Many people have often asked him about the moniker he uses, “Hired Gun”. Isn't it violent? Isn't that a hypocritical name for an arts educator and artist who often speaks against negative influences and environments? The name Hired Gun reflects the nature of his existence as he is an individual who supplies many different services and whose varied skill set as a writer, performer, artist, educator and dancer have been called upon to participate in social discussions, rock the party, rock the rave or whatever is needed.
Since 2000 Hired Gun has done freelance writing for various publications including URB Online and Lotus Magazine on the West Coast. He has been a part of a modern dance performance troupe, Mellifluous. A party promoter and event organizer for the now inactive Humanity Inc, Get Along Gang, and Upstate Rave Core, as well as currently with Say Word Entertainment and his own Fresh Roots music collective. In addition he is a teaching artist for Working Playground and Urban Art Beat. Through all of these collaborations and communities he has been a part of, his movements, and expressions are uniquely his own, and his talents recognized; have been utilized. What is a “Hired Gun” but a person who is called upon having a unique set of skills to accomplish a particular mission that needs the right expertise? Nothing could fit better.
The first time that “HG” ever put pen to paper was around eleven or twelve years old. He recorded himself with a small tape recorder, hand held mic doing overdubs on instrumentals that he would get from singles tapes and recorded from Red Alert and Marley Marl on Kiss and WBLS in the late eighties. His first taste of the stage happened with a short lived band “Futant Reality” during High School. Even at this age, it was clear HG was meant to rock a crowd, with rapid fire deliveries and an infectious high energy presence on stage. That intensity was what attracted several fellow heads to him, in college and he became one of the founding brothers of the ESP collective in 1996. For the better part of the next seven years, HG would rock various shows and be a part of three projects with the ESP massive; including the EP's The Big Bang, Strange Force and the Eternal Soul Prophets maxi single/vinyl release. This period was critical in his development as a re-kindling for his love of the culture and the frequent late night sessions began to hone and sharpen the raw skills that were already manifested.
The collective moved to Brooklyn in 2000 where Hired Gun still resides, and within a few years another transformation occurred with the collaboration of three individuals who would begin Say Word Entertainment and formulate the crew 3rd Party. The producer And-I, along with emcees Farbeon and Rabbi Darkside put out “Pressed for Time” in 2005, that was followed up by the more ambitious and mature “Separation of Powers” in 2006. In 2003 they began what became one of the most respected and beloved Hip Hop Monthlies “Fourth Fridays”. In 2008, under the Fresh Roots umbrella, Hired will release his first ever solo project, “The People's Verses
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HipHopInformant: What made u get involved with Hip Hop?
Hired Gun: The Stop the Violence Movement. Growing up in New Jersey the only direct exposure I had to the music was the radio, video music box (peace to Uncle Ralph!) and visiting my family in Newark, New Jersey. The first song I ever heard was "Self Destruction" and the song just resonated with me. It was cool, it was saying something, it just made me want to find out more about the music. From there, I found Big Daddy Kane, Gangstarr, Jungle Brothers, Kool G. Rap, Redman, Kid n Play, Rakim and it was on.
Hired Gun is an emcee from the deep, deep boon dox of Jersey, past Somerville even. Where the cell phones still don't work and people refer to Morristown as "the big city." Despite being from the other, OTHER side of the tracks, I've been a fan of Hired Gun for some time now, impressed not only by his frenetic flows but also the manner in which creative vision and political consciousness permeates and strengthens every project he touches. The man is unhesitant to identify his musical creation as both a direct descendent of a heritage of protest and resistance and by logical extension, the future sound that heads need to hear.
In recent months, he's impressed us OhWordians with his firebrand funk so much that he, along with Donny Goines, NYOIL, and Cause, will be headlining an OhWord/Sit Down Stand Up curated show on Thursday, December 6 at Pianos on Ludlow St, Manhattan, NYC. While browsing through his growing catalogue of solo joints and group endeavors, I am instantly reminded of rap circa 1990 � Hired Gun isn't afraid to rhyme complex poetry at speeds mostly unattempted on the radio over funky jeep beats, steadily revamping the jewels of '88 to drop science in a contemporary context. I sat down with the assassin himself at Morty's delicatessen in North Brunswick for some choice knishes and Ballantine's Ale and picked his brain for some insight into his own artistry and the status quo of rap.
Fresh Roots Music
