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EUR NEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Hip/Hop maestro on the verge -- Q&A with new artist Seven.
*As South Florida's very own hip/hop maestro, Seven walks the walk and talks the talk on his exceptional debut album, Dirt 2 Diamonds.
Upheld by his already stellar local reputation, the microphone prophet born T. Haimes delivers his keen life observations on the title track, gets nostalgic on "Fat Laces," the buoyant, upbeat ode to old school, and bumps with "Club," a celebratory look at nightlife.
Yet as much as he portrays strength and vision, Seven has endured his share of hardship, including the 2004 shooting death of his older brother. The very same sibling, who as a young teen, encouraged him to pursue music. "He heard me rapping," Seven remembers, "And he gave me the confidence that I could do this. Losing him so tragically has been hard, but he will always be in my heart."
Persistent and sturdy from front to back, Seven's spitfire rhymes coupled with a diverse stylistic approach has helped him become a sensation on Sunshine State stages and local radio. Fueled by the desire to elevate himself and uplift the genre, I had the opportunity to speak with Seven, a deserving artist on the verge of success.
JOHN LUERSSEN: Congrats on Dirt 2 Diamonds. Is the title track a personal story?
SEVEN: Oh yeah. That's been around with me in my head forever. And it's pretty much my life story. I've had a lot of doors closed and a lot of people that wouldn't help me out in terms of music and my trials in life. It was drawn up from a lot of anger and sorrow that comes from everyday livin'. And I think it's really sharp lyrically. My skills are on display for all in the industry to hear.
JW: Talk about your stage name, what does it signify to you?
SEVEN: Seven is just a gifted name, a special child name in my family. I've always been, kind of like, spiritually connected, and it's devised from "God's Gift" on the biblical side. I actually break it down as Society's Evolutionized Vision for Eternal Nation. People may see me as a certain kind of artist, but there is always a message in my music, and it's more than likely that I'll project positive stuff. Its way more than just lucky number seven.
JW: Now you recorded this with the help of a live band, which is a little unusual for hip/hop, especially with the technology that exists today.
SEVEN: Yes. I used a live band on the majority of the project. And I think it really balances everything out. I don't want everything to sound electronic. I want it to sound more holistic and feel real.
JW: So, when you play live, you're also executing everything with a band?
SEVEN: Yes. It's pretty unusual I know, but that's how I roll.
JW: There are a number of single contenders on this record, have you thought about what you might emphasize to radio and the clubs?
SEVEN: Honestly, everything that I write is designed with appeal in mind. I want every song to feel as though it could be played anywhere at any time. I want to be accessible.
JW: How did hip/hop shape your life?
SEVEN: I've been into hip/hop forever. I first started groovin' on the old school stuff - Grandmaster Flash, Run D.M.C., L.L. Cool J, Public Enemy - and that's what drew me in. I was born in Syracuse, New York and my family relocated when I was young, around nine years old, to small town Florida.
JW: What was that like adapting from the city to the country?
SEVEN: Oh man, it was hard. It took a while, that's for sure. I believe if I could have run away then, if there wasn't so many woods and trees around, that I'd have been gone. My granddad had passed and left the house for my mom and my mom wanted to move down here. It was pretty drastic.
JW: Was hip/hop readily available in the rural south when you were coming up?
SEVEN: Well, we had urban radio, but the trend in music was different from what was going on up North. But the hip/hop stayed with me. And when I was thirteen, I started spitting rhymes and freestyle.
JW: How old were you when you hit the stage?
SEVEN: I think I did one of those Justin Timberlake things when I was a kid. I was in elementary school and I did real good in talent shows and at parties I'd always entertain. I'd dance or sing or rap.
JW: So it always came easy to you?
SEVEN: Yeah. This was about the easiest things for me to do. And it's funny, because part of my gift was that I didn't need to write things down. I'd come up with songs naturally. I would think of them, start singing the melody and come up with the beat. My mind would just go to work and I'd be able to remember it all.
JW: I guess when it comes to music you have a photographic memory?
SEVEN: Yeah. And that has to be the best part about my gift. My ideas would always stay with me.
JW: Where do you think you fit in with hip/hop? Your sound is pretty diverse and your attitude is pretty refreshing. You're not bragging about rims or a diamond encrusted Breitling.
SEVEN: As far as the hip/hop scene right now, I've studied the game. I can hold
my ground. As an artist, as far of skills and productivity, I'm right up there with Nelly or Ludacris or Jay-Z - people who are prone to not only being successful, but pulling off something that's really, really going to be remembered.
JW: As an independent artist, you've become something of a local phenomenon. How have you done it?
SEVEN: I'm just working the record on a face to face, hand to hand level. I've been doing it out of the trunk, but it's been a challenge. It's the Dirty South and all, but we're not like Houston or anything on that level. I'm using the internet, anything I can to keep elevating my profile.
JW: You've shunned a lot of the materialism that has become the norm in modern hip/hop. Why is that important for you?
SEVEN: Well, we've got guys who don't put time into the music, as far as being truthful and genuine. To me, I'm natural. I tell my life's story. You can make a song about any materialistic thing, but to make music that's successful across many cultures, I think you need to be original, a little unorthodox and make music people can identify with.
JW: What goals do you have to take your career to the national level?
SEVEN: As far as the Dirty South goes, I want to be one of those artists who comes out of Florida and puts himself on the map. Unlike Atlanta or Houston, I don't have a network. There really isn't a regional scene here. But I want to prove you can be a success, regardless of where you come from. I want to be one of the guys who is a trendsetter, who becomes a legend and a legacy through his music.
Check out Seven's music HERE.
John D. Luerssen is a regular contributor to Billboard, American Songwriter, Rolling Stone, Entertainment 360, The Miami New Times, and All Music Guide and the author of two music books, 2004's Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story (ECW Press), which recently yielded a Bronze Award from ForeWord Magazine in the "Music Book of The Year Category", as well as 2002's Mouthing Off: A Book of Rock & Roll.
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