Q&A Interview With Justin Giants

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

Justin Giants: My name is Justin Giants, I’m 20 years old, I’m from Houston, Texas, I am an artist and producer, and I’m a member of Husk Members. I’ve been making music since 2012.

What influences you in making Hip Hop?

JG: I have a lot of influences. I don’t have any real, direct influences because I listen to everything but I really love Paramore they’re one of my favorite bands ever, Queens of The Stone Age blows me away, Bjork, Elvis Presely, and so many others I can’t remember to say. Probably my favorite producer is Damon Albarn, like I’m really into the Gorillaz they’re like one of the best bands ever if you consider them a band but definitely top 3 if not #1 in my book. I get inspiration from books I read, romance, fantasy, and mystery novels. I mean I get tons of inspiration, I could go to an art show, or a museum, and see something that gives me ideas, and makes me want to write or produce.

JG: As far as hip hop goes I fucking hate saying my influences because I don’t have a ton, because I don’t really like listening to a lot of rap music because I hate to sound like one of those guys that shit on rap all the time, but its true much of it today sound like shit. And there’s still some great rappers I really love, but then again I don’t even have a lot of old influence’s like I started listening to rap on my own like mid 2000’s, and grew up listening to punk rock, pop, and R&B.  Then whenever you do give some fucking influences people always want to compare you and say “oh you didn’t come up with that, you got that from..” you know? That’s the most irritating shit, it’s like they take credit away from your work and make it seem like its not genuine, especially from a guy like me who produces, writes, and structures his own songs from scratch, like that’s my shit, I created that.

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

JG: My music is..,I don’t knw, it’s like I pride myself on versatility, like never expect me to do the same thing ever. But the biggest goal, the greatest ability I, or any other artist could have is to take whatever is in their head and be able to bring it into existence. To take whatever is in your head, and translate it into whatever craft that artist may have whether it be writing, sound, painting, whatever, and have it existing in the physical world exactly how you pictured it. That is the ultimate goal.

Like someone may say my music is “different”, or you might ask an artist what was their goal for this album, and they might say, “Well I wanted to try and be different on this..”, and it comes out as just some wacky sounds that have no cohesiveness. That is the most over used annoying word ever is “different”, I can’t stand it you know? The oh, “I’m gonna be different by purposely going into area’s I don’t really like myself just for the sake of being different” instead of this is different because this is another area of my personal tastes. They make it seem like it’s something to achieve, when in reality you already are different, or you’re just not being yourself. Me I don’t try and be “different”, I know I’m already unique as a person, and by being my natural self, I let my uniqueness stand out, and that’s why you hear it in my music. That’s how you let your personality, likes, and, dislikes that naturally change over time resonate through your art, and music, and organically it will stand out on its own as branch of you. Why are you trying to be different, your already your own person? Or maybe you just need to find yourself, or stop trying to be like everyone else. You know?

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

JG: Only person I’ve collaborated with is the other member of Husk Members, Briddicks. That’s it. I haven’t worked with anybody locally because not many of them mesh well with us, and most of them that we encounter aren’t as serious as we are or they’re trying to do something that’s just not something I’d wanna be a part of and just want someone to throw them beats. Not that I’m unimpressionable but I’m from Houston so it’s rough trying to find someone who isn’t still on that lean sipping, swanging bullshit, or isn’t trying to do trap music, or just isn’t into the typical Houston coming down, riding round, drippin, sippin, blehh.

If it wasn’t for that I’m sure it would be easier to find more people to work, and connect with. Not that I’m dissing or didn’t grow up listening to that too but that shit is not me, and it’s not something I’m even trying to be a part of or immolate but Houston people are so boxed up in that shit. I’m not even going keep talking about it because it’s so annoying, I don’t want to seem like a asshole, and I don’t even want my name sucked into traditional Houston shit. Fuck, I wish I could sing better or join a band..

Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?

JG: Rappers that aren’t know on a mass scale. Simple, and the truth. All that real rap convo bullshit I’m not even going to get into.

Production wise, who are your influences? Who does your production?

JG: My favorite producer is probably Damon Albarn. I’m in love with the Gorillaz, like I’m crazy about their music. Demon Days is like my favorite album by them. I remember hearing it when I was in middle school and just falling in love with it. I’m influenced by movie composers, and video game composers too. Like, Sims 3 had some awesome music on it by Steve Jablonsky, Skyrim’s production was crazy, oh and Deborah Lurie’s score for Safe Haven is insane. Composers, and producers that really create an environment alone. There’s a lot of Asian composer’s, and producers who’s names I don’t know how to say that make stuff for anime shows, and games too but, I don’t know how to say them.

I do all my own production. Everything on “Ated & Ized” was produced by me. I also did our earliest work on “Bizarre State”. Briddicks produces too and in the future you’ll probably here me on his tracks also but other than that, all of my tracks have been produced by me.

And who would you like to work with?

JG: Everyone I would want to collab with either doesn’t know me, or is too huge to care so why even bother naming them haha. I know that sounds fucked up but it’s true. I mean I’m itching to work with some pop stars, and singers. I’m not really into just giving away beats to any and everyone because I’m huge on integrity, and I refuse for my work to be used as a throw away, have no artistic goal, or not be given its due diligence as a serious artist would. I’m more of a lets work on a whole project, sit and work on a few songs, work on a song, or partner and co produce with Briddicks instead of just handing out tracks and hoping for the best. And I know that’s the model for up and coming producers now is to just get their stuff out as fast & quick as possible but only way, I’d just send a beat is if I know you’re serious about your music, and have goals. So I know there’s people who do its just finding them. I really would love to work with other people though, all genre’s because I’m an innovator and just a fan of music. I love creating with people.

Any current or future projects you are promoting?

JG: Just “Ated & Ized”, I’ll be doing that and letting it soak in and give people a chance to digest it before I put out anything else. I wanna do another video sometime because I didn’t get a chance to do a formal one for Draft 8 because I’m in fucking college and so damn busy but I’ll put out another one sometime, hopefully. God I hate college. But there’s not a time where I’m not working on something because I’m such a producer so chances are I’m always stacked but “Ated & Ized” is what’s relevant and people are enjoying that now.

Can you give us a brief description of the creative process of Ated & Ized? Also/ tell us a little bit about the concept and idea behind your Album Cover Art.

JG: Well, Ated & Ized wasn’t even supposed to come out. Back in I think 2013 I was supposed to release an album called “Awkward”, but the hardrive it was on broke and I lost all of my album along with everything else I was working on. I know right fuck my life. So after scrambling to see if I could get it fixed I saw that just to get it fixed it cost 5 times the fucking cost of the hardive and this was a good drive, but it was just too expensive. I would have paid the money but it would have been with the money I was gonna use to mix, master, and record. So basically I just took a hit, and went into deep depression haha since I was already in college, and I had to start over.

Try and make a long story short, I tried recreating everything I had on “Awkward”, and it just wasn’t the same, so I scrapped the album, and still to this day it is stuck on that damn hardrive. “Ated & Ized” was what I started making after scrapping and trying to recreate Awkward, and it really formed itself into its own thing, and at that time it was so much more relevant of my mind state then Awkward because all that time had passed.

But I started making Ated & Ized 2 years ago. It’s an album that was complete about a year ago, I’ve been having it for a while but it’s an album from a kid who just became an adult and being slapped in the face by the world. Much of it was written while I was away in a college I won’t say, in this prison ass dorm with brick walls. It was Hell. I almost have to keep a journal to remember what these projects I have sitting are about but Ated and Ized are both suffixes. As you listen to the album you can basically fill in, and make up whatever two words you want that describes the theme’s you got from the album.

Yes, I have two words that I have that make up Ated and Ized but I won’t say them. With this album I wanted to really allow the listener to be a part of and included more intimately with the album. On the intro it’s basically an interview with chopped up statements and answers that all coincide with the album, and when you listen to the words I’m speaking throughout the album it all makes since. It’s real cohesive with the production I chose too, it complements the lyrics and the bits of dissonance, and the way the lyrics are written. There’s a lot of destructive, relationship, and conflict themes that all tell a story, have meaning, and paint vivid pictures.

The album cover is something I made myself also. I make all of the flyers, and artwork we have out, and create different things I think are cool for the tumblr. The cover for Ated & Ized just felt right. When I listen to Ated & Ized so many things appear in my head that relate to that cover. Like silver, you get silver medals for second place, Ated & Ized was the second album I planned to release after “Awkward”. Silver is the color of duct tape, and I touch bases on duct tape a bit in the album. There’s other things that are just too personal but those are just a few things, but its real nostalgic, and if you listen to the album you’ll get it.

Where can we find your music and info?

JG: Right now you can get all our stuff at huskmembers.tumblr.com. That’s where all our other social networks are linked to, and music, and that’s where you’ll see our releases, and any new updates, photos or info. Our contact info is on our soundcloud, so go there if you have any serious stuff you wanna inquire about. If you wanna follow me on twitter its @giantdays.

Any shout outs?

JG: No shout outs. Everybody I care about I can just call and say wassup. Matter of fact shout out to the fans that make our stuff know, and the people that repost our stuff, spread it, and tell their friends. Other than that, everybody that knows, know.