[MP3 + Music Video] Interview with Emerson Windy – Black America

Emerson Windy is a new West Coast producer/MC who recently dropped the very respectable Herojuana mixtape album. I featured a few tracks from the album a couple weeks back here on the site and he just premiered a new video for another track from the album, “Black America” on HipHopDX. Windy agreed to answer a few questions for The Kitchen about the video and his album so peep game:

DK: Emerson Windy: is that your real name? If not, what’s the inspiration behind the name?

Windy: No, Emerson Windy isn’t the name my mother gave me. Part of it is though, Emerson is my middle name and Windy came from the street I was primarily raised. I heard that’s how a lot of porn stars pick their names so I tried it and it worked. As Austin Powers would say, “Yeah, baby, yeah!”

DK: You have a pretty impressive resume for a producer that many people are probably still getting familiar with. Your grind is seriously on point, no doubt. Can you talk about how you’ve managed to work with the producers and artists you have on your one sheet bio?

Windy: I had to build personal relationships with either the artist or people inside their camps in order to work with most of them, this industry is all about the relationships you forge. For my latest project, Trendsetter Sense from The Academy played the largest role in connecting me with the producers and artist featured on Herojuana.

DK: Weed and hip-hop have gone together since the beginning. Most rappers take on the half baked/stoner persona (Wiz, Curren$y, Snoop, Cypress etc.) in their music or talk about marijuana as being their stress medicine to relieve the pressure of the street life. You come at it from the persona of being the ‘Weed Man.’ How much of that is rooted in your real life or real experiences?

Windy: All of that persona is real, I became the Weed Man in college when my mother told me I needed to get a job in the off-season when football ended. I went hammer until I had a little run with the boys in blue and a few FBI agents mixed so I took it easy in the streets after that than they made it legal so I got involved in the dispensary game. Nowadays my view of the plant is so much different, it’s not a drug, it’s a medicinal flower and I’m making it my mission to change the perception of my beloved marijuana industry. I applaud states like California, Colorado, Washington and others that have recognized the benefits as well.

DK: You’re from the west coast but for the most part, except for track a like “Watching Me,” your sound feels more influenced by Trap and maybe even Drill music than traditional west coast sounds. Can you talk about your influences and inspirations as an artist and producer?

Windy: This project definitely has Trap influences, I came up a Trapstar so that type of music speaks to me as well. I loved Jeezy coming up so when I was sent trap beats, I fucked wit’ ’em but as I release more music the fans will see that I dibble and dabble in damn near every genre I can with integrity. I appreciate music, all music that speaks to my soul. If I’m inspired, I’ll create. It’s that simple. Pigeon holes are the birds, Windy flies where inspiration takes him.

DK: You just released a video for the “Black America” track from Herojuana. I’ve been re-watching The Wire and just finished the fourth season centered abound the kids at Tilghman Middle and then there’s the Mike Brown tragedy in Ferguson so your timing seems especially good. Can you talk about the song, which is a pretty strong indictment of both what’s wrong in Black America and America in general, and the video?

Windy: When I wrote the record, Mike Brown was still alive and well (R.I.P.) so “Black America” wasn’t inspired by that tragedy. The failing education system in most American inner city’s is where I drew the words from. I realized that educators are drastically under paid and so often not given the tools necessary to make a difference with children that are bombarded with imagery of drugs, guns, robbery prostitution and murder to name a few. Some schools districts which are primarily located in urban areas are so bad that teachers are struggling just as much as a family on section 8 and the only tangible evidence of financial prosperity those children may see is the D-Boy or the rappers they listen to talking about the dope game. You didn’t see Blacks killing Blacks in these numbers in America before the dope game, we fought for our rights and preached education. We were together then. I want to see us together again….

DK: Thanks for your time and for offering to do this, Windy.

Windy: Thanks for supporting.

Follow Emerson Windy online: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[MP3] T.I. – I Do The Most Feat. Yung Booke, Young Dro, Spodee & Shad Da God

New track produced by the homie, S.I.D. (formerly of the legendary NJ old school hip hop crew, The Flavor Unit and the group, Sid & B-Tonn) and his son, Von. Heater status, no doubt!

[MP3 + Music Video] Saukrates – Kingdom Come

Lead single (produced by Snaz) from the just-released today Amani EP by veteran Toronto MC, Saukrates. This is his first official release since his Season One album which I really loved personally but which got a mixed response overall. This track should appeal to those naysayers who thought Season One wasn’t boom bap, hip hop enough. The Amani EP is also the prelude to his forthcoming Season Two album. Can’t wait….

Listen to Saukrates – Amani EP: CBC Music (premiere) | RDIO

Related:

Read an interview with Toronto Rapper, King Reign for the #DK11 Project where he talks about his long-standing creative partnership with Sauks.

Listen to an interview with Bigg Soxx on The Come Up Show podcast.

[MP3 + Music Video] Keys N Krates – Understand Why / Are We Faded

Great (fun!) video by Toronto’s Keys N Krates for a song we’ve posted previously and a brand new song to boot as a bonus, huzzah! Second single from the forthcoming Every Nite EP.

[MP3 + Music Video] Third Mind – Just Lookin’

Latest single and music video from NJ-based #DK11 alum, Third Mind. I’ve been trying to do an interview with these cats since the This One Goes To Eleven… compilation album dropped but I just haven’t been able pin them down on it! Oh well. Hit the jump for their track from the comp, “Life To Be.”

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