1.How long have you been;
Answer All That Applies To You
(A)Writing
(B)Recording
(C)Performing
(D)Producing
I’ve been perfoming for almost as long as I can remember. My family is Catholic on both sides so on holidays there was always a vast array of siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles and other such extended family members on hand to be a de facto audience. I started writing my own material and performing in the more formal sense in 1997 when I joined a band in high school. We were called Pure Irate Souls and we had a Rage Against The Machine meets The Roots thing going on. That was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina so the opportunities were limited but we made the most of of it and I caught the bug. I haven’t looked back since. Pure Irate Souls did some primitive recording but my first experience really recording came shortly after I moved to Atlanta in 2000 and started my hiphop group, Street Temple Emcees.
2.What/Who/Where influenced you to take music as serious as you do and do you see it as a profession?
I definitely view music as a profession. The money isn’t always there but the professional approach to it remains steadfast. My dad put me on to Bob Dylan as a kid and I’d say that planted the seed. I mean it’s commonly acknowledged that Dylan couldn’t sing a lick and was a marginally talented guitar player yet is considered one of the most important artists of his time. That notion of message over medium carried with me until I got to Atlanta. Once I was there and got to experience what it was like to have a vibrant music scene at my finger tips I knew that music had chosen me.
3.Describe your style of music
Hiphop with a heart of gold… rap for rockers… Fugazi with a sneaker habit… Honestly, I’ve always just considered myself a rapper, more accurately a songwriter that chose rap music as a platform. I also place more value in the overall statement of the music than anything else. I wouldn’t call my music political but I would say that the existence of my music is a political statement. I take a great deal of pride knowing that I’ve given away more in this music thing than I’ve ever sold and I think that translates into the songs I make.
4.Where are you originally from, and where do you live now?
I was born in a little town called Grantsville in West Virginia, I’ve lived in Charleston WV, Myrtle Beach SC, Atlanta GA, and currently reside in Charlotte NC
5.Give us a little background on your musical accomplishments and pinpoint the most rewarding of those.
Artisticly, my last album “Few Against Many” is my crowning achievement. I’ll probably say that about my next album too. In fact when I stop saying that about my most recent project is when it’s time to stop and switch to country– then I can REALLY get paid. My fondest music related memory is a show I did in 2009 in Burlington Vermont. I was on tour with Akil The MC of Jurassic 5, compliments of my homie Quanstar, and that night we were opening for Immortal Technique. I was the very first act to go on and the place (Higher Ground Ballroom) was packed. There were a bunch of artists on the bill so I played a short set but as soon as I got off people started approaching me and telling me how much they liked my set. I left a bunch of CDs at the merch table and was carrying a bunch on me. It took a solid 30 minutes to make the 200 yard trip to the merch table and by the time I got there I had sold all the CDs I was carrying and the merch table was sold out. That night erased any doubt I may have had about my destiny in this music thing.
6.What is the meaning behind your stage name?
Stoner talk. When I came up with it me and the crew had been smoking a lot of Afghani. One day I was scribbling in a notebook and dropped the “Af.” I liked the way the letters looked so I adopted it as my grafitti name. Later on I added the “Gautama” because that is the surname of the historical Buddah. The name ended up sticking, I always thought rapper stage names were kind of rediculous so I figured “Ghani Gautama” couldn’t be any worse. As I matured the name adopted a more substantial meaning. The figure of Buddah is monumentally influential. Some scholars believe that Buddist monks traveled as far west as Ireland where they became the Druids. Ghani is also a West African surname and in the dark ages Ireland was the only country North of Spain to have constant contact with West Africa so Ghani Gautama is a not so obvious nod to my Irish roots. Plus Ian James Currie (my gov’t name) just doesn’t sound like a rapper.
7.Who do you work with and who do you look forward to working with in the future?
I’m in a group now called United Underworld which includes Quanstar, Evaready RAW, Metrognome and myself. All three of those guys played important roles in my career. I’ve played a bunch of shows with a dude named Tommy Lee Soul out of Atlanta. Rounding out the list would be DLabrie out of Oakland and Akil The MC who I’d love to get on a track in the near future.
8.In your opinion, talk a little bit about the current state of the North Carolina Independent music scene.
I’m still new to the area so I am by no means an expert but I will say that I’m impressed by what I’ve seen so far. Coming from a city like Atlanta it’s easy to get jaded about independent music. I mean I remember doing shows there where I was begging the venue for months to get a weekend show. Finally they give it to me and there are four other local hiphop shows and two national hiphop shows happening on the same night. That has advantages but it can also causes artists to become either cynical or lazy. Cynical because they feel like no matter what there’s always going to be too much competition so they feel like they will never get the props they deserve or lazy because there is always something going on so there is no reason to expand their horizons and really try to make an impact. Here in North Carolina artists have to fight a lot harder to make a dent and because of that artists are more willing to help one another. This is by no means a slight on Atlanta, I love Atlanta, there are so many talented artists there. The difference is that in Atlanta the primary challenges facing an independent artist are more financial and political where in North Carolina the primary challenges are making good music and drumming up support. North Carolina also has a lot of home grown talent so there is an unique flavor to it that I’ve not seen anywhere else.
9.What are your upcoming projects/shows and is there anyone you would like to shout out?
I’m currently working on three EPs that I’m dropping digitaly and as phone apps this year the first one’s coming in May called “Strong Medicine” after that it’s “Wounded Knee” then “The Earth Shall Weep” as far as shows I’m playing at The Money in Rock Hill SC on March 9th, East Side Lounge in Atlanta on March 15 and they just keep coming after that. Shout to my United Underworld crew: Quanstar, Evaready RAW, and Metrognome… also iLL Tactics and Ignite & Imagery from Raleigh and my fellow Crown Towners N.O.R.T.H. Coalition… google all those artists to get the full picture.
10.Who are your top five emcees, dead or alive, independent or in the industry?
I’ve been waiting for this question… here goes, no particular order:
GZA- All I can say is listen to “Liquid Swords”
Tupac- I used to say he was overrated but the level of emotion and conviction in his material turned out to be timeless, plus one can’t over look his impact on the community, there are youth centers with fulltime staff all paid for by donations to his foundation- THAT’S gangsta
Del The Funkee Homosapien- Under the radar game changer, all the weirdo, off kilter, “Nerd” rap of the 2000′s wouldn’t exisit without him plus he made all that shit look cool… really who’s going to front on Ice Cube’s cousin
Black Thought- the games most underrated, beyond being a rapper, he is the front man of a rockin band, plus The Roots have like 10 albums, 5 times more that most rappers… to really know Thought’s skill go on youtube and look up “DJ Krush Black Thought” and then go to college
Andre 3000/Bun B- had to throw these two in together for the simple fact that the entire “dirty south” flow came directly from these two. They both have extensive catalogs but to really see them shine check Andre’s verse on “Walk It Out” or Bun B’s on “Choose Your Side” by La Coka Nostra
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