LightBulbHead – Q&A Interview

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

I am from East Africa, more specifically Ethiopia. I am an artist in the strongest sense. I have been writing raps since 10th grade but I haven’t made music until senior year after I linked up with some cool people. That’s going on 8 years now.

What influences you in making Hip Hop?

I am influenced by honest expression. The kind where people bare their souls. At my yearly years Eminem’s raw delivery propelled me into the art. As of late I am influenced by Fort Minor and Will Smith.

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

Abstraction and conceptual thinking is my strongest traits as an artist. I try to think outside the box but it’s hard when you’re dealing with 16 bars of content. My song “I Am Not A Rapper I Am A Thinker” is what my sound is all about. I don’t rap about what the common rapper raps about. That right there separates me from other MC’s today.

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

I have collaborated with local artist from Upper Darby and Philadelphia. To mention a few there was Kirk B., Nice Barz, Kreedos, Mantra, Yogi B, and Stacks Amillion. Frost Giacomo is one in particular. He’s a dope producer from Upper Darby. He’s the one who’s really responsible for my career in Hip Hop. In the near future I hope to work with artist similar to Fort Minor and K’naan.

Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?

Underground Hip Hop is where mainstream Hip Hop takes its first steps. It’s a raw and rough battle ground with untapped potential. I believe the underground influences everything the mainstream does without ever getting credit for it.

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

As I’ve mentioned several times Fort Minor, mainly Mike Shinoda, influences me heavily. One day I will work with him. Until then I have a lot to prove. My producer is Frost Giacomo, but for “Apologue of the Shine” I’ve used unknown up and coming producers like Beat Basement and Sinima Beats. If I am ever blessed enough to maintain this career as a Hip Hop artist I wouldn’t mind hopping on some of 40 Shebib ‘s production along with Timbaland’s.

Any current or future projects you are promoting?

I’ve just completed writing a 10 track mixtape dubbed “All That Jazz” It’s evolutionary departure from “Apologue of the Shine”. Like the title implies there will be jazzy elements to the beats and my lyrical style as a whole. The song that spear heads the tape is called “La Manzana”. It’s a poetic conceptual piece about making do with your situation.

Can you give us a brief description of the creative process of your latest Mixtape “Apologue of the Shine”? Also/ what was the idea or concept description about your Album Art Cover.

I started writing “Apologue of the Shine” when I became depressed. I broke up with a girl I was seeing at the time. My day job wasn’t fulfilling, my parents were disappointed in me, and I was self medicating to an extreme. During those moments I had mental talks with myself about my future as an artist and what it meant. I doubted my abilities to deliver anything creative. As a challenge to myself I ended up producing something I could be proud of. There are moments on the tape where I am brutally honest. Hearing them in retrospect it’s all a little embarrassing. I know now that what I was going through then was just a passing phase. But luckily I recorded and expressed those things.

The cover has the character LightBulbHead sitting on the edge of a floating island. On the island there are moths attracted to the shine, and a tree with musical notes hanging from it. The cover represents my fringe state; the self-imposed loneliness I had felt at the time of the tapes conception. When I wasn’t working I would lock myself in my room and write. Most of which were horrible lyrics sprinkled with some gems. From that mind-state apologue is a story with me as the main character expressing a morality tale of vices, disappointments, and brief joys. The shine is the inherent gifts we are given at birth. Things we do or say that make us all unique. That is what Apologue of the Shine represents.

Where can we find your music and info?

You can find me on Youtube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Twitter, and Reverbnation. Just search LightBulbHead and you’ll find me.

Any shout outs?

Shout out to all the producers used on the tape who shall remain nameless. Thank you for creating such beautiful soundscapes.
Also I want to express my deepest gratitude to Frost Giacomo and Nice Barz for helping record the tape. They were pivotal to the records creation.

Peace and love to all.