS AN ARTIST. WITH HIS HARD-HITTING LYRICS, LAID BACK FLOW AND ENERGETIC PERFORMANCES, HD HAS BEEN CALLED “THE FUTURE OF HIP-HOP” BY SOME IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. A RELATABLE VOICE TO THE YOUTH, H-D KNOWS PAIN AND STRUGGLE AND USES OVERCOMING THOSE OBSTACLES AS MOTIVATION. HE TELLS HIS STORY AND PLANS OF MAKING IT BIG WITH HIS TEAM THROUGH VERBAL ILLUSTRATION. VALIDATED RECENTLY SPOKE WITH THE EMERGING BROOKLYN EMCEE TO DISCUSS HIS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, EARLY HIP-HOP INFLUENCES, NEW MUSIC AND MORE.
“I WANT TO BE INCLUDED WITH THOSE SUCH AS MICHAEL, PRINCE, WHITNEY, STEVIE, MARVIN, JIMI, MILES ETC. THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT ON ME THAN ANYTHING. I GREW UP ON SOUL MUSIC. FOR ME ITS LARGER THAN BROOKLYN, ITS BIGGER THAN NEW YORK. WITH THAT SAID, I WANT TO GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE GREATEST THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN OR HEARD.” - H-D
VALIDATED: BORN AND RAISED IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP CULTURE?
H-D: WITNESSING MY OLDER COUSINS PARTICIPATE IN RAP CYPHERS.
VALIDATED: HIP-HOP, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?
H-D: HIP HOP TO ME MEANS A CULTURE, COLLECTIVELY.
VALIDATED: THE JAY Z COMPARISON, I’M SURE YOU’VE HEARD IT BEFORE. HOW BIG OF AN INFLUENCE HAS HIS MUSIC HAD ON YOU AS AN ARTIST?
H-D: I HAVE HEARD THE COMPARISONS, WHICH IS OK. PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINIONS, HOWEVER THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHOSE EARS ARE TRAINED A CERTAIN WAY, WHICH IS WHY THEY FACE TROUBLE DISTINGUISHING. IN REGARDS TO INFLUENCE, IT WOULDN’T MAKE SENSE FOR IT TO BE ONE PERSON. I’M A STUDENT OF THE 80’S, 90’S, 2000’S ERA OF HIP HOP. ANY MC, ARTIST, MUSICIAN THAT HAS CREATED MUSIC WITHIN THOSE ERA’S OR BEFORE, I CAN ASSURE YOU I’VE LISTENED TO. MY BIGGEST INFLUENCE ASIDE FROM THE CULTURE WOULD HAVE TO BE MY AUNT BECAUSE SHE INTRODUCED ME TO RAP, PRINCE, MICHAEL, MARVIN, JIMI, MILES, STEVIE, WHITNEY, FLEETWOOD MAC AND MANY OTHERS. I AM A STUDENT OF MUSIC.
VALIDATED: YOUR LOVE FOR MUSIC IN GENERAL, WHO WOULD YOU SAY IT COMES FROM?
H-D: MY LOVE FOR MUSIC COMES FROM THE THREE AUNTS THAT RAISED ME.
VALIDATED: THE CORNER OF PUTNAM AND DOWNING, HOW BIG OF A ROLE DID THAT BLOCK PLAY IN YOUR INTRODUCTION TO RAPPING?
H-D: THE CORNER OF PUTNAM AND DOWNING SPARKED MY CURIOSITY, PROVIDED ME WITH INSIGHT. IT GAVE ME A REASON TO SNEAK OFF THE BLOCK, TO BE APART OF SOMETHING THAT WAS OF PROMINENCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VALIDATED: AT AGE 18 YOU BEGAN TO READ AND WRITE VICIOUSLY IN ORDER TO BETTER YOUR CRAFT. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BOOKS YOU READ AND HOW DID THESE EXERCISES IMPACT YOUR WRITING?
H-D: BEFORE THE AGE OF 18 I READ VICIOUSLY. HUGE FAN OF LITERATURE, POETRY, THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. I HAVE DEEP COMPASSION FOR WORDS. WITHOUT BEING SPECIFIC, I’VE READ, AND STILL READ MANY BOOKS/PIECES BY EDGAR ALLEN POE, MAYA ANGELOU, LANGSTON HUGHES, SANDRA BROWN, JAMES PATTERSON, MONTESQUIEU, SHAKESPEARE AND MANY OTHERS. READING THESE ARCHITECTS OF LITERATURE ENHANCED MY WRITING ABILITY TREMENDOUSLY, STORY TELLING, THE ABILITY TO USE METAPHORS, EXPRESSIONS, SYMBOLISMS, SIMILES, ETC. WHAT I DO NOW IS I INCORPORATE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT WRITING STYLES AND TECHNIQUES AND FORMULATE MINE.
VALIDATED: YOUR LYRICS PAINT PICTURES OF YOUR PAST EXPERIENCES AND THE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE AROUND YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR LISTENERS TO TAKE AWAY WHEN THEY LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC?
H-D: WHEN LISTENING TO THE MUSIC, I WANT THE LISTENERS TO CONNECT WITH ME, I WANT THEM TO FEEL AS IF THEY’RE HAVING A DIRECT CONVERSATION WITH ME. IN ADDITION TO WHAT I SAY BECOMING AN ENERGETIC MOTIVATION, THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO FUNCTION AND TRAVEL THROUGH LIFE.
VALIDATED: IT’S BEEN SAID THAT YOU’RE INSPIRED BY LIFE, WHAT IS IT ABOUT LIFE THAT INSPIRES YOU?
H-D: WHAT INSPIRES ME ABOUT LIFE ARE THE COMPONENTS OF HUMAN NATURE, EMOTIONS, AND ENERGY.
VALIDATED: WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND STARTING YOUR OWN RECORD LABEL RESZ-AVORRE RCS ENTERTAINMENT?
H-D: THE MOTIVATION BEHIND STARTING RESZ-AVORRE RCS ENTERTAINMENT WAS THE MOVIE RESERVOIR DOGS. I NEVER REALLY WANTED TO START MY OWN COMPANY, IT HAPPENED NATURALLY. THROUGH RESEARCH, DISCOVERING THE REALITIES OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS, I FORWARDED MYSELF TO AVOID THE TROUBLES THAT COME ALONG WITH A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS, SO I SWITCHED THE NAME AROUND, ADDED NEW LETTERS AND THAT WAS IT. RESERVOIR HAPPENED TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES. TWO OF MY BOTHERS TROY AND ANTHONY AKA SHOTWITHANT WAS FASCINATED WITH THE TITLE, AND THE IDEAS THAT I PRESENTED AND FROM THEN ON WE TOOK IT EXTREMELY SERIOUS.
VALIDATED: YOU’VE RELEASED A FEW SINGLES INCLUDING “STREETS” AND “STILL THE SAME” WHICH RECEIVED GREAT RESPONSE, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT AN EP OR ALBUM?
H-D: DEFINITELY WANT TO ALLOW THE MUSIC TO MARINATE. THERE'S NO RUSH IN RELEASING MUSIC SO EAGERLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO A CONTRACT. THERE’S A LOT OF MUSIC CURRENTLY OUT THERE, WITH THAT SAID THE EP WON’T DROP UNTIL THANKSGIVING OF 2020. ALTHOUGH I WILL BE RELEASING A COMPILATION WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
VALIDATED: BROOKLYN HAS A LONG LINEAGE OF HIP-HOP EMCEES; BIG DADDY KANE, JAY Z, BIGGIE, BOOT CAMP CLIK, ETC, WHERE DOES H-D FIT IN AMONGST THE BROOKLYN GREATS?
H-D: WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, I WOULD HOPE THAT I AM NOT RESTRICTED TO THAT LIST. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, YES I RESPECT THEIR CRAFT, THEIR HUMANS, THEIR WISDOM WHOLEHEARTEDLY. THEY'VE PAVED THE PATH FOR GUYS SUCH AS MYSELF. BUT I WANT TO BE INCLUDED WITH THOSE SUCH AS MICHAEL, PRINCE, WHITNEY, STEVIE, MARVIN, JIMI, MILES ETC. THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT ON ME THAN ANYTHING. I GREW UP ON SOUL MUSIC. FOR ME ITS LARGER THAN BROOKLYN, IT'S BIGGER THAN NEW YORK. WITH THAT SAID, I WANT TO GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE GREATEST THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN OR HEARD.
VALIDATED: WHAT'S NEXT FOR H-D THE ARTIST?
H-D: THE NEXT MOVE WE WILL EXECUTE IS RELEASING THE VIDEO FOR A RECORD CALLED “CELEBRATE”. HOWEVER, WE DEFINITELY WANT “GHETTO SUNDAY” TO CONTINUOUSLY BUILD AND PUT UP MORE NUMBERS. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE YET TO HEAR AND SEE THE FOOTAGE. SO AS OF NOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUT HEAVY MARKETING BEHIND IT. THE VIDEO IS ONLY A MONTH OLD, STILL AT ITS INFANT STAGES. THE VIDEO FOR “CELEBRATE” PROBABLY WON’T RELEASE UNTIL NEXT SPRING. “GHETTO SUNDAY” IS OUR MAIN FOCUS, FOR NOW. WERE STILL BUILDING A FAN BASE, WHICH IS MOST ESSENTIAL.
VALIDATED: WHAT'S YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS AND WEBSITE?
H-D: INSTAGRAM - @HD_94Z
TWITTER - @HD_94Z
FACEBOOK - @HD94Z