1. You are a part of a band. Tell us about it.
Well, Soul Cannon first is one of the best things that is happening to me right now. Ryan Dorsey (bass) and I went to high school together at the Baltimore School for the Arts. We hadn't seen or heard from each other in like 8 years. He bumped into my wife at a party and we played phone tag for several months. When we finally spoke I told him I wanted to start a new band. We hooked up with the other three Jon Birkholz (keys), Nathan Ellman-Bell (drums) and Matt Frazao (guitar). It's a real dope creative experience for me because they challenge me to challenge myself with tempos and concepts. I get to switch my flow up a lot. I got bored with rhyming over beats all the time. I still love it but it seems monotonous to me at times. The live band adds a "get down" effect for the live performance that's not there when it's just beats.
2. What music influences you the most?
New music, rare music. Most of all Soul music but not Soul like everybody tries to define "Soul". You know, people who wear vintage clothing and earth tones and do their best rendition of 60s and 70s music. No, I like some of that but I like when I know the artist has given me a part of themselves. When I hear it and I know that they've cried, fought, or laughed over this subject. Feel Me? I'm influenced by real people making real songs. To me art should imitate life. Music is the soundtrack to life.
3. Who makes you smile?
My family. My wife is hilarious and my two daughters (Se'Lah - 2 and Sa'rai - 1) are characters. They
always make me smile. It doesn't matter how rough my day is, when I come home and see them running to meet me at the steps, it's all good and all worth it. 4. Would you sky dive?Why or Why not?
That is one of the things that I want to do so bad in my lifetime because I want to feel a hint of what a bird feels in the sky, free from everything, looking down below, embraced by the wind.
5. When do you write?
I write when I can. I write when I have to. Sometimes, I can't sleep because things are coming to my head. I have to write. Most of the time, I write when we have a show coming up and there is a new song we want to do. We always try to do at least one new song at our shows.
6. What do you want people to know about you?
I want people to know that I grew up in a rough city and chose to take a route that man did not intend for me to take. I want people to know that I don't believe in thinking outside of the box because I don't believe there is a box. I want people to know that I'm human and I'm always trying to do better. I want people to know that I love my family and everything I do is to make things better for my daughters than they were for me and their mother. I want people to know I'm no judge, just a brother.
You can find this amazing young man, his band and his music here:
www.soulcannon.com
www.myspace.com/ezejackson
