Artist Spotlight: JOEY AICH Interview



Joseph Holbert or Joey Aich is a 20 year old hip-hop artist from Cleveland, Ohio. Aside from being a Hip-hop artist Joey is a current sophomore at Denison University. He's been rapping since senior year of high school and since then he has released two mix tape, "Thoughts of a Pondering Insomniac," (2012) and " Classick" (2013). In the near future he will be releasing his third project titled, (College D.egree)








OK:
Who is Joey Aich?

J AICH:
Who is Joey Aich. Well to begin I’m a 20-year-old college student at Denison University. I’m from Cleveland, Ohio. Those are the basic stuff, but Joey Aich the rapper is someone who stands for positivity, peace, and love. I like expressing myself and telling my story. I started actually rapping around the age of 17 I want to say, whenever I was a senior in high school. This is when I put it in my mind that this is something I wanted to do and was serious about. So yeah that’s who Joey Aich is. Pretty laid back I guess. Just a college rapper guy lol.

OK:
How old were you when you wrote your first rhyme?

J AICH:
I began writing a long time ago. I want to say around 6th grade. Back then it was more writing a song for class or in group projects people would ask me to rap lol. It was sort of funny back then because I didn’t really establish myself as a rapper I was just good at rhyming words and making it sound cool. I actually started rapping in 9th grade with my best friends Julian, James, Trae, and Austin. We went by the name JJJAT lol. It was more as jokes and just expression purposes but yeah that’s where I started.

OK:
Thats what's up - so what made you want to pursue hip-hop?

J AICH:
 Just my love for the genre of music. Hip-hop is a super cool way for people to express themselves and voice their opinion so that really attracted me. Back in high school when I first started I wrote very conscious and simply wrote lyrics to vent to myself. In my old blackberry I have notes and notes of just songs of me venting. I wouldn’t record them, but I was able to relieve myself without going to someone else to talk about feelings, events, or what was going on in my life.
Another reason I wanted to pursue hip-hop was because I used to hear people rap about the most pointless things. Yeah these things like drugs, money, and women are popular and whatnot but I wanted to use my voice to give a deeper meaning to people. Give people a reason to think and promote something bigger than all that stuff.

OK:
What's the local hip-hop scene look like Cleveland, Ohio ?

J AICH:
Ahhh the local hip-hop scene in Cleveland haha. To be quite honest I have a love and hate relationship with it. As far as talent it’s amazing there are many talented artist in Cleveland doing their thing. My only problem is as rappers we are like natural born haters to an extent. My good friend Najee, or SHDW, told me that there is enough room in the game for those who want to work hard. In Cleveland people hate on the next man’s success often and I truly hate that. Prime example, is the whole Control freestyle trend. Everyone got so wrapped up in trying to be the best rapper and forgot the true passion for why they make music. Rappers attacking rappers that they had good relationships with to prove some point. It was wack to me. It’s gotten better recently but that’s my only concern.
I mess with a lot of artist in Cleveland. Ray Ave, Kyle Messner, Will, Nazeeh, Dewie Lennon to name a few. I actually can’t wait to be back home to collab and perform in my city. I like the way that it’s going here and working with some of the other artists like Atari Jones, Riz Leigh, or Common Ave.



OK:
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

J AICH:
The best advice I’ve been given. That’s tough. I guess as cliché as it may sound be happy. Do what makes you happy. Don’t allow others to get in the way of your happiness. I think we spend too much time letting others dictate what should make someone happy. Its rather random but I remember this kid from my high school that wanted to drive buses for the rest of his life. People looked down on it and thought it was stupid but if it made him happy who cares what the next people’s thinks you know. We get so wrapped up in this imaginary route to success that we often forget that everyone has their own definition. So with all that just be happy is the best advise I’ve been given.

OK:
Positive vibes is def the wave - now what track do you favor most that you've written and why?

J AICH:
Recently, I would say my song titled Smooth Hardcore. It hasn’t been release yet it’s apart of my upcoming tape “College D.egree.” The feeling I get when I hear that song is amazing. I performed it in Cleveland and the response from the crowd after just makes me smile and that overall makes me feel good that people really liked it. I have watched the video of me performing it over and over and over again and I see myself with the biggest smile like I’m a little kid again. Watching that video gives me chills. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it on the tape I think lyrically its one of my better songs and overall I just think people will really enjoy it.

OK:
What makes your style unique from other artists?

J AICH:
Uhhhh to begin with I don’t cuss often. I try to get my message across in my music without having to use swear words. Mostly because when I was younger I didn't want my parents to hear it, but it sort of turned into my own way to rap. Sometimes I do but I want to stay away as much as possible. I've often heard that in order for me to “make it” I have to start cussing, but I think it separates me.
I genuinely like to rap strictly off experiences. I think a lot of artists sugarcoat their lifestyles for their music when you listen to it you can tell what is fact and what is fiction. So I just try to stay true and speak from the heart. Also, there aren't many artists that have the 90’s rap style, which I find very weird to be quite honest. I’ve heard people tell me that I sound like I came from the 90s. I guess I’m just a product of what I enjoyed listening to. Tribe, Digable Planets, De La Soul etc.


OK:
no-doubt - now what opportunities has music given you?

J AICH:
Music has given me a voice. I can speak my mind over a beat and share it with the word. So that pretty awesome. I’m gained a sense of confidence from music. Like I said before I was super conscious and scared to let my peers hear my music, but since I started I’m been more confident with myself. Releasing music is a huge jump lol. People can either love what you have to offer or hate it. But being able to share it with people takes a lot of confidence. Same goes for performing. I hated talking and performing in front of people when I was younger until high school I got into plays and choir. I got solos and stuff so I’ve gotten used to being comfortable. I like to call that Stage Sanctuary, just making the stage home. So those are some things music has given me.


OK:
Music is powerful without a doubt - so who are your top 3 rappers of all time?

J AICH:
Top three rappers of all time. Hmmmm. Nas and Jay-z are definitely the first two. The impact these two artists have had on my life is incredible. The last artist I would probably say Asher Roth even though that may be VERY unpopular. Most people only know him from “I love College” which is a poor representation of the artist he is. His way with words his style and his concepts have influence my music more than any artist in my opinion.

   


OK:
If you were only able to posses one super power what would it be and why?

J AICH:
Time Travel. I don’t have many regrets in my life, but there are times I wish I could have improved a situation with the knowledge that I know now. Like if I knew I wanted to make music back in my freshman and sophomore year I would have taken it more seriously and took the necessary steps to get better.
I would also want to travel in time to have conversations with people from the past, or see how people were back in the day. I never was able to meet my Grandfather cause he passed away years before I was even thought of, but I would definitely want to sit down and have a conversation with him. Or go back to when jazz music was hip and experience those times and how music was back then.


OK:
Dope - what do you like to do for fun outside of working on music?

J AICH:
Well I’m a student but I wouldn’t really consider that fun lol. However, I enjoy being educated and I truly do value my education. I play sports. My whole life I played baseball up until college. I’m an avid video game player. I spend hours playing video games. Besides working on music I really enjoy listening to music. It pretty cool when I leave Joey Aich the artist and get into Joey Aich the fan/listener. Just sitting down and enjoying good music is soothing.


OK:
nike, pumas, or adidas?

J AICH:
Hahah everyone that knows me will laugh at this question. To be honest none of the above. I don’t wear Nike, Puma, or Adidas I wear an abundance of Starter. Yes Starter like the Satin jackets and snapbacks. Besides music I want to go into marketing so my dream is to bring Starter back up into competition with the other brands like Nike, Puma and Adidas. In some of my songs you can hear me make references to Starters. i.e. “My ardor is past the presence and farther than riches that for the record the reason that I wear Starters…Started” or In the Coffee video I don’t know if anyone can tell but my shoes I put on are Starters. Haha so I really make that push to celebrate the brand. Hopefully someday I can work with them but who knows.


OK:
That video "Coffee" is def official - shout out to sarob. for the feature too - explain a lil more about the concept?

J AICH:
Yeah man shout out to sarob. That’s like a brother to me. He just dropped his album “noon.” Which is crazy good and I’m proud to be apart of it.
As far as the video is concerned I wanted to play a game with me being a student and an artist. We often hear student athletes but not really give notice to student musicians I guess you can say. So College D.egree is suppose to tell a story or a typical week in my life on campus. My setting for Coffee is to feel like a Monday morning. Here at Denison people love their coffee, and hate Mondays cause its just so hard to transition from having a crazy weekend to Monday full of new work. As for the song I want people to know that I’m here in the game and I’m ready to show out. It goes with the saying “Watch up and smell the coffee,” like wake up and notice my talent. However when students actually drink coffee is for them to stay awake to perform well in school. So with the video it shows me rapping in the library where usually its quiet and you can see people studying and what not trying to better their academic performance. I’m trying to better my musical performance. So it’s sort of showing the conasting ideas of a student musicians cause I’m both a student but I also make music. It’s ironic for me to being rapping where people are supposed to be doing work and silent.



 OK:
 What would you like for your fans to gather from your music?

J AICH:
 I really just want my friends, cause I don’t have fans yet, to feel inspired. There are people from my high school who I went to school with all my whole life happy to see me doing what makes me happy. It’s a great feeling when people tell me they enjoy seeing me do something that I love to do and it helps them want to do what they love as well. So I would say I want my listeners to feel inspired but also promote positivity, peace, and love. I want people to be happy and give good vibes rather than hatred messages. Our lives are too short to be indulged in negativity. I don’t want to sound like I’m preaching but we as people have too much to offer to the world than spread negative messages. I also want to set a good example for my little brother. I love him with all my heart and see that he looks up to me so I want to do everything in my power to be a role model. So I just hope people can get that out of my music, I think I’m doing a pretty good job lol.


OK:
 What can we expect from Joey Aich in 2014?

J AICH:
 In 2014 you can expect a lot of music from me. When I mean a lot I mean visuals, songs, performances, everything. I want to do it all this year. I want to reach my highest potential in the year 2014. In May I’m releasing my next project “College D.egree” which like I said before is a story of a typical week in my college experience. I’m in the works of another visual for another song off the project College Degree now, so look out for that. I’m planning on performing a lot. Where I’m not exactly sure but that will be figured out and released as soon as possible. I see very big things for myself in 2014. I want to get this tape out and keep the ball rolling. One Love!

OK-Tho:
*Off the record* - OK-Tho.com would like to know what it is you like about our website and also what you think we can add to improve it in a whole?

J AICH:
I honestly Like you guys site a lot. It looks modern and not to hard to recognize what is going on. I also like that you guys are easy to contact and don't make artist like me feel like we have to do something extra to get our music heard.  Improvements I would say clean up the main page like maybe make the pictures a little bigger or something. This is coming from someone who doesn't know the first thing about blog post and stuff so don't take it to be super credible.

thanks for the opportunity to be interviewed I greatly appreciate it. I'm a fan of you guys and appreciate everything you guys have done. One Love homie!

OK: no-doubt J AICH keep making those official tracks and respect on this side -"We see you" - stay up.




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