2007.03.23 Meet and greet James Crawford, SweatBox Productions' CEO and In-House Renaissance Man, as he shares some of his thoughts on his company's future and the current state of hip-hop THE BASICS Name: James Crawford Label: SweatBox Productions Location: Spokane, WA Music: Rap (lyricist/producer) THE INTERVIEW Where are you from? Right now I live in Spokane, WA. Growing up, both my parents were military so we moved around a lot. I started off in England and ended up in Michigan. That’s where I enlisted and eventually made it to Washington. How long have you been doing music? I’ve been writing steady for about ten years, and producing for about eight. How would you describe your music? Some have described it as intelligent, clever, and even blue-collar, but I like to think of it as good and genuine music, period. It has little bit of just about everything. I grew up on old school and it’s evident in what I create from my lyrics to my beats. I think rap lately has garnered a negative image as far as not being an intelligible, talented expression and has turned off a lot of people. I could sit here all day and make a list of possible reasons, but it’s kinda futile. I’d rather make music that I enjoy making and hopefully people enjoy listening to. If I help shift the paradigm of the industry, so be it, but I’m focusing on something more realistic and tangible. That’s giving like-minded people something they can listen to, enjoy, and maybe even learn from. Who are your writing influences? Well, lyrically I’d say Canibus, Rakim, Masta Ace, Eminem, Wu-Tang, Nas…too many to name, really. The one thing I love about listening to good music is that it’s like a good conversation with your friends; there’s a lot of energy involved. One of your friends might say something that sparks something in your other friend, so he’s talking about something else, and now you’ve gotta add your two cents, then back to your friend, and you’re all feeding off each other. It’s mentally stimulating; it’s inspiring. That’s one way I write—drawing inspiration from other things whether it’s watching TV, listening to music, driving to work, walking to the store, talking with friends. What about your production? As far as influences on how I make beats and produce tracks, I would say RZA has had the largest influence on my music. The guy’s a genius, no question. DJ Premier, Alchemist, J. Dilla, Stoupe have also inspired me. How I make a beat is totally different from how I write. I’ll sit in the studio building tracks for hours and hours, and whatever comes out comes out. I hardly ever sit with the intent to create something with a certain feel to it; I just let my subconscious take over on the keyboard and turntable. What is SweatBox Productions? SweatBox Productions is a company I started to put out not only my music, but the music of other talented, original, and free-thinking individuals. The company’s vision is to present the audience with something that’s going to get their mind moving and make them start questioning the world around them. SweatBox isn’t some kind of front for radical politics, but it definitely doesn’t cater to mainstream media and corporations. What projects are you currently working on? I’m always busy with something, whether it’s for a project in the works or just honing the skills, but right now there’s a couple things I’m working on. An associate and I are working with a singer in Arizona and putting together her album. I’m also working on a mixtape of unreleased material due out in April titled “Fugyous, Vol. 1”. Then of course there’s the LP slated for later this year, as yet untitled. What artists have you worked with? I’ve worked closely with Chief and Moe of Represent That Records. I produced a few tracks for Chief’s album, Chance Error, and guested on two tracks. Moe sang hooks for a few songs on a previous project of mine which will be featured in part on “Fugyous”. I’ve also produced for and guested on a few lesser known artists’ albums residing in the area. I’m always willing to work with people, especially if we connect on a personal level not just business. How can you be contacted? Email me at jamescrawford@sweatboxproductions.net, but don’t try to sell me Viagra or tell me I’m pre-approved for a house loan. Anything you’d like to add? Yeah, to all the underground heads, the album’s definitely going to meet your expectations—your 12 bucks won’t be wasted! And to rest of the people: why not try a different blend of coffee? James Crawford, get the tape! Fugyous, Vol 1! Album coming soon!