AZAD RIGHT(September 2011) | Interview By:
Javon Adams
Hip Hop is not about the color of your skin. Close your eyes and
listen to an artist and let the skill be the deciding factor. Azad Right is
all about skill and his ambition is palpable. Dubcnn.com hooked up with this
emcee to talk about his path he is on that he believes will lead him to
success.
We talk about what he calls success and also what he learned from interning
at Interscope. At some point in our lives we face a crossroad and Azad Right
faced that fork in the road and has been at peace and in constant motion
ever since making his choice. Get to know Azad Right and you will see why
his star is rising.
Dubcnn: We have the pleasure of conversating with an Up and Comer, a
gentleman by the name of Azad Right. How are you doing man?
Azad Right: I’m good man. I’m doing real good right now. I’m in New York
City.
Dubcnn: New York City? So what takes you out to New York City?
Azad Right: I had a show out in D.C. and a show coming up with Hot 97 in New
York. I went to Boston for a studio session with my boy. Just making moves,
man. Taking meetings and progressing.
Dubcnn: So for those folks who are wondering who you are tell them
why they should be up on Azad Right.
Azad Right: I’m an artist out of L.A. I grew up playing piano, violin and
hip hop music. And I have an interesting story…not many Iranians enter this
(Hip Hop) world but I think my story is unique. Its not only my ethnicity
but it’s the circumstances of life and the fact that I feel that I really
struck through and stuck with what I believe in and that’s music.
Dubcnn: Now talk about that for a second. Obviously Hip Hop is more
of an African American dominated genre so in terms of paying your dues and
as you still continue to pay dues and as you get more notoriety…talk about
any type of obstacles that you have had to overcome or challenges to gain
the respect of the Hip Hop community.
Azad Right: To be completely honest with you, when I was younger I had
completely no rhythm. I still remember to this day that I would write to
these beats and my boys would tell me, ‘You have no sense of beat. You gotta
ride the beat and feel the sh*t.’ It took me some time to understand and
build the mechanics and the fundamentals but that was the main thing
musically.
As far as the people, most of my friends were ethnic to say the least. I’ve
always been surrounded by positive energy and I felt that I could do this
and do this music sh*t for real.
Dubcnn: I hear you. Speaking of doing the music stuff…I was on
AzadRight.com site and I was
listening to a couple of your tracks and the video that you have for
Spiderwebs kind of stuck out to me. It showed a different side of you from
the freestyle that you did over Shook Ones Pt 2 where I can hear the lyrical
side of you. But talk about being a songwriter and trying to touch on
different things and being a well rounded artist.
Azad Right: I grew up…I said Hip Hop but I loved R & B when I was younger. I
can remember my 8th grade graduation and I was fu*#ing with all types of sh*t
like Usher and Mario at the time. I loved that side of things, the Rhythm
and Blues side but songwriting came up when I really studied those artists
and studied what made a great song. Pac writing his hooks and B.I.G.’s
storytelling and keeping the audience interested.
The Spiderwebs song that you mentioned is about a failed
relationship. The first verse is about my ex-girlfriend and how it reminded
me over and over again that I really struggle to maintain healthy
relationships. The second verse was about actually one of my close friends,
one of my producers…we had a bad falling out over trust issues. The third
verse is about my mom. Its very characteristic of an Iranian male to be a
doctor or lawyer and to pursue a college education but I didn’t want to do
that. I wanted to do music and it took a toll on her.
Dubcnn: Based off of the last thing you said…even with the
upbringing and the culture…even in terms of someone pursuing a career in
entertainment where there is not necessarily that straight line of where to
go to be successful tell me about what you define as success. And what your
plans are moving forward.
Azad Right: Success for me is being able to do what I love which is to make
music and to get it to a large number of people. A wide audience. My plans
to do so, actually we’re in the talks of setting up a tour. I’m going to
keep the name under wraps for now but it’s going to be 17 or 18 shows in
September and October and not with Hip Hop artists. My plans of bridging the
gap between Hip Hop and R&B and Reggae and Pop and all of these different
genres. I think that since I was influence by them growing up that its my
way of giving back and getting out there to reach all of those audiences.
Dubcnn: Makes sense. Now tell me about the
A Piece of
Mine EP. That came out in February if I am not mistaken, right.
Azad Right: Yup.
Dubcnn: So tell folks if they check out your music what can they
expect from you. Why will they be hooked in?
Azad Right: To be honest with you,
A
Piece of Mine was going to be a prelude to my mixtape and my
eventual album which is called ‘Piece of Mind’. When I made that EP I was in
a dark place. Things weren’t going right with my management at that point. I
have new management now but things were bad. I was interning at Interscope
and seeing all of these artists that I felt I had more talent than and was
more dedicated than blow up right in front of my eyes. Doing marketing for
people you don’t believe in for artists that you feel are manufactured or
label created is tough and it takes a toll on you.
Dubcnn: You said you were interning at Interscope, talk about how
that experience of seeing the back end and the business side, the promotions
side maybe has helped you to be able to be not only an artist but a business
man as well.
Azad Right: Definitely man. It gave me perspective. Interning at Interscope
I saw what went on behind the scenes. I met the people that drive the
machine that we call the label. I realized that the main reason I was there
was to get my foot in the door and it is actually what got me kicked out. I
was setting up meetings for myself and producers inside the label and after
awhile my manager, who at that point and time was also my boss, told me that
I had ulterior motives. They didn’t like interns trying to get signed. They
weren’t into that kind of sh*t so they let me go and I went to Europe that
Summer to visit family and when I came back I told myself that I was done
trying to be somebody that I am not. I’m not going to be on the business
side of things. I’m going to be the artist.
Dubcnn: I like that. Any last words for Dubcnn? Tell folks where they can
stay up on Azad Right.
Azad Right: It’s Twitter,
Facebook
and AzadRight.com. I
want to shout out Nima and you Javon. I really appreciate everything you’ve
done for me. Ray Alba, what up!
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