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"I’m a classic rock kid that fell in love with Hip-Hop."
There was a time that
Jared Evan was considered a high priority artist by
Jimmy Iovine, signed to
Interscope Records via
Polow Da Don’s
Zone 4 imprint in 2009. After a mountain of money was poured into his development, some moderate success, a mixtape, a couple of singles and a few high profile tours later, label restrictions on his creativity choked the the singer, songwriter, rapper and producer and Evan departed the majors for a dose of fresh air and the chance to do things independently.
Finding himself during this time, he seems to have now unlocked his true musical potential. Moving more away from the rap pretty boy image Interscope tried to market him with, Evan’s recent material boasts copious amounts of heart, soul and a dash of rock - with love for bands such as the
Beatles and
Led Zeppelin - plus a generous helping of Hip-Hop.
Sitting down with
SoulCulture, Jared Evan talks industry politics, musical growth and the creative process behind his recent collaborative effort with
Statik Selektah,
Boom Bap & Blues [
read our review here]. The indie grind isn’t an easy one but, with hard work and determination, resetting the career clock isn’t always a bad move - or so Jared tells us...
Three years and five mixtapes into his career, Wale's debut album, Attention Deficit isn't offered as an introduction to Olubowale 'Wale' Folarin – instead, it seems to be announcing that he's always been here and you've only just caught up.
Named one of XXL Magazine's Hip Hop Freshmen of '09, Wale's over-confidence in his position as a leader in contemporary Hip Hop's new movement isn't baseless. “I asked Mr West for a little bit of help...” Wale raps on the energetic opening track, “Triumph”. Of course, Kanye West isn't the only musical powerhouse behind Wale; he is in company with Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams and label-boss Mark Ronson. However, on “Triumph” and closing cut “Prescription,” Wale seeks respect from his audience based off of his own merit.