First things first, I was told that this interview was rare due to the fact that this artist has turned down all other interviews...so when accepted for this, I was beyond flattered. So, let me start by saying:
I am utterly grateful to have been the “chosen one” when it
comes to the interview with the exceptionally talented Jesus Gang Ali.
There I was one day, scrolling my Twitter when I received a mention from an individual wanting me to check out a Sound Cloud account owned by Jesus Gang; I must admit I was not jumping at the chance to check out another artist because I had been sent so many videos and links, videos and links, …did I mention I received a ton of videos and links?! I wasn’t busy at the time and I took a few moments to actually check it out. I was taken aback by the message in the song and the lyrical ability of this guy! I was surprised to say the least and extremely glad that I didn’t just pass on this particular mention. In the process of rebuilding my repertoire, I jumped about a million feet outside of my comfort zone and contacted the individual that mentioned for me to check out the song.
There I was one day, scrolling my Twitter when I received a mention from an individual wanting me to check out a Sound Cloud account owned by Jesus Gang; I must admit I was not jumping at the chance to check out another artist because I had been sent so many videos and links, videos and links, …did I mention I received a ton of videos and links?! I wasn’t busy at the time and I took a few moments to actually check it out. I was taken aback by the message in the song and the lyrical ability of this guy! I was surprised to say the least and extremely glad that I didn’t just pass on this particular mention. In the process of rebuilding my repertoire, I jumped about a million feet outside of my comfort zone and contacted the individual that mentioned for me to check out the song.
I reached out and replied to the mention: “Hi, I’m
interviewing artists for my underground artistry blog and would love to feature
@JesusGang” (paraphrased) and added the link. They replied and asked if it were
print or video, “Print”, my coy response. “Great; I’ll let his management
know”.
Wow. That was easy! I stepped outside of my comfort zone for a minimum
of 10 seconds to post a 140 character or less tweet and got a reply that was
beyond what I expected. A couple days go by and I receive a direct message from
his management asking me for details and we built rapport that I can honestly
say I feel more secure in than some of those I speak to and see on a daily
basis. Professional and prompt, I enjoyed our conversations and even more so
the answers received to the interview questions.
“Toying with the idea [of rapping] since the age of 16 or
so”, Jesus Gang is more than seasoned. He has had time to explore his craft and
hone it. He has taken advantage of the simple, yet all too real fact that being
“normal” just “wasn’t going to work”. In ‘trying to ignore [his] calling’, he
finally came to his senses and began listening to that voice in his head that
told him this is what he was supposed to be doing.
As I was sifting through his answers to the interview
questions, the one that stuck out the most to me is his answer to “Who are your
musical influences?” His answer below:
“None of my musical influences are musical really.
Jean Michael Basquiat paintings make me wanna write music...the old people at old churches who sing old hymns in a way that give off that pure God-energy...not religious...pure, healing, God-energy; watching Project Camelot interviews, or I may find some obscure documentary that moves me to tears, like when I saw the recent Angela Davis documentary. Oh, and Louis Farrakhan speeches will always make something in me move creatively...even if I don't agree with everything he says...it's an energy thing..."
I believe this is the most out of the box answer I have ever received. Usually, it's the name of another artist; the uniqueness from his answers made him a perfect interviewee for this blog. He is TRULY underground. For he stated, "I will never give control of the message and energy I have been sent to emanate...; these artists need to realize [record deals] don't exist anymore. The labels sign you to 360 deals that gives them control of your energy and of how you get your art to the people...""I'm careful with my heart and reckless with my art"... Jesus Gang Ali doesn't confine himself to genres (labels); in fact, he states he hates "labeling art". To him, "a song is an individual art piece, like a painting or a sculpture". I couldn't have said it better myself. Music is a craft, an artwork; and if someone is passionate about it, it will show. Dually noted, I asked what was his thoughts on today's music. In reference to today's #IndieRevolution: "It's become a tribal thing...completely independent of labels or rules. [I] love it. Technology has made it so the people that like what you do can get to your art with virtually no middle man; it's evolving into what it was always meant to be." And I can't agree more.
I suggest you just press play: "HIGH PLACES" by #JesusGangAli:
For MORE on THIS artist, please don't hesitate to visit & subscribe to his #YouTube channel:
@ JesusGang Ali/YouTube
Or his #SoundCloud account:
@ JesusGang Ali/SoundCloud
Also, be sure to check him out on #Twitter & hit the #FOLLOW button when you get there:
@ JesusGang Ali/Twitter
Thanks again for reading; hope you enjoyed the content! Please follow the links herein and check out the artist. It's an #IndieMovement and we all work together for one cause: to make an impact! Leave a comment; let me know what you think, give the artist a shout-out on their social accounts, and come back for more...for there's more to come!
Another site, but not just another blog...the home where we bring you artists with flavor and stories with substance: The Underground Artistry blog!
Yours Truly,
Rachel Marie
The Underground Artistry Blog
For more on the author of this blog, you can visit her website: Rachel Marie, The Writer: Official Website or find her on FaceBook: Rachel Marie, The Writer
