I first heard about IV the Polymath through recommendation
of Junclassic who already had collaborated on a few tracks with IV for the
Never Sleep instrumental projects. I'd already been a a few months
off air (KRUX 91.5 fm), but it was the kind of beats I would've had on constant
rotation, reminiscent in many ways to what got me hooked to instrumental
projects from artist like Pete Rock (Petestrumentals) nearly a decade
prior and dozens of vinyl/CD instrumental projects from artist like Fat Jon (Humanoid
Erotica), Diamond D (Hatred, Passions, & Infedility), Madlib (The
Unseen Instrumentals), J Rawls (The Essence of J Rawls Instrumentals),
Jay Dee (Donuts), and the list can go on.
During my time on radio, I use to host several 'Sessions of...' programs which
were basically focused around a specific theme or individual such as 'A Session
of Malcolm X', 'A Session of Gil Scott-Heron', 'A Session of Chicanoa', 'A
Session of James Brown', etc. In the past three years, I've gotten the
chance to check out several of IV's projects including the Never Sleep I
& II instrumentals, the Push IVward EP, Drum Machines Have
No Soul, Ideal's record with Jondis, Spill, and a few other single
downloads here and there.Needless to say, my car frequency has
been set to CD for a good minute now since completing my time at NMSU and
subsequently 91.5 fm, often times with IV the Polymath audio bumpin' out the
speakers. And with as much music as I've enjoyed from IV the Polymath,
including the podcasts he's arranged '2 Raw for the Average Listener' and the
most recent 'Find Magazine Summer Instrumental Mix', I decided to return those
'Sessions of...' for the first online audio/text version through interview
titled 'A Session of IV'.
After connecting with IV the Polymath with feedback on the music back in 08', a
few months later, I was inspired to move forward with an idea that I'd had for a
few years that dealt with bookmarks. Like sportscards, films, books,
vinyl, I collect stuff, including bookmarks. Whether its a bookmark I'll
purchase at a Barnes & Nobles, or free ones from used bookstores, book fairs,
etc., I don't believe you can have a book without a bookmark. And with
each new read there should be a new bookmark. After having established and
co-founded Hip Hop Alumni (HHA) with my good friend Justin De Senso, I felt it
was time to move forward with creating our own bookmarks, inspired by music,
books, and people that inspired or were somehow involved with our work.
And on a number of projects, presentations, etc., IV the Polymath's instrumental
audio was indeed a part of what we were building (i.e. the 'Right Now'
background audio of our HHA Syllabi page).
In 2010, IV the Polymath contacted Cory Peak, who developed the cover design of Never Sleep I and after a few email exchanges this would become Hip Hop
Alumni's first bookmark design. And major shout out to Karina Duran,
graphic design artist and the brilliant mind behind the arrangement of HHA
Bookmarks and other design related visuals.
So without further more to say, please peep the interview
to the right and follow up with IV, check out the music, support our HHA
Bookmark intiative by encouraging all, especially the youth to continue reading,
and continue to be creative. Much respect always to IV the Polymath for
his support as an artist and for his contribution to the world of music that
keeps us fans and students of Hip Hop always wanting to hear more.
Much thanks to IV for helping us debut these ideas for our 1st HHA Bookmark and
for inspiring my imagination to return to the concept of radio through our 1st
online audio/interview 'Session of...' To all, enjoy a Session of IV. The Audio complimenting the
interview is included on the right side of the page.
For more information on Hip
Hop Alumni's (HHA) Bookmark Initiative or to provide a donation in exchange for Hip
Hop Alumni (HHA) Bookmarks please send an email to:
Lee Rhyanes:
To give readers some background on IV the Polymath, please provide us with an
intro, a profile of who you are, and when you first started producing, with an
emphasis on your background as a musician and knowledge of music.
IV the Polymath: My name is IV the Polymath & I'm 27 years old.
I'm a crate digger, plant eater, and instrumental musician. I grew up playing
different instruments from a very early age starting with piano at age 4 &
eventually learning the drums, guitar, & bass around the age of 10. I always had
a great ear so I was able to get by without ever learning to read music.
Throughout high school I played in different rock, punk, & blues bands with
my brother, but eventually took a hiatus in college to focus on playing
basketball. After graduation I suffered a pretty serious injury that required
multiple surgeries & prevented me from playing ball. Around this time (summer
2008) I came back to music as a way to deal with the pain. This is when I
started to build a pretty extensive collection of records & began seriously
producing.
LR: How did
the name, IV the Polymath come about?
IV:Well my government name is the fourth so I've
always had the "IV" in my name. Instead of pronouncing it "four" I started to go
by "eye-vee" as a testament to music being the ultimate drug & my desire to
inject dope (music) into the listeners veins (ears). "IV" is also a reference to
the ivy plant growing on buildings, etc. & since my music tends to be more
subtle in it's progression, it grows on people as opposed to hitting them over
the head right away. The Polymath came later on due to a self-proclaimed
knowledge in a variety of areas & a reference to the DIY approach I like to take
with my music.
LR:As part of the A Session of IV interview, I'd also like to
take readers back to some of your earliest production with your input on the
making of audio... Let's start with "Stages"...
IV:
"Stages" is an early track I did in 2008 before Never Sleep I came out. It's
right around the time I started to experiment with some of the techniques &
styles I still use today. You can hear the funky bass line being played out over
the dusty drums & then the jazz piano entering as the beat progresses. The horn
is brought in a little later in the track & then finally the voice comes in
right around "hook" time. It's repetitive, but flows in a way that the elements
come in one by one & then are stripped down before being brought back in again.
As you can tell, I had no idea how to
mix, EQ or use compression at this time. Comparing this with my newer stuff, the
drums sound really weak & the overall quality is very lo-fi. It wasn't until
later on that I learned how to really bring the drums out & get them thumping.
Overall, this
is a pretty weak track, but it's significant in that it shows the beginning of
my experimentation with the MPC, sampling records, & some of the techniques I
still use today.
LR:
Who were some of your influences leading
into the beginning of what would become your life as a musician/hip hop
producer?
IV:
Well I'm a huge jazz head so most of the stuff coming out of the late 60's &
early 70's played a big role in shaping who I am musically. Funk music as well.
I like hip hop & soul music too of course, but jazz & funk are what really
inspire me the most. When I first started producing in '08 I was (& still am)
listening to a lot of Roy Ayers, Grover Washington Jr., Pete Rock, The Meters,
Lonnie Liston Smith, A Tribe Called Quest, Roland-Kirk, anything from the James
Brown family, Damu the Fudgemunk, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Dorothy Ashby, RJD2,
Ramsey Lewis, & many others.
LR:Speaking further on influences...in a soundtrack of your
life, who would be one of the first artist you'd present say on a mixtape
reflecting the impact music has had on you.
IV: I'd have to go with Y Society. Their debut LP
"Travel At Your Own Pace" on Tres Records is one of my favorites of all time. I
discovered it when I first started producing & really getting into hip hop. Damu
the Fudgemunk's beats are incredible & definitely inspired me early on. The
lyrics are really inspirational too. Not only is it a modern masterpiece
musically, but it had a big impact on me content-wise as Insight really gives
you a lot to think about.
LR:Now that you have a second volume of Never Sleep out, when
did the concept for Never Sleep I (one) first develop?
IV:The idea for Never Sleep I first came about when I
got my MPC and literally stayed up for a week straight learning how to use it.
Staying up all night making music then became the routine & I would trade sleep
for beats on a regular basis.
LR:
In approaching that first
collection of instrumentals, as a producer what were you hoping to get across
with the listeners with this debut and at the time did you already see yourself
creating a second volume?
IV:At the time I was just looking to introduce my music
to the world. I hadn't released anything publicly before then so putting out a
free release was a good way to get some exposure as well as some feedback. After
Never Sleep I vowed to make sleep more of a priority & actually planned on doing
an album called "Breakfast Beats." I was going to go from making beats to
actually sleeping at night & waking up early to make music. Of course that never
happened & here I am still to this day on the late night schedule.
LR: One of the first tracks I'd like to give the
readers some background on is the "Keep It Movin' Instro Remix", one of my
favorite beats on Never Sleep. In the audio (see youtube in the right
column) we also have it followed
by the "Keep It Movin" track featuring Jondis. Introduce the readers to
Jondis and how that collaboration came together.
IV:Well the Keep It Movin' Instro Remix is when I
started to experiment with using acapellas for hooks. I thought the stuff Jondis
said was really powerful & he was able to capture in words what I wanted to say
with my music. He did it without even knowing so it was totally natural. That's
how we started to collaborate. We were on the same wavelength with how we felt
about life and things long before we were on the same page with music.
LR: I've heard people
reference the ear and reputation certain MC's have for selecting good beats
but on on the other side of that, from the
collaborations I've heard on your work, you've got an interesting approach to
the MCs you feature on your beats. What kind of standards do you got in
terms of the MCs you decided would be perfect for instrumentals you've produced?
IV:
Thanks. I'm really particular when it comes to who's rhyming on my stuff. I look
for originality and honesty almost as much as I look for skill when it comes to
choosing vocalists. Rappers are a dime a dozen so just to have a good flow isn't
going to cut it. There's gotta be a presence & a uniqueness about someone for me
to want to collaborate with them. I feel like my music is original, thoughtful,
& unique so I expect the same from others who want to work with me.
LR:A part of this interview is also highlighting Hip Hop
Alumni's Bookmark project to promote reading through the promotion of Hip Hop
artist and the artwork of album covers, which in our first bookmark featured
Cory Peak's work for your follow up to Never Sleep...Never Sleep II. Could you
talk about that album cover, Cory Peak's work and your thoughts on seeing the
album cover as a bookmark design?
IV:When Cory first showed me the album cover for Never Sleep
II I was really hyped. He captured the vibe of the project perfectly with the
caricature of me as a sleep-deprived artist surrounded by records. His work in
general is really dope & unique. He does cartoons, photography, videos, & is
even getting into animated cartoons.
As for seeing the album cover as a
bookmark design - it's a really great feeling, because it represents something
positive & educational. It's always been my goal as an artist & especially with
Polymath Records to promote positive music for a good cause & the Hip Hop Alumni
Bookmark initiative is something that fits in line perfectly with those values.
I'm honored to be part of the project.
LR:I was also real hype to see you release the Never Sleep II
as a cassette. What inspired you to do this? With Sony retiring the cassette
walkman after thirty years in 2010 and technology continously moving forward,
how important is it to stay connected to these items of music culture, including
wax which in the past year is seeing an increase in sales again?
IV:Well the cassette was actually Cory's idea. His label
(Sassbologna) specializes in cassettes. I thought it would be cool to link up
with them on this project and do something unique & limited edition.
In
terms of staying connected to physical items, I think it's very important for us
to do so. Technology is definitely efficient & nice to have in a lot of ways,
but I just don't think you can replace the feeling of holding the artifact in
your hands, looking at the art, reading the credits, etc. Vinyl is definitely
making a strong comeback & I think it will continue to be relevant. People enjoy
having mp3s & portability, but I think at some point, especially with their
favorite albums, they want to sit down with a record & have the true listening
experience.
LR:Several of your youtube videos on the MPC include the
presence of vinyl and with the recent national celebration of Record Store Day,
how would you describe the process of digging in your life? In your current
location, how easy or difficult is it to come across wax and in your travels
which record spot has left the most memorable impression?
IV:Digging is a very important part of my life. I try to get
out every few days & look for new records. Even if I only have a couple of
dollars, it's something to do for sport. The conversations you have in the
record shop with other music lovers is something you just can't replicate on
twitter, facebook, etc.
In my current city, I've got a favorite shop I
go to where the owner is real cool. He keeps an excellent jazz section & always
knows what I'm looking for. Whenever I go in, he's got a handful of records he
thinks I will like & he's rarely wrong. It's nice to have that kind of place to
go to. There are also some thrift shops around that I check in on regularly. The
most memorable shop I've been to is probably the Philadelphia Record Exchange.
He had 3 stories just packed with records & the 3rd floor was straight jazz.
LR:Moving on beyond the Never Sleep volumes, the next project
I picked up from your site was Drum Machines Have no Soul with one of my
favorite instrumentals "1, 2", and on the same album, the track "1, 2" featuring
Jondis (Ideals)... You mentioned in a previous question how you got around to
collaborating with Jondis... We're introduced to Drum Machines Have no Soul
through "1, 2"... Could you talk about the background behind the track, the
title of the album and Jondis' contribution to the record? Also, what plans are
ahead between you and Jondis (Ideals) and for the readers just being introduced
to Jondis and your collaborative work for the first time, please provide some
info on Jondis and links people can check out for more info.
IV:Well "1. 2" was actually the last beat I made before
dropping the album. I send all my beats to Jondis when I make them so he always
gets first crack at them. He wrote & finished the track in just a couple of days
& then sent it back. I actually didn't like it at first, but as time went on it
grew to be one of my favorite songs we've done & so I decided to put it on
Drum Machines Have No Soul.
As for the title of the album, it came from one
of those corny bumper stickers that a "real musician" made to campaign against
electronic music. There are so many talentless guitar players that are less
musical than some of us who use drum machines & samplers so I decided to do the
whole album using only an MPC & a turntable to show that you can still make
soulful music with these machines if you are creative enough. Don't get me
wrong, there are a lot of wack beatmakers, but I just don't think that someone
who reads sheet music & can't improvise is any more of a musician than someone
like myself who can't read sheet music, but can create a complete song using
anything from a box of matches to a drum machine. To me being musical is
something you either are or are not - regardless of what "instrument(s)" you
use.
Going back to Jondis, he contributes a lot to my records. A lot of
people don't realize that he does all of the mastering as well as mixing the
vocal tracks. He is a dope emcee & even makes good beats, but in regards to my
records he does a lot of stuff behind the scenes that make the finished product
what it is. He provides lots of honest feedback at every stage of the process,
teaches new techniques & provides inspiration.
In terms of i.deals, we
actually have a full-length LP that we dropped this summer on
Polymath Records called "Spill." I'm really proud of what we accomplished with
it and at the time looked forward to releasing it for everyone to hear. Of course for the
future, we are looking to continue to grow as a group & consistently release
records, building a respectable catalogue as we go.
In regards to Jondis,
he is a dope emcee from Buffalo, NY who has a deep knowledge of hip hop & a
great respect for music. Like I said before he also does great mastering work &
is just an overall good person. It's only a matter of time before he decides to
really put himself out there & release some solo projects on the mic. Until
then, you can hear his latest creations @
soundcloud.com/jondis &
download/purchase his instrumental albums @
jondis.bandcamp.com. You can
also email him for mastering - jondis@live.com.
LR:Definitely also gotta get into a feature on Drum Machines
Have No Soul and thats your work with Junclassic, one of my favorite MCs, who
contributes to the "Beats from the East" track... I first heard Junclassic on
his debut 2 Much Ain't Enuff and it was through Jun's work with several dope
producers that I ended up hearing about your music as well. How did you come
around to hearing about and working with Junclassic and are there plans for a
future IV the Polymath/Junclassic album? Also, could we get some liner notes on
the making of "Beats from the East"?
IV:Junclassic is dope. I first heard of him while watching a
youtube video of him & Monsta X (K-Sise) rapping in NYC with Damu The Fudgemunk
on the MPC. This was back in 2008. I immediately sent him a message in hopes
that he would respond & thankfully he did. We banged out two tracks real quick &
have been working together ever since. We stay in pretty constant contact with
each other brainstorming & working on new stuff. We actually have an EP coming
this summer & a full-length coming later on. We call ourselves "UnderCurrent."
Aside from the music, Jun has also helped me a lot with making contacts &
learning about how the business side of music works. I'm really appreciative of
that.
As for "Beats From The East," Jun had wanted that beat for a while
& finally recorded his verses before the album came out so I was able to get it
on there. The mixing was tricky because he has such a deep voice, but thankfully
Jondis came thru in the clutch. We are actually talking about shooting a video
for it sometime this summer when I visit him in NYC.
LR:This interview took a while and I'm most appreciative for
your time, patience, and willingness to contribute to the site IV. Before
we close out the interview, please provide links to your new online locations
and again any drops on new projects, and updates at the current moment. I
know you just released a dope instrumental mix if you can shed some light on the
magazine that you collaborated with on that and any other info including your
contact info for folks to get added on to your mailing list.
IV: No doubt! It's been fun & I really
appreciate the opportunity. Anyone who wants to get in touch with me about
anything at all can email ivthepolymath@gmail.com or hit me up
on twitter @ivthepolymath. If you want to be on the mailing list just email the
word 'subscribe' to ivthepolymath@gmail.com & you will be added. Members receive
occasional updates, chances to win free stuff, & of course, exclusive music that
is shared only with people on the list.
Here are some other places to find me & keep up with new music...
Also, thanks for the love on the instrumental mix! I teamed up with The Find
Magazine to do something exclusive & provide an instrumental soundtrack to the
summer (2011). I thought it would be cool to help expose some of the more
slept-on producers that I am a fan of & overall it was a great experience. The
Find is very supportive of independent hip hop & is an important source for
information & music. For anyone who missed it, you can grab the mix here:
thefindmag.com.
Other new projects include the i.deals album I produced with Jondis on the mic.
We just released it last week on Polymath Records & are donating 10% of all
sales to St. Jude Children's Hospital. Those interested in listening/purchasing
can do so on itunes:
click here or
directly from us @ Bandcamp:
ideals.bandcamp.com.
A handful of other projects will also drop in the coming months including a
follow up to Drum Machines Have No Soul, several new mixes, & a couple of group
EPs I produced. JS:D.
LR:Much thanks again IV, this is the first interview of its
kind for the site, A Session of IV, a segment that provides an extended listen
of music from the artists along with the interview content to give some
background to the audio. Nothin' but respect to you brother. Peace.
IV: Thank you for the dope interview! Much appreciated. Peace! JS:D.
"Stages" is an early track I did in 2008 before Never Sleep I came out. It's
right around the time I started to experiment with some of the techniques &
styles I still use today. You can hear the funky bass line being played out over
the dusty drums & then the jazz piano entering as the beat progresses. The horn
is brought in a little later in the track & then finally the voice comes in
right around "hook" time. It's repetitive, but flows in a way that the elements
come in one by one & then are stripped down before being brought back in again."
Grover Washington, Jr.
Damu the Fudgemunk*
"Keep It Movin' Instro Remix is when I started to experiment with using acapellas for hooks. I thought the stuff Jondis said was really powerful & he was able to capture in words what I wanted to say with my music. He did it without even knowing so it was totally natural. That's how we started to collaborate. We were on the same wavelength with how we felt about life and things long before we were on the same page with music."
'The Art of Cory J. Peak'
"1.
2 was actually the last beat I made before dropping the album. I
send all my beats to Jondis when I make them so he always gets first
crack at them. He wrote & finished the track in just a couple of
days & then sent it back. I actually didn't like it at first, but
as time went on it grew to be one of my favorite songs we've done & so I
decided to put it on Drum Machines Have No Soul."
Junclassic & IV
"Junclassic is dope. I
first heard of him while watching a youtube video of him & Monsta X
(K-Sise)rapping in NYC with Damu the Fudgemunk on the MPC. this
was back in 2008. I immediately sent him a message in hopes that
he would respond & thankfully he did. We banged out two tracks
real quick & have been working together ever since."
