Whats up Abj! Your favorite teens blog is back with another interesting episode of About.Today we have one of Abj's finest Rapper, Songwriter, and Producer, Suté Iwar. Let me not talk much just read this incredible chat with Suté below. Enjoy
The full name is Msughter Iwar, but it's pronounced 'Suté'. I'm from Benue State, we've got a couple of uncommon names over there lol. Born in 92', grew up in Lagos before leaving for University.
Well it started for me at 7 when my dad enrolled me at MUSON musical school to study the piano. I left that and picked up the saxophone at 12. As far as hip hop goes, Eminem got me hooked at about 9, I found what he was doing fascinating. I started imitating rappers I listened to and began writing rap seriously at about 11.
Do your parents support the movement of the music thing? Having You, Tay and Terna going into entertainment?
My parents exposed my brothers and I to a lot of rich music and culture from a young age, so it’s no surprise to them we’ve gone in the direction we’re on. They are definitely supportive.
To us at AbjTeensBlog you are a lyrical beast, how do you get inspiration?
Almost all my inspiration is from experience. I try and keep it as truthful as possible. I’m a 22 year old trying to make it in my career with all Nigeria’s limitations and have a lot of fun at the same time. I think there are a lot of people who are living that same life or know someone who is, so they can relate.
Almost all my inspiration is from experience. I try and keep it as truthful as possible. I’m a 22 year old trying to make it in my career with all Nigeria’s limitations and have a lot of fun at the same time. I think there are a lot of people who are living that same life or know someone who is, so they can relate.
We heard you admire the late Afrobeat Legend, Fela. I've actually picked up some of his works and I must say Fela is a true legend but why do you decide to pick Fela out of all the well known musicians?
I respect his music and his courage. Musically, I place him up there with Mozart, Beethoven,etc. His stuff is truly groundbreaking. We’re talking about rhythms and progressions that didn't exist in that form before he and his band hit the scene. On top of that, his lyrical content was based on their reality at the time and he told stories that everyone else was afraid to speak on. He was basically the first sub-culture icon in Africa and he was alternative cause he was the only one playing his type of music. Fela was soo Bantu lol
I respect his music and his courage. Musically, I place him up there with Mozart, Beethoven,etc. His stuff is truly groundbreaking. We’re talking about rhythms and progressions that didn't exist in that form before he and his band hit the scene. On top of that, his lyrical content was based on their reality at the time and he told stories that everyone else was afraid to speak on. He was basically the first sub-culture icon in Africa and he was alternative cause he was the only one playing his type of music. Fela was soo Bantu lol
Your also into producing, tell us a bit about that.
Sound production is fun because you’re basically finding musical solutions. It allowed be the creative director of my music. I started music production and sound engineering last year cause I wanted to have more control over my sound and I’ve learnt loads since then.
Whoop! I picked up Jéli and it got me thinking "Is this guy even human?". How did you come up with most of the tracks.
Whoop! I picked up Jéli and it got me thinking "Is this guy even human?". How did you come up with most of the tracks.
Jelí is a concept mixtape and i had started mapping it out after I finished university in 2013 and came back to Nigeria. Jelí is the tribal name for West African travelling storytellers. The mixtape basically follows me - the Jeli - through my experiences from high school (Jelí) through university,
(Badagry), back to Nigeria
(Neo-Africa), rediscovering art
(Enwonwu) and home then deciding on the path I want to follow.
It’s all very personal.
(Badagry), back to Nigeria
(Neo-Africa), rediscovering art
It’s all very personal.
The art for Jéli was quite out of this world. Who did you get to do that and what is the message behind that?
My friend from high school, Abraham (Painterabe) is an artist out in the U.S right now and he’s part of Bantu Collective. We regularly help ourselves out with projects and he told me he had something he had been working on for me a while back. When I finally saw it he suggested I use it as my mixtape art work and I was like, hell yeah. My brother Terna got the print of the painting off Abe and made a cover art out of it. It turned out great.
Tell us about the "Creating Neo-Africa project"
I believe strongly in the power of the youth in shaping the present. Its less of a project and more of a phrase that represents what Bantu Collective is trying to do at the moment.
What's your take the on Afrobeat?
I think Afrobeat, the type Fela originated is awesome. Afro-pop, however, is a lot of fun but like pop music everywhere it gets repetitive, which diminishes the level of creativity associated with it.
How many Grammies have you taken home from what you do.....lol?
None yet, but thats a target for sure!!
I believe strongly in the power of the youth in shaping the present. Its less of a project and more of a phrase that represents what Bantu Collective is trying to do at the moment.
What's your take the on Afrobeat?
I think Afrobeat, the type Fela originated is awesome. Afro-pop, however, is a lot of fun but like pop music everywhere it gets repetitive, which diminishes the level of creativity associated with it.
How many Grammies have you taken home from what you do.....lol?
None yet, but thats a target for sure!!
Anecdotes I,II,III. Give us a brief on that.
Those are a bunch of songs I had worked on during my university years and other songs I had recorded vibing with Tay before my first mixtape. They are creative sessions.
We see you and Tay are fast approaching the national scene. How did you get in contact with the Aristokrat family?
We had met one of their officials during a performance we had in Lagos last year. He must have heard something he liked cause the next time we were in Lagos he invited us to the AR crib to vibe with their team. They are dope! s/o to the AR fam.
What is Suté doing if not in the studio?
On the internet or watching movies/tv shows, football highlights or national geography wild lol or Probably scheming on the next Bantu venture.
Any new project? (Bantu, Yourself)
We have a few plans, nothing I can reveal now though.
Is any work going on on giving your audios a visual representation?
Definitely, we’re looking into getting a few video projects done as soon as we can get the right quality.
Do you charge for collabo's, how much?
Hit up recordsbantu@gmail.com haha
Contacts. (Facebook, Twitter, Email,etc.)
Do you have any advice for upcoming rappers?
Learn as much as you can about everything musical, being a rapper requires more than it did before.
We had met one of their officials during a performance we had in Lagos last year. He must have heard something he liked cause the next time we were in Lagos he invited us to the AR crib to vibe with their team. They are dope! s/o to the AR fam.
What is Suté doing if not in the studio?
On the internet or watching movies/tv shows, football highlights or national geography wild lol or Probably scheming on the next Bantu venture.
Any new project? (Bantu, Yourself)
We have a few plans, nothing I can reveal now though.
Is any work going on on giving your audios a visual representation?
Definitely, we’re looking into getting a few video projects done as soon as we can get the right quality.
Hit up recordsbantu@gmail.com haha
Contacts. (Facebook, Twitter, Email,etc.)
Twitter: @SuteIwar
Email: recordsbantu@gmail.com
Do you have any advice for upcoming rappers?
Learn as much as you can about everything musical, being a rapper requires more than it did before.
Nice work with the blog.
ReplyDelete