interview with a vampire
i did this interview in the summer for my friend Erik’s (solpercussion) first zine. there were some photos he took of me (rapping, holding paintings, etc) that went along with it. full color! looked awesome. Erik is a talented artist, designer, producer, dj, and friend.
here’s what i said:
1. Where were you born?
i was born in Southfield, MI. Grew up in South Lyon, MI then lived in Grand Rapids, MI and Plymouth, MI.
2. Where do you live?
plymouth, mi but soon to move to be Ypsilanti
3. When was the first time you exhibited your artwork in public?
i’ve had my art in school art exhibits since i was 8. i have never done a ‘professional’ gallery exhibit, though i have displayed my art at various hip hop shows at which i also perfrom.
the first time i performed my music live was august 06 at the blind pig in ann arbor.
4. What was that like?
the responses have always been positive. it is nice to receive positive feedback, or any constructive feedback, on artwork although it is not the reason for which i create.
performing music live was a whole other experience. with fine art it is visual and is more open to interpretation. and for me, although i do put myself into the art, it’s not as personal as my lyrics. the first time i performed live, there was a lot going on in my life at that moment that made the experience very cathartic. i felt as if i stripped several layers of skin off in front of a room of strangers (and friends) that night.
5. What did you learn from that experience?
i have learned that everyone likes something different, and that others often see things in your art that even you did not see, or they take something out of it which surprises you (in a good way).
performing live, i learned not to doubt myself, my thoughts, or my passion.
6. How do you feel your work has evolved since then?
i feel that my work is always evolving or changing, or at least that is the goal. taking feedback into consideration, whether it be personal perceptions or outside critiques, is definitely a part of the evolution. being able to look at something honestly is crucial – take the good parts of each creation and put those lessons into the next piece. i feel that i have grown a lot as an artist since then and have continued to make things more personal. that could be applied to any of the mediums.
7. What kind of music do you listen to while you work?
i love all kinds of music. but if i am captain of the playlist, it’s usually Hip Hop. of course!
8. What are your inspirations, historical and/or contemporary?
definitely life and the everyday experiences, things that i have been through which have made me a stronger person, being able to rise past the weaker times. i love all artists as cliche as that sounds, you can take something from everyone who creates and there is always something to be gained.
some of my current fave artists:
Shepard Fairey, Jeremy Fish, Banksy, Dali, Aesop Rock, Brother Ali, Beck, Zack De La Rocha, Van Gogh
9. What’s your all time favorite album?
that’s so tough! i don’t think i have a favorite album of all time, always changing.. today: Paul’s Boutique
10. What album can you listen to non-stop?
Blackstarr
11. What album do you hate the most?
Pussycat Dolls
(edit: i’m guessing here, i’ve never listened to their album)
12. Do you see any strengths or weaknesses in your artwork?
definitely. to not see any weakness is to fail as an artist – must be able to see what can be approved on and try to work on that.
i would say my best strength is craftsmanship.
weakness – procrastination
13. If you had a chance to punch a celebrity, which one would it be?
i was going to say Ben Gibbard (death cab for cutie) only cause he is engaged to Zooey Deschanel, who i love. but he seems like a nice guy and he makes lovely music (the postal service).
i would probably punch Lil Wayne right in his metal mouth, so hopefully he would shut up. i would likely get jacked by his crew, but whatev.
(edit: i changed my mind to Jay Leno. dude, you’re not funny!!)
14. If you had the opportunity to create a snack food, what would it be and what would it be called?
i have already done it. It’s cool ranch doritos dipped in peanut butter (creamy) and it’s called Peanaritos.
15. Are you currently in a band? If not, have you ever been in a band?
i am currently a solo hip hop artist, but i work with a lot of producers and i play live with dj Phog.
i have been in several rap groups and bands: Cold Fusion, 2 Chompsters, Grumpy Taints, Semi-Automatic Clones, Half-Life
16. If you were in a band have you ever been on tour?
i have been on tour, as a solo rapper. i went with Dante and Deck.
17. What was the longest time you spent on tour?
one week for Vans Warped Tour with Dante and Deck. best week ever, can’t wait to get out on the road again.
18. What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened to you?
so much crazy shit.. always getting into new adventures. Having to fight my dad was a crazy one that wasn’t that comical. usually my crazy shit is funny.
19. What is one thing you hate about the music and/or art scene?
i feel that most artists out there that i run into feel that they are owed something or deserve something, when they dont. they dont work hard enough and they bitch that they aren’t getting the recognition they feel they should. the whole primadonna attitude is so tired. there’s also a lot of hating. it’s all jealousy and bullshit.
20. What is the one thing you love about the music and/or art scene?
i love meeting other artists that actually give a damn about the culture and their creations. passionate people are still out there in every scene, and that is what is inspiring to me. people that don’t give up and continue to evolve despite all the naysayers. i have made some great friends through music too. quality people.
21. Did you ever have a favorite stuffed animal when you were a kid?
nope.
22. What was or is your favorite cartoon?
probably Ninja Turtles.
23. Do you have any current projects you??re working on right now?
yes indeed! several paintings are in progress, including a couple on 3-d objects instead of canvas.
musically i am working on my first official solo Under the Weather as well as a ‘mixtape’ called Forget Me Not, which is basically tracks that didn’t make it on the UtW project but are in the same vein.
24. Do you have any exhibitions or concerts coming up?
next live show is Sunday June 14th at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, opening up for Glue with Matt G, Tree City, and more. Paintings will be on display.
I will also be displaying my artwork at Dante’s “Fixtape 3″ album release party on July 13th at the Blind Pig. I might be doing some live painting then as well.
Currently working on a combination Art Gallery / Hip Hop performance show this fall, possibly for my album release, which will have fine art as well as musical performances.
*Note: Please list titles of each art piece, medium(s) used and year it was made.
Michigan Music, 2008. Acrylic on canvas (this is the bird / hand one).
Red Dawn Danza, 2008. Acrylic on canvas.
Zombie Chicken Head, 2008. Acrylic on canvas.
No Sunshine, 2009. Pen on paper, cleaned up digitilly.
Self Portrait vs Inner Demon, 2008-2009. Pen on paper, cleaned up digitally.
Sponge’s Brain, 2009. Digital design done in photoshop for self promotion.
live photos from 2008-2009.
been a long time
i shouldn’t have left you.. yada yada yada to step to.
what have i been up to in the last 3 months?
played an awesome show out in grand rapids at the intersection. felt great about my performance. it was a tight set, i crammed in as much as i could in as quick as possible. went over well.
moved out to ypsi. pics coming soon. studio being set up. many freestyles recorded.
#fixD every thursday in Plymouth with Dante and Phog. except tonight. tonight we’ll all be up at the Blind Pig. those two dudes are performing.. i’m sure i will be on stage at some point.
new stuff coming SOON..
jesus it’s about time.
workin on it
tryin some new site designs out here.. not feelin this one so much, going to switch it back to something like the old one.
only better, of course.
to all my grand rapids area friends – i’ll be performing at the Intersection on Friday Dec. 4th, with Dante LaSalle and One.Be.Lo (of Binary Star!). more details to come!
for now check out some Awkward Family Photos.
PEACE
i love canada
thanks for a great time last night playing the FAM FEST everyone!
met some awesome people 
check me out all over:
myspace.com/thesponge
twitter.com/allSponge
hix1986@hotmail.com
248.444.3783
nice Peppers!
check out this decent stencil of the man himself Brian Peppers. if you don’t know who Brian Peppers is you better learn up!
i came across this picture while searching for ‘funny shit’ to post on here to make my friend laugh.
i could’ve gotten some nasty shit but i thought i’d go with a classic and see what new Peppers pictures were out there.
enjoy!
cold Fuze?
i really prefer the blueberry one,
but this strawberry melon is good too.
i think that the people at Fuze should hook me up with an ice cold sponsorship.
#fixD
it’s hard to get bling when you play free shows.
but we shine on.
this thursday (today actually) i will be playing at Boulder’s in Plymouth, and the show is FREE. i will be the only vocal performance of the evening, accompanied by the homie dj Phog, who will have a dj set as well. dante lasalle is going to step behind the tables again this week and cook it up saucy. the man brother gam will be djing a set as well. we’ve been gettin down at boulder’s for a couple weeks now and it’s been mad fun.
here’s a flier i cribbled out, last thursday at #fixD actually while i sipped a $3 pint of blue moon and watched the b-boys break it out to a micheal jackson mix that dante was spinning.
redroom! redroom!
thank you misses torrents.
this bathroom was in the basement of a really cool little art gallery in detroit. so many killer pieces of art there (lots of bad ass paintings). after i took this picture we grabbed a delicious sandwich and a couple tasty drinks next door before heading to the tigers game.
i want my bathroom to look like this.
pall malls and stall walls
i just thought of a new category to start for posts: bathroom pics. i just noticed that i have a ton of them on my phone from various bathrooms.. usually of funny sayings, cool tags, rad pics, etc. not pictures of my shit you sicko. jeez.
this one was taken at mac’s bar after phog and played a show there in march. that’s a ’sponge’ sticker there on the wall. not a sideways vagina graphic.
peace and elbow grease
saturday may 23rd – ypsilanti
back up that ass with tha rezurrection!
this saturday i’m playing aka’s SMILE (an album for which i did the artwork) release party. it’s at the Elbow Room in Ypsilanti, which is my favorite spot in Ypsi and great place to kick it. They have these old tv’s in there that play the craziest / weirdest video clips. the show is going to kick ass i’m sure, phog will be holding me down and the other cats on the bill are all cool.
come kick it and have a drink with us!
PEACE
