By COURTNEY GUTTENBERG
Staff Writer
The Albany scene is known mostly for its interesting array of metal and hardcore groups. However, there is a rich and diverse hip-hop scene emerging from the Albany, Troy and Schenectady area. I got to sit down with the very talented Greez Da Beast, a hip-hop artist based out of Troy, New York.
Greez got his start in 2001, but recently recorded and released mixtapes “Definition Of Hungry,” released about five months ago, and “Product of Struggle,” released about a year and a half ago. He’s currently working with Last Era Records and recently played his first show in Troy at the River Street Pub. I got to talk with Greez about his releases, influences, hopes for the future and the status of the local hip-hop scene as a whole.
Q: What made you want to start rapping? What got you interested in rap?
GREEZ: I grew up in basically a project development, so there was a lot of guys outside that would rap and do the same thing that I would hope to do. I had a lot of older influences when I was growing up. Basically [I started because of] why everyone else wants to rap. It’s the allure of rap.
Q: What are your main influences?
GREEZ: At the moment, I would probably say, this guy Caskey out of Orlando, Florida, and Kevin Gates.
Q: Do you have any artists that got you into rapping?
GREEZ: When I first started, it was local dudes, a lot of dudes I grew up with. There was this guy named T-Money, I don’t know if he goes by that anymore, but he was an older kid when I was younger and he definitely pushed me to get into rap. That was a definite.
Q: How would you describe your sound and your style?
GREEZ: Overall, I do activist kind of music. I do a lot of anti-government stuff. I like to speak how I feel about life and the things I’ve been through. I definitely would say it’s not gimmick rap. It’s something different. You would get to know me by listening to my projects. You’d be able to get into the music. It’s something you can actually listen to and visualize from your own eyes, something you could actually see going on inside. It’s not like the fake rap.
Q: What would you say are your biggest goals? What do you hope to accomplish in music?
GREEZ: Long term, I would definitely like to build my fan base and just kind of get the respect for the music I do. Short term, to expand my fanbase and get more of a wider reach with my music and almost the same [thing] – get the respect for what I do and the time I put in for my music.
Especially locally- I would like to expand the city’s horizons and let people know that there’s a lot more music coming out than just what’s coming out of the Five Boroughs of New York City. Upstate New York definitely has a big talent base and a big ocean for people to come fish in and find their artist and get their talent and actually push the 518 as a whole, instead of just New York City.
Q: What would you say that your writing process is like?
GREEZ: Actually, it’s funny – for my next project, I switched it up a lot. I used to write and record as I went, but now I’m taking the time to actually put in more writing sessions and structure the project and the cohesiveness a little bit more – and then hit the studio hard. Lock in, really do the music and focus on putting everything where it needs to be and getting the right mixes and masters and the right copies of the right music.
Q: What’s your favorite song that you’ve ever written?
GREEZ: I have two for different reasons. I have song on my last project called “Appreciation,” and on there I talk a lot about life things and the style of the song is like, I’m showing appreciation to the people that hated on me and pushed me to actually be where I want to be, but I speak a lot of real stuff in that song. That’s the last song on “Product of Struggle,” track number 11.
I also have a song called “Paranoid” that I have a video coming out for soon and that’s one of my favorite songs I’ve written just because I feel like musically and on a bigger level, it’s one of my strongest songs as far as being able to be pushed on a bigger level. It’s a little bit more, I guess you could say “mainstream” than my regular projects and my regular songs that I would write.
Q: Do you have a date for the video release?
GREEZ: Right now I’m working with a production company called Game 7 Productions and [they’re] in the editing process. Right now we actually might be going out to shoot a second part because it’s going to have a storyline to it, it’s not going to be your basic rap video. We’re not rushing it – I can’t really put out a date on that, but I’m alright with waiting as long as the product is right.
Q: If you could sum up your sound and style in one word, what would that word be?
GREEZ: Beast. I would definitely have to say beast – everything I do is like that. That’s just my whole image.
Q: What venues would you like to play in the future? Local or anywhere, really.
GREEZ: As far as local venues, probably Upstate Concert Hall [in Clifton Park], Putnam Den [in Saratoga], definitely any venue that will welcome me, I will be there and bring people with me to support. As far as big venues, definitely Webster Hall in New York City, Madison Square Garden obviously. But locally, I would definitely like to get in every local venue that’s willing to support this local hip-hop scene and willing to push and try to build it together.
Q: What’s your inspiration for your newest mixtape, subject matter wise? You said you did a lot of anti-government stuff, but is there any other subject matter that you touch on?
GREEZ: My first mixtape was “Definition of Hungry” and that was a project that I actually sat on and thought about the idea for like, a good four years, just never got in the studio and did music for it. It was just always an idea.
“Product of Struggle” was definitely from being broke and just barely paying the bills and so that’s got a lot of that hunger in it where like, I’m here, I’m ready to do what I need to do. This one is gonna be basically showing you where I’m at musically and being actually able to put together a cohesive piece that’s more of an album than a mixtape – something that actually goes together and top-to-bottom flows as a music piece.
Q: You already touched on your current influences music-wise.
GREEZ: Yeah. I listen to a lot of Caskey, honestly. He’s slept on as a bigger artist, he’s signed to Cash Money Records with Birdman and stuff, they don’t really push him like they should but he’s definitely one of my bigger influences. Overall, I listen to a lot of Ruff Ryders Volume 1, Volume 2, The Locks, DMX, Young One… My influences are basically like every other kid from New York – Jay-Z, Nas. Shout out to Dave East, too, he’s doing his thing out of Spanish Harlem right now. He’s definitely a big influence [to me] as of now.
Q: Do you have anything else you wanted to add?
GREEZ: Go check out my Soundcloud, which is soundcloud.com/greezdabeast. You can also download all my projects on Audiomack.com at audiomack.com/greezdabeast. You can also join my mailing list at GreezDaBeast.com, you’ll get updates on all my projects, all my shows, any features I have coming up and basically the whole package that comes with being a fan of mine. There’s a lot to come from the K.O.K. Collective and Last Era as a whole. Be on the lookout for that. Stay in tune and friend request me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter – I reach out to all my fans so if you talk to me, I’ll talk back.
You can check out Greez on his website, GreezDaBeast.com, like him on Facebook at facebook.com/greezdabeast, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/greezdabeast. You can stream his releases on Soundcloud.com at the link above or download them from Audiomack at the link above as well. Be on the look out for his releases and his upcoming shows, which will be happening soon.
Thanks so much to Greez for sitting down and talking with me!
