Moe Pope & Quills
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Moe Pope & Quills

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"8tyEight Exclusive Interview: Aviator"

What's good? How have you been recently?


Feeling good, feeling great. Thanks for asking. Life has been like a movie recently. Two nights ago I played a show at a little hole in the wall club and last night I opened for KID CuDi at a sold out show at The House of Blues in Boston. Directly after my show, exactly 6:45 this morning, I hopped the Amtrak and moved to NY for a job opportunity. Everything is just working out in a very interesting way. I think this is what most artists would describe as the come-up process so I'm just soaking it all in and taking stock of each moment.


How was the experience of opening for Kid CuDi?

Surreal. I had over 2,500 excited kids screaming at the top of their lungs the minute that I stepped on stage. I had to scour the entire audience and soak in all of their energy and love before I even said one word. House of Blues has speaker stacks bigger than the building I live in - so the sound was dope. I had a green room in the back with snacks and soda and shit. All my friends had backstage passes. My stomach was turning in knots the whole day, too, because I just love KID CuDi and how real and self-effacing he is about everything. I was feeling a mix of nausea and excitement, really. I hardly ate all day.

How would you describe the current Hip-Hop scene in Boston?


There are so many incredibly talented MC's in Boston. A lot of them never get the time of day because of the stigma that surrounds Boston hip-hop. There are a couple scenes here, but it's not cohesive. Some of the people that really run shit here are out of touch with what's really hot right now. They focus on that gangster/hood shit to compensate for the stigma that Boston isn't hood, you know? But that's a ridiculous stigma. I got a gun pulled on me in Dorchester once. Things get real if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then there's a thriving college circuit, but most of the college kids that rap end up moving out of Boston after college is over - and that's me. Like any scene, it gets cutthroat. It's all about who you know and grinding as hard as possible to get to the next level.

What are you working on currently?


I dropped my mixtape Thank You, Come Again two days ago. The next step is to record my album, Bigger Than My Matador. The songs are all written and ready to go. My 17 year-old InfinitiRock did all the beats. You can peep his free 40-song beat tape at http://infinitirock.bandcamp.com. The album is a lot darker, deep, and electronic than the mixtape. The mixtape is just to get the audience acquainted with my sound, but I honestly believe the album is going to make people reassess the way they view hip-hop and the world around them. It's all about opening up your mind, eradicating your predispositions and ignorance, and realizing that there is so much more going on underneath the iceberg. I'm excited for people to hear it.


How was it like making "Thank You, Come Again"?

It was dope. I worked with one of Boston's finest, Matty Trump. He recorded and engineered the project. I chose lots of unorthodox beats, some underground - some just plain unexpected, but it came together nicely. Thank You, Come Again is an Indian joke. Instead of me making songs about me being Indian and whoring out my ethnicity, I just decided to get all the racial questions out of the way with the title and drop 15 fantastic songs on people. There's something on there for everyone. I have called "Bring Nick Back" that talks all about Nickelodeon and the 90's that I think people will really respond to. Most of the songs just establish the fact that i'm a really intricate lyricist, but they never go too deep. I'm good at picking and choosing what i want to say, and I think the mixtape demonstrates that nicely.


Who are some of your musical influences?

As far as hip-hop goes, I dig Common. I love his voice. Though people will always hate, you have to respect Jay-Z's wordplay. I'm into lots of different kinds of hip hop for many reasons, but I listen to so many other genres of music because I have a very wide lens. Right now I'm listening to The Zombies, Spoon, Miles Davis, The Rolling Stones, Metric, and french lounge artists. I never discriminate until I participate and know what I'm talking about. Anything else would be ignorance.


How would you describe your style?

As far as content is concerned, I'm honest, passionate, and infinitely relatable. You will never hear me talk about something I don't live. I came into hip hop to change that. I've got lots of pop culture references and upon repeated listen, you'll find something new each time. Lyrically, I'm pretty tight. I'm not Black Thought just yet, but I'm tight. I've been working on it for over 13 years, so this is not by any means a joke to me. However, I am constantly humbled by other artists and musicians and I know that I have so much further to go.

What producers would you like to work with?


Anyone that sounds tight. My brother's beats switch up a lot to keep the artists interested, so that's cool with me. That's why i fuck with J Dilla, Flying Lotus, Paul White, and most producers in the LA Brainfeeder scene right now. But i'd also love to work with producers like Kanye, The Junior Boys, Ratatat, and Pharrel. That would be absolutely ridiculous.




What are your goals for 2010?

To get ripped like Flo Rida so when I take my jacket off onstage the growd doesn't go "ohhh..." No, in all honesty, just to keep perfecting my form and make viable material. I want to give hope to kids that want to get into the game and let them know that you can be thoughtful, intelligent, and catchy/infectious all at the same time.


Thanks for featuring me and giving me some fresh ears.
Download my free mixtape at http://aviator.bandcamp.com.
Download my brother InfinitiRock's new 40-song beat tape at http://infinitirock.bandcamp.com.
Look out for Bigger Than My Matador. - 8tyEight.com


"Aviator - Bring Nick Back (Freestyle)"

Any ‘90s babies in the house? Who am I kidding – of course there are. On new freestyle Bring Nick Back, Tell Me Why emcee Aviator steps up to the mic to wax nostalgic about everything that made the final decade of the 20th Century great, from bad haircuts and trendy toys to pretty much everything on television – even the commercials. As a member of the Nickelodeon generation myself, I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t relate to the litany of fads and pop-culture phenomena the artist name-drops over Afta-1‘s chilled-out boardwork (originally from an instrumental entitled The Facts), but I do have to dock him an imaginary point or two for leaving out my favorite part of the decade: where’s the love for Pogs? That omission, however, is a small flaw in an undeniably dope freestyle. If you’re digging this musical trip down Memory Lane, you can hear plenty more fresh new material on Aviator’s new Thank You Come Again street album, released March 16, and available now online.

Read more: http://www.djbooth.net/index/tracks/review/aviator-bring-nick-back/#ixzz0lHb8xHc4
- DJBooth.net


"Aviator - Thank You Come Again (Mixtape)"

Hit ‘em. Last year I was at a show with JJMalina in Boston, when this tall Indian hipster stepped up on stage rocking a cardigan. Naturally I turned the hater knob and laughed as he said he was about to start his set. Needless to say, he absolutely killed his set. Since then I’ve kept in touch with Aviator and his team over at Base Trip Records, and recently they hit me up with a download link to his debut mixtape, “Thank You Come Again.” I got sent the tape a week ago and since have been able to preview it, and I must say, this is an absolute different genre. Highlights include on “Bring Nick Back” he talks about that OG 90’s Nickelodeon programming, or on “Put Your Shirt Back On, Girl” he hilariously spits about Myspace hoes.

This mixtape absolutely has the Hold My Coat blessing and I recommend every one of you to download.
- Hold My Coat


"Aviator - Thank You, Come Again (Mixtape)"

Aviator's new project Thank You, Come Again, is finally here! The Base Trip Records artist/"Your favorite spitter's babysitter" gives you 15 new tracks to check out over some well-picked, very dope beats. With subjects ranging from Nickelodeon to rappers sounding alike,Thank You, Come Again provides a great variety of steelo and flow. Download for great rhymes and hilarious punchlines!


P.S. Aviator will be opening for KiD CuDi tomorrow night @ the House of Blues Boston! - Whiteboylikeshiphop.com


"HELLO BU: Meet the Aviator"

Q: Can you describe how you compose a song?

A: I find music somewhere between sleep and dreams. When I’m drifting into sleep, I feel the creative forces working and words start linking up like DNA strands. It’s really wild. As far as the actual process is concerned, I listen to the beat first. Usually, I’ll have a concept in mind–what I want to get across. It takes me awhile to come up with the first line, but after that it’s all a very fluid thing. I try not to be too sprawling. I try to stay directed and focused. I don’t bite lines from other rappers. I don’t put on a show or lie about my life. I used to write on paper, but now I use a laptop. A lot of rappers think that’s blasphemy, but I find a lot easier.

Q: I remember you saying your younger brother creates your beats–can you explain how you guys work together?

A: My younger brother Chester goes by the name InfinitiRock. He started producing for me when he was 5 years old. He’s 17 now and he’s a real monster. Since he’s still in high school and living in our hometown in New York, he sends me his songs online. The sheer volume and breadth of his work is daunting. He makes so much music and it’s so often and he’s so young. They’re all viable, accessible tracks, too. Yeah, that guy really pisses me off.

Q: In “Bring Nick Back,” you reference Jock Jams…can you tell me about your memories of “Jock Jams”? I was a big fan.

A: Out of all the ’90s references in that song, I’m sorry to say that “Jock Jams” is my least favorite! I just have bad memories of girls in middle school dancing around to it and it just reminds me of that scene in Mean Girls when that little girl is suggestively dancing around to some pop star on the TV. But that being said, back in the days you couldn’t really escape the Jock Jams.

Q: How has it been recording your album?

A: So. Damn. Good. I’m working with Matty Trump, Boston’s hip-hop producer of the year. He’s a real whiz in the studio. The sound is clean and we have a real chemistry. I’ve been turning out an insane amount of product, coming home each night with great stuff, and listening to it on repeat to catch any mistakes. In the past, I’ve worked with a lot of people who don’t know what they’re doing in the studio, so I feel blessed to know the people I know and be in this position. It’s been a long time coming…like 12 years.

Q: What have you learned about recording an album–what has the process taught you?

A: I’ve actually been recording a mixtape called “Thank You, Come Again.” It’s over other people’s beats and we’re giving it away for free to promote the release of my album. Recording both of these has taught me that you should always stay focused because working in a nice studio is costly. You have high quality instrumentals broken down into session files and have a firm grasp of your own material and how you want to sound. Also, for those who record, you should listen to your rough mixdowns on different kinds of speakers to see how they turn out.

——–

Aviator hopes to generate buzz this Friday with the release of his “Thank You, Come Again” mixtape and successfully release his album, “Bigger Than My Matador,” later this spring on Base Trip Records. The artist considers the mixtape to be his deeper, more sophisticated material, and the album to be dark, heartfelt, and electronic (his brother is putting together all of the collection’s beats).

Aside from music, Aviator wants to make it through his twenties, never stop learning, and share love and art with the people he cares about.

Oh yeah, he’d also like to have a wine and cheese party with Barack Obama.

To listen to Aviator, check out his Myspace at http://myspace.com/aviflow and watch the video below to hear track four from Aviator’s “Thank You, Come Again.” Aviator will be performing LIVE this Saturday at BU’s Scarlet Fever 2010. For more information, click here.
- The Quad: BU's Independent Online Magazine


Discography

Thank You, Come Again
1. Tell Me Why
2. Get You Put On
3. Timeless
4. They Ain't Right
5. Jai Flow
6. Bring Nick Back
7. Write On
8. Fist Pumpa
9. Blowup
10. Baby Formula
11. Number one for Life
12. Mad Men
13. Put Your Shirt Back On, Girl
14. Affirmation
15. Swishersweet Symphony

Photos

Bio

Aviator, a Boston-based hip-hop artist, combines thoughtful wordplay over indie/electronic beats. He began making music in his hometown of Red Hook, NY, along with his younger brother InfinitiRock, who produces his beats.

Currently Aviator is based in New York City and signed to Base Trip Records. His lyrics range from quirky and humorous to raw and insightful and combined with his brother's beats are a refreshing sound in the hip-hop scene.