It’s one thing to hear about FlygerWoods’s music on Twitter. It’s another thing to watch his set at Houston’s fourth annual Madness on Main indie festival. It’s a third to get to interview him.
FlygerWoods is probably one of the most unassuming rappers I’ve met. It’s always neat to finally see someone with whom you’ve been in contact over the interview – especially a musical artist – and not get a Dragonfly Jones-esque “It is a pleasure for you to meet me,” but it’s even neater to have that artist almost want to interview YOU, asking questions like he’s actually interested in other humans.
In light of his recent smashing the stage at Madness on Main this past Sunday so much so that they almost had to drag him off that stage, I felt I needed to share with the world about FlygerWoods, in his own words, so everyone would get to witness what some of us more fortunate music-lovers have gotten to experience.
HC: Mr. FlygerWoods, can you give us some background info? Where are you from? What was it like growing up?
FW:I grew up in Alief then moved to Missouri City after middle school. Growing up was a mixture of everything: great times, adversities, we (my mom, brothers, and I) went through it all. Sports and art played a big role in my upbringing. I’ve played basketball pretty much my whole life. Aside from that, I was always a huge music, comic book, and anime geek.
HC. How has that mixing of art affected your music?
FW: At my core, I’m an observer. So growing up, I soaked in not only the details of my own life and experiences, but those of family and friends closest to me. Whether the experience was painful, triumphant, or even comical, those details etched in my memory became the source of my storytelling ability that can be heard in my music.
HC: Describe your music style.
FW: I feel like raw lyricism and honesty are at the forefront of my style. Even though my music has a light-hearted house party feel, I still try to maintain a message without getting too serious. My goal is to continue to create and release music that is constantly evolving with me.
HC: OK. I like that term, “raw lyricism.” It sticks to the artistry of what hip hop was supposed to be. Now, describe your personal style for me: your look, writing style, personality, etc.
FW: I’m an outgoing introvert who wears flannels year-round. Jordans bring back the nostalgic memories of my youth but, some days, I prefer to wear Clarks with a button down and fitted slacks.
As far as my writing style, in 2008 I taught myself how to write songs without physically writing them down. Jay-Z famously calls this writing process “rain manning”. I typically smoke, then pace back and forth while listening to the instrumental.
HC: Ha! “Rainmanning.” I love it. Sounds like you need to get in your head first before letting anything out. So what do you feel is your specific place in today’s music? For example, if you were to win a Grammy in a category solely dedicated to you, what would that category be?
FW: My music is meant to bridge the gap for kids just like Kanye West did for me. I’m a rager who likes to get high and party with girls, but the technique and skill you hear in my flow was developed by listening to artists like Mos Def, Common, and The Hue. My live performance is a high-energy experience geared simply for fans of good music. I don’t see myself as a mainstream pop artist, but if that’s my destiny, my artistic integrity will never be compromised. Grammy goes to FlygerWoods for Best Storyteller.
HC: Are Mos Def, Kanye, Common, and The Hue your own influences? If not, who all is?
FW: Definitely been influenced by multiple genre artists from different time periods. Ranging from Marvin Gaye to Dipset, from Average White Band to NERD. Of course, Southern rap plays a major part in my sound, with influences by artists like Outkast, Lil. Flip, UGK, 8 Ball & MJG. To be honest, some of my biggest influences are my friends: TheAspiringme, Fat Tony, Tim Woods, Wolfe De Mchls, Izzar Thomas, Charles Mxxn just to name a few.
HC: That’s quite a few. So if you could record with one artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
FW: One is kinda tough, let me give you two: Frank Ocean and MF DOOM.
HC: Anything else we should know? (Now is an excellent time to plug yourself/your music)
FW: I have a new album releasing in the fall with a couple of singles I’m dropping this summer as well as launching my brand/creative team “FWM.”
HC: And one fun, yet necessary question to determine whether or not I really will be able to FWYou: Sugar or salt and pepper in your grits?
FW: Sugar, always.
Good man, this FlygerWoods.
To keep up with Flygerwoods, follow him on social media at @flygerwoods on Twitter and IG, and bless your ears on his site at www.flygerwoods.com.
The post Intro the Woods: FlygerWoods, in His Own Words | @flygerwoods appeared first on Day & A Dream.
