Bringing back the dope beats and laid back flow popular in the 90s, add in skateboard swagger and California vibin’ to the mix and you have the artist Speaker Child.

High on Wheels EP debuts his sophisticated flow and sheer adrenaline of the high—from the dro or the flow of the wheels below his feet, or in this case, both!

As executive producer for this project, in collaboration with Andre Nickatina, out of the Bay area, this unlikely pairing came together from a last minute, successful video shoot that turned into a tour of the West Coast from San Diego to Seattle. After seeing Seattle, Speaker Child decided to lay down roots to be part of the vibrant music scene.

In his debut album, Mind On My Business, Speaker Child’s collaboration with local and national artists gained him recognition and respect among his peers. With thousands of miles traveled, multiple venues played, Speaker Child is just hitting his stride as an artist. The upcoming EP will take you on a journey of life, skateboarding, and of course, the dro!

Artist: Speaker Child
Hometown: Seattle
Genre: Rap/Hip Hop
New album: https://soundcloud.com/75girlsrecords/sets/speaker-child-high-on-wheels-album

1.) What elements and/or characteristics made you say to yourself that you wanted to do music for a living? Who are your influences/heroes/role models?

My earliest memories have been revolved around music and the art of connection. I grew up with Latinos and I enjoyed the passion of their culture. My father was into music and my great grandparents were in the Boston Quartet. Music runs through my veins and I just love the feeling. My mother got me into performing at a young age and she had the sound of music on repeat! My passion is the funk, especially Afro beat. Percussion is what drives my passion. Hands down my biggest influence is Roc Phizzle. We connect on this G-Funk and content. The biggest thing that had an impact on my career was a dream I had at a bus stop and 2 pac told me no matter what, never stop making hip hop. Role models for the work ethic and longevity would be Too $hort, Andre Nickatina and Tech N9ne.

2.) If you could compare yourself to an already established artist, who would that be and why? If you don’t like to compare yourself, then music-wise, what separates you from other musicians?

I’m not creating something new, this music is what I listened to growing up. I’m just keeping the vibe of what I like. Funk in all aspects!

3.) Everyone in life goes through adversity of some sort. Is there anything in your life that has any influence on the kind of songs you write? What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure on your path to becoming a musician?

All the music is based off of my surroundings and phrases I hear or food I eat or places I’ve been and the people I meet. Music hasn’t been difficult. Just hard work and it shows that it works. I would say time has been the most difficult though.

4.) How do you prepare yourself to write certain songs? What is your song-writing and recording process?

I prepare by coming up with a solid topic. As soon as I have the topic locked in, I gather freestyles from my day. I’ll put 16 dots on a paper for the verse and write each bar. Making sure it starts on the one and ends on the four. I keep everything laid back, but at the same time get the point across with expression and delivery.

5.) Unfortunately the music industry is full of talented individuals who just don’t get any recognition for their talent and/or hard work. What do you plan to do to make sure you stand out and get noticed? Would you rather be on a major label or would you rather stay independent? Why or why not? In regards to the music industry itself, do you think that the traditional music industry model as we know it is dead?

I’m not trying to stand out with my style. I just bring what I enjoyed growing up with, to the current year. My plan is to grow with my content on each upcoming album. I’m signed with a label based out of Oakland, CA. 75 Girls Records. They let me create what I want and give me all freedom as if I was independent. The music industry is changing and updating like all businesses, so I just roll with the punches.

6.) Are you able to make a living with your music? If so, how were you able to attain a career doing what you love? If not, what do you do in order to fund your music career? What advice would give to someone who’s interested in pursuing a career in music?

Music is one of my businesses that I created. I’ve always be an entrepreneur. This gives me money and freedom to create a lifestyle that gives me opportunity. If you’re interested in becoming a musician, decide if you’re going all in or just doing it as a hobby. It takes a lot of patience, dedication, funds and work ethic.

7.) How do you think the internet and social media affected the music industry and how musicians are able to market themselves? Social media is obviously an extremely important element in today’s world, especially when it comes to business, branding, marketing, etc. With that being said, do you think an artist will be able to survive in today’s music industry if they’re not social media savvy?

The internet and social media gives everyone a chance to push their music. I just think it makes the distribution side more difficult. The record stores gave more of an experience. Online platforms are just over-saturated. Being able to survive as an artist with subscription based platforms, make it difficult.

9.) Professionally, where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Working with more artists and becoming a national act. I want my catalog to be full of great content that listeners can relate to. I would like to do shows throughout Europe and especially be booked on festivals. Complete my three album deal and see what’s in store for the future.