GrungeCake Magazine Interview with Recording Artist Speak by Jenny B!

Photo: Courtesy of Speak

Photo: Courtesy of Speak | Jonne Johnson for Artistic Dreams

Photo: Courtesy of Speak | Jonne Johnson for Artistic Dreams

Blurb from Jenny:

I had a chance to sit down and get into the creative mind of a young emcee that goes by the name of Speak. Initially, I came across Speak in ~2007 on MySpace. His flip of Paper Planes was one of illest I’ve heard. It hit before all the other knock offs. From that point on, I knew I was a fan of this outspoken, crazy So Cal kid, who for some reason likes the fact that he looks Jewish, but is so far from it!

GrungeCake: How are you doing today?

Speak: I’m very lugubrious right now, which means in the state of mourning… next question…

GrungeCake: Name your guilty pleasures.

Speak: Is it so wrong that I enjoy Real Chance of Love? There is a saying in my country, “If you have never dreamed of hookers with low self esteem and fake hair/breast fighting for your love, you aren’t dreaming big enough.” I am also fond of listening to Yanni records in the dark while dressed in a Greek toga. I find it both liberating and erotic. I am a man of few vices, but Yanni is straight crack to me.

GrungeCake: What inspires you?

Speak: A lot of things inspire me. Most of my music comes from warm fuzzy places like picnics, puppie dogs, piñatas, love, hate, and sex. I find the most inspiration in the stupidity of my fellow man. I feel like most of the people I encounter or see on a daily basis are huge self-parodies of what being an actual person is. Sometimes I feel like someone is playing a huge practical joke on me. It’s almost like all the trends; styles, attitudes, behaviors, music, and people that live in this world were designed by a team of staff writers. It’s unreal to me. I know I am going to sound like an elitist prick for that remark, but in all honesty, it doesn’t really bother me. I don’t mind being right all the time.

GrungeCake: How do you feel about the direction of Hip-Hop?

Speak: I’ll leave the preaching and overly obnoxious ranting about the depravity of the culture and music to KRS-One. He enjoys the sound of his own voice and beating the drum for what is and what isn’t Hip-Hop. However, in my personal circle Hip-Hop is beyond alive and well. I can’t really speak on what everyone else is doing because it’s really no importance to me, and frankly, I think that’s where a big part of the problem comes in. Hip-Hop should go to city hall and legally change its name to “Focus on the next man.” I can’t name another musical culture or genre where so much emphasis is placed on what everyone else is doing. In no other realm do you find artist so intent on watching their peers fail. It’s a bit stomach turning. All I can do is sit back and enjoy the level of creativity coming from Pheo, Versis, Verbs, Intuition, and Stevie Crooks. As long as they are, challenging themselves and making fantastic music Hip-Hop won’t need a compass and Google maps to find its way.

Photo: Courtesy of Speak | Jonne Johnson for Artistic Dreams

GrungeCake: How is that you share a publicist with Pac Div and Diz Gibran?

Speak: Carl saw me live at the Spliff. Came up to me, told me “I was the best live performer he’s ever seen” and gave me a card!

GrungeCake: If you could do something else, what would it be and why?

Speak: I would like to work at an animal park of some sort. Animals are interesting in the fact that they are so human like. The only difference is the chimps in the monkey cages will take a shit and throw it at you full force knowing damn well it’s a pile of shit. Where as a guy like Kid Cudi will take a huge shit throw it at you knowing it’s shit, but try to convince you it’s a life-changing piece of art and music.

GrungeCake: In the future you would like to do what?

Speak: Possibly build a jet powered rocket car of some sort and drive across the country in search of America.

GrungeCake: What are you afraid of?

Speak: There is nothing in this world that I am afraid of. I have heard the mermaids sing, and their song is beautiful.

GrungeCake: What is the best lie you told?

Speak: I told a fat stripper she was thin once. I felt bad for her because when she was on stage dancing. It was more of a Jell-O like display of epilepsy than an erotic dance of lust.

GrungeCake: What is the most delicious thing you ate this week?

Speak: Soup made from the tears of 12,000 Indian orphans. Their pain feeds my hunger to make change. The dish is also rich in protein and taste fantastic with a side of sliced honeydew.

GrungeCake: What is surprising about you?

Speak: I have three nipples and know all the words to the movie “That Thing You Do.” I guess the fact that I open my mouth and sound like a black guy does as well. We can call that the “Amy Winehouse” effect.

GrungeCake: What are you working on now?

Speak: A song that has no music, sounds, or words. It is entitled “Ode to the Price Line Negotiator.”

GrungeCake: I heard that EP of you and Afta-1, how did that come in the works and when can people expect to get that?

Speak: Yes, I did in fact a new project with my long time friend, Afta-1. It entitled “No Distance Just Grace.” We have always been close friends and fans of each other’s work. In fact, we use to be in a group called Soul Rock Affiliates. Though we took different creative paths, we have always respected and inspired each other. He’s always had a hand in fueling me creativity. In my own mind, I am forever chasing him and trying to one up him in a friendly way. I have never been close, but I def narrowed the gap with this set of songs. (Laughs) Now that I’ve just got comfortable and said that, I am sure he is locked away somewhere raising the bar to a level I couldn’t dream of. I’ll be damned if I don’t get there one day.

GrungeCake: Three producers, anyone dead or alive you would love to work with and why?

Speak: Phil Spector would be the first. Not just, because he is likely to pull a cross bow on me during recording, but because the wall of sound was so damn god like and epic. Could you imagine a rap record sounding like the Ronnetts? It would be amazing.

The second would have to be Jon Brion. I feel like a culture thief and cunt saying that because KanYe already used him to work on his second record, but god damn it the man is brilliant and composes some of the most moving music I have ever heard.

Last but not least would be Jona from Yacht. The man is amazing. Layers and layers of electronic funk and booming drums. I am not a fan of the whole electro rap fad. Its all a bit disgusting in my eyes, but I am a fan of electronic music and feel Jona as a writer and producer has the talent to bridge electronic and Hip-Hop in the proper way.

GrungeCake: Do you call your music Hip-Hop?

Speak: No, I call it social anthropology.

GrungeCake: Any shows coming up?

Speak: I am forever touring and playing shows. The moment I stop, the terrorists win.

GrungeCake: Where can one go to get your music?

Speak: applebird.org and myspace.com/octopusluck always has free downloads and goodies for the kids, however he best place to get my music would be at my shows. I hand out CDs and tapes at my shows all the time. None of the tapes or CDs or ever alike. They all have different songs and artwork. It keeps things interesting, gives the listener something to look forward to, and keeps things unique. It’s a great experience as a fan and supporter of the music.

GrungeCake: If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow what you do and why?

Speak: I would get in my car, drive to Valencia, and make sweet love to you. We are long over due.

SideNotes:

This is a lyric from one of his new tracks: “I must not be urban enough cuz 2dopeboyz snubbed me/ I say fuck em, Brooklyn Vegan and pitch fork love me.”

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