rising star
Welcome to the archives This week, we’re revisiting our 2019 rising star talent 2SSAINT where we talk hip hop, spiritualism and connecting with your ancestors.
Photo by Michael Thornburg.
On his latest album, Toys, rapper 2SSAINT makes way for himself as an artist and as a promising emerging talent. The album’s standout single ‘Abu’ is work that compares to the likes of EARTHGANG and Kendrick Lamar. It’s opening hook “ I need you on my side”, echoes as a mantra as much as it does a plea for unity in our current socially divisive climate. Although critics and fans alike, should be careful to pigeonhole the artist as another sound alike rapper, his ambitions graze above following the status quo. On the stage, he is eager and exquisite. He gives his all to be all, and to show all what performances should be: An act of pure catharsis. It is his commitment to unload emotion that makes his presence both magnetic and baffling, leaving his audiences to wonder, how much strength is required to be vulnerable among strangers?
This Fall, Culture Jock, caught up the rapper to discuss the inspiration behind his work, spiritualism and honoring his ancestors.
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Culture Jock: First things first. What’s the background behind your name?
2SSAINT: The name 2SSAINT is from the Toussaint [L’Ouverture] the leader of the Haitian Rebellion. It’s the very little part of Haitian representation I am able to offer. Toussaint led a very effective and successful slave revolution and I admire that story. There are certain qualities that I admire about him and he is an important
CJ: On Toys, the listener can hear layers of Hip Hop influences, from Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar with a dash of Kid Cudi. Who and where do you draw inspiration from?
2S: 3stacks for sure, Outkast fresher, I admire a lot of music coming out of Southern Hip Hop like UGK and it’s a deep significance to me. Really everything, I love the entire hip hop experience. Wu Tang Clan, is definitely a big time inspiration. When I was 16,17, I heard them and I was trying to figure out how to be a better rapper. How to be a rapper for real. I appreciate them big time.
CJ: In the last 10 years, Hip Hop and Rap culture has replaced the sensation Rock once had. Everyone wants to be a rap star. From fashion adopting sneaker culture to blasting bass subwoofers becoming the punchline to every viral TikTok video, Hip Hop has invaded it all. How do you cypher through authenticity and replicas?
2S: There was a time when I felt I had to keep up. I came to a point when I realized that it was foolishness to keep up with trends, you know always releasing music or content, it was a waste of time. I was doing this as a kid me and my friends were like ‘We are the best rappers, fuck y’all,’ (laughs) ya know. I’m doing this for bigger reasons and you can’t always be in the competing game you have to focus on yourself. Also my view of the world is to always be working in collaboration. I know that I am a collective artist, I pull from anything. My art is just an expression of my experience on this planet. Hip hop culture is the culture. It’s Black culture. Mainstream culture is Black culture. I just try to be a walking representation of our art history and music.
CJ: What is your mission?
2S: The journey of the spirit. My ancestors are of great importance to me, Black culture is the culture. I just want to be open, truthful and honest with my music. I want to take the spirit into my music. I heard as a kid through your work you can keep the spirit alive. Even if they don’t get it immediately they still go back and be like ‘wow’, and hear what I meant. I just want to share transformative messages.
CJ: Is music therapeutic for you?
2S: Yeah absolutely. It’s important. I’ve been in spaces where the energy was not nice. (laughs) In our lives you can avoid anxiety. It’s important to have calmness.
CJ: Do you meditate?
2S: I like to, ya know, I just try to live everyday like it is its own. I can’t really explain, I am, like, myself. I am really chill dude, I like reading philosophy, reading about buddhist practices, a lot of things. I just try to follow my spirit. Ya know, my default is peace. Me trying to be a better MC made me read more. I used to always think of the spiritual experience and now that I read a lot of special things in buddhist writings, like the back and forth of master and teacher, he always has a job in the present moment. I always think that 2SSAINT needs a technique and it’s being present. To be in the moment.
CJ: I find it impressive that you spend time to connect with yourself. I believe it’s important for us to spend time to ourselves in order to have a clear understanding of our intentions when we go out into the world.
2S: Exactly, I don’t think this is my first time here on this planet or I am here for a reason. We have to recognize the importance that that has. For some reason we are here and engaging on this planet and there are more beautiful things that we can observe and eradicate the absurd.
CJ: What is absurd to you?
2S: To war with people with anyone with different ideas, religion, skin color etc. If we came here as something other and saw what was going on here we would be like, ‘what is going on with these people?’ The root ideology in this country is a capitalist ideology. In that relationship, someone is subjecting and someone is antagonized. The ideology is to look out for self, period. Connnect with people on a genuine level, try not to be a stranger all the time. Social bonds are our strength. Whether its church or another spiritual space we need to keep making them.
CJ: The duality between you on stage and off is most fascinating. On stage you are literally giving us everything and then you just leave it there, literally. Watching you walk off stage is like putting your phone on energy saving mode.
2S: (Laughs) During the process, when I am alone, it was agonizing. I am a perfectionist and when I am crafting these joints I am thinking about every word carefully. It’s agony. Ya know, its with words. When I wrote the songs I was going through bad things, there was a lot going on. I’m not sure if I try to go into it consciously when I perform. I don’t think I am expressing my deep-seeded anger, it’s not a conscious thing. I go up there and I surrender myself and just let my spirit free.
CJ: I want to go back and talk about Toys, we were given a chance to get a wider range of instruments. What was the process like for you?
2S: The album is really just a broad strokes of my expressions and the things I’ve learned in the past 5 or 6 years. It’s just representative of my world views. Definitely love life, death, mortality, just things I think about every single day. There was a point I was thinking about death all the time. I think people really need to check out the words and see I was dealing with some heavy things.
I think I am constantly thinking of how the work will be looked at when I am gone and I think it makes me such a perfectionist. When I am gone, ‘how will this convert to my legacy?’ I don’t want to make something my spirit may be ashamed of.
CJ: What making you return back to jazz?
2S: Jazz is super important. I listen to jazz music every single day. Ya know, when I speak for myself and the future of the more musically inclined, we are joining in different ways. I want to leave that type history. Jazz is prolific, when it came out and still is to this day. Of course I love Coltrane, Christian Scott. Christian Scott is the truth. Javier Santiago, Jimmy Smith. Jazz is so beautiful, I listen to discover everyday.
CJ: In Hanif Abdurraqib’s book Go Ahead in the Rain, he discusses the era of the 90's rap and its tribalism. There was a time in which you instantly knew where a rapper was from based on his instrumentals and vernacular alone. I mean you can’t dispute that Dre is Cali, Pimp C is the south, and the list could go on. Do you think the Midwest has a sound?
2S: Um, I feel like, I cannot really speak to the aesthetic that Cleveland is. I just know that as myself I try to be eclectic and something eclectic to be in the production. I enjoy being colorful, that’s what matters to me and I draw from that.
CJ: For this issue, we are asking our guests to share with us their New Year’s Resolution. What goals are you setting for 2020?
2S: I tell people all the time, if I made it tomorrow. Came into some money got my living situation better, that the first thing on my mind would be children. (Laughs) I want a lot, maybe not a lot, it might change. But yeah I can’t wait. I don’t know, I think I would be an excellent father. I have so much to offer to a kid.
Listen to 2SSAINT on Spotify.
