Atlanta Hip-Hop artist, Evan Holt, is 22 with a catalog of music waiting to be heard. After releasing his first project "Thanks Dilla" in 2010, Evan has since followed up with 4 releases---"1.5", "x.Evan Holt", "Where Was Eye", and most recently, "The Temptations" with producer Thelonious Martin. The former San Diego native has been recording longer than he's had any diploma, and plans to have his masters with or without the masters degree.
OK-Tho:
Your from San Diego, then moved to Louisiana and now Atlanta. Seeing the different cultures in life and hip hop from each state, would you say that ATL is the best place for you to be for your music?
Evan Holt:
Yeah I think Atlanta is a good place to be if I want to stand out, when I go places I'm always the one that's not necessarily doing what everybody else is in the room. I don't really let my surroundings dictate anything I do as far as music.
OK-Tho:
True indeed. We heard that you started out Louisiana with a couple other guys. Do you still keep in contact with them?
Evan Holt:
I'm still in contact with some of them. They were older than me so they didn't stick with it, but they showed me a lot early on.
OK-Tho:
Who are some of your inspirations for becoming a rapper?
Evan Holt:
When I started recording myself it was Rakim, I would mimic his style in a way because I didn't want to write so I'd start my raps like he would and talk about me. Over time I started to just write songs that way and make it my own every time.
OK-Tho:
Dope. How did you get up with Thelonious and come about doing a project together?
Evan Holt:
He had this beat that I rapped over and put on Tumblr which he liked and we started working from there. He probably gave me two projects worth of beats but I just picked the ones I felt had the same type of theme and from there we had a project.
OK-Tho:
What was the process like in making The Temptations, how long did it take as well?
Evan Holt:
It was like 9 months, I had a lot of the ideas for a while and would just work on them until I felt like they sounded the right way. I narrowed it down to like 10 songs in March, started working on the artwork for it, we didn't have a title yet but I had all of the songs.
OK-Tho:
Where did the influence of the project name come from?
Evan Holt:
I'm into band names; The Time, Ready for the World, The Beatles. It's a collaboration, bands aren't just about the vocalist. I came up with the title watching "The Temptations" documentary seeing how they were going through it. Instead of naming the project Drugs,Sex and Money. Call it the temptations. In ode to the group but also just to be real about life and temptation.
OK-Tho:
You made a project dedicated to J Dilla, would you say he's your favoite producer of all time?
EvanHolt:
Dilla is the type of producer I'd want to work with. If I don't like the beat all the way, they can play something else that I might love and we'll have a song come easier than working with something I'm just kind of into. He's one of my favorite, all the stuff he did for Tribe, Slum Village.
OK:
Yea and Busta as well. How did you link up with Peerless Clothing?
Evan:
Online really, it was cool because I want to involve new people in what I do and working with people that believe in my music. We found a way to make it happen and did it while having fun.
OK:
Word, very cool. So you have the same manager as Pusha T's, how did that come about?
Evan:
It was the internet with that too, I put a project out called 1.5 that had "Keep Callin" on it originally and he heard that song and had his homie Shiv get in contact with me and started working from there.
OK:
Is there gonna be a Pusha Evan collab in the future?
Evan:
Soon, I've met him twice. We didn't record together but I put hooks on songs that he ended up rapping on and we've got a song that came about from that so that'll be something to be looking forward to.
OK:
Wow. So I heard you created the hook to Pusha's Millions single which is funny cuz your style and music doesn't reflect that type of hook?
Evan:
I wrote a hook to it that wasn't used. I recorded a reference that I wanted someone like John Legend Or Kid Cudi to do, I thought that would have been way bigger than me because it was around the time they were working on Cruel Summer but he changed his verses and came up with the hook it is now, I didn't write that.
OK:
Oh ok. Does having a big time manager like Steve make you feel like you have to make certain type of music? Is it intimidating or do you just go on as you usually do?
Evan:
It's not intimidating it's reassuring because he knows I'm capable of doing great things, He see's something that I don't sometimes which makes me confident at the end of the day what I'm doing is good anyway.
OK:
Are you and Steve looking to get a major record deal in your future or is the independent route what you want?
Evan:
Whatever allows me to reach my full potential, I think I have the ability to work within either system. It's like playing street-ball or Organized Ball. I would want to be in a situation that didn't put me under any pressure to make a certain sound or stick to one thing. People haven't had the chance to see me do something different yet so I want to show i'm not a one dimensional artist.
OK:
Whats your take on the state of hip hop today, do you feel it's the best as it's ever been or could it be better?
Evan:
If there was a bandwidth for the amount of music that can come out in a period of time I think that would be good for music. Too many artist sound like somebody else that's already doing.. well at that. People have that.. you aren't yourself syndrome in music.
OK:
Yes, I completely agree. So besides hip hop, what other genre's and artists do you listen to and get inspired by?
Evan:
I like everything. In the house I grew up listening to Sade, Prince, The Fugees, Nirvana, Mary J Blige. If it really sounds good I'll like it.
OK:
If you were given the opportunity to make the album you wanted, what producers would you acquire and what top 3 artists would you have featured?
Evan:
I'd have my homies Dallas and Cross just because I know I could do a lot with the production. Maybe Mike Dean cause he did Watch The Throne. I don't really care about rap features but it'd have John Legend singing hooks.
OK:
Yea I knew of Mike Dean from back in the day with Scarface and the shit he did on Jamal's Last Chance, No Breaks album. I was just a fan of his guitar work and felt he was a very underrated producer. So, from the beginning of your career til now, was there a lot of a learning process in your style and game and the type of tracks you make?
Evan:
Dilla really helped me understand what I like to rap to. I'm not a character as much as I used to be when I started rapping. I don't like doing adlibs, I can come off kind of raspy or monotone but I'm usually rapping through the whole track without doing a lot of punching in and out. I'm starting to focus on getting the idea across without saying as much.
OK:
Dope bro, I believe there is too much punching in myself. Every rapper is making those studio type of tracks where there's mad takes put together and hardly anyone does that one take verse. Can you explain what your tag Soapboxstar means?
Evan:
Soapboxstar is a collective. Music, Art, Photography, Film, Press all in house amongst friends. I've always been used to doing things myself and I know my friends want to be successful so putting a name to it was easy. I want it to be something people who listen to my music can feel a part of as well. "Someone who addresses their views with an amount of passion is said to be standing on their soapbox. Stars are in the sky so you look up to them if you call someone a star you are referring to them as someone who you also look up to"
OK:
Word. Are you a sports fan? What teams do you like?
Evan:
When I was younger Michael Vick and Allen Iverson were my two favorite athletes so I've been a fan of the Falcons and 76ers for years. Both of those teams have always been the underdog.
OK:
Yes and not too many fans stick to their respective teams, they mostly jump on the bandwagon. And congrats to Allen on his retirement, he should def make it in the Hall Of Fame. Who are you playing these days in your tape deck?
Evan:
I really liked Big Seans album, Yeezus, Magna Carter, MNINM. A lot of the artist I've been listening to put out music this year it changes from time to time.
OK:
It's crazy cause your music doesn't reflect those artists and their music to me. What up and coming artists have you heard and believe are making some noise?
Evan:
Vic Mensa, I listened to his project and it's got a dope sound like he doesn't remind me of anybody out.
OK:
Yea, his mixtape was very original. It was one of the best projects I've heard in a while. So is there a tour in near future?
Evan:
There should definitely be some touring in the future. I know I'm not packing stadiums out yet but I want to show my face a lot more, I missed out on A3C in Atlanta this year and CMJ in New York which made me want to work a little harder to be noticed for those type of events.
OK:
I'm sure you'll be there next year. What's next for you, any projects in the future?
Evan:
A lot of music. I want people to hear The Temptations but I know it was a stepping stone for the next project, I'm working on something for November possibly but I'll definitely have something out before 2014.
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