Free Speech picks up the torch in the lineage of truth speaking emcees that originated with the first story tellers. During those first nighttimes of man – when fire was the only comfort and dancing flame the only accompaniment, the lyricist spoke nothing but truth. The only thing he knew was the honesty of his existence. The world was a very foreign place.

It still is.

Fast-forward to today, when money paints the words emcees say. This is devolution of the essence. But contrary to what you may see advertised on your television and in the media, real emcees still live. Free Speech’s intelligent, exacting, witty flows are proof of this.

I asked him to answer some questions for the G**die, and he was nice enough to answer.



1 - Introduce yourself to the G**D people. What's your background? Who is
Free Speech?

Free Speech is that refreshingly memorable wordsmith that raps for pride,
not pussy. I’ve been considered a modern continuation of the Natives
Tongues movement of the late 80s/90s.  My music is a colorful examination
of the world we live in – people, places, and change. I’m not afraid to
speak my mind even if it distances me from the mass market. As far as my
background, I’m just the son of two progressive visual artists that spent
his formative years in deeply artistic environments. The music is a
reflection of that.

2 - Why did you choose the name Free Speech?

Free your mind. Free your speech. Trends and conformity run rampant in
hip-hop. There’s a lot of clones out there; people do what others do and
say what others say because it’s “safe”. The handle “Free Speech”
represents a departure from the communal scrotum. My music is from the
heart, not from the factory.

3 - What does hip-hop as an art form mean to you?

Authentic hip-hop is an extension of self. It’s natural. It’s organic.
It’s sincere. It’s not about putting on a façade to win the popularity
contest. I spit how I live – thorough, colorful, exacting.



4 - How did you start emceeing? How long have you been at it?

I started emceeing recreationally circa ’97, but have been seriously
pursuing it for the past 6 years. I’ve always been a fan of hip-hop but
had only been inspired to rhyme after my brother passed me a Tony Touch
mixtape – you know, back when mixtapes were actually tapes. That was my
introduction to cats like Tragedy, Big Pun, and Big L. I was sold.

5 - You took a break from the scene for awhile. Why?

It’s like the workforce. It’s difficult to find fulfilling, meaningful
employment without proper schooling and certification. Same with hip-hop.
You can’t just jump in the booth and expect to create anything with
integrity without having been a student of the game. Doing so may produce
something the likes of “Laffy Taffy”, but that of course isn’t
sustainable. Trust, in five years no one will be saying that D4L impacted
their lives in any way meaningful. I deliberately sat on the bench for
four years so I could mature from watching and listening to other players
in the game. Now, I’m working my way into the starting lineup.



6 - How would you describe yourself as an artist? What are you seeking to
express?

I’m trying to forcibly push the envelope and re-calibrate the lyrical
standard. I want people to reconsider the potential of the genre so that
we can take it far beyond what 106th and Park projects. Thematically, I’m
trying to give people an unfiltered look at the world we live in, and in
the same vein as cats like Little Brother, Tanya Morgan, and Lupe Fiasco,
infuse some integrity and respectability back into hip-hop. The objective
is to bring the underground above ground, and show people that music can
have meaning and thump.

7 - Tell us about your crew. Who do you run with in your music endeavors?

My nuclear fam is the Breakfast Club of which Ro Blvd., my beatmaestro, is
the foundation. The Breakfast Club is a group of like-minded hip-hop
enthusiasts that move together. Our crew consists of emcees, DJs,
vocalists, fashion designers, promoters, film directors, creatives, and
etc. Musically, beyond Ro Blvd., I mainly fux wth producer/emcee Nameles
who I just dropped the Calisthenix mixtape with.



8 - What kind of hip-hop would you wanna hear played on mainstream radio?

Anything that behind closed doors, when all the cameras are turned off,
that the artist can truly say is from the heart.

9 - The video for 'Everything is Different Now' is pretty dope. How did
that come about?

I met the director Aaron Rosenbloom through Eric “Frenchy” Matrepierre – a
mutual friend that has been supporting my music since day one. Aaron had
heard the song and expressed interest in bringing it to film. So he wrote
a treatment, flew me out to New York City, and we did the damn thing. The
video was cleverly done in one continuous shot which was particularly
difficult due to the setting. Props to Aaron for pulling it off.



10 - You just dropped Calisthenix: The Mixtape. What can listeners expect
to hear?

Calisthenix is 29 tracks of heavy beats and heavy lyrics with appearances
from Median of the Justus League, Just Beats ad DJ Spider of Move.meant,
Ro Blvd., and others. Nameles handles the bulk of the production which is
heavy in DJ Premier, Stoupe, and Alchemist influence, but with his own
signature griminess and bounce. Oh yeah, and he spits too. From me, I
bring that “h*ly shit” flow, and spit like each verse is my last. Our
hunger resonates on that mixtape.

11 - What is your take on the current state of the hip-hop 'industry' vs.
real hip-hop culture?

The industry is McDonalds. It reduces our nourishment into cheap,
unwholesome finger food engineered for fast consumption. The shit has an
addictive quality and over time convinces the bulk of consumers that rat
meat is mmm-mmm good. In turn, the wholesome vendors (real hip-hop) are
pushed out of the market as our perception of good food has been
diminished. Hopefully, as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease run rampant,
people will wonder what the fuck they were eating and have an interest in
respecting themselves.

12 - Where is the future of West Coast hip-hop headed?

There’s a crop of new artists coming up with fresh sounds uncharacteristic
of the West Coast. Stones Throw is building momentum with OhNo, Roc C, and
MED. And of course, my team is fresh. California is a breeding ground for
new, experimental hip-hop. Yeah, the gangsta contingent is strong but the
underground here is heavy. Artists with unique sounds like Quasimoto, MF
Doom, and Dudley Perkins all get love. I just hope the West Coast
continues to be supportive of progressive music and incubates artists that
aren’t afraid to push the envelope and rap outside the box.



13 - Who are your influences? What inspires you?

I’m inspired by the dynamics of life. It’s always changing, for better or
worse, and provides amazing subject matter for my commentary.  Musically,
I’m influenced by J Dilla (R.I.P.), Kool G Rap, Big Pun, Big L, Smashing
Pumpkins, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Tool, Little Brother, Ras Kass, Mos Def,
Doobie Brothers, and many, many others. I’ve absorbed a lot of music over
the years.

14 - What do you usually do in your free time when you're not working on
music?

Good question as I tend to have very little downtime. I love making music,
so I’m always writing, promoting, and building relationships. But when I
do have time, I’m usually working out, traveling, or trying to learn more
about the world around me.



15 - What affect do you want your music to elicit in people?

An overwhelming feeling of satisfaction, like they just found a cherished
possession that they’ve been missing for a long time. I want people to
fall in love with hip-hop all over again.

16 - Does the First Amendment still exist in practice, or just on paper?

The First Amendment is real. It exists on Ro Blvd.’s hard drive and on my
IPOD.



17 - You've said that "Artists" have lost track of reality. Can you
expound on that statement for us?

As soon as it became apparent that hip-hop was a viable market, the art
became compromised. The industry needed to feed the fascination with the
“fast life”, and so the supply changed accordingly. Rappers stopped
creating music; music created rappers. So now you have labels bringing in
artists to fill persona pre-sets and rap about glorified subject matter
that has very little relevance to listeners. It’s all scripted now. It’s
Hollywood.

18 - What is your favorite song? Why?

This is no doubt the hardest question I’ve ever been asked. But right now,
it has to this gem called “I Wish” off of Ro Blvd.’s Early Morning album.
It’s by my boy Plat from Philly. I’m not trying to put his business out on
the streets, but he’s had some unfortunate events in his life. “I Wish” is
kind of a heart-felt, more personal adaptation of Nas’ “If I Ruled the
Word”. It’s an amazing song from end-to-end. What makes the song even more
special is that not too long after recording that track, Plat heavily
embraced Islam and stopped rapping altogether – so “I Wish” is perhaps the
last contribution to hip-hop.



You can hear a snippet of “I Wish” on the streaming player on RoBlvd.com.

19 - When is the tour?

There’s been very informal discussions of tour opportunities with other
“buzzing” groups. But coming off the Calisthenix mixtape, my current
priority is polishing the First Amendment (possibly adding additional
tracks) and seeking solid distribution or label placement.

20 - Where can the G**d people find more Free Speech?

The Calisthenix mixtape provides a healthy helping. Check out my official
headquarters at www.freespeechmusic.com. For Myspacers, my jump-off is
myspace.com/freespeech. Also expect to see that image of me tied up and
duct taped popping up every now and then. Check out the Damian Marley and
Nas "Road to Zion video.


Doug Vanisky is a freelance writer living in Northern California. His forthcoming novel the Realm is slated to be published this fall. You can find him on Myspace at myspace.com/deejaydog or at www.deejaydog.com.

If you’re an artist and you’re interested in answering 20 G**D Questions, contact Doug Vanisky at wolf at nkahootskrew.org.