Tajji Sharp Interview (Arizona artist)

[D-Nice]

http://www.illuminati2g.com/tajjisharpinterview.htm

I2G continues our coverage on the Arizona hip hop scene as Tajji Sharp joins us for a interview. We discuss that very topic, AZ hip hop, how he sqaushed his beef with Willy Northpole, his upcoming projects and collabos and much more so check it out.

Illuminati 2G is here with Tajji Sharp, how's it going?

Man I am good, I can't complain. I am blessed, just moving forward everyday, that is all I can do.

Tell me a little bit about how you got your start in hip hop and who are some of your musical influences out there.

I got my start out of the love of music in general. Hip hop is the foundation of who I am as a person. Influences start with Eric B & Rakim, EPMD, up to Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West. Kanye is a good friend of mine, he also mentored me for a couple of years. I used to go back and forth from Phoenix to Chicago and record with him and do shows and I have been everywhere with him for the most part. He played a big part in where I am at as a artist right now and in addition to my own drive. That is pretty much where I am at right now.

Being from Arizona, what are your thoughts on the music scene out there? I would say other than California on the west coast, I would say Phoenix is the next biggest market and music scene as far as with up and coming artists. What are your thoughts on it?

It is definitely blossoming. There is alot of talent out here that needs to be heard. I feel like if we had the industry here, like it exists in California, it would not be no questions about the talent, because it would be exposed. Right now we in the trenches like everyone else and just trying to get our name up there. There is alot of talent, artists and producers wise, and all we can do is keep pushing and wait until the door cracks open enough for us to all run through it. Right now it is barely cracked so we are doing everything we can to push it open. But the scene is definitely crazy out here, we hold our own with the best of them.

What are some up coming projects that you have for yourself? Any mixtapes or albums currently that you are working on?

Yeah I am working on a project right now called B Status. That is coming out crazy, I was just on this mixtape with DJ Far that had 100 MCs on it from the west coast (Western Conference All Stars Special Edition). Alot of the top artists and up and coming artists were on there. I am currently working with Juice on his American Me project. There are some young cats out here called First Flight that I am working with as well. Me, Juice and Willy Northpole got something in the works, so I am just acting busy and active, doing alot of features. There is another cat out here named Trap, he is bubbling real hard out here as well. We got some things in the works also, some of the projects are tenatively titled right now.

Is that the same Trap that is down with Hannibal Leq and Monstas Ink?

Correct.

Cool, cool. Just reading a little bit on your bio, and reading about some of the adversities and dealing with death, how has that shaped you as a artist with your music?

It has definitely....., hmmm, I feel like everybody is a sum of their experiences. The experiences have definitely shaped who I am as a person first and foremost, which then funnels down to me as a artist. With the death of my brother, which happened 3 1/2 years ago, we all know that tomorrow is not promised. When you take a loss like that, that is out of the blue, it really puts things in perspective for you. Here I am now where I am in a position where I have 2 nieces and 2 nephews and I got to push harder then the next man would who does not have to carry that responsibility.

I definitely look at how I move, how I push with my music and anything that I do in life, I gotta go extra hard because I have mouths to feed. I don't even have kids of my own so they are technically like my kids so it puts a different twist on your life. I always feel like though out of all bad comes some good. The good persay is that where I might have been in third gear rather than being in fifth, my foot now is all the way down. That is about the best way that I can sum that up.

Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates coming up in Arizona or around the U.S. that you want to let the people know about that you have coming up for you?

Me and Trap got some things in the works, but we have not really tied anything down. I also have a couple other things that are tenatively scheduled, but I have not quite got the dates on them. I had a show at Club Drinks recently and I did a show with Juice in Idaho with Twista recently as well. We are just trying to spread it out. I think one of the things that is important for Arizona artists is for us to establish ourself at home of course, but we also need to make sure we break outside of the lines so other people are aware that there is really some talent out here.

I got the invite by Juice, we just went up there (Idaho) a couple of months ago and made a name for ourself, well actually made a BIGGER name for ourself, and they wanted us to come back. It is a beautiful thing man.

That was good to hear that between you and Willy Northpole that you guys were able to iron things out. I heard that track, The Disconnect, so it got a little crazy there. I know you did the Hustle N Grind radio show shortly after that had dropped, so I am definitely glad to hear that you guys are all linking up and doing shows together, that is a good thing.

Appreciate it man. I mean I definitely feel like in order for the city to be taken seriously, we have to take ourselves seriously first. It was almost necessary that the song had to happen because essentially what it did was it opened up the eyes of alot of people who did not really realize that this was the under current going on here in the city. Once Willy and I were able to have that conversation as 2 men and able to chop it up, he stated his peace and I stated mine. Boom, now everyone is on some lets get together and lets do things. I am not sure if that track was not out there that all this would not have happened, but it definitely expedited the process.

Once people were able to see the fact that me and him were able to shake hands and move forward from that, it made everyone else feel cool and there is no reason for anyone else to feel indifferent about anything right now. Everything is clear and out in the open.

Absolutely. What is your website information for people looking to check out your music and see what you got going on?

www.myspace.com/tajjisharp. www.twitter.com/tajjisharp. www.facebook.com/tajjisharp. Just stay on the lookout, I will be popping up on different mixtapes, different projects, might be popping up in a city near you, so it is all good.

Alright well that is all the questions I have for you, appreciate you getting down for the interview. Is there any last words or shoutouts you want to get out there to the people?

Shoutout to everyone out there that supports me, anybody that has ever supported me, the state of Arizona, everyone beyond Arizona that supports us and supports me. It just don't stop, all we got to do in order for everyone to pop, lets just keep spreading the love and extinguish the hate, that is where I am at.

Appreciate the interview.

Oh yeah no doubt.