Anything but anonymous

By Jacinta Macheel Zens

jacinta.zens@gmail.com

HPR: How and when did you become involved in the group Wide Eyes?

SA: I joined Wide Eyes in late 2004. Little known fact: when I first met Tony & Dimitry (of Wide Eyes) they were already making music under the name, but it was a 2 piece drum/dj combo. After a few weeks of meeting up to freestyle and make beats, they invited me to join the group. A few months later we recorded a few e.p.'s in random basements around Minneapolis, then things started to take off a bit.

HPR: How did you decide to start doing solo work?

SA: Making music with others is great. I always enjoy seeing what comes out of a collaboration. Sometimes it takes me to places I might not go to if I were making a song by myself. That being said, I feel like the best music I've made has been my solo work, or the work i've done as the main vocalist.

When I'm working by myself, that's when I've felt the most free to say exactly what I want. It also allows me to dive into personal issues that I want to write about, but wouldn't expect another rapper to have to write on subjects that are that personal. (IE: most the stuff on the last album).

HPR: Did you have any idea that your 2012 solo debut Anonymo would become the huge success that it became?

SA: I love that record, and knew it was pretty damn good while we were making it. But whether I knew it would be successful or not?... No clue. I'm not even sure if I thought about it in terms of success. I just knew it felt great to create.

When Anonymo first came out, I took a chance on doing a radio campaign. I had never done one before. It was a huge chunk of the very tiny budget we had at the time. I was nervous. But we did it. A couple weeks later Anonymo was being played by radio stations all around the country, then I was like "other people are feeling this too?... tight".

HPR: How did your life change after Anonymo?

SA: The shows got bigger. More and more people started singing along when we performed. We started to travel more... I feel like that album was one of the first big steps on the way to where we're now. We've still got a long way though.

HPR: Your new album, Better Days, is produced by Dimitri Killstorm; the producer from Wide Eyes. With the success of Anonymo, you have been continuously playing shows all over the globe. How did you find time to work on Better Days? How long did it take to finish the album?

SA: Better Days took me a long time. Too long maybe. Some of those songs took me (literally) years to finish. A few were so personal that it was hard to write more than 2 lines at a time... But I'm glad I did. And I feel better for it.

HPR: You work with a myriad of people on Better Days including the legendary Del the Funky Homosapian –of Gorillaz and Deltron 3030 fame. How did the two of you connect?

SA: Del's the homie! He and I connected through our friend Pat out in Denver. Pat and Del were skating one day and Pat put on the rough copy of my last album. Apparently "What is Your Name" came on. There was still an open verse at the time, and my homie asked D if he wanted to rap on it, and he said yup.

A year later we put out the song, about half a year after that Del asked us to tour the country with him. And somehow one of my favorite rappers of all time became my friend. Its dope.

HPR: You are playing with the Gentlemen of Doomtree at the Sanctuary in Fargo on Saturday September 10th. What can people expect at the show?

SA: If you've been to one of our shows, you know how wild it gets. If you've been to a Doomtree show before, you know how crazy those get.

Don't miss out.

HPR: Do you have any advice for any hip hop musicians out there?

SA: Make music that feels good to you. Some folks get caught up in making music for other people. Worrying about if it’s a hit song, or if other people will like it. Make something that's real to you, and listeners will naturally gravitate towards it.

IF YOU GO:

The Gentlemen of Doomtree with Sean Anonymous

Saturday, September 10, 7pm,

Sanctuary Events Center, 670 4th Ave. N