The Jersey Shore has a lot of talented MC’s and Producers these days, but arguably no one is doing a better job of combining music with community outreach like A1. Between a hectic schedule of releasing his own music, collaborating with other artists and live performances, he has collected close to 2,000 pairs of shoes for the Soles4Souls organization that provides shoes for people in need.
NJ: Next’s Angelo Gingerelli caught up with A1 while he was putting the finishing touches on his next release (“GAMEBOY”) and planning the next phase of his shoe collection efforts.
How does Hip-Hop enter your life? When do you decide you want to become an artist?
When I was really young, my sisters would always have MTV on. My favorite videos were the Hip-Hop songs even though at the time I couldn’t understand them. Busta Rhymes’ video for “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” was the one would make me become a lifelong Hip-Hop fan, that happened when I was 5. I was sold on the genre strictly from the rhythms and the originality. A few years later I discovered how clever, intricate, and witty the lyrics could be.
Now the second half is the harder question. I recently found a third grade project of mine and one question was “What do you want to be when you grow up” and my answer was a rapper. I didn’t even know I wanted to be one that young, but in 7th grade I got my first set of turntables. I figured I would be a DJ, I mean come on! A DJ scratching on a track is still the coolest thing ever! By the end of that school year I found a free demo version of Fruity Loops and started making beats. I made beats from about the end of 7th grade to junior year of high school until Limewire gave me virus after virus and eventually killed my computer.
Frustrated with technology, I completely gave up making music! I stopped for a good amount of time but then I picked up freestyling as a hobby. Me and my friends would freestyle in the car, in class, at lunch, at lacrosse practice, and basically anywhere. By The end of senior year we started to get good at freestyling and could basically rhyme and talk about whatever we wanted, so from that point we figured we’d try to write a song. As you probably guessed we loved it and pretty much wrote one song every day that whole summer and would record in my friend’s house. They were basic songs with like 5 rappers and no hook, but we had so much fun.
From there I never stopped writing, which inevitably brought me back to making beats. I took a course to get certified in Protools for recording, mixing, and producing (most fun I ever had in class).
Who are your earliest influences? Do you still listen to them now?
My first CD was Nelly- Country Grammar. After that CD I always liked Nelly but that’s the only album of his I still listen to. My second CD was DMX, I’m a huge DMX fan. I still bump all of his CD and to this day I continue to draw inspiration from him.
What’s the Jersey Shore Hip-Hop scene like?
There are a ton of awesome MCs and producers around here but the shows are extremely limited. The only place that really puts on for the Hip-Hop scene is Asbury Park, but down by me in Seaside it’s not taken seriously which leaves the scene extra dry.
How do you distribute your music? Where have you been the most successful?
I mostly distribute through Soundcloud but now I’m starting to upload to YouTube more, and promote with social media and word of mouth. I switched to YouTube because I noticed there’s more of an organic reach and it’s much more well-known and user friendly. A lot of people get weird when you send them to Soundcloud because they don’t typically use it. I’ve also noticed Soundcloud is filled with musicians as opposed to actual listeners.
How did you get involved with Soles4Souls and how have you been collecting shoes?
I was cleaning my room one day and I had a bunch of really dope kicks that were in good condition but not clean enough to wear out, so I wanted to donate them. Automatically my mind went to the idea of holding an event to collect shoes with live music. I searched organizations to donate them through and one of the first I found was Soles4Souls, one of the options was to host your own event. Seemed like it was meant to be lol!
What’s the next step for your involvement with the program?
I’m looking to take this same formula and bring it to different cities across the country. Get the city’s local artists to perform alongside me, help promote the event, and help collect shoes.
What’s next for you artistically?
My upcoming project “GAMEBOY” is coming out very soon. Half of the songs have Nintendo Gameboy samples in them and the other songs are more on the electronic chill wave side. The basis of the project is a play on the word GAMEBOY, the entire project revolves around the modern relationship. Here’s an excerpt from the title track “GAMEBOY.”
“Now a days it’s play or be played, and it seems like everyone’s a player these days”
Rapid Fire Questions:
5: Top 5 rappers of all time:
Toughest Question Ever!
Big Pun Big L (tie)
Eminem
Nas
Rakim
4: Top 4 producers of all time:
DJ Premier
Dr. Dre
Kanye West
Pete Rock
(Alchemist gets honorable mention)
3: Top 3 spots for live Hip-Hop in NJ:
Asbury
Starland Ballroom
Waiting for the 3rd to emerge
2: Top 2 sneakers of all time:
Air Force Ones
Charles Barley’s Signature Shoe
1: One reason everybody should check out A1…
I try to make music for everyone from Hip-Hop heads to people who don’t even listen to Hip-Hop. Plus everyone likes to be the first one of their friends to discover a dope artist!
Look for “GAMEBOY” to drop soon and get more information about shoe donations at www.soles4souls.org
Also Worth Checking Out…
Gordon Baker-Bone – Nobody? Just Me?
Gordon Baker-Bone has been one of the hardest working and funniest people in New Jersey’s comedy scene for years. “Nobody? Just Me?” is his first full-length album and while comedy fans should absolutely see him perform live, this album is a good introduction to Baker-Bone until he comes to your town. Available on all downloading and streaming services.
