From the cover design by Nick Danny Fulcher to the actual music on Early Certainty 1.7, Willie Waze continues his talented and musically entertaining journey with this solid video game influenced Hip-Hop release. When I first heard of the Virginia native, it was off his previous mixtape Early Certainty he dropped last year. This new mixtape is pretty much a great appetizer to hold you off until he releases version 2. It's like he started right where he left off on this new 13 track venture giving his listeners an insight into part of his life and delivers his messages throughout the mixtape with morally inspiring flows that not many unsigned artists folks choose to spit. I dig an emcee that can aspire to be successful while maintaining both feet on the ground. He just lets the music speak for itself with honesty and creativity as he does on Early Certainty 1.7. I reached out to Willie Waze and posed a few questions about his project to get an inside feel into his outlook about it. Peep it and don't forget to grab the mixtape!!!
Read more after the jump.
Tell me about your new mixtape coming out.
My new mixtape "Early Certainty 1.7" is a "intermission" mixtape between Early Certainty and Early Certainty 2. My Early Certainty mixtape series is a series that spawned in my head that is a way for me to document my incarnation as an MC. I'm only 20 and I want to make sure every step that I take has a tape dedicated to that particular era. Another unique component of the Early Certainty mixtapes is that they only have one producer's beats. That is my way of better conveying a cohesive sound and style for that particular tape. Early Certainty had all Bronze Nazereth beats. EC 1.7 has all Samiyam beats.
The reason I chose the number 1.7 instead of 1.5 or something lower than that is because I feel like the sound of this tape will be closer to EC 2 which will be comprised of all Flying Lotus beats. Those who know about Flying Lotus should also know about Samiyam. In some instances they have a similar style, but Samiyam is more of a "glitch-hop" type of cat. Glitch Hop isn't a brand new genre, but it hasn't became an underground household name just yet.
How would you describe Early Certainty 1.7?
My new mixtape is strictly glitch-hop mixed with some slight electro funk. Although it has a heavy electro influence, it doesn't have that Pop vibe that a lot of rappers end up creating when they do incorporate electronic sounds into their music. For lack of better words, this mixtape will be like nothing you have really heard before. What will make this mixtape so dope is that it has a sound that is still very new and fresh and it is only the prelude for what is to come on Early Certainty 2 which will be something really special.
Lyrically, on the new mixtape I would say that I am more comfortable with who I am as an artist. I would also have to say that the songs are a little more personal. Another thing that improved is my hooks. I have always been told that I have a nice way mixing deep lyrics with catchy hooks, but I will have to say that I put a little more effort in them this time. One of the other important thing that is in this mixtape that was missing in the last tape is humor. In my first tape I was just out to prove that I was a force to be reckon with, I didn't even really do any talking in the tracks. By no means is this new tape a comedy project, but I felt a little more comfortable in the studio and felt more inclined to be ME. The humor that I actually have outside of the booth will increasingly ease it's way into my future projects, hopefully that will help listeners collect with me even more.
What a lot of people don't know is that I recorded the first Early Certainty by myself at studio during after hours. The new tape was recorded in a studio with an engineer whom I happened to go to school with which just added to me being comfortable in the booth.
Who did you want to work with on this project that you didn't get to work with?
EC 1.7 does not have any guest appearances, but I would have loved to work with a lot of people. I'm not too keen on guest appearances in the first place, but I am starting to warm up to them, because it is an excellent way to make musical connections and bonds which will only lead to more creativity. When it comes to other rappers being on my tracks, they have to be in the studio with me. I don't do that email me your verse type shit. If you want to get on my track, come through the studio and let's make it happen. Hopefully, in the future I will become more mobile and will be able to meet up with more MC's myself.
How is it different from your last mixtape?
The difference between EC and EC 1.7 lies within the overall sound and vibe. EC had that raw Wu-style production and my lyrics displayed that same aggression. EC 1.7 has more experimental production. Therefore, my approach to the songs, lyrics, and concepts were a little more experimental.
What were your influences?
There were no real MC's that influenced me for this tape. However, there was still a motivation. When it comes to my mixtapes, I like to try to do things that I haven't heard other MC's really do. I pride myself in being an alternative to the bullshit that is going on in the game now and that is what motivated me to do this tape. It's like I have a duty to my listeners to be dope and slightly different then the rest...not to quirky though, that shit can get corny real quick.
Just in case you wanted to know, the most influential MCs to me are; Max B, Cormega, Sean Price, Redman, Biggie, The Jacka, Planet Asia, Styles P, Scarface, K-Rino and KRS-One. To be honest, in 10 years this list might change, but from my birth until now, these are the rappers that really made me put the pen to the pad.
Peace and Thanks.
Download here: Early Certainty 1.7: The Segatendo Era
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