HMAK – Q&A Interview

Tell us a little about yourself. Where you are from? How long have you been making Hip Hop?

I am an unsigned recording artist and music producer from Olney in Montgomery County, Maryland. I’ve been rapping since I was a kid, but I’ve been releasing my music independently since 2006.

What influences you in making Hip Hop?

I grew up on music of the 90’s and 2000s so I pull inspiration from everything ranging from that smooth Jodeci or Groove Theory sound to that hard, almost abrasive T.I. or Kanye vibe. I have an appreciation for the whole spectrum when it comes to Hip-Hop and R&B so I do my best to incorporate all of the classic elements of these genres while throwing in my own twist. I also like listening to music from the 70s and 80s because of the way those eras have shaped the sound of music today. I try to learn and absorb as much as I can to evolve my own sound.

Describe your music, and what separates you from other MCs?

My music is definitely its own, I try to make sure it has a little something for everybody. I might be rapping my ass off one second and the beat will switch up and I’ll start singing. I make my own beats, write my own lyrics, and perform my own material so I aim to stay as versatile as possible to make for an interesting while still cohesive record. When you stream my mixtape, all you should have to do is press play and listen. As an MC, it’s my job to make sure that what you hear after you press play tells you a story and captivates your attention from track one to the very end. I distinguish myself from other artists by producing music of a higher entertainment value for the listener, while still expressing myself through my art.

Who have you collaborated with? Who would you like to collab with in the near future?

I’ve been lucky enough to work with several local folks over the past few years but just recently I collaborated on a record with my good friend Cynical Minded for his album, “The Lone Wolf Project”. He sent me the beat, I vibed with it off break and the next thing I knew I was in the studio laying down the hook. CM’s and incredibly talented artist with a great team backing him so there was a strong sense family in the studio for the whole process, it was really a great experience. As for the future, I’ve been doing a lot of work with Goldie The Natural and the artists within his network Presidential Everything so keep a lookout for that.

Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?

Underground Hip Hop is a movement of music that is purely driven by passion and dedication to hip-hop. The best of it isn’t on the radio so you’ve got to dig for it, hence “underground”. A lot of times, these artists and producers aren’t getting paid, they just do it because they love it. The movement grows every time a kid is inspired by a good record and it’s kept going by folks who have been listening to and creating this music their whole life. It’s a chance for that kid in the basement to have the better record than a mainstream artist without the numbers getting involved. That’s what Underground Hip Hop is to me.

Production wise, who are your influences? Who does your production, and who would you like to work with?

My biggest production influences are definitely Timbaland, DJ Toomp, Pharrell, Premo, Kanye and of course No I.D. I grew up meticulously studying their sound and as I came to understand it, I started to bring my own ideas to it. Even to this day I’ll hear something I like and say “Okay how can I make this better?” or “How can I evolve this?”. These producers always have and continue to inspire me so I would love to work with any of them to build on the foundation they’ve laid for up and comers like myself. Up until last year I did all my own production, but then Stanky Man (the keyboard player for my reggae band) said he wanted to get back into making beats. We sat down with the MacBook, opened up Logic and we haven’t closed it since. He’s produced a good 50% of the my new album with me and it’s sounding great.

Any current or future projects you are promoting?

I’m actually involved in quite a few projects right now, but the biggest priority for me is my new collaborative album with Witty and Stanky Man called “Good Verses Evil”. It’s a follow up to my first mixtape “Good Company” which was released in February of 2013, but it’s sound is very different. I’m also working on an self titled EP with my reggae band Irie Intentions. Both are due to be released by the end of 2014 so make sure to look for that.

Can you give us a brief description of the creative process of The “116 Mixtape″? Also/ what was the idea or concept description about your Album Art Cover.

“116” was conceived in the basement of a pizza restaurant immediately following the production wrap for “Good Company”. The title is derived from my birthday, November 6th. There were many changes made during the process ranging from the track listing to the title itself. I believe when we started we were aiming for fifteen songs, but we cut it to six so the record would tell more of my story. I designed the album artwork to be simple with just my face, a link, and the title so even if someone just glanced at it they’d have all the information they needed. A lot of people had no idea what I look like, which is one of the reasons I wanted my face on the front.

Where can we find your music and info?

You can find me at www.soundcloud.com/hmakmusic and you can like “HMAK” on Facebook.

All the music that’s currently available is on sound cloud for free. “Good Verses Evil” will be free to stream on sound cloud but you’ll have to buy it through iTunes or Amazon to download. Hit me up on Facebook though, maybe I’ll send out a few bootlegs.

Any shout outs?

Shout out to my right hand man K-Witty and my ambidextrous man Stanky. My girl and my number one fan, Tess. Of course a big S/O to my parents and anybody who’s ever listened to me or believed in my music, I won’t let you down. And of course much love and thank you to UGHHB for having me on their site, I’m definitely a fan.