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I met Skulastic through an artist that I was working with who had just collaborated with her on a few songs (mrdc-music.com check him out). I myself had never worked on hip hop, or really knew anything about the genre, but after the first song, I actually began to think and write in hip hop (stanza's?) - so cool and very poetic. With the perfect balance of drive and talent, I predict Skully is going to make it to the big time.
Skulastic
ja ~ Hi Skully, can you tell us a bit about and a bit about yourself as a singer/
songwriter/MC?
s ~ Sure! I was born and raised in Vancouver BC, and moved to Nanaimo about 7 or 8 years ago. So far the only job I have been able to hold has been music, apart from that I excelled in academics (hence the name skulastic ...lol) and have a business degree. I enjoy teaching and learning about everything this world has to offer.
ja ~ When did you start writing and playing and becoming serous about music?
s ~ As a child, I grew up playing classical piano. My mother is an opera singer/piano player, and her father is a piano/harmonica player, also, my dad's father was a violin/voice instructor. So, I come from a very musically rich family.
I started to write random poetry towards the end of High-school. Someone exposed me to rhyming, bars, and flow, and I took that and my poetry, and already had a natural passion for music, so I just put it all together and went with it. I was very lost, not knowing what I was put here for, and when I discovered it was music I had this big "ahhh...that's what I'm here for" type of moment.
ja ~ That's awesome, I love those moments. Where are you at now in your career?
s ~ I don't think I have even begun to scratch the surface. Right now, I'm still out to define my sound, explore my possibilities musically and what not, I want to grow as an artist, and have my listeners/fans and even critics grow with me, and vise versa.
If I could use a couple words to describe myself as a mc/producer/singer/songwriter it would be "versatile, multi-facited, and re-inventive". Recently, I have been involved in a lot of great collaborations. I am very thankful and feel blessed to find people I mesh so well with musically. I don't want to limit myself to just rapping, I want to involve myself in producing and song writing for other artists as well.
ja ~ Being an 'emerging artist' in today's world (and female artist in your
genre?), what challenges do you face or...has social media helped you solve any of those those challenges ie: remote recording etc??? Connecting?
s ~ Being a "female" pursuing hip-hop has not posed any problems at all. My take on that topic is that if the music is good, people will look past gender, race, religion or whatever it may be. I face the same challenges that everyone else in the music industry faces or has faced.
As far as working remotely, I recently started working with more out of town artists, and we do what we can, but I still think that nothing compares to working with someone in person.
ja ~ How do you find it working n the industry right now, with the sheer volume of artists out there? How do you get noticed, or is that what you want out of your
musical career? Or do you do if just for you and what happens - happens?
s ~ The Hip-Hop industry is highly over-saturated. Getting noticed comes from hard-work, good music and the right marketing. I really feel all those things are essential.
ja ~ Do you feel your specific genre makes it easier for you to get out
there? I mean, I lived for years on Vancouver Island and never in my wildest dreams would I have thoughts that would be a place for your hip hop to take hold! So maybe it's a rare thing on the Island and so easier for you to be 'one of a kind'?
s ~ On a certain level, having a good local scene can be very beneficial for up and coming artists. If the local scene digs it and you have made a name in that respect then you know you can take your music further and expand geographically. Local scene is kinda like testing the waters so to speak. Locally, I have a name established. I see no end to my music and its capabilities.
ja ~ Do you find that your business degree helps with your music career?
s ~ I'd say it does to a certain extent, some of the very basic concepts I learned in business could be applied to the music industry for sure, but on the other end of the spectrum, the music industry is so different, that I am still and always learning.
ja ~ guess that's an important point, no matter what you 'know' you still have to be open to learning and changing. Thanks Skully!
www.MySpace.com/Skulastic
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