Welcome to another installment of RAPstation's Local Love Corner. Our spotlight is on Denver, Colorado's An Hobbes. While originally from Colorado, An Hobbes (real name Tyler Kreigler) spent most of his life in the small college town of Lincoln, Nebraska. Here he was immersed in the local music scene as part of The Awkwords. During this time, he explored the cast musical landscape of hip-hop and his place in it. Clearly comfortable in front of an audience, he carried his energetic stage presence with him when he returned to Colorado in 2009 where he continues to write, perform and record music.
Get to know your Denver hip-hop and take some time to read a little bit about the man behind the music. Please visit http://anhobbes.bandcamp.com/album/diaries-of-a-space-cadet-2 to check out An Hobbes' new album, Diaries of a Space Cadet 2.
RAPstation: What up! So what took you to Denver and why?
An Hobbes: I was actually born in Colorado Springs, CO and spent a lot of my childhood in the state. I ended up moving to Lincoln, NE with my mother after my parents split, but my father stayed in Colorado so I did a lot of back-and-forth between the two. As an adult, I really wanted to move back, but couldn't find a feasible way for me to do it without living on the street. Skip to about three years ago, I was running an art gallery/designer toy store in Lincoln with a few friends and working a full-time day job to cover the costs of the shop and my new family, as my wife had just given birth to our daughter. I was working seven days a week, losing tons of money, never seeing my family, and making no new music. I was really unhappy with the way everything was turning out. Then one day I discovered that my full-time job had an office in Denver so I looked into transferring.
When I found out that was a realistic option and that my wife was down with it, I closed the shop and shifted my focus on getting out of there. I interviewed for a position on a whim, got it and we moved out a couple weeks later. I have been in Denver for about 2 1/2 years and looking back it was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. In a lot of ways, moving gave me a fresh start. Getting into the scene here didn't take me very long and now I feel like I have really established myself as a solo artist. I have released two albums in the last 14 months and I am hoping to have a third release titled The Chameleon and the Thief out by summer of 2014 with producer K-Murdock. Since I have been here I have been faced with a lot of challenges, but that has just given me more drive to succeed. While I will always love Lincoln, moving was the right choice for my family and myself.
Do you feel it has a better hip-hop scene than Lincoln/Omaha? Why or why not?
The two are hard to compare. Denver has a much larger population and draws way more touring artists than Lincoln/Omaha. Since there are more people here, there are naturally more local artists involved in the scene and there are bigger crowds at the shows. Denver has a lot of talented hip-hop swarming through the city and getting shows can be really competitive. I have had the good fortune of performing with some great local acts such as Robin Samples, Fly4Wird and 900lb Gorilla Cyphers, Black Mask, Mane Rok, Mr. Verbals, Tetra Crew and Voz, and 11, just to name a few. There are great monthly showcases all over the place like DJ Bunchagrief Presents, Goodness and Nerdie. Hip-hop is definitely alive and thriving in Denver! That being said, I made a ton of connections as a Nebraska artist that I may not have been able to make otherwise. As a part of my crew, The Awkwords, I had and continue to have the opportunity to share the stage with all sorts of amazing acts to come through Lincoln and Omaha. Hip-hop has been a part of these cities for a long time and I took witness and was a part of some huge shows that came through. There is a treasure trove of talented artists in both cities. Artists like Jamazz, Mars Black, The Angel Gang, Midtown Marauders and Helix Troy out of Omaha and Barlow, Dirty Diamonds, Bagov Bones, Sleep Sinatra, my man Toad the Newsense of The Awkwords and the late DJ Trinidad out of Lincoln. These guys have all been working hard to expand the scene out there and it shows. I think you will start hearing these names on a national level in the near future, so get in the know early!!
You've been doing this for a long time. What drives you to keep making music?
At this point, making music has become a natural part of my life. Writing and performing are not only fun and exciting for me, but they are also my therapy. Really, I can't imagine living in a world where I couldn't create music to express myself. I feel like after a decade, I am just entering my prime as an artist and I am ready to take it to the next level as far as getting my name out and performing. This last year, my friend and DJ for my crew The Awkwords, DJ Trinidad, passed away. Since his passing, I have felt a huge urgency to make as much music as I can. By the end of it all, I plan to have dominated the world with my presence.
What do you think people like Chuck D have contributed to hip-hop culture?
Wow, there are a lot of directions that one could go with this. I mean, not only are these guys pioneers of hip-hop, they pretty much set a new standard for political awareness and social consciousness in music. They made the plight of the lower class and victimization through racial prejudice more direct and in your face and they were ready to offer solutions. For me, Chuck D was able to awaken a sense of empowerment not only of self but also of community. As an individual you can be strong but as a community we can be unstoppable. That kind of message has always stuck with me and while a lot of mainstream media seems to focus on more "controversial" and fluffy topics in music these days, there is an undeniable presence of those who share the values brought forth in these pioneers all over the world. Hip-hop is overcoming adversity, creating positive out of the negative, the progression of life.
Who were some of your influences growing up?
As a kid, I used to listen to a lot of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh
Prince, Heavy D & The Boyz, Arrested Development, Onyx, and a whole bunch of other music that was popular at the time. I was the type of kid who always wanted that top 40 single on cassette. As I got older, I started getting into the grunge and metal scenes and kind of stayed there until the end of high school. At that point, I started getting back into hip-hop. I started getting into Talib Kweli, Black Star, Del the Funky Homosapien and from there I moved to a bunch of indy hip-hop like RSE, The Shapeshifters, Project Blowed, Def Jux, Anticon, seriously anything I could get my hands on. I was obsessed!
How do you feel your music has changed over the years?
My music has definitely taken a lot of turns over time. When I first started, I was really into rapping as fast as I could. I tried to be clever and abstract, cram a lot of content into my songs, but my verses weren't very consistent as far as topics were concerned. In the old days, I would write about love loss or my political views try and add some philosophy into the mix and maybe polish it off with a somewhat positive message. Admittedly as a younger man I held onto some angst and it definitely reflected in my lyrics. As I have grown as a person and become more secure about myself, I really feel like my lyrics and writing style in general have grown with me. There was a period of time when I felt like everything I was trying to write was garbage and I felt really stagnant. One night my friend, Sassoon (a Lincoln beat maker), gave me a CD with a dozen or so beats on them. I went home that night and threw them in the stereo and after the first two bars I decided I was going to write an album that was a science fiction story. This became my first solo album Diaries of a Space Cadet. Writing my songs as stories was like opening a whole new world of creation for me. Now, instead of trying to cram my point into 16-bars or what-have-you, I could take my time and get my point across in 16
tracks. I can use words to create much more complex mental images. In addition, this kind of writing has really forced me to be more creative with not only my content, but also my delivery. I used to just try and motor mouth my way through a track and act like that was skill, but now I add a lot of variety to my delivery. A lot of thought and feelings are being put into these words and I want to make sure that everyone can understand them but I still want to be creative and add complexity. I feel like I am really starting to be a master of my own style and that is 100% reflected in my new album "Diaries of a Space Cadet 2: Electronic Reflections". With all of the production done by my fellow Lincoln to Denver transplant What's His Face -__- I feel like we did a great job at making each song both unique and captivating. I love where my writing is going and I am definitely going to continue in the direction of story telling.
What does the music you make mean to you on a personal level?
I view my music as a reflection of my life and self. While my songs are fictional stories, there are always parts of my real life and my beliefs incorporated into them. The ups and downs of everyday, dealing with the loss of loved ones, my triumphs and failures; my insecurities, my dreams, my pride and my love are all woven into these works and words. The best stories are told through real feelings and experiences. Even if they are disguised by fiction, these are the stories of my life.
What is your ultimate goal as far as music goes?
I really want to use my music to spread a positive message. I want to create the kind of album that people can listen to when they are having a shitty day and it cheers them up, instead of the kind of music that continues to fuel their anger. Life has a tendency to suck for all of us from time to time, things go wrong and our society often seems totally out of whack. There are a lot of artists out there who do a great job pointing out the negativity in life but many of them seem to forget to offer a bright side or possible solution to their conflict. I want to keep spreading that message of strength, community and overcoming adversity.
What are the ups and downs of being an artist?
Honestly, there are few places I feel more comfortable than on stage performing. I crave it. The satisfaction I get from knowing I entertained an audience is so fulfilling, but it is like an addiction and I want to do it everyday. I love being able to create a song and the gratification of performing my creation for a group of people, no matter how many of them is there. However, being an artist can be competitive and frustrating. Being an independent artist with a full-time job and a family can be doubly so. Money is almost always an issue and getting your name out is very tricky if you can't tour often. Fortunately for me, I have a very supportive wife who encourages me to pursue my dreams.
What's your songwriting process like?
My writing process is chaotic. Sometimes I won't write for weeks. I will come up with ideas, get a few bars in and then scrap it. Sometimes I will spend days writing a song then throw it away. Other times I will write a whole song in one sitting and think it is a masterpiece. Often I will write down ideas or a single line and write a song around that. When writing a story-based album I try to keep a bigger picture in my head. Although sometimes it is worth taking a plunge and changing my original plot mid song because of an idea I had right at that moment. Either way, I am the master of my own stories so it works out.
By Kyle Eustice for RAPstation.com
RAPstation Local Love Corner: An Hobbes
Welcome to another installment of RAPstation's Local Love Corner. Our spotlight is on Denver, Colorado's An Hobbes. While originally from Colorado, An Hobbes (real name Tyler Kreigler) spent most of his life in the small college town of Lincoln, Nebraska. Here he was immersed in the local music scene as part of The Awkwords. During this time, he explored the cast musical landscape of hip-hop and his place in it. Clearly comfortable in front of an audience, he carried his energetic stage presence with him when he returned to Colorado in 2009 where he continues to write, perform and record music.
Get to know your Denver hip-hop and take some time to read a little bit about the man behind the music. Please visit http://anhobbes.bandcamp.com/album/diaries-of-a-space-cadet-2 to check out An Hobbes' new album, Diaries of a Space Cadet 2.
RAPstation: What up! So what took you to Denver and why?
An Hobbes: I was actually born in Colorado Springs, CO and spent a lot of my childhood in the state. I ended up moving to Lincoln, NE with my mother after my parents split, but my father stayed in Colorado so I did a lot of back-and-forth between the two. As an adult, I really wanted to move back, but couldn't find a feasible way for me to do it without living on the street. Skip to about three years ago, I was running an art gallery/designer toy store in Lincoln with a few friends and working a full-time day job to cover the costs of the shop and my new family, as my wife had just given birth to our daughter. I was working seven days a week, losing tons of money, never seeing my family, and making no new music. I was really unhappy with the way everything was turning out. Then one day I discovered that my full-time job had an office in Denver so I looked into transferring.
When I found out that was a realistic option and that my wife was down with it, I closed the shop and shifted my focus on getting out of there. I interviewed for a position on a whim, got it and we moved out a couple weeks later. I have been in Denver for about 2 1/2 years and looking back it was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. In a lot of ways, moving gave me a fresh start. Getting into the scene here didn't take me very long and now I feel like I have really established myself as a solo artist. I have released two albums in the last 14 months and I am hoping to have a third release titled The Chameleon and the Thief out by summer of 2014 with producer K-Murdock. Since I have been here I have been faced with a lot of challenges, but that has just given me more drive to succeed. While I will always love Lincoln, moving was the right choice for my family and myself.
Do you feel it has a better hip-hop scene than Lincoln/Omaha? Why or why not?
The two are hard to compare. Denver has a much larger population and draws way more touring artists than Lincoln/Omaha. Since there are more people here, there are naturally more local artists involved in the scene and there are bigger crowds at the shows. Denver has a lot of talented hip-hop swarming through the city and getting shows can be really competitive. I have had the good fortune of performing with some great local acts such as Robin Samples, Fly4Wird and 900lb Gorilla Cyphers, Black Mask, Mane Rok, Mr. Verbals, Tetra Crew and Voz, and 11, just to name a few. There are great monthly showcases all over the place like DJ Bunchagrief Presents, Goodness and Nerdie. Hip-hop is definitely alive and thriving in Denver! That being said, I made a ton of connections as a Nebraska artist that I may not have been able to make otherwise. As a part of my crew, The Awkwords, I had and continue to have the opportunity to share the stage with all sorts of amazing acts to come through Lincoln and Omaha. Hip-hop has been a part of these cities for a long time and I took witness and was a part of some huge shows that came through. There is a treasure trove of talented artists in both cities. Artists like Jamazz, Mars Black, The Angel Gang, Midtown Marauders and Helix Troy out of Omaha and Barlow, Dirty Diamonds, Bagov Bones, Sleep Sinatra, my man Toad the Newsense of The Awkwords and the late DJ Trinidad out of Lincoln. These guys have all been working hard to expand the scene out there and it shows. I think you will start hearing these names on a national level in the near future, so get in the know early!!
You've been doing this for a long time. What drives you to keep making music?
At this point, making music has become a natural part of my life. Writing and performing are not only fun and exciting for me, but they are also my therapy. Really, I can't imagine living in a world where I couldn't create music to express myself. I feel like after a decade, I am just entering my prime as an artist and I am ready to take it to the next level as far as getting my name out and performing. This last year, my friend and DJ for my crew The Awkwords, DJ Trinidad, passed away. Since his passing, I have felt a huge urgency to make as much music as I can. By the end of it all, I plan to have dominated the world with my presence.
What do you think people like Chuck D have contributed to hip-hop culture?
Wow, there are a lot of directions that one could go with this. I mean, not only are these guys pioneers of hip-hop, they pretty much set a new standard for political awareness and social consciousness in music. They made the plight of the lower class and victimization through racial prejudice more direct and in your face and they were ready to offer solutions. For me, Chuck D was able to awaken a sense of empowerment not only of self but also of community. As an individual you can be strong but as a community we can be unstoppable. That kind of message has always stuck with me and while a lot of mainstream media seems to focus on more "controversial" and fluffy topics in music these days, there is an undeniable presence of those who share the values brought forth in these pioneers all over the world. Hip-hop is overcoming adversity, creating positive out of the negative, the progression of life.
Who were some of your influences growing up?
As a kid, I used to listen to a lot of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh
Prince, Heavy D & The Boyz, Arrested Development, Onyx, and a whole bunch of other music that was popular at the time. I was the type of kid who always wanted that top 40 single on cassette. As I got older, I started getting into the grunge and metal scenes and kind of stayed there until the end of high school. At that point, I started getting back into hip-hop. I started getting into Talib Kweli, Black Star, Del the Funky Homosapien and from there I moved to a bunch of indy hip-hop like RSE, The Shapeshifters, Project Blowed, Def Jux, Anticon, seriously anything I could get my hands on. I was obsessed!
How do you feel your music has changed over the years?
My music has definitely taken a lot of turns over time. When I first started, I was really into rapping as fast as I could. I tried to be clever and abstract, cram a lot of content into my songs, but my verses weren't very consistent as far as topics were concerned. In the old days, I would write about love loss or my political views try and add some philosophy into the mix and maybe polish it off with a somewhat positive message. Admittedly as a younger man I held onto some angst and it definitely reflected in my lyrics. As I have grown as a person and become more secure about myself, I really feel like my lyrics and writing style in general have grown with me. There was a period of time when I felt like everything I was trying to write was garbage and I felt really stagnant. One night my friend, Sassoon (a Lincoln beat maker), gave me a CD with a dozen or so beats on them. I went home that night and threw them in the stereo and after the first two bars I decided I was going to write an album that was a science fiction story. This became my first solo album Diaries of a Space Cadet. Writing my songs as stories was like opening a whole new world of creation for me. Now, instead of trying to cram my point into 16-bars or what-have-you, I could take my time and get my point across in 16
tracks. I can use words to create much more complex mental images. In addition, this kind of writing has really forced me to be more creative with not only my content, but also my delivery. I used to just try and motor mouth my way through a track and act like that was skill, but now I add a lot of variety to my delivery. A lot of thought and feelings are being put into these words and I want to make sure that everyone can understand them but I still want to be creative and add complexity. I feel like I am really starting to be a master of my own style and that is 100% reflected in my new album "Diaries of a Space Cadet 2: Electronic Reflections". With all of the production done by my fellow Lincoln to Denver transplant What's His Face -__- I feel like we did a great job at making each song both unique and captivating. I love where my writing is going and I am definitely going to continue in the direction of story telling.
What does the music you make mean to you on a personal level?
I view my music as a reflection of my life and self. While my songs are fictional stories, there are always parts of my real life and my beliefs incorporated into them. The ups and downs of everyday, dealing with the loss of loved ones, my triumphs and failures; my insecurities, my dreams, my pride and my love are all woven into these works and words. The best stories are told through real feelings and experiences. Even if they are disguised by fiction, these are the stories of my life.
What is your ultimate goal as far as music goes?
I really want to use my music to spread a positive message. I want to create the kind of album that people can listen to when they are having a shitty day and it cheers them up, instead of the kind of music that continues to fuel their anger. Life has a tendency to suck for all of us from time to time, things go wrong and our society often seems totally out of whack. There are a lot of artists out there who do a great job pointing out the negativity in life but many of them seem to forget to offer a bright side or possible solution to their conflict. I want to keep spreading that message of strength, community and overcoming adversity.
What are the ups and downs of being an artist?
Honestly, there are few places I feel more comfortable than on stage performing. I crave it. The satisfaction I get from knowing I entertained an audience is so fulfilling, but it is like an addiction and I want to do it everyday. I love being able to create a song and the gratification of performing my creation for a group of people, no matter how many of them is there. However, being an artist can be competitive and frustrating. Being an independent artist with a full-time job and a family can be doubly so. Money is almost always an issue and getting your name out is very tricky if you can't tour often. Fortunately for me, I have a very supportive wife who encourages me to pursue my dreams.
What's your songwriting process like?
My writing process is chaotic. Sometimes I won't write for weeks. I will come up with ideas, get a few bars in and then scrap it. Sometimes I will spend days writing a song then throw it away. Other times I will write a whole song in one sitting and think it is a masterpiece. Often I will write down ideas or a single line and write a song around that. When writing a story-based album I try to keep a bigger picture in my head. Although sometimes it is worth taking a plunge and changing my original plot mid song because of an idea I had right at that moment. Either way, I am the master of my own stories so it works out.
By Kyle Eustice for RAPstation.com
