GRIM LOGICK
Q: The song sounds so intimate. Wasn’t it difficult for you to put all those feelings into words?
A: Not at all. This is what I’ve done with every song I’ve ever written, and every song I’ll ever write. I am determined to tell my story authentically, and am dedicated to helping anyone out there that has been through anything similar. I just write what I feel at the moment with no filter.
Q: You learn from a great deal of past mistakes in the song. Looking back, what do you believe was the hardest lesson you had to learn?
A: The hardest lesson I ever had to learn is that people, by default, don’t put others before themselves, especially when drugs are involved. I’ve had my morally ambiguous moments, but I don’t operate on ill intent. It was difficult to finally process and accept that people don’t have you, like you have them most of the time. So, I just fall back these days. Lesson learned.
Q: Addiction is a recurring theme in your music. Was writing this song a way for you to reconcile with those problems?
A: Reconcile? No. I simply needed to get something off of my chest. I played the beat and it instantly made me want to paint a picture of what I was mulling over in my mind at the time. Nothing more.
Q: You mention a sense of being alone and forsaken in your lowest times. Do you think loneliness was the main culprit behind your past choices?
A: Not always, but in recent years, absolutely. I’m finally getting to a point after roughly 10 years of death and betrayal where I’m comfortable being isolated. It’s nice knowing there’s no way to get stabbed in the back if no one’s around to sink the blade in you.
Q: How did absence from music change your perception of life and your career?
A: I can guarantee you it held the doors to chaos wide open for me. Without this music, I’m a basket case. I’m already pretty crazy on my own, and I walked away from my only outlet. You just don’t know how much it cost me.
Q: There’s much regret and also growth in what you say. Do you think you’ve fully forgiven yourself for the past?
A: I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself, no. I see nothing wrong with the fact, though. I’ll always have that lingering memory of my biggest losses in my head, knowing I was probably the cause of most of it unintentionally. That’s excellent incentive not to repeat those mistakes.
Q: The lyrics are a narrative of chasing power and success and losing it throughout the process. Do you think that’s something people tend to fall into?
A: Absolutely, every single one of us. In the case of the song, my power trip was being on the upper end of the distribution trade of street pharmaceuticals in my parish, my never ending need for more inevitably caused complacency and recklessness, leading to my eventual downfall. How many situations in life, that you know of, can that sequence be applied to? The possibilities are endless, all you’ve gotta do is replace the drugs dealer aspect, with a situation from your own life where your career, home, family, and personal endeavors are concerned.
Q: How important is honesty in your music? Do you ever feel like you’re under pressure to leave things unsaid?
A: I have never shied away from who I am in my music, or in my personal life. I made myself a promise when I started at 13 years old to never lie in a song. Period. Have I felt pressure to keep my stories to myself for fear of certain consequences or judgement? Yes. Has it ever stopped me? No.
Q: You don’t just tell your tale—you really analyze it in the lyrics. Do you find songwriting to be a therapeutic process?
A: Oh, without a doubt. Music is the best therapy I’ll ever find. I guarantee it.
Q: What do you want listeners to take away from this song?
A: I just want my listeners to understand that the bottom is a painful and scary place, and that life fluctuates, but there is almost always a way to make it out of the gutter if you just focus and drive toward that objective. You’ve gotta find that creative outlet.
Q: You mention loss a lot throughout this song. Is there a particular moment in your life that you can identify as the turning point for you?
A: Sure, it all started with the death of my best friend in 2017. Everything was on its route to the ceiling, then. When Rachel passed? That’s where it hit the fan.
Q: You speak of the disappearance of people when you most needed them. Did that influence how you trust others now?
A: It is the highest contributing factor, actually. I am very slow to trust, and it’s easy to lose it forever once you break that trust. I’ve got no patience for deception, or games.
Q: The song is not just about misery; it also delves into resilience. What compelled you to move forward despite your darkest times?
A: My daughters, Harmony (8), and Miley (1). Without them, and what happened with my youngest after she was born, they are what woke me up from my drug induced psychosis. Finally.
Q: With all the things you’ve learned, what would you say to somebody who finds themselves in your position now?
A: Get the Hell out, while you still have a chance. It ain’t worth it.
Q: Your imagery in your song is actually quite raw, especially when you’re writing about addiction. Do you ever worry that you’re being too raw and honest with your lyrics?
A: If it’s too explicit for the more “close-minded” individuals, that’s not my problem. It isn’t like that in all of my songs, but it is for quite a few. Look a little deeper than the surface, or my music may not be for you.
Q: The song tells us that power and success are not necessarily going to make us happy. Do you think that’s something that a lot of people learn too late?
A: Every time. It may take longer for some, than others, but the weight of the world just gets heavier the more powerful you become.
Q: After being out of music for some time now, do you feel there is a responsibility to take what you’ve experienced and give back?
A: That is my entire objective as an artist, and for the 3NIGMA BRED MUSIC collective as a whole. Although, “giving back” isn’t the term I would use. I’d say I’m “paying it forward”.
Q: You launched 3NIGMA BRED MUSIC with the mission to voice the marginalized. How is that mission a reflection of your own experience?
A: It isn’t, that’s why I said I’m “paying it forward”, not “giving back”. I learned it all the hard way, on my own. I’m actively choosing to try and prevent anyone who’s willing to listen, from having the same fate. Those who already have that may feel out of place, and unheard? I just want to give them the incentive to find that creative-expression outlet, that grounding force. I want to let them know they aren’t alone in the feelings they suppress for society’s baseless expectations. For the record, I wouldn’t call us marginalized. Every day the world gets a little more outlandish and creatives are becoming the new norm. I’d say we don’t fit within the margin.
Q: How have your personal losses affected the way you view life now?
A: On the brighter side, I have very lax expectations where material possessions are involved. On the other end of the spectrum, however, I don’t have very high expectations for much of anything or anyone. I go into every situation preparing for the worst possible outcome, which often hinders the potential for positive results. It also prevents me from getting too disappointed when things don’t go the way I want them too. It’s an even-split, I guess.
Q: Do you think your music would be any different if you hadn’t done everything you’ve done?
A: Sure, I’d say that’s a given. I’d be telling an entirely different story. I chose the authentic route at 13, remember? That was only 2 years before the plummet. I’d have an entirely different discography without a shadow of a doubt.
Q: What was it like making this song? Did it come to you or did it take a while to get it exactly right?
A: It was no different than any other song I’ve written since coming back to the game. I just wish I the right ear would hear it, or that I’d compose something good enough to make some real waves.
Q: What’s next for you following this release? Are you going to keep sharing more personal stories through your music?
A: Next up on the agenda is to establish my own foundation in the Hip-Hop game, and the 3NIGMA BRED MUSIC brand as a unit. Once the seeds are planted, the roots can take hold. I’m ready to pursue this dream, it’s been far too long. It’s all just a matter of time. Either I make the cut, or I “Fumble”. Here goes nothing.
