Exclusive Interview and Music Review – Basick – I Wanna Be Me

A great way to grab the attention of your listeners from the very start; the Charlie and the Chocolate factory sample offers intrigue and sets a fairly eerie scene. The haunting riff used in that actually slides perfectly into the beat and the backdrop that follows, and the flow of the vocal sits well on top of it all. The track has a lot of angst and attitude loaded within it, which comes across throughout. At just 2 minutes and 10 seconds long, you kind of just start to get into it as it all drops away and ends.

The serious sound and overall volume of the lead vocal stands well with the hip-hop beat and vibe that plays alongside the sample, and together it all makes for a pretty cool piece of music – a great mix that works well – it just ends quite suddenly. The sample is the hook, in theory, so as a short, concise, quick fire piece of art – it does exactly what it needs to. The vocals stand proudly, the confidence shines bright, there’s a lot of character in the lead as well, which is always important. You get the idea that this sound is something unique to the artist, and that regardless of the sample used, or the music behind it, or the production style; that vocal would hold it’s own and stay true to it’s style. It’s a quality that is inescapably important in such a saturated, modern day music industry.

I’d be interested to hear what other roads the artist travels down, whether it’s creativity that drives the choices, or inspiration, or just an arbitrary array of backing tracks upon which he can express himself. Hopefully there’s a thread through it all, as I think this was a brilliant choice of sample, and to keep it playing throughout as well – rather than just steal for the intro – it makes it a track of it’s own entirely, and it sounds pretty great. There’s an ounce of nostalgia that comes with these kind of samples that takes you back to the time when you first saw the movie, or heard the music, or the voice – and so with that, you then learn to associate the new artist, the new sound, with that nostalgia as well. It’s clever, and effective.

By Rebecca Cullen

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

I grew up in Raleigh Nc. I’ve been around music my whole life because my dad is the best keyboardist I’ve ever heard and my brother is a professional drummer and both are people I look up too. But when my dad took me to Lakaz of 2 drumatik studio when I was 12 I fell in love even though i’ve never been back there. And 6 years later hear I am, with a studio of my own.

 Haha My name came from 7 painful years of skateboarding. Because when you skate you fall or mess up over and over again before you land even the most simple trick and but once you do it a few times its like riding a bike. So I compared that knowledge to a lot of aspects in my life and noticed how many basic things a lot of people struggle with.

 Yup all the time. When i started out I used to make beats and put them on Soundcloud all the time, but never really tried to get paid from it. Plus I’m only 19 and i didn’t start listening to rap until Lupe Fiasco dropped the cool and the only album i’ve ever bought is J. Coles forest hills dr. I’d rather a fan come to a concert so we can interact in some way.

 Haha im so busy trying to run a studio I don’t have time to do gigs as much as I want to so the best thing I can think of is hit every open mic in your city.

I honestly don’t have one I just go with it when it feels right. I know I have a genuine love for music so i just trust my gut.

Soundcloud.com/tewbasick

Twitter / Instagram: @tewbasick

SnapChat: @tewnyse Official

Website coming April

Haha I would say they can keep the year off but thanks for the Money. Plus I haven’t had a job in over a year now. I’m blessed to be able to be doing something I love.

Soundcloud and the team I have around me #VEST we’re always look for new ways to promote.

 Im dropping my first project in May. And I have projects dropping with VEST which is the music group I am with, and the cofounder of Vest Kosher this summer – Fall

 Skating

 Its hard but thankfully a lot if my responsibilities are tied into my music life.

 The best first mixtape they have ever heard in there life. I have been working hard as hell for a long time and I’ve been waiting for the time i can put on for my city since there are no rappers out of Raleigh. —