Upgrade HipHop

Hip-hop artist Upgrade is not actually suggesting that anyone sue Mac Miller, but his song of that name is garnering the up-and-coming artist plenty of attention. BFTV connected with Upgrade recently to ask him about the genesis of the track and what else he has on his mind.

“A lot of people, once you become a successful artist, suddenly everyone’s coming after you for something,” he said, explaining how he came up with the song that’s now got the Internet buzzing. “It just came as an idea.”

He already knew Miller beforehand. “I actually got to open up for him last year,” continued Upgrade, who called Miller’s Twitter response to the track “awesome. On the level that he’s at in his career right now, just to acknowledge it shows a lot about that artist. To not think they’re too big now, to give somebody just respect, it shows a lot about somebody like that.”

Upgrade has a full release in the works, and was kind enough to chat about what we can expect when that drops. “If you’ve heard any of my music, this is going have a lot darker tone to it,” he said, adding that has to do with “just a few things I’ve been through with the past year, [that] a lot of people, even if they know me, don’t even know I went through. It’s a lot more personal. This, I think, is going to show a different side.”

“Anything I feel, I go through, I write about. I kind of treat my music as, I’m going to do what I feel is right and what’s real and whatever I feel is the right thing to do, and I’m gonna hope that people [are] attracted,” he continued. “You can’t satisfy everybody. I’m not going to try to create my music so that this person likes it. I’m really just focused on being yourself, being real and honest, just making the music that you feel like you should be making and not thinking so much on how it’s going to be perceived. I’d like to look back and say I never really went out of my comfort zone. I have no problem experimenting with music, but it’s got to feel right.”

Upgrade also weighed in on the perception of of white artists in the rap/hip-hop genre. “Really, at this point, I don’t think it’s as big of a deal as it was before,” he said. “I think there are a lot of white rappers that are getting more recognition. Just [as far as] breaking any kind of stereotype, I think that’s over for the most part.”

Another misconception he wants to correct is that the genre itself isn’t what it used to be. “I was trying to get away from commercial hip-hop because it wasn’t something that appealed to me too much,” he continued, adding that most of his favorite artists now are more underground. “People always say hip-hop’s dead, but I actually think now could be the best time for hip-hop – you just have to search.”

There won’t be any more searching for him, though – Upgrade has definitely been found. Now he can wait and see if anyone comes up with a track about suing him.

The video for “Sue Mac Miller” is below, and you can check out more of Upgrade’s work at his YouTube channel. You can also keep up with him on Twitter (@UpgradeHipHop).

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick. Appears at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @tvbrittanyf. - Brittany Federick

I saw my friend Josh Eppard of Coheed and Cambria outside Stockade Tavern the other night. We have both battled with poor health choices in the past and I have argued with some of his bandmates, including Josh, about various things over the years I won’t get into today. But it was so great to see my friend and both of us sober and healthy. It felt like even after being through the wringer, you can have friendships back if you can face things head on. Shout out to Josh and his rap project Weerd Science. I heard from BSP affiliate Daniel Sternstein that Josh made a great cameo at the rapper Upgrade’s recent BSP album release show joking about how he, like Upgrade, has dealt with anxiety issues over the years. Daniel said they brought the house down. I talked to Upgrade himself to find out the scoop on his new indie hip-hop record Chemical Imbalance.

“This album is really about mental illness and battle with depression and anxiety for over many years,” Upgrade says. A talented MC, the youthful rapper is part of a growing Upstate hip-hop movement that favors creativity over thuggery. “I have mentioned it in a few songs but never really let myself be really vulnerable to the listeners as I did on this project. I wanted to speak on a subject that I felt strongly about without worrying about the way it will be received by everyone,” Upgrade adds. “I don’t expect everyone to understand each topic I hit but I would really like to connect with those who battle with mental illness in their life. And to those who don’t, I’d also like to shine light on a topic that they might not know so much about and can maybe learn more and understand it better.” - Morgan Evans