[Interview] AEMMP Hip Hop Artist of the Week: Haile
RubyHornet: What was your first experience with Hip Hop music?
Haile: My first interaction with Hip Hop ( which obviously I don’t remember, but I’m going off of what mom dukes told me) , was when I was only a few months old and Tupac came to the Indiana Black Expo back in ’92. Like I said, I wasn’t old enough to remember, but my mother was a huge Tupac fan, so she used to have all of Pac’s tapes, and we’d be jammin’ out to them in the car. She was all into gangster rap, so I really grew up listening to Pac, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G. , Snoop and Dre , N.W.A., all of it, and of course, she was a big LL Cool J fan as well, which is still why my iPhone is filled with these folks today.
RubyHornet: At what point did you start making music?
Haile: I started making music in 5th grade. I was eleven years old. I was inspired by a poet/substitute teacher who used to teach us poetry instead of the busy work that teachers normally gave for subs to give. Mr. Blair was the shit, because I had never thought of poetry or rap until he spit a verse off the top of his head, on a topic we gave him. He’s really big on content, and expressing strong messages, so I’m sure he wouldn’t enjoy some of my songs, considering I like to rap about some of the crazy things I think about and experience, but I’m sure he would appreciate the fact that he inspired my career.
RubyHornet: What’s it like balancing college studies with your music career?
Haile: It sucks. I hate every bit of it. I’ve honestly never liked school in the first place, and I’ve never felt like it’s a necessity, because everything’s written. If you want to learn pick up a book, but balancing college and music is doable. It just requires you to limit your social life, and often times I have to prioritize. Some will say I’m wrong for saying this, but music comes first on my agenda. It is what it is.
RubyHornet: What does Columbia give you as far as being an artist?
Haile: Columbia is great for the networking. Like I said, I don’t believe school is a necessity, but networking is. I wouldn’t have had as many dope opportunities, if I had went to school and got a degree at Pretentious Asshole University.
RubyHornet: What’s three things you want people to know about you.
Haile: One, I have a terrible sense of humor and I don’t like to censor myself, or hold back on what I want to say just because it might offend one or two people. It’s my perception, and holding back makes watered down music, so you’ll hear me diss myself from time to time or talk about personal things. It’s just a recorded conversation, that I’m leading. Some of it’s nice, some …will kill you. Two, I support other artists, and I don’t see others as competition. I don’t respect people who spend time on being jealous. If you’re dope, I’ll support your work , and that’s why I’m always posting other artist’s material (Hell, I post theirs more than mine). Three, I don’t really listen to newer music even though there’s a lot of great music being released every single day. I’m just heavily inspired by the old school artists, and I don’t believe in following trends. I develop my style from a variation of styles. That’s why I sound completely different on most of my songs. However, I’d say the folks I’m rockin to now who are newer are A$AP Rocky , School Boy Q , Nipsey Hustle , King Louie , St. Millie, MackTastic, the whole Save Money squad, Terra 5 , Lili K and Peter CottonTale , and Lovers and Killers. Shout out to No Nights Off.
