It’s human nature to generalize, compartmentalize and label, especially when it comes to music. There’s “gangsta” rap, “conscious” rap, “hipster” rap and when it comes white R&B crooners, “blue eyed soul.” But what happens when those eyes are hazel green?
I did my research on him before we met but I still didn’t know what to expect that early December night when I walked into Earth Matters, an organic market/cafe tucked away on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. But there he was, the dark haired olive-skinned white boy who has got to be the love child of Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, Mos Def and Maroon 5. He was laid back, wearing a blue button down shirt topped with a black and gray striped cardigan, gray pants and red and black hi-top Adidas, while eating a veggie burger. So this was Outasight? The man who should now be on every Gangstarr Girl’s radar.
Since creating an online buzz with the release of his June LP Radio New York, the Yonkers native has gone on to sign a three album deal with Select Records (in November), and has been featured by premier websites like Okayplayer.com and XXLMag.com. He even beat Jack Bauer (not really but kind of) in a competition where the end result was his video for “Good Evening (Dream Big)” being placed in rotation on MTVU. Everything about him came together as I engaged him in conversation. He’s witty, funny, cute, unassuming and smart–everything that is Gangstarr. He chopped it up with me about his burgeoning career, why he likes Gangstarr Girls and how he manages to create his own lane in the world of hip-hop soul.
Read the rest of this entry »
