On the LOOKout - Rapper "G." talks with The RGC

I don't really have a "day job," just a trilogy. I am at once a lyricist, an attorney, and a professor. My career is not triforcated like this out of financial necessity, but out of desire. I love making music, I love practicing law, and I love teaching university students.

Self-proclaimed as "the voice of the Black Collegian," the rapper "G." is truly a unique artist with a one-of-a-kind blend of intellect, lyrical mastery, social awareness, and business acumen. Rap moguls like P. Diddy, Jay-Z, and 50 cent all achieved their international renown with similar mixes of these talents. Depending on how he plays his cards, G. could also rise and become a dominant force in the game, whether behind the pen, in front of the mic, or both.


We at the RGC had the pleasure of learning a great deal about this complicated and dynamic lyricist. We asked the questions and here's your chance to learn everything you want to know about the Ivy League educated, JD and Masters degree holding, university professor, and beyond ambitious rapper.  I hope you ate your breakfast because school is about to begin!

The RGC:  So who is "G?"

G.: First of all, it's "G." always with the period, never without. The name is a shortened version of my first name, "Giovanni." It's just something I've always been called as a child to avoid the interesting ways people chose to pronounce "Giovanni." As I grew older, the letter "G" took on a place of prominence in hip-hop. Originally meaning "gangster," but now to be a "G" simply means to be at the top of your game. I've been pleasantly surprised to find no other hip-hop artist has chosen the single letter to represent them. One problem I didn't anticipate, however, it's darn hard to Google me!

The RGC: When did you start rapping? And when did you decide that this was something you wanted to pursue?

G.: I wrote my first rap song in 8th grade. I think it was called "Yes, I'm Fresh," to the best of my memory :-). My first on stage appearance was my Junior year on the campus at Arizona State, where I had recently transferred from FAMU (long story). That was also the first year I was on the radio; I didn't have any recorded material, I just went down the the station and spit a freestyle. Perhaps this was around the time I decided to make a career out of writing and performing music, but I also knew it would not be my only career.



The RGC: Where do you get your material from? What inspires you to write?

G.: When I sit down to write a song, it's usually because I have something I want to say. Art is more than just what's on the surface. So I have to start with the reason, the purpose, the soul. I then put on a production track, count the beats per measure (you often hear rappers referring to "trying to catch the beat,"; if you were to count the beats per measure ahead of time, the beat would have never gotten away from you in the first place). Finally, I pace the studio until the lyrics begin to come to me. This part I have difficulty explaining. I'm not quite sure from where the lyrics come. Often I listen back to a completed work - sometimes years later - and am surprised myself by a double entendre or an obscure reference that brings the song new meaning. I am forced to conclude that my artistic brain and my academic brain are wholly separate, and the two rarely communicate. When giving a lecture about my own music, I must sit down and analyze my music not as the author but as a scholar, like any other.

The RGC: Okay, well who are some of your biggest hip-hop/music inspirations?

G.: Of course I have to start with the classics: Bob Marley, 2Pac, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, KRS-One, John Coltrane & perhaps most important my parents, Dr. & Mrs. James Turner. Soulja Slim's life and death also had a huge impact on my music; I'm sure that's true with all New Orleans emcees. And I'd be remissed if I didn't give props to Ohene for polishing the raw diamond he found back in 2003. Some names from which you might be surprised to hear a rapper drawing inspiration: Sarah McLachlan, Sarah Vaughn, Nella Larsen, Jacques Derrida, Emily Dickinson, & Dr. Bill Cosby.

The RGC: Talk about eclectic! It's great though that you don't limit the sources from which you pull energy and study. What our blog appreciates most about you, G., is your scholarly yet aggressive approach to your music. Also, you really aren't taking any prisoners with your lyrics. Case and point - your song, "Penicide." You expressed a lot of frustration with the present state of rap. What do you see as the biggest problem with the rap game nowadays?

G.: If I had to choose one that gives me the greatest pause, it is settling for mediocrity, not striving to reach your full potential. It seems to me that far too many people are so afraid of failure, they reach only for a lesser, much more achievable version of their dreams. We have far too many MBAs staying in management, never to start their own company; too many English and Literature MAs/PhDs toiling away at correcting the writing of their students instead of writing books of their own; and yes, too many hip-hop artists just following what their A&R deemed to be the current trend, in a desperate attempt to avoid being dropped from the label - few dare to set trends of their own (what's really sad is some indie artists are their own A&R, and they still do this).

The RGC: Well let's turn the lens inwards. We all acknowledge your remarkable talent but what do you see as your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a rapper?

G.: My greatest strengths would have to include songwriting, depth, and creativity. I take great pride in meticulously scripting each word... I also cover a broad range of topics. As I discussed earlier, I want to invite many more people to the hip-hop table than had been previously. A hip-hop song can be about something more than wealth, poverty, crime, sex, governmental injustice, and the art of emceeing itself. Not that these topics aren't important, but they are not the only important topics.

If I had to admit to a weakness, it would probably be that I have a difficult time relating to my fans. It is rare that I receive the feedback that a fan saw themselves in a song I wrote. There are exceptions. A lot people were drawn to "Fallen" from Legend of the Chancellor because they too felt so beaten down by life's pressures, they questioned whether to even go on. And others count "Superstar's Voicemail" as their favorite song from American Scholar because I have articulated what they wished to say to the love interest in their lives. However, [my fans find themselves appreciating many of my songs without seeing themselves in [them]. I think this relationship works. Some of my favorite songs are about the struggles of a child of a single parent - Diana Ross' "Love Child" or Goapele's "Childhood Drama" - even though I grew up with both my parents.

The RGC: What do you bring to rap that is uniquely different?

G.: To avoid giving a cliched answer to this question, indulge me while I give specific examples of what I have added to the hip-hop history books. On my first album The Chancellor (later rereleased under the title Legend of the Chancellor, if you stumble upon both, get the rerelease, the mastering was redone with updated technology), I wrote a song entitled "String Theory." That song blends hip-hop, science fact, and science fiction. I wrote this song to break way outside the mold of what is considered fair game in hip-hop. When picturing a typical hip-hop fan, few envision mathematics doctoral students. My father is a mathematician; many of his students listen to hip-hop, but they never thought they could blend the two together. This was my invitation to them to have a seat at the hip-hop table - next to the poet, to the left of the injustice protester, and directly across from the ex-felon looking to change his/her life around... On my current album, American Scholar, the song "Hunger" is another example... of how I venture out into uncharted waters. I find many socially unconscious hip-hop songs attempt to wrestle topics so big, they cannot possibly cover the breath of the issue. "Hunger," on the other hand, is specifically about teenagers - 16, 17 years old - who are living in poverty and cannot get enough to eat. They are now faced with the prospect of soon being a woman or a man and having to take care of themselves. Now this issue seems much smaller than World hunger in general. It is easier to say, "Ahhh, I understand. And there is something we can do. We need to insure these students find their way into college. We need to get them scholarships that cover all expenses and include the summers. They can then matriculate into a fruitful career, and - unsaddled with student loan debt - reach back and care for the family members back home." It was difficult to stay so narrowly focused, but I have yet to hear any fan or critic say the art suffered because of it.

The RGC: What is your chief goal regarding your rap career?

G.: My chief goal is getting people to break free of definitions and stereotypes. We are quick to say "that's not hip-hop" or "quit acting white." But the truly great people in history never let others put them in a clearly labeled box. Dr. King didn't let others tell him what "Christian" means, Obama doesn't let others tell him what "Progressive Politics" is, and I definitely do not let others tell me what hip-hop is. Shout out RAHM Nation: Ohene, Random, Greg Soundz, DN3. Make sure you pick up both of those albums: American Scholar and Legend of the Chancellor. And keep reading The RGC, I love this blog! (please leave a comment, let us know you're out there)

The RGC: Thanks for the shout out, haha, and for answering all of these questions! On a final note, are you working on any new projects?

G.: I'm currently touring the Southeast promoting the current project, American Scholar. The new single, "Things to Remember" (my attempt to explain to women why men don't always show their emotions) is getting some good feedback. You can download it from iTunes or Amazon.com. And if you follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/G504) and catch me in a good mood, I just might post a free download link to it. The next album is called Metalanguage. I can't even begin to explain what this album is about. If you are a student of Nietzsche or Barthes, you probably already know a little bit about Metalanguage, and this will be a bold undertaking. This album is very important to me, so it'll take a while. I started it last year, perhaps it will be ready next summer. There is also a certain someone I really, really, really want to be a part of this album. Contracts haven't been signed yet, so I can't say who, but she knows who she is ;-). In the meantime, enjoy American Scholar and Legend of The Chancellor.

The RGC: Again, thanks so much, G., for doing this interview with us. Keep "doing you" - educating us, haha - and good things will happen. Much respect.

For you readers, here are some links to G.'s different Internet pages. Check him out!

www.rahmnation.org - RAHM Nation Recordings, LLC's homepage
www.myspace.com/504g - ADD G.
www.twitter.com/G504 - Follow G.
www.cdbaby.com/gtunes3 - Buy G.