Ma*jid – Q&A Interview
Where are you from? How did you come up with your stage name?
I was born in the Bronx and lived there until the age of five, then my family moved to Lakeview, Long Island. I lived there until I graduated college. My stage name is my birth name, given to me by my parents; Majid Khaliq.
How important is a quality education, being that you graduated with a couple of music degrees from prestigious schools, how have you been able to utilize your schooling in the real world?
I’m a violinist, composer and arranger, therefore education continues to be essential to gain and polish the necessary skills to fulfill my many responsibilities as a musician on the New York scene.
Congrats on the success of your latest project, “Sfumato Symphony Volume 2”. Feel free to breakdown the creative process of the project. (feature, production, etc). Where can people find the project?
The theme of my second mixtape was “covers”. I listened to various songs on the radio and wanted to paint a musical picture of those tunes in the way that I heard them. Some of the songs that I picked creatively developed in a very straight forward way in terms of my interpretation of them. And other versions of the songs grew in such an original way, that I named them as original songs. Every song that was chosen for the SSVL2 had a very strong emotional quality to them. The songs, after listening to the mixtape, will leave you no choice but to think more deeply about your own feelings.
SSVL2:VIOLET can be found at
https://soundcloud.com/ma-jid-2/sets/sfumato-symphony-volume-2-violet-majid
Will you be launching any new Music Videos in 2016? And if so off of what project(s).
Yes, in 2016, I am looking to film and put out at least 3 videos from 3 different projects. I am looking to put out one more video from SSVL2. We will possibly put out either “The Worst” feat. Felicia Temple or “Crown Me” feat. JaPoet. From my upcoming 2nd studio album, Sound of a Flower, I will be releasing “Be What You Want” feat. Mr. Cheeks, Craig G & Squala Orphan and we will release “Sound of a Flower.”
What advice would you give a 12 yr old kid who wants to be a quality musician like yourself?
If I have one piece of advice to a young person who wished to follow a musical path, it would be that dedication is the single most important quality to cultivate in pursuing any dream. Dedication will be the deciding factor in any meaningful success story.
How does social media playing a role in promoting your music? How are fans / supporters helping the movement?
Social Media and live performances have been the primary source of P.R. I have used to alert the public about things I am doing. It is free to put things up on Instagram or Facebook, which means as long as I possess the drive to create and push my music, the world can listen and enjoy it. I have very dedicated team at Green Sofa Music as well as fans that also help to spread the word about any and everything that I am doing. Shout out to my family at Green Sofa! And thank you to all my fans for your dedication!!
Our most important question: what’s your definition of “underground hip hop”?
Underground Hip-Hop means music, art, fashion, vibe and culture with a pure message that has been crafted for the people. Musically, I would like to thank the people supporting underground hip-hop and the Underground Hip-Hop Blog.com for standing by the freedom of expression that exists at the heart of hip-hop.
Where can people find you online? Any links?
I can be found at
Facebook.com/majidkhaliqmusic
IG@majid_khaliq
www.majidkhaliq.com
www.greensofamusic.com
Lastly, and shout out?
Shouts Out to Kas Close of Green Sofa Music (Co-Executive Producer and President of Green Sofa Music). Artist Felicia Temple, JaPoet, Eric J.B., Cathy Lubin & Carolyn Daley.
My Band: Conun Papas (Keys), Rafal Sarnecki (Guitar), Alex “Busby” Smith (Bass) & Malik Washington (Drums).
Love and Peace to my Family, Friends and Fans! Thank you for your support!
