Kublakai – Q&A Interview

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

My name is Kublakai but most people who know me through the music call me Kubi (coo-bee). Shouts to the homie Sol(zilla) for giving me that nickname back in the day. He enjoys reminding me of this fact. I’m a rapper, writer all around creative that has been doing this off and on for kind of a while. I’m from Seattle, Wa. I’ve been making hip hop and performing in a “professional” way since about ’07 but I started writing and such way before then. Like many, when I was 12 or 13.

What influences you in making Hip Hop?

A lot of influences. I’m probably most inspired to write when I hear other great hip hop – Kendrick is just the pinnacle, he’s super inspiring right now. I listen to a lot of J Cole, Black Milk, Run the Jewelz these days. Homeboy Sandman is ridiculous. Aesop Rock is maybe my favorite MC. Whenever I am in a rut and need inspiration, I listen to old school Ice-T though. OG.

But to make music, like to make complete songs that I think will be great music and not just some dope bars and a catchy hook… It’s definitely jazz music. Especially singers – Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole. I like Motown a lot. I love horns. Thats obvious if you listen to my music. I even catch a lot of flack from the inner circle for constantly wanting to add horns to every song but it’s just in my heart man.

I just love hip hop. I love how it sounds, I love what it stands for and the feeling you get when you hear that new and it’s just so good. I think it’s the most important musical medium there is (yes, really) and that continues to inspire me to keep making it.

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

My music is a blend of my upbringing – part Seattle only child, part neglected and broken-hearted teenager, part struggle, part hip hop junkie, part intellectual, part touring musician, part world traveler, part son of a Jazz musician and Jazz radio DJ. I believe in being true to who you are and I am always changing so the music is always changing and evolving but there is definitely a distinct Kubi sound. I think what separates me is that I am unafraid of being who I am even if it’s “uncool”. I hear this line a lot, “If you just did ____, you would probably pop off.” Maybe, but first of all, I would probably hate myself for doing it and 2. Theres no guarantees that is true. There are a million rappers who can rhyme words and make some catchy shit but I always have been, and will always be, honest. I truly don’t think there are many in rap that can say that.

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

I have been lucky enough to collaborate with a ton of really great hip hop artists and MCs and musicians. The notables are Geo (of Blue Scholars), Sol, Gift of Gab (from Blackalicious), Mac Lethal, Pigeon John, POS, JFK (of Grayskul), Grieves, Sapient and more. Just reading that list back makes me do a double take. Seriously. Crazy.

I would really like to get Brother Ali on a track. He was a huge early influence and continues to be. He was also the first person I was ever compared to in a review which I thought was a great compliment. I look up to how he presents himself. I even met him once and even though I was absolutely on-one, he was extremely nice to me.

I’d love to do something with Black Milk. I think he’s underrated and underappreciated in the hip hop scene.

And Aesop Rock. Our styles are not even remotely similar (is anyone’s though) but he’s just unbelievable at rapping, I love his music. Doing something with Aes would be crazy. I could probably put down the mic if that happened…. Well, maybe not but it would be dope.

Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?

Dope, but unknown by the masses – Maybe? I’m not sure if there is an “underground” anymore. The “Underground” tag use to command so much more respect. Now, hip hop is so over saturated and 99.9% of hip hop is unknown cats struggle rapping in their basement to other people’s beat and it’s just absolute trash. If you call that underground, no one is gonna wanna be a part of it. So damn near everyone is “underground.” I guess I’m underground but I consider myself more independent than underground. Maybe the key part is that it has to be dope to be underground. People in the scene know who I am for the most part, my career just never popped off. I don’t know. Thats a hard one to answer. But when people call me underground, I do take it as a compliment.

I wrote way too much for this answer. I obviously have no idea. hahaha.

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

You know this is crazy but I honestly don’t check for producers or producer credits anymore. I used to… Like obsessively. Now, I more listen to albums and rappers beat choices. Kendrick’s beat choices are amazing. J Coles new beat choices are fantastic. Again though, I been listening to a lot of Black Milk and I love his production. Krit is also dope. El P is murderous on the RTJ stuff. And really recently I have been listening to a lot of Sapient and his production is seriously some of the best shit I have ever heard. He can do it all and it’s always crazy. We just started working on some stuff together. Pretty excited about it.

In the past, my production has been done by a variety of producers. Now though, I am pretty much working strictly with about 3 different people. Together with Nima Skeemz, we have been making beats basically from scratch. We just finished recording about 6 new tracks where we built the beat from nothing or replayed the sample and built around it. I am enjoying this process far more than any other process before. It’s way more creative and fun. The end result is sounding better too.

The other is my guy Marcus Wheat from Texas. He makes Jazz influenced, soulful, funky beats that are right in my wheel house. He’s super young too. I have no doubt that someone is going to “discover” him and he’ll be famous here pretty soon. Hopefully I get a bunch of music out of him before he “makes it”. He also plays the trumpet on a lot of my joints and is a great piano player too.

And then Sape, who is such a genius that I say, “I’m looking for this type of beat” he then says, “Okay, I got you…” and then sends me something it is basically exactly what I want. It’s truly incredible.

Any current or future projects you are promoting?

The project right now is called Wheels Up. A little EP that I put out this month (February). I’m really happy with how it turned out. It feels like a new beginning in the Kublakai career. My old stuff was tinged with a lot of aggression, a lot of “I have to prove myself’ type of bars and shit. That raw, you can’t fuck with me type stuff, which I love, dont get me wrong, but this new EP is much more mellow, more musical. More who I am these days. I’m proud of this record. It’s on iTunes, bandcamp (for free!), soundcloud, etc.

I started working on the next project over the last month but I’m gonna keep it to myself before it is actually a “thing”. But so far, it’s the most fun Ive had making music and definitely the most creative project Ive ever made. Long way to go though.

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

I set out to make Wheels Up with the intention that this was going to be the last project I ever made. I had all this crazy personal stuff that I was putting to rest and I kind of felt like it was time to put the music to rest as well. So I just wanted to make something for me. Something to say good-bye. Something I could hang my hat on and say, fuck everything else, I made that for me and it was dope. Originally, it had a different title and in the 11th hour, I was titling one of the tracks Wheels Up and realized that was the best name for it. I was also on break from school (I’m finishing my degree at UW) and went on a small tour with my homie David Dalla G and then flew to Europe right afterwards. I took a whole bunch of pictures. The album cover is from the flight home from Europe somewhere over Germany or France probably. The clouds were crazy. The trip was incredible. It just felt right. I like it because it all just kind of came together and worked well.

Where can we find your music and info?

iTunes (of course).
All my music is free on Bandcamp if you broke. (No judgement)
Soundcloud (just started this one – way late, I know)

Any shout outs?
Shout to you guys for repping me. Much Appreciated.
Isaak at Undercaste Studios for being the homie from day one of the rap career.
And my dude David Dalla G for being the super homie this last year and letting me impart all my rap wisdom on him regardless if he wants it or not – everyone should go donate to his KickStarter and see him on Tour this April.