Famed Canadian rapper and hip-hop artist Madchild is no stranger to a busy touring schedule. He has appeared at countless venues in the United States, Canada, and around the world as a part of the group Swollen Members. But most currently, Madchild is on the road as a solo artist in promotion of his latest release Silver Tongue Devil. In anticipation of his upcoming Bozeman show, the passionate and energetic mc was gracious enough to hop on the phone with the Rolling Zone (prior to yet another lengthy drive) to talk memories and making music.
RZ: How are you doing today? MC: Good! How are you?
RZ: Doing good! You’re in the process of touring and coming to Bozeman on the 3rd to the Molly Brown. Tell us a little bit about what you’ve got planned for that show and what people can expect to see. MC: It’s going to be live energy, a lot of fun. I’m excited to come out there. I’ve been on a long run in Canada–I just did 28 shows four months ago, and then cam back and just did 37. I live in L.A. now and I love it. I’m definitely excited to come back and do some American shows.
RZ: Your career is marked with extensive touring. Do you ever get tired or are you always excited to be on the road? MC: Yeah, I mean, this winter tour in Canada was pretty rough. There were some pretty crazy drives, with snowstorms and what not, but I’m excited to keep going. You know, you’ve got to just keep your mind in that mode. I’ll go home for a day and a half, then back on the road. Then I go to Europe and come back and do some more American shows, then I go to Australia. Then when I get back from Australia, I can say, “Ok. Time to take a break for a minute.”
RZ: What went into the making of your latest solo effort, Silver Tongue Devil? MC: I put a lot of effort into that record. I wanted to put the same amount of effort as I did into my first album Dope Sick. I definitely took my time. It was the number three album in Canada on the Billboard Top 200. I really thought the cover was cool. We got L’Amour Supreme from Michigan to do the cover. I bought the actual artwork off of the canvas after. Yeah, and I’m happy with how [the album]’s done. It’s been great.
RZ: Has putting out material on your own Battle Axe Records had any sort of affect on the music or its release? MC: Not really. I just record them at my crib–I got a set-up there. People send me beats and I get into a zone. Once I get into a zone, I probably work like fourteen hours a day on music when I’m at home. [I] just made the album, there wasn’t any crazy story to it really. Just like when I get into tour mode, I get into studio mode. I feel like I pushed it lyrically. It was a fun record to make.
RZ: What does the recording process look like for Madchild? MC: Well rapping is not like riding a bike. To stay sharp, you gotta work at it. If I go on the road for four months and come back, I might write for like a week before I even start recording, just to brush up. I’m really into word combinations– [something] that’s always been important to me–trying to come up with new ways to rhyme words. There’s so many rappers out there today, sort of everything’s been done. Once in a while you’ll still find gems where you feel like you came up with combinations that no one’s done before. I think that’s the funnest part of writing for me. But I also want to say things in music.
RZ: How do you differentiate between your solo career and career with Swollen Members? MC: We were like the biggest thing in Canada prior to Drake. It was pretty crazy. We were an underground group [and then] massive in Canada. We toured the world back then with Black Eyed Peas, Nelly Furtado, Rihanna, Sum 41. It was cool because we were playing in stadiums, but we were this backpack rap group that just made our music. But at the time it popped off and got on the radio. You couldn’t turn the radio or tv on without seeing us or hearing us back then. So coming back and having a solo career and having success, it being a new world, success is measured in different forms now. [Because] music is free, I’m pretty thankful I’ve sold as many records as I have. I have a very loyal fan base and I’m thankful for that. I consider them my family. It’s been fun coming back and being able to do it all over again.
RZ: What do you think separates you from all the other rappers out there? MC: I think I’m at a top-ranking place for my lyrical ability, but I also can make the songs fun. Even though I’ll do what I call abstract expressionism, the style that I do is abstract at times, but I’m also speaking about things, so a lot of people relate to my music. All rappers have to have confidence if they’re going to be successful. Real, true art comes from within. Nothing is pre-thought, it just happens. When you dig deep and talk about life and you talk about what you’re going through and what you’ve been through and where you’re headed, people relate to that. I try to be sharp, as far as my wordplay, but still touch people, reach people. I’m not afraid to talk about the struggles we go through in life. Life’s a beautiful struggle.
RZ: Over the course of your career in music, can you pinpoint some shining achievements? MC: Yeah, a lot of things. We won like four of Canada’s version of the Grammys, eight or nine Top 10 hits, won seven Much Music Awards, and went platinum a few times. Those were shining moments for sure. And playing in front of twenty, thirty thousand people. The biggest show we ever did was fifty thousand people. That was pretty crazy, playing on the same stage as Coldplay. As far as Swollen Members goes, those were shining moments, the accolades and life on the tour bus. It was pretty cool. Now, coming back after a four-year oxy cotton addiction and being off of drugs for four years, I’m rebuilding my life. It’s a challenge, [but] I like challenges. It’s a different world, so you have to adapt. Certain things I adapt to, and certain things just aren’t for me. I do what I think makes sense for my brand, but I’m not going to be a slave to my phone like a lot of people are. It is a new world and I’m constantly learning. A good thing I’ve learned, I always try to make sure every time I go on tour, I’m adding new songs and taking out songs so it’s a different experience every time.
RZ: Because your shows are so relatable and tell your story, people keep coming back. MC: It’s not just about me, it’s about us. It’s about everybody there that’s come to embrace the art I’ve created. I enjoy the experience of playing in a room with everybody. I love when the energy is really exciting and kind of roaring through the room and people are hyped. That’s an amazing feeling. I think I’m addicted to that.
RZ: What would you say to people who might be out chasing the same sort of dream and living the hip-hop culture? MC: I would say, make sure to have a backup plan to be honest with you. I know that sounds weird, because normally I would say you can’t have a backup plan if you want to make it. But it’s so difficult now. Everything is so oversaturated. There’s literally a million rappers out there. There are probably as many fans as rappers. Everybody wants to live the same dream. When I started, I guess it was easier. But [now] there’s no way to keep up. How do you keep up with music now? Albums come and go so fast; artists’ careers come and go so fast. So many different things can happen. This is a very fast moving business and world now. Careers don’t last, [which] is why I’m happy to come from the era that I came from. I’m honored to be one of the people–like Tech N9ne and Vinnie Paz–who have lifelong careers. I feel like I can do this as long as I want to. But it’s different now. The chances of having a lifelong career for music are a lot slimmer than they used to be. It sucks, but it’s true. We do it because we love it. Even with me, it’s still a grind. Music’s free! I’m lucky. I would say, it’s smart to do it because you love it and make sure you tour as well as using the internet. You have to get out there and tour–that separates the men from the boys.
RZ: Touring has to be great because it connects you with your fans, or as you called them, your family. MC: Yeah, you build relationships even if you’re not sitting there having conversation. Start recognizing people that have come to three, four of your shows, and kind of give them an extra pound and a handshake and say what’s up. That stuff is really important. And fun!
RZ: You’re a busy guy. Any final words before we see you in Bozeman? MC: Shout out to everybody that supports me. Without them, I’d be making music in my crib by myself. It’s a lot more fun when you know people are enjoying your music and taking it in. Without my fans–my family–and people that support me, I’m nothing. They’re everything to me. So thank you. Madchild will perform at the Molly Brown of Bozeman on Thursday, March 3rd beginning with doors at 7pm.
Tickets to this 21 and over show are $16.50 in store at Cactus Records or online at cactusrecords.net/ (online sales subject to convenience fee). Don’t miss out on seeing this this guy do what he does best–perform live.
