Finally, we have a manifestation of true lyrics in modern times. An Emcee at a higher level, who allows the world to know his true name…Overlord Gruff “SAVAGE” is the new hit single for Overlord Gruff’s upcoming album, Mother of God. While showcasing a mastery of lyricism and the ever-expanding gulf of mystical knowledge that makes Overlord Gruff one of the best conscious rappers in hip-hop and arguably one of the most conceptually ambitious. Gruff looks to take his career to an even higher level with the release of his upcoming album titled “Mother of God”, which is set to be released in 2019.
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Tell us how you fund your music projects.
To be honest, up until recently I haven’t really put much money behind my music. It was only so far I could go with my music before I had to start investing in myself. There is an old saying, “you have to spend money in order to make money”. I didn’t understand this in the past. Financially, Overlord Gruff is an investment that has relied on being a one man show. I do my own artwork and CD covers, as well as mix, executive produce and master all of my vocals and lyrics. Hell, I even shop my own music for licensing and publishing distribution. I went to school for audio engineering, and graduated with honors. I had to learn the knowledge in order to record myself in the comfort of my own home. I was not going to allow someone to charge me per hour to record my own voice. I bought my own microphone, interface, studio monitors and headphones as well as a fully treated acoustic home studio which I built with my own sweat and blood. As far as putting money into my projects, I have been quite weary about giving someone my money not fully knowing their true intentions. I don’t know if they have my best interests at heart, so it’s hard for me to just give away my money knowing there are so many con-men and tricksters out there. I need to see a proven track record before I even speak to someone about investing in my music. In short, I only invest in relationships that I feel can be beneficial to all parties involved.
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Share your press release and reviews with us.
Lord Have Mercy is a hard-hitting rap track that effortlessly blends together smart wordplay and a backing beat that highlights Overlord Gruff’s vocals at all the right points. Tha Baddest One is a crossover track, a banger that pulls some of the slinky California beats of late-1990s Snoop Dogg with the polished sound of a 50 Cent of The Game. The production is on point, allowing each syllable to be recognizable while having the drum track pop in listeners’ ears. Put You On tha Hood is an unqualified hit; an inspired beat will get listeners on the dance floor while Overlord Gruff’s flow is gritty and catchy at the same time. While there are overtures to other rappers during this single, there is no denying that Overlord Gruff is creating something uniquely his own with each bar. The rapid-fire delivery that Gruff slides in to at the mid-point of Put You On tha Hood gives a greater urgency to the track. Good on Top is a late-disc track that keeps things fresh; the more laid back sound of this single is reminiscent of a J. Dilla production. The narrative component of Good on Top will have fans hanging onto every syllable; this feels like a crossover track but works well with the rest of the efforts on Lord Have Mercy. Trigger Talk is the concluding cut on Lord Have Mercy; the track immediately hits listeners with a DJ Drama meets trap-styled production. Overlord Gruff’s flow here is intense and ends this album in an emphatic fashion. Hit after hit, Lord Have Mercy shatters the conception that rap albums have to include a number of weaker tracks among a few single-worthy efforts. Solid from beginning to end.”
– NeuFutur Magazine.
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Tell us if you will change the style of your music to get signed.
You have to relate to all of your fans. It’s imperative that an artist knows his or her fan base. I’m in the business of finding a target audience and capitalizing on that find. Will I change the style of my music to get signed? The answer is no. I am proud to create music that is from my heart and no one else’s. I am not a trend follower. I’m a trendsetter, a leader and warrior. This cannot and will not be changed. I will however, make music for the ladies as well as the younger generation. The younger listeners are our future, and we must guide them in the right direction, for the sake of hip-hop.
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Elaborate on this song.
When I made the beat for Savage I was actually on vacation. I made about four beats within a few weeks’ time frame, but the beat for Savage was the one I worked on the most. Once I got back home from my vacation, I sat down and decided to write to the beat and the lyrics just flowed through me. It was almost like I was a vessel for something much higher than myself. In fact, I was shocked at how fast my pen moved. It was like my hand was a tool and I was a carpenter. I guess that vacation really paid off. Yet, to be on vacation and make such a brutal, heart pounding song was kind of odd. I was at peace and decided to make a song called Savage.
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Tell us if you have a guideline or standard set for your music production.
Whenever I am done making a song, I send a rough unedited version to a select group of people whose opinions I take very seriously. That is something you cannot pay for. Money cannot buy loyalty. It’s good to have honest people around that will not hold back the truth, or sugarcoat anything in order to make you feel better about yourself. This is hip-hop, better yet gangster rap. The fans are meaner and the women are faster. There is a certain machismo within hip-hop (Up until recently). I listen to the opinions of a select few, and they usually have me clarify a lyric or something that went over their heads. Maybe that and usually them wanting more gunshot sounds or more effects on my vocals but that’s about it.
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Tell us your preparation for a live performance and how you make sure the quality of sound is high.
When I prepare for a performance, I make sure that my diet is correct. Nobody wants to pay to see an artist get winded and out of breath on stage. I make sure I drink plenty of water as well as not eating too much. I make sure the verses are pulled off the songs, because I don’t want to rap over my own voice (it’s a huge mistake and very annoying to most concert-goers). I also research what type of crowd I will be performing for, this goes without saying you have to know your audience. You can’t perform drive-by music to an old folk’s home or love making music at a Quinceaera.
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Discuss how to live healthy.
First and foremost, you have to understand that your body is a holy temple. It was made to walk 30 miles a day and hunt predators in the wild for survival. So, this is how I live. I run over 2 miles twice a week. I drink a lot of water and I do my best to stay away from sodas and juices. I keep a positive mental attitude and I always speak from a place of love, never hate. I understand the laws of nature when speaking your thoughts into existence. We each have a subconscious magnet that is capable of a great clairvoyance, a power to perceive things that are not present to the senses of man. With so many alternatives to living healthy, one must remain steadfast in his or her proper nutritional intake. You are what you eat. The pig, cow and chicken are Americans main source of meat intake. If you analyze a pig, all it does is consume whatever you place in front of it. A cow will naturally follow the herd without question, even to its own death. The chicken has a natural fear, that’s why we call people who are afraid a “chicken”. Now we have a nation of citizens who no longer think for themselves, consume each other and are living in fear of disease, terrorism and law enforcement.
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Tell us if you are in control of your performance or you are still learning.
I am blessed to have the ability to practice creative control. It is I alone who is responsible for the image and lyrics behind Overlord Gruff. There is no outside influence with my music. The beats you hear, and the lyrics as well as the production are the sole responsibility of one individual, and I am proud to say, that individual is me. I found my voice a very long time ago, so there is no longer a need to fine-tune my voice or my lyricism. I have an untapped wealth of knowledge that I consider tools when composing music for the masses. Now, overtime my style may change, but you will always get that real, authentic Overlord flow. But you in fact have to keep learning, because the second you stop seeking knowledge, is the second you begin to break down on a cellular level.
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Tell us that precious moment you chose music as a career.
A few years ago, I had an epiphany. I came to a crossroad where I had to decide if I were to continue doing music, or stopping cold turkey. At the time, my stage name was Gruff. I decided that I will pursue a music career harder than I ever have before. At that moment, I decided to adjust my stage name, by adding the moniker “Overlord” to the front of my name.
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Tell us the greatest feedback you have ever received on a song of yours.
In 2009, I messaged Nipsey Hussle about a few tips and tricks that would help me further progress my career in hip-hop. His only response was “make greater music”. At the time, I almost took it as a sign of disrespect. It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized he was telling the truth. I had to break past my own barriers and climb over my own obstacles while battling myself. I knew I would be successful, so when Nipsey said that, it actually made me a better artist as a whole.
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Tell us your side interest apart from music.
I spend a lot of time on YouTube researching sound frequencies emitted from the earth. I also contemplate how such huge rocks were cut and placed in places that we could not replicate today. The pyramids of Giza fascinate me to a fault. I enjoy reading the occult knowledge of famous authors. It amazes me how there are over 5,000 deities being worshipped here on earth, and every single person you speak to claims their God is the only God and all others are fake. I have broken free from the trappings of religion. I truly understand the bible as a control mechanism for the masses. I question why African Americans judge each other in church, or why Indian families shun those who marry outside their own race. How a white man can don a confederate flag while simultaneously confessing his love for America. I don’t watch sports as I feel it’s just a way to entertain our reptilian brain. Football his tremendous head and neck injuries reported all the while we drink beer, get fat and fight over whose team is better. Most sport team owners are white, and it reminds me of a slave master coaching his slaves into success, all the while putting their bodies on the line for amusement.
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Tell us if you prefer singing as a solo artist to collaborating with others.
I don’t sing, but if I could I would prefer to sing by myself. There are a few artists I would love to work with, but as far as singing underneath someone who is already made it? That is something I will not condone for Overlord Gruff. If it is not a part of Guano Records, I really don’t feel interested in it at all what so ever. I’m just being honest here.
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Tell us the artist that influenced you.
I have a few artists that influenced me to this point in my career. Pastor Troy, Kurupt, Tupac, Scarface, Canibus, Redman and Method Man, Wu-Tang, Z-ro and Trae the Truth, Snowgoons, Vinnie Paz, Sa-roc, Cambatta, Eminem, Rick Ross, Dipset, Madchild, Pusha T, Gangstarr, Nate Dogg, Project Pat, Nipsey Hussle, Coota Bang & Archie Lee from tha Swishahouse, Slim Thug and Hopsin. That’s pretty much everybody I feel has worth to me.
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Tell us the full details of this song.
“Savage” stays true to the fans of Overlord Gruff. In keeping with the rapid-fire delivery, hard-hitting percussion and razor-sharp lyricism that Gruff bought to us on “Lord Have Mercy”, Gruff has shown us that he remains a Diamond in the rough. Savage is a powerful track that encompasses his growth as an artist. Fully capable of delivering a track with no features, he has proven once again why he is Overlord Gruff. A voice to match such a dominating wordplay, Overlord Gruff has a very strong command of the English language. With religious undertones, carried by a soul splitting melodic piano, this song forebodes the career of this shining musician. There is a message to be heard, if you truly pay attention. There is the power of God in each and every one of us. Human beings have not yet realized their true potential. When you hear Overlord Gruff, you can hear someone who is not a puppet to the umbrella of religion. You’re listening to a master at work. An enlightened individual who chose to grace us another timeless masterpiece.
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Tell us the organization you will set up to fight a cause and state your reason for fighting the cause.
The unjustified killing of innocent, unarmed African American males in America today. White privilege is a real thing, and until we acknowledge it, things won’t get any better. The laws that these police officers enforce were made during the peak oppression of the black man. Such outdated training has not been revised, yet we wonder why so many of our youth are getting exterminated, while the officer that pulls the trigger gets paid-administrative leave. We have a militant police force that shoots first and asks questions later. This code of honor, better referred to as blue lives matter is ridiculous. A black man has no choice being what he is, but an officer does. An officer of the law chooses to put on the badge. Every day he or she makes a choice. This is why blue lives matter is complete bullsh*t. Wrong or right, no man woman or child should lose their life dealing with police officers. These police officers will do anything to protect their fellow officers, even to the extent of murder. One bad apple ruins the entire force, not just in that city or jurisdiction, but in the entire country. I don’t have to name how many African-Americans have recently been victimized and brutally murdered by police brutality. Just turn on the news. It appears that an officer can scream “stop resisting” and get away with murder. Knowing prisons are also privatized may help our youth from becoming revolving doors for the judicial system. There is big money to be made in the incarceration of a man. That’s why we build so many new prisons, but not new colleges or universities.
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Tell us your mood while performing.
My mood is high-energy. I know my fans paid money to come and see me, so I want to give them a good show. When I’m on stage, I feel unstoppable. I can perform on stage for a very long time. There is a certain magic in the air you can feel when fans are rocking to your every word. Without my fans, I would be nothing. That’s me being humble. However, one must not take being humble as a weakness, so when I am on stage, you’re really getting Overlord Gruff – no watered-down rapper that wants to get famous. I’m driven by something much, much more.
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Tell us the mistakes to avoid in the music business.
Rule number one, everybody who helps you is not your friend, and everybody who hurts you isn’t your enemy. Just because someone smiles in your face and tells you everything you want to hear doesn’t necessarily mean they want you to be successful. I’ve had people promise me interviews with many famous people, and none of them actually made anything happen. I even had promoters try to sign me. I had to learn real fast that a promoter is only going to do just that; promote. As long as the promoter has money in his pocket at the end of the night, he will continue to make artist pay $50 for a 10-minute slot. That’s also money from either the door, or money from the alcohol profits. They even make you sell tickets which they say you get to keep a percentage or all, which means you sell the tickets for whatever price you want.
