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Nipsey Hussle

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How Nipsey Hussle Transcended Hip-Hop, Starting In The Los Angeles Streets

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To hip-hop, he was a celebrated rapper, but to Los Angeles he was an agent for change—something that echoed from his city streets into the Black community and beyond
Kathy Landoli
GRAMMYs
Apr 3, 2019 - 3:06 pm

On March 31, 2019 Ermias Asghedom—better known to the world as Nipsey Hussle—was assassinated at 33 years old. He was standing in front of The Marathon Clothing, one of his many business endeavors, located on the corner of West Slauson and Crenshaw Boulevard in the heart of South Los Angeles.

To hip-hop, he was a celebrated rapper, but to Los Angeles he was an agent for change—something that echoed from his city streets into the Black community and beyond. It’s hard to really comprehend just what exactly the man affectionately known as "Naybahood Nip" truly meant to the world.

Prior to his meteoric rise to fame, Nipsey was interviewed by renowned journalist Davey D about his potential career trajectory. In the interview (now circulating through social media), Nipsey tells Davey D what his plans are. "You’re not blinging and having all kinds of crazy diamonds and all that. I guess you’re here to get your money right," Davey D says.

"All the time," young Nipsey replies. "You know, all that is cool for the image and all that, but all that’s not business. I'd rather invest in some real estate." Shocked, Davey asks him to repeat himself. "Invest in some assets, as opposed to trick off my money on some liabilities like diamonds or cars that lose value as soon as you drive them off the lot," Nipsey continues. "[Get] some assets to take care of my people." He made good on that promise.

In 2005, Nipsey Hussle first entered the rap game by way of the mixtape circuit. His debut Slauson Boy Volume 1 became the catalyst for his movement, as comparisons soon circulated that a new West Coast artist with the finesse of Snoop Dogg yet the charisma of Tupac Shakur was about to make waves. By 2008, he had already inked a deal with Cinematic Music Group in conjunction with Epic Records, dropping two more mixtapes Bullets Ain’t Got No Name, Volume 1 and Volume 2, along with Volume 3 at the close of 2009. Things moved quickly for Nipsey.

Early collaborations with both Drake and Snoop Dogg showed how the young artist stood in between two different worlds within hip-hop: the classically trained-by-the-streets legends and the soon-to-be legends looking toward the future. “I think Nipsey Hussle represented a new type of artist from Los Angeles," says Soren Baker, author of The History of Gangster Rap: From Schoolly D to Kendrick Lamar, the Rise of a Great American Art Form. "A lot of the older generation of artists—the Ice-Ts, the Ice Cubes, and the Dr. Dres—have earned that respect over time. But I think Nipsey Hussle, because of how he approached things, was able to command that respect of the newer generation of artists. As his career progressed. He continued solidifying himself both musically and on the business side."

2010 was a monumental year, to say the least. Soon after he parted ways with Epic Records, Nipsey dropped his independent project The Marathon, participated in Haiti's "We Are The World 25," as well as entered into the coveted XXL Freshman Class. With every move, it became clear that Nipsey was a different breed of artist with a razor sharp focus on his community. In 2013, his Crenshaw initiative went viral, when he announced he would be selling 1,000 hard copies of the project for $100 each, making $100,000 in less than a day and pouring it right back into his community business ventures.

"Nipsey was the epitome of everything you want an individual to embody," says Karen Civil, one of four cofounders of the Marathon Agency with Nipsey, Steven Carless and Jorge Peniche. "He cared for his community, he was a businessman, he gave opportunities to people who lost hope. Crenshaw and Slauson is a dark place. Nipsey was the light. When he said he was gonna buy the block, he did."

"Being from New Jersey, I wondered, was this what it felt like when they killed Tupac?"

Through tears, Civil recalls a decade ago, her first meeting with Nipsey. "When I moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago, most people go to the Walk of Fame, they go to Disneyland, all these places. I went to Crenshaw and Slauson because I wanted to meet him," she remembers. "I remembered seeing him perform in New York and I just wanted a T-shirt. When I got there, Nipsey was behind the counter feeding his daughter. I remember saying, 'Hey, can I get a picture?' He was like, 'Are you from here?' I was like, 'No, I just moved here with Beats By Dre.' He had a whole conversation with me. Nipsey was the type of individual where when I started doing philanthropy. I said, 'I want to build a playground in Haiti. He gave me $5,000 and said, 'Go ahead.'" 

In addition to the Marathon Agency, Nipsey built his now-famed The Marathon Clothing store, the unfortunate location of his untimely death. Per Civil, he had over 14 businesses. His Vector90 tech venture offered co-working space to local residents as well as STEM programs for the youth, while he also teamed with Fatburger for special run Crenshaw jerseys. Then of course there’s Destination Crenshaw, his community-driven initiative that not only changed the perception of South Los Angeles, but gave the youth an opportunity to harness their own powers as change agents. "Destination Crenshaw showed it was much more than music for Nipsey," says Soren Baker. "That was something that developed; it wasn’t instantaneous. That’s a testament to his evolution as both an artist and businessman."

While Nipsey continued to secure wins with his music, including the GRAMMY-nominated Victory Lap in 2018, it was uplifting Los Angeles that remained his main mission. "He was a husband, he was a father, he was an entrepreneur," says Civil. "He was somebody that invoked change." His loss is felt on a number of levels, hip-hop just merely being one of them. "Being from New Jersey, I wondered, was this what it felt like when they killed Tupac?" she continues. “The air has been sucked out of Los Angeles.”

Above all, Nipsey Hussle was a visionary. Not many individuals can start in gang-affiliated streets, make music that the entire world felt, and take those wins and pour them right back into the city that raised him. He was one of a kind, and his inspiration will live on.

"The Marathon continues and will continue," Civil says. "His message will not die in vain."

Nipsey Hussle, Beloved L.A. Rapper And Activist, Lived As A Patron To His Community

Nipsey Hussle and Lauren London 2019 GRAMMYs

Lauren London & Nipsey Hussle

Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

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Nipsey Hussle's Memorial Service Had Powerful Statements From Barack Obama, Kendrick Lamar & More

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"Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope…I hope his memory inspires more good work in Crenshaw and communities like it," former President Obama wrote
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 11, 2019 - 3:41 pm

On April 11, the people of Los Angeles gathered to celebrate the late rapper and community activist Nipsey Hussle, with over 21,000 people joining his memorial service at Staples Center in downtown L.A. The memorial was livestreamed with countless Nipsey fans far and wide tuning in and sharing messages on social media with the hashtag #NipseyHussleForever.

Despite the huge space left behind by Hussle's death, which has shaken his community in South L.A., not to mention his family and closest friends, the messages during his service were deeply inspirational and hopeful.

Karen Civil, Hussle's longtime friend and marketing manager, held back tears while reading a touching letter from former President Barack Obama:

"While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope. He saw a community that, even through its flaws, taught him to always keep going. His choice to invest in that community rather than ignore it—to build a skills training center and a coworking space in Crenshaw; to lift up the Eritrean-American community; to set an example for young people to follow—is a legacy worthy of celebration. I hope his memory inspires more good work in Crenshaw and communities like it."

Many of Hussle's family and friends spoke during the memorial, including both his mother and father. "I'm very proud of my son," his mother Angelique Smith said. "My son, Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was a great man."

Lauren London, Hussle's longtime girlfriend and mother to their two-year-old son, Kross Asghedom, read a heartfelt text message she had sent to Hussle back in January.

"I want you to know I feel real joy in my heart when I'm around you…you have encouraged me and inspired me to reach higher," she read from the message. She added, "His soul was majestic, the strongest man I ever knew. He was completely self-taught, always seeking knowledge."

Fellow L.A. rapper Kendrick Lamar, who collaborated with the late rapper on "Dedication," from Hussle's debut LP Victory Lap, also shared a moving message that was included in the book. He recalled the first time the pair met, on tour in 2009.

"I watched a young, ambitious black male orchestrate fellowship amongst the men around him on that tour. Determined to execute one thing–and that was Greatness. Greatness in knowledge, greatness in wealth, and greatness in self," Lamar wrote.

Another L.A. hip-hop icon, Snoop Dogg, took to the stage at Staples to offer support for Hussle's family and to share words for his friend. "For those who knew Nipsey Hussle personally, he had nothing but love for every single gang member no matter the neighborhood," he said.

Stevie Wonder also gave a speech at the event, speaking out against gun violence before singing Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven."  

"It is a heartbreak to again lose a member of our family. It is a heartbreak because it’s so unnecessary," he said. "It is so painful to know that we don’t have enough people taking a position that says: Listen, we must have stronger gun laws. It is unacceptable. It is almost like the world is becoming blind."

Following the memorial, where Hussle's casket sat onstage during the event, a 25-mile funeral procession is set to take place through L.A., stopping at his business and place of death, The Marathon Clothing store.

Rest In Power, Nipsey Hussle.

Remembering Nipsey Hussle

How Nipsey Hussle Transcended Hip-Hop, Starting In The Los Angeles Streets

GRAMMYs
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Poll: Who Do You Think Voters Will Pick For Best Rap Performance At The 2020 GRAMMYs?

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J. Cole, J.I.D., Bas, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy, DaBaby, Nipsey Hussle, Roddy Ricch, Hit-Boy, Offset and Cardi B are all in the running for Best Rap Performance at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards—tell us who you think will win!
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 11, 2019 - 2:10 pm

And the Best Rap Performance GRAMMY goes to…

We'll have to wait until the 62nd GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 26, 2020 to find out how the sentence will be completed, so, for now, let's revisit the talented artists and fire tracks that are currently nominated for Best Rap Performance. Take the poll below to pick who you think Recording Academy voters will select as the winner, and read on to learn a bit more about the songs and artists in the running, which include J. Cole, J.I.D., Bas, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy, DaBaby, Nipsey Hussle, Roddy Ricch, Hit-Boy, Offset and Cardi B.

Polls

Who Do You Think Voters Will Pick For Best Rap Performance?

Former 2012 Best New Artist nominee J. Cole has become one of the biggest names in hip-hop over the past decade, and with his talent-rich Dreamville Records imprint, is bringing many younger rappers up with him. This past January, the North Carolina legend released "MIDDLE CHILD," which would serve as a lead single to the Dreamville compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III, released later in the year, on July 5.

Not only is Cole up against himself in this category, as "Down Bad" is also nominated, he and the Dreamville squad are also up for Best Rap Album for Revenge of the Dreamers III.

Related: Find Out Who's Nominated For Best Rap Album | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Following a series of mixtapes, first-time GRAMMY nominee DaBaby, also from North Carolina, released his debut studio album, Baby On Baby, this past March. It was indeed a huge year for the rising rapper, as not only was his album well-received, but he also saw viral success with its single, "Suge," and he was featured in XXL's 2019 Freshman Class. He also served up several high-profile features, including for remix versions of both Lizzo's "Truth Hurts" and Lil Nas X's "Panini."

"Suge," whose title is a reference to Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight, is also nominated for Best Rap Song, a songwriters' award.

"Down Bad" was released on June 12, 2019, one week after Revenge of the Dreamers III finally dropped, as its next single. As the album itself is a product of the collaboration of many artists, the majority who are signed to Cole's Dreamville label, this track is a shining example of both a solid rap posse cut and the collab-led album.

"Down Bad" features J.I.D., Bas, EARTHGANG—all of whom are on Dreamville, Young Nudy and Cole himself, who offers his flow to a bulk of the LP's 18 tracks.

Another Poll: Who Will Win Best Pop Vocal Album At The 2020 GRAMMYs?

"Racks In The Middle," was the last empowering single Nipsey Hussle released before we lost the Los Angeles icon this spring. The track features emerging L.A. rapper Roddy Ricch, another XXL Class Of 2019 inductee and GRAMMY-winning producer Hit-Boy. Like "Suge," "Racks In The Middle" is also both up for Best Rap Song.

The late, great Hussle is also up for a third nomination this year, for DJ Khaled's track "Higher," which also features vocals from John Legend and was released after Hussle's death. At the 61st GRAMMYs earlier this year, the hip-hop hero received his first GRAMMY nomination for his long-time-coming debut studio album, Victory Lap.

Hip-hop powercouple Offset and Cardi B slayed at the 2019 GRAMMYs this past February. Not only did they look fly on the red carpet, they shared a major moment onstage earlier this year when Cardi took home her first golden gramophone, for Best Rap Album for her 2018 killer debut studio album Invasion Of Privacy.

Later that month, Offset released his first solo album, FATHER OF 4, the final Migos' member to release their solo project. The album's second single, "Clout," features none other than Cardi B, who adds a big dose of bad b***h attitude to the track and music video.

Grammys Newsletter

Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com (sign up for our weekly newsletter digest above!), our social media channels (follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), YouTube page, to keep up on all things 2020 GRAMMYs. And don't forget to catch the big show live on CBS on Jan. 26, 2020.

Find Out Who Just Made History With Their GRAMMY Nominations: 2020 GRAMMYs By The Numbers

GRiZ at Bonnaroo SuperJam

GRiZ & friends at SuperJam

Photo: FilmMagic/Getty Images

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GRiZ & Friends Honored Dr. John And Other Music Legends During Bonnaroo SuperJam Set

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"His style of writing—without that I wouldn't exist. There's this badassery to it. His breaking rules paved the way for people like myself to do similar things with music," the saxophone-toting DJ/producer told Rolling Stone
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 18, 2019 - 12:49 pm

During Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this weekend, DJ/producer/saxophone master GRiZ offered two very different sets. Both showcased his energetic sax playing, but one saw him as the bandleader of the dozens of performers he brought together for the fest's annual SuperJam event.

This year's late-night jam session, which is curated and executed by a different artist every year, was titled "G.O.A.T.: A Celebration of Music Legends SuperJam with GRiZ." The 90-minute set was dedicated to late musical greats including late GRAMMY winners Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie and Prince, GRAMMY nominees Mac Miller and Nipsey Hussle, and others. A powerhouse house band and specials guests, all chosen by GRiZ, filled the stage and brought the music to life.

Rolling Stone reports that the Dr. John tribute, which came in the form of his 1973 song "Right Place, Wrong Time," with GRiZ assisting the house band on his sax, was worked into the set list, following his sudden passing on June 6. They spoke to GRiZ and Stu Brooks, SuperJam's Music Director, who worked on the program for five months, organizing its music and plethora of incredibly talented musicians. The pair emphasized it was important to both of them to work Dr. John's magic into the performance.

As the outlet explains, not only does the festival's name comes from Dr. John's 1974 album Desitively Bonnaroo, but Brooks performed as member of his touring band in 2015 and GRiZ is deeply influenced by the late New Orleans' jazz/funk legend.

Related: Dr. John, New Orleans Music Legend, Dies At 77

"We obviously had to pay tribute to Dr. John," Brook's told Rolling Stone. "It's a great way to process loss of someone's life—by celebrating at this [festival], it's serendipitous to the max."

"It's a really morbid situation to be in," GRiZ added, "but also kind of a blessed situation—that we had a platform that we were able to celebrate his life." The Detroit-native also spoke to how Dr. John's joyously experimental music inspired his own risk-taking in his sound and style:

"His style of writing—without that I wouldn't exist. There's this badassery to it. His breaking rules paved the way for people like myself to do similar things with music…That 'free and easy' thing—that makes me feel like I don't have to be worried about what my heart feels about this music and the way it should sound."

One simple yet poignant piece of wisdom Dr. John shared with Brooks during their time touring together, "Be free and easy," served as the thesis statement for the sprawling set. "I feel like that's the ethos of this entire SuperJam," GRiZ added.

Rapper/animator ProbCause, a regular GRiZ collaborator, and singer Chrishira Perrier, a backing vocalist for Trombone Shorty and GRiZ, were two members of his SuperJam house band who helped bring the show to life, along with a stage full of instrumentalists that included the Naughty Professor's horns.

Perrier helped lead the salute the Franklin, Prince and Rick James and Miller with respectively, "Respect," "1999" with help from K.Flay, "Mary Jane" and "Dang!," which ProbCause supported. Prob also rapped "Grinding All My Love" for Nipsey, and K.Flay channeled her inner- Kurt Cobain for Nirvana's "Lithium." Activist singer/songwriters Nahko Bear and Nattali Rize sang Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved."

Avicii's "Wake Me Up" was also on the 25-song set list, as well as Bowie's "Let's Dance," Queen's "We Will Rock You," in honor of Freddie Mercury, as well as their collab "Under Pressure." Walk The Moon frontman Nicholas Petricca helped lead the glam-rock classics.

While the loss of Dr. John and the other transcendent musicians has left a void in our hearts and in the music world, their powerful music will allow their legacy to live on for generations. As GRiZ told the outlet, the power of performing the songs was palpable:

"Every time we get a featured vocalist or a featured [musician who played with the artist we cover], the energy explodes. You can close your eyes in that moment and feel like you're in the presence of that person performing that song."

GRiZ Talks Pride, Snoop Dogg Collab, Detroit's Music Scene, Giving Back & More

GRiZ

GRiZ

Photo: Jason Siegel

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GRiZ Talks Pride, Snoop Dogg Collab, Detroit's Music Scene, Giving Back & More

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"Be loud, be you, make some noise about it. And be of service to other people when they're in need," the DJ/producer said in a conversation with the Recording Academy
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 12, 2019 - 2:17 pm

Funky-bass DJ/producer/saxophone player Grant Kwiecinski, better known as GRiZ, has been getting people grooving to his joyful brand of dance music for quite some time now. He self-released his first LP, End Of The World Party, in 2011 and, most recently, released his sixth album, Ride Waves, in April 2019. GRiZ's latest not only features his quintessential upbeat sound, but also an epic, somewhat unexpected list of collaborators, including Snoop Dogg, Matisyahu, Bootsy Collins and DRAM.

We caught up with GRiZ before he performed at the It Gets Better Project Pride party in Los Angeles to learn what Pride and being part of the LGBTQ+ means to him, among other topics. We also learned more about his career beginnings in Detroit, why giving back is so important to him, and the magic behind the collabs on Ride Waves.

The collaborators on Ride Waves are amazing. How did you choose this group going into the album?

I feel like I fell into some of these people's spaces. The Matisyahu thing, I stumbled into that because the bass player, this guy Stu Brooks who is music directing [our appearance at] Bonnaroo and SuperJam, he played with Matisyahu in their band. He's like, "We got to link you guys up." It's like, "Cool. Awesome. Yeah, that sounds great."

The Snoop Dogg thing, that was more calculated. As a kid, [I was] a major hip-hop fan.

I really love that track; what was it like working with Snoop? How did that collab manifest?

It was really, really trippy too, we got the collaboration and I got the vocals back from them. It was just the weirdest thing, it was like an email that had treasure inside of it. It was like, there's these vocals that are in this email and you open it up, it's like the briefcase in Pulp Fiction. You're like, "Oh my God."

Then working with DRAM was super awesome because I've been a huge fan of his since a few years ago; he's fresh on the scene right now. I had a chance to talk with him, talk through the collaboration with him and spin him the idea. When he sent back the work that he did on it, it just felt so right.

Sometimes you work with collaborators and stuff and you feel like you're forcing this thing to happen. You're like, "I don't know how these puzzle pieces are going to fit together but maybe we can make them work." In that case specifically [with DRAM], it felt like even before he had been involved with the song he was there from the beginning. 

The Snoop Dogg feature, that's just like ... I don't know. When does he sound bad? That just doesn't exist. That's just not a thing.

That's so cool. So in terms of the creative process, it was like you had some ideas going into it but it all came together organically.

Yeah. Absolutely. I knew specifically the kind of thing that I really wanted to hear. For me it felt like a risk because I love the music that I make. Because I make music that works for me in my life. It's what I use as a point of celebration or things I like to rock out to. Or the music that I make is stuff that I use for a contemplative healing moment, as a point of catharsis for "this is how I'm feeling. I got to get this out."

Sometimes things feel really personal and it's hard to give somebody else, to let them hold the space. So hopefully they can represent the way you're feeling. Giving a sentimental gospel tune to Wiz Khalifa was like, I don't know man, maybe he's going to be like, "Is this about weed or something like that?" [Laughs.] That was another one of the songs that I don't feel like we really forced it too much with the features for this album. Things rolled along really nicely.

I don't think that anything ever goes exactly to plan, but that's probably for the best. Because the more you try and control a situation it just gets kinda f****ery-ish. It starts to lose personality.

You got to let it go and see what comes back to you. Everything that we let go and put feelers out for, that came back to us, ended up being the most natural and organic, and ended up creating the best vibe that we could never have planned on our own. I never planned to have Wiz Khalifa on the record. The way that that turned out, it couldn't have happened better.

"To me, Pride really represents bravery. To me that bravery is represented from this unabashed, "This is who I am. These are my personal needs and the things that we deserve as a community."

Can you speak to what Pride means to you?

If you look at it historically, it means one thing. Then I feel like what people were fighting for years ago is different in context to where it is today. But that's necessary because time changes and the needs of culture shifts too. But the basic need is still there.

To me, Pride really represents bravery. To me, that bravery is represented from this unabashed [feeling of]: "This is who I am. These are my personal needs and the things that we deserve as a community." To be brave enough in situations where you're being challenged against your beliefs by other people, to be able to meet those challenges with grace, and with strength, and not give up on how you feel. Not give up your position and the things that you need. Not shy away from the challenge and speak up for yourself.

Sometimes you run into situations where there's obvious hate or there's obviously awkward situations and you're like, "Man, maybe I don't want to make this awkward." You're like, "You know what? No. I need to stand up for the way that I feel about this. You can't be hateful around me or be bigoted around me." I'm not going to stand for that or I'm not going to shy away from holding my boyfriend's hand when I'm walking down the street just because I'm worried about what somebody might think. I want to normalize this.

I think the gay community has gained a lot of visibility over the past few years because of other people's bravery. At this point it's continuing to not shy away from expressing that personal sense of self. That's important.

I love that. And it's 50 years since the Stonewall Uprising, which is crazy.

Yeah. It was a group of people who were at the Stonewall Inn. There were police raids happening in New York at gay establishments. They were like, "You can't organize this way. This is illegal." Gay people would resist or not. If you're arrested or resist then it was like, all right, this has reached a climax point. The Gay Liberation Front was the foundation that was birthed out of that. It was birthed out of people standing up for themselves and being like, "You know what? Nah. I'm not going to go quietly. We're not going to let you arrest us and kick us out of our spot."

That's the spirit that we need to continue to hold onto. It's great to celebrate around it because that's awesome. If you can take something that has a really deep historical context, and something that has a lot of weight to it, and put fun behind it then you can normalize this thing. Maybe that's what's great about throwing a party and drinking and being with your friends. It's like, let's maybe make this whole being gay thing look really f***ing extra normal and fun. We can just secretly convince everybody that it's chill. [Laughs.] That would be nice.

Well, you have some great things planned for Pride, including a party here in L.A. this afternoon with It Gets Better. Do you want to talk about any of the specific things that you're getting involved in?

Yeah. I did a partnership with MeUndies, which is important to me because The Happy Hippie Foundation is a great charity. A portion of the profits from the MeUndies Pride underwear is going towards the foundation, whose charitable outreach is to create safe spaces for young people who are gay and have been kicked out of their homes or need to link up with other people in the LGBTQ+ community. They are the resource for that and without money they can't exist. We need to give them money; if you buy cool underwear then money will be given to charities so that if kids get put out on the street because their parents aren't cool with them being gay, then they have a place to go; that's the reality of this sh*t. If you're down with the cause go buy a pair of underwear and help out.

It's almost exactly two years since you wrote your moving HuffPost letter. Can you speak to what it was like sharing that and sharing that side of you that you hadn't before with your fans?

Sure. I think I needed to get to a point where I had a substantial career behind me because I didn't want to be defined by sexual orientation. Because I think that... it would kinda suck. I want to be defined by the things that I do—not who I decide to date.

At the time, I felt like this was in a good enough spot [to come out]. I was like, "Okay, cool. I've done my rounds and I'm cool with it on a personal level." I don't even see it as a thing. It's just what life is for me. Sometimes I get these reminders that I'm like, "Okay, cool. Not everybody thinks that that's normal." There's definitely a rift there. I think that it was important now that I reached this point where I was comfortable with myself, comfortable with the music and I was like, "All right, cool. I feel like this could help people."

After writing that op-ed I've talked with a lot of kids in the GRiZ fan space mostly. Then new kids outside of it that are like, "I don't really know you as a DJ nor do I really care but I really f*** with your story. I really f*** with you as a person because I feel similarly." It's important and hopefully it's maybe inspirational for other people who are like, "I don't know if I want to do that, to come out."

That was the Harvey Milk thing, it was like we need to have people come out and represent the community, because if we are all hiding it doesn't really help. We need this movement to grow. We need to be represented in public and that will help other people find the courage within themselves. Then it's like a domino effect, hopefully. Then you'll see this thing being normalized and hopefully less people will feel outcasted because of their feelings towards their own sexuality. Suicide rates would drop. People would be living healthier lifestyles. Drug use will hopefully go down, and depression, all that kind of stuff.

I saw so much great support from the queer community. I was so surprised to hear so many kids coming out of the woodworks and being like, "Wow, that's my story too. Thank you so much for sharing that. It's helped me come to terms with the way that I feel. Now I'm having these conversations with my family and my friends." That's helping. It helped a lot of people. For me it was reaffirming as well to feel like, "All right. Cool. We're out people. That's just it." It doesn't need to be some weirdo thing. It's like, "Yeah, I'm a gay person. So what?"

I'm sure it connected on a very personal level with so many of your fans. Did any of them reach out to you and come out to you, or anything like that?

Oh, yeah. I mean, there was a few kids that I was talking to on a more personal level. A lot of people were just like, "Yo, thank you so much. Awesome. That helps a lot," but there were a few Twitter DMs and a few Instagram DMs that I read through that I was like, "All right. Cool. I want to talk this person through it." People on some serious levels. "I've been struggling with this my entire life. Since you wrote this article I feel like I finally have a jumping off spot."

Like, "How? Tell me more. Do you have any advice?" I ended up talking with a few kids. Then we did Camp Kulabunga. It gave me these tools to be able to talk about this with people, and understand on a therapeutic level how to be able to connect with people, and just have a conversation and continue a dialog that is soothing for struggling kids because I was one of those kids. I get that. Having that relatability aspect is so huge because a lot of people don't have that. I didn't have that when I was a kid. Growing up through this, there wasn't somebody I could just be like, "Hey, so tell me what that was like for you?" There just wasn't that. I didn't have that. There wasn't an example of this. I could ask my mom but she didn't f***ing know.

You spoke to it a little already, but what role has music played for you when you were going through the more challenging parts in your life? Was it always an outlet for you?

Yeah. That's always the safe space. Sometimes words don't do it, like trying to have a conversation with people. I need that emotional feeling of music. That's always been my therapy, having headphone space and listening to music loudly. I don't know what it is, it's just some physics of the sound and, I don't know, but it does it. I can tune the world out and just enjoy that. It can completely turn my day around, a good song. I don't know what it is but yeah, music is my safe space. 

I think it is for a lot of people. I also think it's really cool when artists share their personal stories, too.

You know the body weight blankets? It's like that. It feels like a cuddle in music.

"When I can't relate and when I'm feeling awkward, when I'm feeling out of place, I will always be understood and I can always feel understood through music."

A sonic cuddle.

Yeah. That's like what it is. When I can't relate and when I'm feeling awkward, when I'm feeling out of place, I will always be understood and I can always feel understood through music.

When you make music, is that something that has always been important to you? To create upbeat, joyful music?

Sometimes it's like both, right? Sometimes I'm just feeling like I need to write a song that reminds me to put a smile on or sometimes I want to write a song that's going to make me feel happy. Or sometimes I'm feeling really good and I just want to write a really happy song. Sometimes I'm feeling really sh*t and I want to write a song so that I can just get it out, some crazy dubstep something or another and I can just rage for a second because I need that.

Most of the time I'm like, "I need music that's just going to make me feel really cool." It's like putting on a dope pair of clothes and new sneakers. You're like, "Yo, all right. Cool. That's my sh*t." That's my mood most of the time. Saxophone is the instrument that I play and funk is the rhythm that makes my heart beat so it always tends to land somewhere in there.

You grew up in Detroit, which is such a breeding ground for amazing underground music. How did growing up there influence what you listen to and the music you make?

I think the big thing for me, kind of the reason why I'm playing saxophone and doing this whole DJ thing, was there was just this underground movement, and it wasn't techno. This was after techno. There was the underground, alternative pre-EDM scene for kids in downtown Detroit. They would have people like Dan Deacon come through and do shows. It was just bizarro sh*t... It was this nebulous zone of people just trying to figure out what is cool.

There weren't real paid gigs. They would just have parties in their lofts. It was this collective of kids called the Scrummage Kids. They had this thing called Scrummage University that was like, we didn't go to college, we did that. It was really inspiring to see these kids. I was producing music since I was 14 but this was now in the performance space. I was like, "I didn't know you could play this music out to people."

I'd go down to Detroit and see these kids do this stuff, experiment and have fun, and just go way beyond. That really inspired me to just do whatever I wanted. It broke all the rules for what a performance space was so I was like, "Maybe I'll do a saxophone thing. Maybe it'll be like hip-hop beats but danceable."

Then at Michigan State University, during my time there, it gave me the platform to actually do this in a performance space. They're like, now we have parties in basements where guys and girls live. They're called co-ops. There's a bunch of hippies. This was before the DJ movement in America, really. We weren't doing the EDC thing, how it is now. We weren't doing the Marshmello thing. Skrillex hadn't been a thing yet. Dubstep hadn't come to America yet.

We were figuring out this weird thing and it was like this strange electronic music performance space. Where nobody really knew what we were doing but it was cool and it was ours. It was techno, it was indie dance, it was pre-dubstep, it was hip-hop, it was electronica. I was like, "Cool. I'm going to play my music and play saxophone, and it's going to be f***ing weird." That's where that inspiration started.

In terms of giving back to your community, you do a lot. You've done six years of GRiZMAS, right?

Mm-hmm.

What are your thoughts on artists using their platform to speak up on getting involved in causes that are important to them? And what's your biggest driver in that sense right now?

I feel like it's your responsibility to do it, if you have a life that's easy. I have an easy life. I decide to work a lot. You know what I'm saying? I think it's a responsibility.

I see things in my world that are nice. If I want nice things I got to work for them or I've got to insert. If I want a nice education, I'm going to pay money and taxes or something and that's got to happen a certain way. If I want nice schools, and I want arts in education in schools, and I want to see these certain things well then I need to contribute to that, otherwise I'm just complaining about a problem. I don't want to be that kind of a person. I feel like it's my duty to contribute.

We have to do something. I have to do something. I support Seven Mile Music. They do really awesome work. They create after school music programs for kids who don't have music education during the school day. That's what we can do. This is our community and we just got to help. We got to help each other out. The entire world would be better if we could all just fucking pitch in. Just do a little bit of something. Maybe by doing that it will inspire other people to do something. I don't care what it is, just do something.

I feel that. It's a lot easier to complain, but…

It doesn't help anybody. People need help and if you're just complaining, those words aren't going to help feed people or add art to the world, or help create places where people can feel more mentally stable or have outlets for counseling. That doesn't help, us just sitting around saying, "Oh, I wish it was better." It's like, "Okay. [Laughs.] Do something and then let's party."

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