INTERVIEW: JD Era w/ HipHopDX.com
Shouts to Era and to Raekwon for being great guests at the Stylus conference on Saturday. The IceH20 push continues with a nice likkle HipHopDX interview. #NoHandouts!
Exclusive: The Toronto emcee discusses his relationship with Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon and his newest mixtape featuring Mac Miller, Lex Luger and 9th Wonder.
Canadian rapper JD Era is quickly becoming a household name here in the U.S. But the Toronto emcee is no freshman to the rap game. With his last release Th1rte3n available on I-Tunes and a well-earned reputation as one of Canada’s best freestylers, the award-winning emcee is the marquee artist to represent Raekwon’s Ice H20 Records, making Era’s American debut a defining moment for Canadian Hip Hop.
Recently JD Era spoke to DXnext about healthy competition with his Wu-Tang mentor and his “No Handouts” approach to releasing six successful mixtapes.
Verbal Intercourse: “I come from a battle background, so lyrics have always been really important to me. I listened to guys like Canibus, Mos Def, [Jay-Z], Nas, and [The Notorious B.I.G.]. They all have bars so growing up I was trying to emulate that. It evolved into my own style and I just try to keep it fresh for my generation. I think that lyricism is missing in some of the new artists. I’m not focused on trying to get a number one hit right now; I’m just focused on making music I enjoy. To have someone like Raekwon who is one of the more lyrical people in Hip Hop supporting me, I have no choice but to represent that lyrical authentic Hip Hop.”
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