Junior’s Cave Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight (01/26/10)
Christian Hip-Hop artist Commissary is taking the popular genre into new heights and casting his own spiritual spin on it. The artist is also reaching out to thousands of Christians through his music. What makes this artist a special gem is his devotion to our Lord, his passion to bring Christian music to the masses, and his love to entertain others. Here is what developed.
Isaac: We’d love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
Commissary: To my knowledge, my family has little to no musical history. But my first memory of music, that I recall, dates back to around 1990-91 when I was only a small child living in my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. My older brother, Thoris, had an enormous cassette tape collection of Hip Hop and R&B. He owned music from Bobby Brown, Oaktown 3-5-7, and countless other artists. We shared a room at the time and I always remember being around as he listened to his tapes or to the radio. I was also a big fan of MC Hammer. Do you remember the short lived animated television show that he had? Haha, it was hilarious. His catchy music, colorful clothing, and unique dance moves instantly amazed me. It was during this time when my older brother took me to see him live in concert at the Von Braun Civic Center along with Heavy D and Boyz II Men. That was an amazing event! And as the years progressed, my brother continued to expose to me to mainly Hip-Hop and R&B and as I grew older, I began to watch music videos, listen to the radio, and purchase music on my own.
Isaac: What drew you to pick up a mic in the first place?
Commissary: The love of the art form had been inside of me since childhood, so I guess it was only natural. And once I had realized that everybody is either an aspiring rapper, actor, or model, I conformed and wanted to rap as well, haha. But honestly, just the influence of the Hip-Hop culture itself drew me to want to express myself through emceeing. For so long, I had seen it done but for the first time ever, I wanted to be the one conveying the message so I decided to give lyric writing a shot back in the year 2000.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
Commissary: I had absolutely no idea. My intention was just to try it for the sake of, but once I realized how therapeutic writing was, I kept on doing it. Growing up, I was forced to suppress a lot of inner emotions and was never truly allowed to freely express myself, and once God opened up a door for me to do so, I basically ran with it.
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
Commissary: There are a lot of extremely talented performers out there, but I would have to go with Smokey Robinson and/or Stevie Wonder. I’m a big fan of older music and not only that, but these guys are living legends and it would be an honor to work with them. I would no doubt be crushed under the weight of their wisdom. But if the right opportunity presented itself and if my beliefs or integrity weren’t in danger of being compromised, then I would definitely consider working with either Smokey or Stevie.
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
Commissary: Oh man, where do I begin? I really like Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley, Frankie Lymon, James Brown, Michael Jackson, you know, the ones who paved the way for today’s artists. Today’s artists are wonderful at their craft, but if it had not been for these guys, they wouldn’t have even stood in a chance in the first place. It’s so easy to be an artist in the digital age, that’s why a lot of people are pursuing it. But back then, when it was just you in a recording booth with no Pro Tools, no Auto Tune, none of the fancy technological advancements of today’s world, you see what true talent is. And not to mention, these guys had to record full songs in one take because the record labels back then didn’t like to invest large amounts of money on recording equipment/materials. Isn’t that ridiculous? It’s just berserk every time I think about it. But presently, I enjoy Reach Records, His Glory Alone, Flame, Rhyme Council, shai linne, k-Drama, Hillsong, and Kari Jobe just to name a few.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
Commissary: Honestly man, my ultimate goal is to point my listeners to Jesus Christ. A lot of people in my genre come into this thing with that heart and with that mentality, but somewhere along the way, something goes wrong. I’m by no means a preacher or a teacher, but I know the impression that I want to leave on my listeners and that is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only way to God the Father and you must accept Him and repent from your sins to flee the Father’s wrath to come. Call me close minded, but I’m convinced that that’s the truth and what better way to share that to the masses than through the very music that God, the one who my music is about in the first place, has allowed me to make.
Isaac: What has been some of the obstacles it has taken to get this far in your career?
Commissary: I didn’t see this at first, but the longer I’ve been around; I realized that it’s politics. It has always been about who you know and not what you know, and honestly, I think that things will remain this way. We just have to accept it for what it is and keep persevering and pursuing despite what others try to do.
Isaac: Would you recommend this “field” to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
Commissary: Honestly, I wouldn’t. Everything isn’t really all what it is cracked up to be and I would let aspiring artists know that. I’m sort of unofficially working with a young dude right now. He’s only fifteen years old and I try to constantly tell him that he should only be doing this for the love of it and not to attain a certain level or status.
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you have been given to by others in the music industry.
Commissary: To be true to myself and to never imitate anyone else. That’s the key to longevity, just being yourself and not a carbon copy of the hottest thing at the moment.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
Commissary: Christian Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop no matter what you place in front of it, but since I’m a Christian, I feel the need to say Christian because I want to show people that I’m set apart from the rest and the music that I make is not the norm.
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?
Commissary: It would have to be my song “I See You” from my debut album “Secure Attachment”. The entire project itself shows a lot of progression from my EP “The Inception” which I put out back in August of 2006. I felt like I tackled social issues but not only for the sake of just making a song about them to make the listeners aware, but I gave a solution.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Commissary: You can check out my MySpace page at www.myspace.com/commissaryor my EPK at www.sonicbids.com/commissary. If you like what you hear, you can make your way on over to www.createspace.com/1741437 and order “Secure Attachment” for $10.00.
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
Commissary: I’d like to thank Porscha Jones and the Nu Millenium Records staff for playing a vital role in the assistance of releasing my debut project. I’d also like to thank Pastors Tone Bruno and Michael Phillips for helping me become the man that I need to be. Also, much love to my Orlando crew Royal, Germs, Will, Des, Jamaal, Logik, SincereOne, Young Evangelist, and my family His Glory Alone from Tampa.
Isaac: Any last words?
Commissary: Thanks so much for this opportunity Isaac. We need more opportunities like this for independent artists out there. If anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns about what I said, hit me up on my MySpace.
