Simon Sed

-Let the world know where you are from? What’s your opinion of the current Hip Hop scene in your area?
Originally, I’m from Indianapolis, but I haven’t lived there in a few years. However, the hip hop scene in Indy seems to really be picking up. There are some really talented acts doing their thing and I know of a few people working hard to put on events to help cultivate the culture.
I also lived in Chicago for a couple of years and Chicago has a thriving version of everything. There is big drill rapper/trap scene in the Chi, which isn’t really my lane, but I was blown away by a lot of the talent I met while living there. I used to host a hip hop oriented open mic every Thursday (which is still going on at Lilly’s in Lincoln Park) and some seriously dope MC’s used to come through. I can tell you this, the art of freestyling is not dead in Chicago.
Finally, I just recently moved to Cleveland. I don’t really know much about the scene here. I’ve made it out to a couple of open mic events and I liked what I heard.
-Simon Sed? Where did the artist name originate from?
My brother Faba helped me come up with the name, and it is a sign of respect for my dad. His name is Simon and he has played a big role in shaping my schema/perspective. Growing up, I didn’t always listen to him, but most everything he said (sed) has been pretty much spot on. Since I primarily write about “life lessons” or how my experiences coincide/conflict with my perspective, it seemed like an appropriate MC name.
-Getting straight to the point of this interview, lets talk about the “Under Construction” album. The album cover is super dope! What was the exact concept to the album cover?
Thank you. The cover art was done by my buddy John. I told him about the central idea/overarching theme of the album and let him create. He knows I’m a sucker for space related shit. The concept underlying the art is that everything is a work in progress from an individual to a cosmic level. Our universe is constantly expanding/changing and that same process is happening within all of us because we are components of the universe. The astronaut is reaching out and changing the space around him by being aware of this process and exerting energy/vibrations, or whatever you want to call the rings emanating from his hand. However, the art may mean something else to anyone else, which is one of the aspects I like most about art.
-In your words, how to you describe the album?
I would say the album is diverse, potent, and an attempt to embody growth. It is diverse because you get to see several sides of me in terms of content and delivery, and it is potent because I think I did a solid job addressing some serious concepts/issues in a salient, but creative way. Overall, the album has a very boom bap feel to it and it is laced with a lot of multi-syllabic rhyme schemes, so if that’s your thing I think you should check it out! Now give me a second to deflate my ego haha.
-If there is something you can compare the project to, what would it be?
A wallaby with a letter addressed to Nick Van Exel in its pouch watching season 4, episode 15 of Futurama.
-Any specific influences attributed to the making of the project?
The most notable influences would probably be my close relationships, culture, and the production.
-I see you have a handful of collabs. Who did you like working with the most for this project?
That is a difficult question because some of the collaborators are my closest friends, so we always have a good time working together. Also, every MC that contributed to this project came super correct. Father Focus Confucius produced the whole album so that makes him a critical contributor to the project. He is a real professional/respectful dude so all our interactions were favorable. Also, I love collaborating with DJ Strategy who does all my cuts. It’s really just entertaining for me to watch him work.
-In the future, is there anybody you would like to collab with if you had a chance to?
Yeah, there are a lot of MC’s and producers I would love to collaborate with. Most of them are friends and people I already associate with, but some more well known names that I would love to work with if given the chance would be Gift of Gab, Intuition, Rjd2, Prince Paul, Fresh Kils, Ant, Louis Logic, Mr. Lif, illogic, and Ohmega Watts (this list could go on forever).
-Any new material in the works? Any shows?
Yes, I am working on a new EP titled “How the Humaverse Works” loosely based on the How the Universe Works series. Conceptually, it is my most challenging project to date and hopefully it will turn out to be a cool story that the listener can follow from start to finish.
-Please drop some links for your fans to find your music?
https://simonsed.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/simonsed
https://dkat.bandcamp.com
-Any last shout outs.
Shout out to my musical family: The Brown James, Blaise B., Shimon, DJ Strategy, Uncle Tairy, Mista Dent, Marco Che, Charles West, Airospace, and Lucid Optics. Shout out to the good folks at Hostel Earphoria. All the good people at the Lyrics & Libations open mic every Thursday. Shout out to all the people tuning in and vibing with me. Lots of love to my girl. Shout out to you guys at Indie Rap Blog for the support. And I can’t forget to shout out MC Mystery Man, Skrilla Man Water Damage, Young Waukegan Juke Legs, Jackmerius Tacktheratrix, and Lazy Lips McSnacks. Peace! - indierapblog.com

“Music has become my primary source of relief,” said Simon Sed, a recent Purdue graduate. Whether he is irritated, sad, or joyful, writing allows him to cope and transform his emotions into lyrics that “communicate with people on an intimate level.”

Simon Sed, formerly known as DKat while at Purdue and now an open microphone Chicago performer, said that his favorite part about sharing his music is when people “tell me they really connected with what I'm saying. Those moments make all the time, money, and effort I have poured into this completely worth it. As far as being on stage, I really enjoy jam session-type shows with a live drummer. Nothing beats live drums,” he said.

His music uses more than drums, though. It is his collection of boom bap beats with vinyl scratching that creates his unique hip-hop sound. He said, “Hip-hop is a relatively young genre, yet it has blossomed into one of the most diverse genres available. However, people are only exposed to one side of it, a side that is not so flattering in my opinion. I hope that when people listen to my music they can witness some of the depth this music has to offer....I would like to think my music has some real substance to it."

Sed’s music has plenty of substance to it, enough to get crowds thrilled and into his music. He reminisced a past performance at Purdue stating, “There was one show at, I believe it was Theta Chi, that got pretty ridiculous. I was opening up for my good friends The Brown James. My set went well, pretty standard, but after their set we got into one of those jam sessions… Faba and I were tossing the microphone back and forth and all of us on stage just hit a groove together. Then people from the crowd started hopping up on stage; needless to say, it got a little rowdy.”

Simon Sed has been writing lyrics since he was around 13 years old after being "exposed to some incredibly talented independent/underground hip hop artists.” His music is a “direct reflection of (his) thoughts and experiences.” He described his music as “introspective, insightful, socially aware and, hopefully, good.” - The Exponent/Bridget Wellman

New album by Simon Sed, an American emcee from Indianapolis, IN. His lyrical content encompasses his personal growth, observations of society, and philosophical viewpoints. - indierapblog.com