Yo son, I’m Vast Aire

It’s early March and the Vancouver rain is pelting my apartment window like a landlord looking for the rent. I unlock the door with the intention of sneaker shopping but I change tact and decide to check my emails and myspace messages. Good news, I say to the words on my screen. My interview with one of hip hop’s hottest MCs is about to get underway. LET’S GO!
It’s been almost six years since Vast dropped his world-wide smash album “Cold Vein”. It was seen as a sci-fi/ apocalyptic apotheosis that came at the right time. Let me give you a brief timeline of Vast’s career. Since ’95 he’s been a staple in NY’s clubs and the subterranean hip hop scene. 1999 saw CP Records compilation “Persecution of Hip Hop” where Vast flipped the “Adversity Strikes” track making it an automatic beacon for his fanbase. Many guest appearances on CDs and collections soon followed.
2004 ushered in his debut solo “Look Ma…No Hands” which took a detour from the futuristic style of “Cold Vein”. Vast is just one of the seven member crew that make up the highly esteemed Atoms Family as well as a member of the lyrically-laser precise Weathermen. He has appeared in Saddat-X’s video “Drop the Ball” and The Wisemen’s video “Iconoclasts”. As one half of Cannibal-Ox, Vast’s intelligent word-play, dynamic lyricism and unedited honesty continue to push the bar exponentially higher for new comers. Word is that he has been burning the midnight lamp on various projects. This is an exciting time for one of hip hops greatest MCs as much as it is for his fans. For better or for worse, the heads can’t get enough of his thousand watts of light brilliance.

How’s the weather where you are?

….WET AND NASTY, COLD, VERY COLD NEW YORK WEATHER

For those late comers just tuning in, please give us an overview of who you are and what you’ve been up to in the last couple of months.

….I HAVE BEEN WORKING NON-STOP ON LIKE 4 PROJECTS, 2 OF THEM WILL BE DROPPING THIS YEAR, I’M WORKING A LOT WITH WU-TANG, SADAT X, MADLIB, AND MANY OTHER HIP HOP ARTISTS. JUST STAYING BUSY AND DOING THE MUSIC I LOVE! VAST AIRE IS DOING BIG THINGS THIS YEAR!!!

Many rappers claim to hit up chatrooms and keep heads in check. But you cats actually do it and stay in touch with your fans. Are the peeps blown away when they realize you’re on their screen?

……I GET THAT A LOT ON X-BOX LIVE, LOL LOL LOL
PEOPLE CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S ME, AND THEN THEY HEAR ME TALK, AND THEY GO CRAZY!!!…IT FEELS GOOD TO KNOW PEOPLE ARE BUMPIN’ MY MUSIC ALL OVER THE WORLD. I LOVE ALL MY FANS. AND YES I DO READ AND CHECK MY MYSPACE EVERY OTHER DAY…IT’S NOT MY MANAGER OR AGENT/STREET TEAM…ITS ME!!! I’M A REAL DUDE FROM REAL NEW YORK.

How did you hook up with El-P?

…..I HOOKED UP WITH EL-P BACK IN THE DAYS OF LIKE 1997′ AT A CLUB CALLED WET LANDS, HE WAS DOING MUSIC WITH A FRIEND OF MINE NAME BREEZ BREWIN, AND WE HIT IT OFF. BUT I KNEW THE JUGGANOTS FOR LIKE 2 YEARS BEFORE I MET EL-P. AND FROM THERE WE MADE HISTORY. IF I DIE TONIGHT, I MADE A CLASSIC HIP HOP RECORD THAT BROKE DOWN REAL NEW YORK!!!

How did your first lyrical battle unfold? Do you still battle on occasion?

I DON’T BATTLE, I MAKE MUSIC!!! I’M BEYOND THAT STAGE. IF YOUR BATTLING ME NOW, IT’S SONG FOR SONG,…..I LOST MY FIRST BATTLE TO A FEMALE AND SHE WAS AMAZING AND IF I COULD I WOULD TELL HER NOW, IT ALL CAME DOWN TO ME AND 2 FRIENDS WITH HER AND THE WHOLE BLOCK WAS THERE WATCHING!! AND WE LOST!!!!…LOL WE WERE A TRIO AND SHE WAS FROM A DUO, AND HER PARTNER DIDN’T EVEN SHOW UP???? WE GOT ALL COCKY AND SHE RIP US!!!!
SO IT WAS 3 ON 1 AND WE STILL LOST???

LET ME TELL YOU, I LEARNED A LOT THAT NIGHT, OUR RAPS WERE LIKE QUICK LITTLE 12-16 BARS…BUT SHE WOULD BUST OUT WITH A FULL 24 BARS, AND SHE WAS RECORDING A LOT, SO HER FLOW WAS HOT!!! THAT’S WHY I’M A BEAST ON THE MIC BECAUSE OF A BEAUTIFUL GIRL, WITH A DOPE FLOW! FROM QUEENS. DON’T WORRY I’M GOING TO FIND HER, AND MAKE A SONG!!!

What are you currently reading? Any recommended suggestions?

……THE TAO OF JEET KUNE DO, BY BRUCE LEE
IT’S A BOOK ABOUT COMBAT.

What are your thoughts on pres. Bush’s “War on Terror?”

….I THINK BUSH IS EVIL, AND HE WORK FOR AN EVIL CAUSE.

Last time you came to Vancouver Canada how did you find the crowd? Any thoughts on the Canadian underground scene?

…..I HAVE CRAZY LOVE FOR CANADA, Y’ALL HAVE FREE HEALTH CARE…LOL I HAVE FAM AND FRIENDS OUT THERE. I GOT MAD LOVE OUT THERE!!!

Any thing north of the 49th parallel tweaking your ears? Any Canadian rappers that stand out?

…. MY MAN 4TH PYRAMID!!! AND NOTES TO SELF

Is it true that you once wrote rhymes in your passport? I think this may become a future trend.

….YUP, VAST AIRE DID DO THAT…LOL
IT WAS ONLY LIKE 6 BARS, THE AIRPORT THOUGHT IT WAS SOME KGB CODE…LOL

What’s the illest video game out there now? You a Nintendo man or PS3?

….I’M BOTH, I LOVE VIDEO GAMES, I PLAY GEARS OF WAR FOR X-BOX 360, I PLAY PLAYSTAION, AND ALL THAT. I LOVE FIGHTER LIKE DOA OR TEKKEN OR STREETFIGHTER, MARIO BROS ETC.

I understand that you practice Bushido and Zen. Is there any value/ belief system that you subscribe to?

……I DO WALK THE PATH OF BUDO [BUSHIDO]
IT’S A VERY LONG WALK, MY FEET ARE TIRED, BUT MY HEART IS NOT. BUDO IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, IT MUCH MORE THAN JUST FIGHTING, IT’S A COMPLETE CULTURE. I PRACTICE AIKIDO, AND I CROSS TRAIN IN KARATEDO. I HAVE BEEN A BUDDHIST FOR ALMOST 7 YEARS. I LOVE THE BASIC TEACHING OF THE BUDDHA.
PLEASE LOOK UP “THE 4 NOBLE TRUTHS” IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

You have been called the Shakespeare of the street. Where do your flow ideas and innovative language come from? It’s pure genius.

….I JUST LOOK AROUND ME, AND PUT IT DOWN ON PAPER, I LOVE RAPPING; IT’S A NATURAL PART OF MY SOUL.

How did you get the name Vast Aire?

….MANY MANY MOONS AGO…LOL A FRIEND OF MINE WAS MAKING A COMIC BOOK, AND GAVE OUT NAMES THAT WORKED BEST FOR ALL OF US, AND MINE WAS VAST. I LATER ADDED “HEIR” AND THEN BY 1999 IT WAS “AIRE” NOW IM VAST AIRE

With the emergence of “My Space” millions of kids world-wide are taking advantage of their 15 minutes of fame. Do you think this is causing mainstream hip hop to re-create or re-think itself?

…NO THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WITH MONEY, AND THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE. THOSE WHO HAVE WILL ALWAYS RUN SHIT. EVEN IF IT’S THE UNDERGROUND!!!
I DON’T BELIEVE THAT THE UNDERGROUND IS BETTER!!!
IF ANYTHING YOU’RE GETTING FUCK OVER LESS MONEY!!!
THERE ARE EVIL SNAKES IN THE BIZ. NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR BIG THERE LABEL IS.

How long does it take for you to compose a verse? Do you write up draughts or do you often nail it in one take?

….IT COULD TAKE 20 MINS- OR AN HOUR OR 2-DAYS, I JUST WRITE UNTIL I FEEL IM DONE, AND RECORDING IS NOTHING, I DROP MY VERSE’S REAL QUICK!

This may sound like an obvious question but did you ever get down with graff as a kid?

….YES BOUNCER 116 WAS MY TAG, FUCK VANDAL SQUAD; I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD WHITE TRAINS!!!!! OH MAN. I’M A CRAZY HAND STYLE KING!!

A lot of cats still hunger for that next “Cold Vein” album. It’s a very decisive album for many heads. Were you expecting the enormous global fame and praise that album garnered for Can-Ox?

….THAT LP WILL BE TALKED ABOUT FOREVER, AND I’M GLAD I LEFT MY MARK IN THE BIZ, BUT I’M MOVING ON, ME AND SHAMAR ARE STILL COOL, AND WE STILL MAKE MUSIC, BUT NOW WE HAVE MORE CONTROL. WE PLAN TO DROP AN LP SOON. CAN OX WILL AT LEAST HAVE ONE MORE RECORD. I FEEL WE OWE THAT TO THE FANS.

Tell us about the evolution of “Dirty Mag. Vol. 2”? How did it take shape?

….IT’S JUST A MIXTAPE, AND A LIMITED ONE, IT WS PRESS UP WRONG, SO I DID A LOW NUMBER, ONLY ABOUT 200 COPIES. I’M NOT PROUD OF HOW IT CAME OUT, THAT’S WHY I NEVER RE-MADE IT, BUT THE MUSIC IS HOT. I FIRED AN AGENT OVER THAT PROJECT!!

What are you trying to get across in your music as an artist?

…..LIFE, TRUTH, WISDOM, FUN AND THAT’S IT.

What’s your advice to any and all MCs with stars in their eyes?

….LOL WELL IF YOU REALLY LOVE THIS THEN GO FOR IT, IF ITS JUST A HOBBY, THEN GO BECOME A BUS DRIVER, OR A DOCTOR, OR A COP/FIREMAN…IM BEING REAL, THE WHOLE WORLD WANT TO RAP NOW, AND THAT’S NOT COOL. BE YOURSELF!

Tags: Interviews