Elemental Zazen's The Glass Should Be Full was released on May 20th, and it was a seriously long-time coming. Most artists take four years to complete their albums because they hit writer's block. Most of them are not fighting brain tumors and house fires. Then again, Elemental Zazen is not most MCs...khal: How did you get started rhyming?
Elemental Zazen: Well, like most kids in the early 90’s, I was listening to Hip-Hop. The first Hip-Hop tape that I fell in love with was the first Naughty By Nature album. Then came perhaps the record that influenced me the most, Apocalypse ’91 by Public Enemy. I was a 5th grader living in Al Taif, Saudi Arabia, signing along with songs like “By The Time I Get to Arizona” and “Lost At Birth.” I had no idea what Chuck D was talking about most of the time, but he was saying it with such urgency I knew it had to be important. From there I started writing little rhymes when I was bored in class and eventually started writing verses. After moving to China in ’96 I started freestyling and doing shows - pretty much by myself (Hip-Hop wasn’t omnipresent back then).
khal: Listening to your music, the term "revolutionary Hip-Hop" definitely comes to mind. I've also read that, while you are in the Boston area now, you have traveled the world as a youngster. What about your life has drawn you to speak out on the injustices worldwide?
Elemental Zazen: Growing up in the third world and coming back to the states is eye opening for several reasons - some of which you wouldn’t expect. For example, the socio-economic inequality in China or Egypt is more visible than it is here, but in actuality it is very similar in its pervasiveness. I knew there was something wrong when I saw people living on the streets when I was kid, and after hearing all of this “America is perfect” propaganda and returning here to the same situation, I felt a need to put my two cents in. I’ve always been sensitive to the needs of people, even strangers. I don’t know. I guess I just have an appreciation for humanity. I would feel like I was failing if I wasn’t doing whatever I could to make the world a better place.
khal: Your debut, The Adolescence Weapon, dropped in 2004. Now you're on the brink of the release of The Glass Should Be Full. Can you talk about what you've gone through in the last 4 years, and how these events have helped shape you as both an artist and a man?
Elemental Zazen: I could write a novel about the last 4 years. So many ups and downs: from finishing the record to getting a full scholarship for my PhD to house fires to brain tumors. Nowadays, I try to look back on the positive things that have happened to me in the last few years. Thinking about all of the things I have had to deal with can be depressing, and to be honest there are plenty of people that have had it worse. That being said, I feel like, if anything, I am increasingly apathetic about my own circumstances. I don’t get too excited about anything, or too down either. Music is the one place where I still feel I can express myself without having to wear the mask of personal tragedy.
khal: How is your personal health these days?
Elemental Zazen: I’m feeling better every day, though I have to be on the lookout for seizures. I had a slight one the other day, and that scared me pretty bad. I’m doing my best to stay away from alcohol and things like that…easier said than done, especially for a musician who’s at shows all the time.
khal: Break down your new album, The Glass Should Be Full, for us: who did you work with, what can people expect when they hear it, etc.
Elemental Zazen: Honestly I don’t know how to categorize the new record. There are some political songs, and some more introspective songs. I guess I’d have to sum up the album as “personal”. I was lucky enough to work with some of my favorite producers, such as Joe Beats, Kno, and Maker. I think the album is too dense to really get a lot from in one listen, but repeated listens will reveal the motifs prevalent throughout the album: dealing with death and insignificance, frustration with the state of the world, and coping with an altogether imbalanced existence.
khal: What would you say is the most intriguing thing about your MC skills? While, lyrically, your tracks are more focused on world issues, do you have tracks where you just let loose and flow?
Elemental Zazen: Yeah, I have tracks where I just flow but I figure I might as well try to say something while people are listening. If someone decides to check out my music, I want to leave he/she with more than just “that beat was hot.” Having some meaning in a song gives it much more depth. That’s what makes the early Outkast records so tight. The beats were on point, and Andre was killing it on the mic AND speaking about relevant issues besides drinking, smoking, girls, etc. When I first heard ATLiens, I wasn’t head over heels for it, but after taking the time to hear what was being said on the record, it stayed in heavy rotation for years.
khal: Who are you backing in this year's election? Are there any issues you'd like to see the candidates/American government focus on?
Elemental Zazen: I don’t trust politicians. It may sound contradictory, but the reality is that progressive minds are actually more in agreement with traditional republicans (NOT neo-conservatives like Bush, McCain, etc.) than contemporary democrats. This is because traditional republicans have one major focus, and that is keeping the government out of everyone’s shit. People like Ron Paul are tapping into this constituency. Being untrustworthy of politicians, philosophically I would lean more to that concept (limited government) with the caveat of believing is social welfare and universal healthcare. That being said, I’m not backing any of the major candidates. Pat of me thinks shit really needs to hit the fan before the fundamentals of the system change. Who knows though…technology may be conducive to reform change.
khal: The Boston area seems to breed some fine Hip-Hop talent, at least on a more non-commercial level. How rich is the underground Hip-Hop scene in the Boston area?
Elemental Zazen: I swear the top ten emcees in Boston could go toe to toe with the top 10 from any city. Most people just know about Lif and Edo G but there are a bunch of talented emcees and producers here, several of which I am lucky enough to have on my record (J.Ferra, Confidence, Gnotes, Afro DZ ak). The problem with the scene here is that artists always feel like they have to move in order to make it. It’s not like I can say much, though. I’m moving to Seattle this fall.
khal: Will you be going on tour in support of your new album?
Elemental Zazen: I have a few shows scheduled in the northeast in the next month or so, and then I am heading to Europe for a little over a month this summer. After that, I will be moving out west so I am sure I will get something set up out there for the late summer/early fall.
khal: One thing I recently read on the 'Net was a post asking where the revolution songs in Hip-Hop were. Why do you think so few artists speak on more concrete and "real" issues, as opposed to sticking to some of the fodder that is played on the radio?
Elemental Zazen: It seems to me like it is trendy now to speak out against the government, which is both a gift and a curse. I obviously want people to keep their eyes open about what is happening in the world, but if all of that energy goes unorganized, it will die out like what happened in the 1970’s. As far as popular music goes, the radio is slowly sinking into irrelevance…not a moment too soon. Artists obviously avoid speaking out on record if they want serious radio plays, because the idea of being against the status quo is exactly the opposite of what radio stations want to promote. When things change, they will no longer be able to pimp artists and labels in exchange for plays.
khal: What do you think Elemental Zazen's place in the Hip-Hop history books will be?
Elemental Zazen: Honestly, I think I will leave a larger mark on academics and class struggle than music. I love music, but my goals are bigger than simply making an album. I just hope that when people pick up an album of mine, they might feel inspired to change something about their life; whether it’s a viewpoint about something or an approach they take to an issue.
khal: Do you have any plans on a follow-up album?
Elemental Zazen: Of course. And the next one won’t take nearly as long as this one. I’ll be dropping the follow-up next fall, at the latest. I have been feeling inspired lately.
khal: How do you unwind?
Elemental Zazen: No different than the average man, although I party much less than I used to. I like to exercise and keep my thoughts clear. Besides that I go to a lot of shows and make music.
khal: Do you have any final thoughts/shout outs?
Elemental Zazen: Shout out to Gnawledge Records for putting out my album. A big thank you to Gnotes and Canyon for all of their hard work. Also, check for my label mate Afro DZ ak’s record Elevation which hits stores this fall.
Check out Elemental Zazen's video for "Handcuffs":
Props to Canyon Cody for hooking this interview up.
www.myspace.com/elemntalzazen
www.gnawledge.com
gnawledge.blogspot.com
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