Midas Wright

What is your name and what city do you rep?

I am Midas Wright. I rep Atlanta, but Macon is where I got started.

That's an interesting name, where did you come up with that?

It's an oronym actually. It comes from "Might is Right." I think the world works like, Might is Right, the powerful take control. And the only way we can escape that, the only way we can make the world ours, is to beautify that with art, with music. It's an oronym becuase "Midas Wright" sounds just like "Might is Right" but you can spell it both ways. I feel like I'm a king and I can make the world better with my art.

What is unique about you and your music?

The two things that make my music unique is, first, I incorporate a lot of influences no one else in rap is doing right now. I do a lot with EDM, I incorporate a lot of indie songwriting like my idols Father John Misty and Win Butler. I'm not trying to say no one incorporates those influences at all, but the way I do it is different- but my songs ride too.

The second thing is, what I talk about. Who I am. I don't hear a lot of people talking about the dark side of sexuality and psyche. You may not think it to just hear a song and it's lit, but if you pore over my lyrics... a lot of people out here saying I'm crazy, I'm sad, I'm different... but when you listen to the way I describe it, it's vivid, it's immediate.

What shaped your music?

A combination of what I listen to and my experiences. I've been a freestyler for...7 or 8 years? I've always written poetry, but at parties my friends would always get me to rap. People were impressed by it, people thought I had something to say. Then my best friend got me into DJing, shout out Wulfman one time. We DJed trap and electronic music for a few years in Macon as Fresh Valley Kings. Then, I've always been a sex addict...a poet. A polyglot. My experiences came together to shape who I am, and music was a part of that, it came from my identity. I've had a lot of threesomes and foursomes in my life, I've traveled a lot...partied. It's me. I am The Psychotic Erotic.

When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?

It happened about three years ago. Our DJ act was starting to catch, and we were really lit DJing this club, and Wulfman and I just started to freestyle, and people LOVED it. It was different. It wasn't just like my friends hyping me up anymore. Total strangers, in a club- and that's an environment where everyone's cool man, no one is trying to give anyone else any shine- they came up to me and told me they loved it and they wanted my song. There was no song! I just made it up on the spot. That's when I knew I was on to something.

What type of music do you listen to?

Well, primarily, Rap. About 2-3 hours a day I study rhythm and poetry. Other than that? Electronic music. I listen to a lot of that. I want to see where production is going. I listen to a lot of Mr. Carmack, G Jones, stuff like that. And Indie music. Father John Misty, Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear. Chamber Pop.

Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?

Father. Awful Records. I caught on to them early and I fell in love. A couple of people in those camp have really made it, like Makonnen and Carti. But Father and Ethereal started all of them and they're amazing. A lot of people don't really get what they're doing, man. They are the experimental forefront of Atlanta hip hop.

How do you prepare for your performances?

I freestyle. I have a few drinks. Mostly I just talk to the fans, sometimes they don't even know who I am yet, they're just there to see me, and I read the vibe of the room. Figure out what's going on. It's the DJ in me. I like to get head too. Anything to take the edge off. At this point, I'm not really nervous anymore. I've performed with Riff Raff, Dee-1. I know it's gonna be cool. I just try to pass the time until they unleash me.

What ignites your (song) writing flow?

Cigarettes, oddly. Once I hear a beat, once I write something, if I'm producing...Just sitting alone and chain smoking cigarettes. I could write a book in a night that way.

What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) that you are passionate about?

I'm pretty into people. I like spending time with my crew, my girls, my friends, my fans. Whatever they're into. I like to vibe with creative people.

Success to you is…

Success to me is when people are entertained by my music and they connect to it. I like money, don't get it f***** up, but success is when I've created something people love, and I get to perform it to a crowd and they connect with it.

What do you wish you were told when you first started rapping that you think would help any recently starting artists out?

Yo - this one's easy. Learn to produce. I don't even make most of my own beats, but that understanding is essential to making good music. I do my own vocal effects, mixing, beats sometimes... If you don't understand how the music is made, your stuff won't be listenable, it won't be hits. The poetry part of it I feel like you have or you don't. You are authentic, or you are not. You've got bars, or you don't. You can't force that. Focus on building the music from the ground up, and make what you wanna make. Talk about what you wanna talk about, and who you are. You don't have to trap to rap. You shouldn't rap about something that isn't you.

Any upcoming projects?

Yes! I just dropped my EP, The Psychotic Erotic, but I have a couple things coming up. I feel like I've got the Midas Touch right now (laughs). Shout out to Tyler Sherbet. I have a few projects in the works.

Where do we find your music / music project?

You can find The Psychotic Erotic EP on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Shazam, Spotify...I'm everywhere man. I think it's on SoundCloud too. Follow me on SoundCloud, it's Midas Wright. - ThisIs50

Midas Wright is a member of the hip hop collective, Fresh Valley Kings, out of Georgia. They take a fresh perspective on blending hip hop and electronic music and have recently released their "Lit On This" EP.



Thanks for taking the time to do this interview Midas. Tell us a bit about yourself, your name, age, where you’re from and an interesting fact if you like...
Hey, I'm Midas Wright of Fresh Valley Kings! I'm 23, and from Macon, GA. Fun fact, I'm lit as hell right now.

MUSIC
Is there a story behind your name Midas?
Actually, yeah. My full name- Midas Wright- is actually an oronym of "Might is Right." That is, they sound the same but are written differently. I feel that we live in a world where Might is Right, and the powerful rule over the weak with coersion and violence. The only way that we can beautify the world and improve it really, is art. So I dressed up "Might is Right" and tried to make it sound elegant, refined, artistic. Plus Midas is the king with the golden touch, and I am a Fresh Valley King after all.

How long have you been rapping?
I've been freestyling for about 6 years now pretty consistently. Other than a brief stint of songwriting in 2013, I've only been writing rap music since about September of 2015 with Jak Sun and Wulfman as Fresh Valley Kings.

What first got you interested in becoming a rapper?
At first? Honestly I did it to impress girls at parties. Then I had a pretty bad period of my life and I started rapping about more serious stuff. That's when the more artistic side started to interest me.

What/who inspires your music?
The experiences I have and the people around me. I lived in Berlin for a while, and the people there were starving for good rap music. My girlfriend and my best friend inspired me to actually get started with music.

Do you see being a rapper as a career, or as a hobby?
Definitely as a career. This music is everything. Hip hop is the most culturally important movement in America since the civil rights movement. I want to be part of that more than anything.

What are you trying to do with your music? Do you want to help your community? Are you trying to get rich? What is your goal for your music?
I'd like to get rich, no lie. But more importantly I want to make music people connect with and gain a platform and a voice to speak on issues people ignore. Like getting lit on the hoes.

Have you ever performed live? How did it feel?
Oh yeah. Wulfman and I have been DJing and rapping together for a long time. It's the best feeling there ever was. You gotta latch in to what the crowd likes and what they want, and then blend it with stuff they would love but don't know it. It's a rewarding challenge, no matter how many or how few people are there, to let them feel you.

Do you have any kind of management, publishing or distribution team behind you? If so what are their responsibilities?
At the moment? Nah. We're signed to an artist development deal with Odd Individual Gang Records, but we're taking our own approach at the moment.

What are some accomplishments that you have achieved, and are most proud of?
Haha, one time I had a foursome with three girls. That was before I was doing music or making money or anything. I've been lucky enough to travel around Europe a good bit, I really treasure those memories. That's actually how I met my girlfriend, I met her in a train station in Germany. I finished my Master's degree last year. I've got a few.

Have you ever made any contact with major artists or other high positioned people in the music industry and do you keep in contact with them?
Yeah, my boy Jubee is from Macon, and he's playing with Michael Menert and the Pretty Fantastics. Go cop their album Space Jazz, that is some seriously next level shit. We're working on a song with him right now actually... Stay tuned for that one.

What one tip would you give to other independent artists?
I would say focus on shows and building a fanbase who fucks with your music over pumping out music. You need feedback from people who are invested in your music to figure out what they like and kind of tune your releases to be your favorite material that other people would fuck with heavy too. And it may be cliché, but really it's all for them anyway. Without your fans you are nothing.

What do you see is in the future for the music industry? How do you think it will evolve/change?
Streaming is here to stay. Mixtapes are dead. Anytime someone tells you about a mixtape, it's one of two things: it's really bad, or it's just a street album. I think albums are dead too unless you're already a titan. Mac Miller went platinum with an independent album for the first time in, what, 15 years? With Blue Slide Park? I don't see that happening again anytime soon. I think shorter, more cohesive, more focused projects like EPs are going to take over the game. It's a smaller investment for the fans financially, it's typically higher quality and quicker to make than a longer project, and it's easier to distribute. Plus most people don't sit down and try out your music for a full length LP. They listen to the first few songs and make their decision immediately. Why not just give them those first few songs?

INTERNET
Do you feel like the internet is helping you as an independent artist?
Definitely. Blogs are starting to pick up our EP, and it lets people who want to hear our music try it immediately instead of having to buy a copy or wait for a show. It's the greatest tool ever created for humanity, let alone independent musicians.

How do you think social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have affected the music industry?
Changed the game. It lets you really connect with your fanbase, distribute your music, and advertise your shows. It makes being independent way more legitimate.

Where can we hear your music online?
SoundCloud! Fresh Valley Kings. The link is https://soundcloud.com/freshvalleykings

IN CLOSING
What projects are you working on at the moment?
Right now, we're working on a harder and more electronic Trap EP called "Attack Dog." After that, we might mess around with some classic boom-bap, jazz and soul inspired hip hop. After that, we have a project in mind called Somnambulance. It's inspired by these recurring lucid dreams I have, where I always drown myself... It's about the state between being awake and being asleep. Death, Acceptance. All that stuff. Existential bombshell.

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years time?
I'd like to be in a more major position with music. Not necessarily as an artist, maybe as a songwriter or managing a label of my own artists. I want to invent technology that benefits independents like me. Mostly I just want to make a lot more music, and a little more money.

Do you have any shoutouts you want to give?
Oh yeah. Shouts out to my grandmother, she is the one who clothed me and made sure I got to school. I wouldn't be here at all without her. Shout out to Piper, that's my girlfriend. I love you babe. Shout out to all the people in our city who are really doing this shit, a lot of talented artists are getting slept on in Macon. That's Bob Lennon, I love that Yaya track he did, Black Majick, TUSO is going to blow you up man I swear, shout out to my homies Bootz and Katz. They do this electronic rock thing that's incredible, check them out. Shout out to Macon, Macganistan. We're indie Atlanta man. We'll be on the map before you know it.

Thanks again Midas for doing this interview. - CrazyPellas

Excerpt - However, the most pleasant surprise of the night came before Riff Raff ever hit the stage. The opening act, the Fresh Valley Kings, came out as a mostly unknown act. For an entire hour, the group showed that they have staying power in the Macon music scene.

The three piece group is made up of Mercer alumni Midas Wright (Grey Newell) and Wulfman (Ryan Walters) and Mercer student Jak Sun (Jackson Dillard). They had never played in a venue as large as the Cox before, Jak Sun said. They have only done local shows at Fresh Produce Records, The Mill and The Hummingbird. - Mercer Cluster

Lit On This EP is the debut offering from Macon, GA based Fresh Valley Kings. The project is a party record that’s sure to take listeners on a ride. The opening Drum Major produced record Medium Rare is hard hitting and sure to keep listeners engaged as the flow on the record is on point with a similar trade-off flow to that found on many of the Flatbush Zombies releases. Fresh Valley Kings manage to set themselves apart from other southern based acts by their inclusion of many electronic elements in their instrumentals. Wrist Up really knocks as it finds the group in the club trying to get lucky. Slight Beats really delivers a unique vibe with this track and the group takes it to the next level. Hella Hoes finds the group trading insane flows as they describe their stables full of women. The bass on the record is serious so this is definitely a record to play at high volumes, not that everything that the Fresh Valley Kings make isn’t. The closing record Lit On These Hoes is the perfect track to close out the record as it’s one of the EP’s best offerings. MX Beats lays down an epic beat that the group laces together creating an unstoppable force. - The Fresh Committee

Macon, GA group Fresh Valley Kings makes their EarlyBBQ debut with the release of their latest project “Lit on This EP”. The project is a collection of the four hardest bangers from the Fresh Valley Kings. Party rap with heavy trap influence, the EP is equal parts fun, satirical, and lit. “Wrist Up” is the clear standout, telling the narrative of every party-goer in search of their favorite pleasure: getting some head. Keep up with all things Fresh Valley Kings by following them on Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud, and Instagram. - Early BBQ

The meteoric rise of the slang “lit” in recent pop vocabulary, thanks largely to rap music, has either been met with wholehearted acceptance or abject disdain from the general public. On their debut project, Fresh Valley Kings have chosen to embrace it; decisively. Lit on This EP is a 4 track, 12 minute journey into total trap/party rap madness. If you like booming hooks, verses as fiery as they are dense, and a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek irreverence, then look no further. Sneak a track or two on at a party and watch the lit-ness jump from 0 to 100, real quick. Do not play around your girlfriend unless she took a double dose of her birth control this morning.

The production on the EP is well done and well placed, handled by incognito heavyweights Drum Major, SLIGHT, 347 Gang, and MXS Beats (in order of appearance). Each track brings the swagger and braggadocio you’d expect of far more seasoned rappers, but with the intricate and audacious bars to back up their claims. The project opens with “Medium Rare,” a track daring you to challenge the group to a proverbial rap beef; and to serve it medium rare, if you please. The hooks are an interesting combination of hilarious, ridiculous, and catchy. After listening to the second track, “Wrist Up,” I caught myself chanting along to the rather blunt “Wrist up, fist up, I’m just trying to get my dick sucked!” That chorus is an audacious ploy, even for rappers, but evidently it worked, as track three describes the struggles of maintaining “Hella Hoes.” And how do you maintain your hoes? By getting lit on them, of course. Track Four – “Lit On These Hoes” – is two parts schoolyard chant, and one part trap anthem. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but let’s just say shit gets real… literally. The most fascinating thing about this project is it was created by three white guys. Whatever they’re smoking in Macon, Georgia, they should pass some to me.

Too long, didn’t read? it’s lit fam.

“THIS WAS A FRESH AND INTERESTING APPROACH ON THE NEW WAVE OF HIP-HOP, WHICH WAS DOPE. WE ENJOYED THE PRODUCTION ON THE EP. FRESH VALLEY KINGS ARE FROM MACON, GA WHICH EXPLAINS THE HARD HITTING BEATS THAT ARE FITTING FOR THE CONTENT AND BARS GIVEN BY THE GROUP. WE WAS LOOKING FOR MORE RANGE IN REFERENCE TO WORDPLAY & CONTENT, BUT LIT ON THIS IS OVERALL A NICE EP.” - Vintage Media Group