In our recent interview with Musa Reems, we talk about Gamma Quietus – his latest project, releasing his first two singles tomorrow, and his growth and maturity over the years. Indulge below and make sure to follow Musa on social
A year ago when we sat down to talk, you were about to release Lately I’ve Been Sol searching 2. In December you ended up releasing another project Gamma Quietus, following LIBSS2, was the plan to release another album?
Yeah, that was the plan, but originally it was supposed to be an EP – six songs. But I was in the studio working really hard at the time and I ended up doubling it and putting out 13 songs. I felt like I really found my pace and understood what I wanted to accomplish. I had been previously releasing EPs, but this time around I wanted to put out an album to show people that I can create a full body of work. The project was good and people were able to see my growth. I was able to travel a lot last year and it really helped me find my voice. I feel like I’ve become a man, a real adult now. I’ve seen certain things, experience things, and these experiences have given me something to write about.
You were able to work on a project with Na$im Williams, Sulaiman and Vic Spencer in October how was that?
At first, it was supposed to be only one song, but then we made a couple. It ended up being a four-song EP (Two tracks with verses, and two as instrumentals). That was very cool for me as it was a different sound from what I typically create. I respect them a lot. Me being the youngest out of the group, it was cool to be able to work with them.
In 2018 you were able to release 3x projects, do you plan on scaling back on releasing some music anytime soon?
Yes. Within the next couple of months after I release these two singles. I’m at this point in my career where I want my new stuff to not sound like my old stuff. But I also want people to digest my music when I release it.
Tomorrow you gear up to release your first two singles of the year. Tell us about these new singles.
These singles are both newer. I finished recording both of them after I finished Gamma Quietus. One of the songs features Defcee, which is dope. Defcee has been a mentor and been very supportive of me. The first record is TYPE SH!T and the second one is Godspeed. Both are produced by Homage. These records are modern lyrical, rapping type shit. I’m excited to release these.
Speaking of lyrical ability, I feel like we’re beginning to see that come through in the forefront of rap again. Would you agree?
Yeah. Hip-hop is in a great place right now. A lot of records came out this year and I enjoy them for different reasons. I think everyone is using lyricism no matter what sub-genre of hip hop we’re talking about. As long as it’s somebody’s story told. I think that hip hop is diverse and that’s the most important thing. Being open minded within the genre has allowed people to strive no matter what lane they’re in and I think that’s dope.
A few weeks ago you said 2018 was the best year of my life, how do you look to top that in 2019?
2018 was great for me because I was able to create as much as I wanted, meet new people, form a supportive team (through AEMMP Records) and travel a lot off of my music. I always had confidence in my ability to rap, but seeing people in the city and outside of Chicago support my music is an amazing feeling. 2019 is a brand new year and I don’t like to have expectations, but I still want to establish clear goals. I want to stay consistent. Consistency has always been a big thing in my life. That’s with friendships, relationships, my career, you name it.
I hear that you’ve been working on producing and possibly going to release a beat tape this year?
I actually started making beats before I started rapping, but I was in a group (Children of I.L.L.I.O.S.), so my homie (LUMO) would handle all of the production. Me and another friend (Kairo Jones) would handle all of the writing – which was a blessing in disguise because it helped me grow my writing skills. Recently I’ve really gotten back into producing and expanding my horizon. Around the summertime, I’m looking to drop my first beat-tape. I’m excited about that.
Do you feel like in any way you dedicating a lot of time to producing can take away from your songwriting process?
I try to do both, but it’s weird because I use my mind differently when I make beats. It’s a different process and requires me to be more patient. There are days when I work on beats all day and I get hard on myself because I didn’t write one thing. Even with that said, I try to end every night writing something, even if it’s just a bar. But with that, writing comes a little bit more natural to me. I can pin a verse in near 30 minutes.
Last but not least, over the years as you’ve grown, what’s the biggest lesson you learned?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you cannot let your emotions control you. It’s important to have feelings, but you have to be able to balance those feelings with logic. I feel like a lot of people strictly make decisions off of emotion and then they regret it. You don’t want to live life that way. Everything may not be perfect at the moment, but you have to take things day by day.
Written by: Nico Rud
Chicago Creatives 