Stacy Epps is Puttin' Flava in Yo Ear!
by Kamerin Chambers
Check this upcoming underground sista out! She captures her audience with her sweet, sensual voice over ill beats filled with soul and a twist of jazz. Her music has been heavily influenced by the hip hop/jazz rockin' group Digable Planets (Check out "Cool Like That") and A Tribe Called Quest. This Georgia native is also an emcee who rhymes over tracks similar to the one of a kind emcee Bahamadia who she's had the pleasure to tour with around Europe in the Sistas in Rhyme Tour (December 2006). But music is only part of this lyrical beauty's story, she creates her own abstract art, and while browsing though her artwork on her site (www.myspace.com/staceyepps), I was astonished to see such an assortment of vibrant art. As I was staring at one of her art pieces, I moticed a posting she made under the picture. It read "What do you see?" I interviewed this rising star, what follows is the life I saw through her eyes.
Kamerin Chambers (KC)
Stacy Epps (SE)
KC: So where did you grow up?
SE: All over, since my father was in the army, so we moved around a lot. I was born in Georgia then moved after two months to Virginia, then North Carolina, then Texas, then Germany, then New York, then Hawaii, then back to Virginia, etc... I started my gypsy life early on, it shaped my traveling spirit!
KC: Who are some of your influences?
SE: I truly respect strong people who follow their dreams and make an impact on society, exhibiting true leadership. I read a lot of autobiographies growing up of people like Malcolm X, Booker T., Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone, Billie Holliday, Angela Davis, Assata, Nelson Mandela, etc...The lives of these amazing people inspire me and give me the energy to work hard and seek to help create a better world. So many musicians and artists have inspired me like Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Bjork, and so much more...
KC: How did you get your start in the music industry?
SE: I really started with rhyming at open mics and eventually hosting one in college. I promoted shows in college and was able to bring hip-hop artists to Uva. This era was full of loads of writing in my notebooks. I just couldn't stop writing and freestyling. All the time, through class etc, I was always writing rhymes. It was like a fever came over me and I became truly entrenched in the art. At that time I was volunteering with the youth at the Music Resource Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, and performing in shows around the city. It was truly a community of hip hop out there then, we were really doing it for the love, freestyling for hours!!! :-) Once I left college I moved to Atlanta and immediately starting meeting people in music like YZ, Tariq L and Hemisphere. I continued recording, met up with Scienz of Life and collaborated with them on some songs... This turned into a group with Lil Sci, Sol Uprising and lead to numerous collaborations...
KC: How did your collaborations with MadLib start?
SE: Well, Lil Sci or John Robinson introduced me to Doom, who we worked with on King Geedorah, and he had got some beats from Madlib. He let me hear them, and I absolutely loved a certain beat on there. He was like, if you feeling it, write something to it. So I wrote and recorded Eye and gave it to Doom, who passed it to Madlib who liked it and they added it to Madvillain... What a blessing to be part of such a classic record!!
KC: Tell me a little about the history of the Anomalies and your involvement with Invincible?
SE: Invincible is a true sister of mine in this hip-hop. She is a veteran, who has been involved in music and the community for a long time. I got mad love and respect for her. I'll never forget, she would always show love when I was at a show and call me up to freestyle. :-) She looks out and supports sisters and the youth in Detroit, with the organization Detroit Summer. I was blessed to see some of the work while I was in the city.
And then, I enjoy working with her, so I like to call her on with shows when the opportunity presents...We got to go on tour in Europe together for the Sistaz in Rhyme Tour with Bahamadia and had a wonderful time! We rocked it!!! We about to go back again with Roxanne Shante, Bahamadia, Yarah Bravo, Eternia, Shania D, Mauikai and more for the first ever all female stage at Hip Hop Kemp! Looking forward to that...
The Anomalies are such a dope crew of sistas in hip-hop!! Emcees, producers, b-girls, djs...Big up Helix, Big Tara, Prixx tha Honeydark.... They are self-sufficient!! It's a blessing to see sistas working together. I see it more and more and it's a blessing...
KC: Tell me about the new album? (Name, release date, how can people find it?)
SE: It's called the Awakening and will be released on August 5th. I am excited because this is my first solo album and it was a definitely a soul searching process. My history in music involved a lot of collaboration, so this was much different for me. But it was a good experience that really helped me grow musically. I was able to collaborate with some amazing producers including Apex, Amdex, Everett James, Flying Lotus, Muhsinah, Nick Speed, S1 and Slugabed. I also collaborated with Bilal Salaam and Finale. This album was a labor of love, entirely independently funded. I learned so much from this process from start to finish, but I'm nowhere near finished. It will be released through my company Japanubia/New Directions in Sound.
It will be available worldwide for download on 8/5 and in select stores, such as Moods Music in Atlanta, Dr. Wax in Chicago, Amoeba in LA and San Fran, Fatbeats and Cue Records in Philly. Please check out my page (stacyepps.com) to see locations for purchase as they become available.
KC: How did Sol Uprising start?
SE: As mentioned earlier, through collaborations with Scienz of Life. Their beats (by ID 4 Windz) were so amazing, that it was really easy for me to write to them. They really helped guide me through the learning process of writing and recording and I grew so much through the collaboration. Our album, Sol Power, reached a lot of people and was my first commercial release of an entire album, so it was a blessed time!
KC: What made you want to become a solo artist?
SE: I wouldn't consider myself simply a solo artist. I am doing a solo album, but truly it wasn't solo, because I worked with so many people to create it! I am so in debt and thankful for the blessings of family like Apex, my parents, Everett James, Angie, the amazing producers and collaborators. But I did want to create an album of music and this is what came. There are so many people involved in the process of putting an album together!! Wow!! Teamwork, leadership and organization are key to getting things done. I hope to continue to work with a lot of beautiful people on future projects!!
KC: What challenges do you face as a woman solo artist, especially in the hip hop industry?
SE: This is a common question asked to me.... I think that as women artists that have something to say and an image of respect and love to uphold, it is difficult to be taken as seriously. Especially within the commercial industry. But even independently, it's difficult for females to get deals to release their music. A lot of us have decided to release on our own. Generally, we get respect for what we do from the people who love the music, which is beautiful. But at a show you're either the one female or all females. We must continue to work for more balance and a pure representation of women in hip-hop. I am very happy because I see more and more amazing female hip hoppers who are extremely talented and making it happen... Like Invincible, Stahhr the Femcee, Rehaset, Pursuit Grooves and so many more.
KC: What are some places you've toured?
SE: I've done shows around the United States from LA to Oakland to San Diego to Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, Philly, DC, Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, New Orleans, Knoxville, Birmingham etc...
Internationally, Europe (London, Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin, Nordberg...), South Africa and Japan...
It's been a blessing to have the opportunity to travel and see the world. Through my upbringing and traveling now, I have come to accept that I must be a nomad, a "sound gypsy". Hehe...
KC: What do you hope to bring to the world with your music and artwork?
SE: I am thankful to be able to create music and art. I hope that I can bring good feelings of love, light, hope and joy to people. That I can in some way use music and sound to heal others through continuous study and practice. I want to work with the youth through music and connect artists from around the world to work with these youth. I want to bring new ideas about how we can work together and more fairly in the music industry. And I appreciate all who listen and lend me their time...
KC: What advice do you have for young woman who aspire to be performers/artist?
SE: Always be true to yourself and others. Take time with yourself to learn whom you really are and what you would like to represent and share with the world. And realize that this may change as we grow and adapt with time. Don't get discouraged, if you know that God has given you a gift that you must share with the world, do not let your challenges stop you, they should make you stronger. Be smart and be careful, the arts industry can be shady, so make sure you have someone around that you know is looking out for your best interest, because a lot of people might use music as a front for ulterior motives. That I got your back, and hit me up, if you need anything for real.
KC: What is your lineage and how do you identify yourself? Would it be through your arts/music?
SE: My grandmother is Japanese. And my other grandmother is Black and Native American. I am pretty mixed up, hence the name Japanubia...lol...I am blessed to come from a loving family, they were so good to me!! I want to write my Japanese grandmother's story, she was in Japan during WWII, and she lost her house and everything, really a sad story.
KC: Now on a less serious note, just so some of your fans can know a few fun facts about you, which would you prefer?
KC: Coke or Pepsi?
SE: Coke, but its so bad for me... ;-)
KC: Chocolate or Vanilla?
SE: CHOCOLATE!!! One of my favorite things in life!!! Hehe
KC: McCain or Obama? (If you don't mind if I ask...)
SE:OBAMA!!
KC: The City or Rural?
SE: Rural... If I could I'd have a cabin in the woods near the ocean somewhere beautiful...
KC: Tattoos or Piercings?
SE: Tattoos