Rising Star Hopes Hip-Hop Is 'Golden'
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS - Sitting in the back of a Charger, windows tinted, music bumpin', and it's not a usual Saturday night.
Up and coming hip-hop star Golden is driving us around Indianapolis to the skate park to pass out album samplers of his upcoming album "Hurry Up & Wait." With us, talking about hip-hop music worth listening to - K-Os, Shapeshifters, Daddy Kev, Airpushers and Vybz Kartel - is his DJ, Squeeze, and Ez-1.
Golden hails from Minneapolis, Minn., but was showcasing his musical talent to Indianapolis over the weekend, performing at the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fall Fest on Butler University campus Saturday night. Before the show, I was invited to interview and hang out with him.
Golden was laid back, easy to chat with and as interested to hear what others had to say as much as responding to the questions. He shook hands before and after the interview, and later personally invited me to come along to the skate park and then on another errand to pick up a mic stand. He knows what he wants and what his goals are. He's determined to be a success story in hip-hop.
Born and bred in Reading, Pa., Golden said he had a typical childhood. He didn't live in the hood, but didn't live in a mansion either. His family always had music playing and he played a lot of sports, even playing some ball in college before a wrist injury.
He met his best friend, Jay, after beating him up one day. They started writing raps together, which were a cross between Easy-E and Bell Biv Devoe. "We just progressed, progressed, progressed," Golden said.
After high school in Lancaster, Pa., he moved to Minnesota for college, studying communications with a minor in religious studies. He convinced Jay to move up to Minnesota with him where they wouldn't be harassed for being white and performing hip-hop. Squeeze eventually joined their group, Suspects.
As a group, Suspects was supposed to open up for Black Eyed Peas for a show at school. After a change of schedule, the Peas went on first, and Suspects followed, giving the Peas an opportunity to listen to Suspects. Golden said the after-party was held at their house where they got to kick it with the Peas and played them their music. Suspects eventually went their separate ways, but Golden stayed connected to Printz Board, a band member of the Black Eyed Peas, for awhile even being signed to Printz's production company. Printz also worked on Golden's upcoming album "Hurry Up & Wait."
Though there's Black Eyed Peas influence on "Hurry Up," Golden said his influences range from Nas to Kool Moe Dee and The Fugees.
When Nas dropped his album "Illmatic," Golden said, "It just opened up my eyes to what hip-hop could be." Lyrical. Musical.
And as for influences of stuff coming out now, there's K-Os and the Peas, of course, among others.
In Minneapolis, Golden said the music scene is like a melting pot for hip-hop. They take the East Coast and the West Coast scenes and blend them. It opened Golden's mind up to how he could use his voice and lyrics.
While the Minneapolis hip-hop scene may not care Golden is white, there will be skeptics when Golden breaks out nationally. Is he Vanilla Ice or Eminem? Does he have it like the Beastie Boys, or is he more along the lines of Kevin Federline? He's already addressed it on the song "It Ain't Me."
"Vanilla Ice ruined it for a whole generation real quick," Golden said. He hopes never to see Federline, but doesn't mind the early comparisons to Eminem.
On "It Ain't Me," Golden raps, "I ain't Eminem but one day I'll sell records like him. I ain't Vanilla Ice, I heard that all my life, man."
He understands that he'll hear comparisons, "It's something I grew up hearing, something you're used to hearing." But he wants people to get past the color of his skin and digest the music he offers.
And when his album "Hurry Up & Wait" breaks out, there will be plenty for listeners to eat up.
Golden said he's been writing and putting some of the songs together for the past five or six years, while other lyrics came together two weeks before recording it. "It kind of runs all over the place," he said. "... It's a broad record." He defines it as a cross between Pink Floyd and The Cure to stuff that could be featured on a Peas or Nas record. The next album, which he already has a lot of stuff in his head for, Golden said, will be nothing like this one. He just wants this first album to open up some doors.
"Hurry Up & Wait" will be released either late this year or early next year, with the push for it mostly in 2007. Golden was apologetic he couldn't offer more of a timeline, but the record company is still securing releases for it.
But for those who can't wait to hear what Golden has to offer, he can be found online at myspace.com/golden or www.Golden-MC.com Samples of his music, tour dates and other information is on the sites.
"I think it's good music, give it a shot," Golden said in some final comments. He also advocated supporting indie music, finding what music you like on your own, and vote, even in non-presidential election years.
Performing on stage at the TKE event, the college students enjoyed it, singing along, thumpin' their heads and dancing along. I'll be checking it out in the future, and if it's as good as the sampler, Golden's Charger won't be the only vehicle blasting it. [[In-content Ad]]
INDIANAPOLIS - Sitting in the back of a Charger, windows tinted, music bumpin', and it's not a usual Saturday night.
Up and coming hip-hop star Golden is driving us around Indianapolis to the skate park to pass out album samplers of his upcoming album "Hurry Up & Wait." With us, talking about hip-hop music worth listening to - K-Os, Shapeshifters, Daddy Kev, Airpushers and Vybz Kartel - is his DJ, Squeeze, and Ez-1.
Golden hails from Minneapolis, Minn., but was showcasing his musical talent to Indianapolis over the weekend, performing at the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fall Fest on Butler University campus Saturday night. Before the show, I was invited to interview and hang out with him.
Golden was laid back, easy to chat with and as interested to hear what others had to say as much as responding to the questions. He shook hands before and after the interview, and later personally invited me to come along to the skate park and then on another errand to pick up a mic stand. He knows what he wants and what his goals are. He's determined to be a success story in hip-hop.
Born and bred in Reading, Pa., Golden said he had a typical childhood. He didn't live in the hood, but didn't live in a mansion either. His family always had music playing and he played a lot of sports, even playing some ball in college before a wrist injury.
He met his best friend, Jay, after beating him up one day. They started writing raps together, which were a cross between Easy-E and Bell Biv Devoe. "We just progressed, progressed, progressed," Golden said.
After high school in Lancaster, Pa., he moved to Minnesota for college, studying communications with a minor in religious studies. He convinced Jay to move up to Minnesota with him where they wouldn't be harassed for being white and performing hip-hop. Squeeze eventually joined their group, Suspects.
As a group, Suspects was supposed to open up for Black Eyed Peas for a show at school. After a change of schedule, the Peas went on first, and Suspects followed, giving the Peas an opportunity to listen to Suspects. Golden said the after-party was held at their house where they got to kick it with the Peas and played them their music. Suspects eventually went their separate ways, but Golden stayed connected to Printz Board, a band member of the Black Eyed Peas, for awhile even being signed to Printz's production company. Printz also worked on Golden's upcoming album "Hurry Up & Wait."
Though there's Black Eyed Peas influence on "Hurry Up," Golden said his influences range from Nas to Kool Moe Dee and The Fugees.
When Nas dropped his album "Illmatic," Golden said, "It just opened up my eyes to what hip-hop could be." Lyrical. Musical.
And as for influences of stuff coming out now, there's K-Os and the Peas, of course, among others.
In Minneapolis, Golden said the music scene is like a melting pot for hip-hop. They take the East Coast and the West Coast scenes and blend them. It opened Golden's mind up to how he could use his voice and lyrics.
While the Minneapolis hip-hop scene may not care Golden is white, there will be skeptics when Golden breaks out nationally. Is he Vanilla Ice or Eminem? Does he have it like the Beastie Boys, or is he more along the lines of Kevin Federline? He's already addressed it on the song "It Ain't Me."
"Vanilla Ice ruined it for a whole generation real quick," Golden said. He hopes never to see Federline, but doesn't mind the early comparisons to Eminem.
On "It Ain't Me," Golden raps, "I ain't Eminem but one day I'll sell records like him. I ain't Vanilla Ice, I heard that all my life, man."
He understands that he'll hear comparisons, "It's something I grew up hearing, something you're used to hearing." But he wants people to get past the color of his skin and digest the music he offers.
And when his album "Hurry Up & Wait" breaks out, there will be plenty for listeners to eat up.
Golden said he's been writing and putting some of the songs together for the past five or six years, while other lyrics came together two weeks before recording it. "It kind of runs all over the place," he said. "... It's a broad record." He defines it as a cross between Pink Floyd and The Cure to stuff that could be featured on a Peas or Nas record. The next album, which he already has a lot of stuff in his head for, Golden said, will be nothing like this one. He just wants this first album to open up some doors.
"Hurry Up & Wait" will be released either late this year or early next year, with the push for it mostly in 2007. Golden was apologetic he couldn't offer more of a timeline, but the record company is still securing releases for it.
But for those who can't wait to hear what Golden has to offer, he can be found online at myspace.com/golden or www.Golden-MC.com Samples of his music, tour dates and other information is on the sites.
"I think it's good music, give it a shot," Golden said in some final comments. He also advocated supporting indie music, finding what music you like on your own, and vote, even in non-presidential election years.
Performing on stage at the TKE event, the college students enjoyed it, singing along, thumpin' their heads and dancing along. I'll be checking it out in the future, and if it's as good as the sampler, Golden's Charger won't be the only vehicle blasting it. [[In-content Ad]]