RAPS + CRAFTS #37: Ghais Guevara
1. Introduce yourself. Past projects? Current projects?
I’m Ghais Guevara. Rapper/producer from Philly known for his tapes BlackBolshevik, There Will Be No Super-Slave and Goyard Comin’: Exordium and at the time of me answering this, working on rolling out my debut album Goyard Ibn Said.
2. Where do you write? Do you have a routine time you write? Do you discipline yourself, or just let the words come when they will? Do you typically write on a daily basis?
I mainly write at home—not by choice—I’m just home a lot as of recently. I have notes in my phone of words, lyrical ideas, places, etc. that I add to every time I learn something—I suppose that’s my discipline. I don’t usually write until it comes to me or I have a deadline to meet though.
3. What’s your medium—pen and paper, laptop, on your phone? Or do you compose a verse in your head and keep it there until it’s time to record?
I just type in my phone. Keep it convenient.
4. Do you write in bars, or is it more disorganized than that?
A bit more disorganized, I’d say. Usually I wanna have a flow in mind, so I’ll lay out the rough draft with grunts and adlibs and fill in the words later. A lotta silly ideas come out of tryna fill in those blanks.
5. How long into writing a verse or a song do you know it’s not working out the way you had in mind? Do you trash the material forever, or do you keep the discarded material to be reworked later?
I usually know early on. I don’t like to play around. I always wanna burn all the evidence of me making wack art. If I don’t catch it early then I’m big on keeping the remnants of the fire. I started out sampling, so there’s always that “one man’s trash…” component. Like, yeah that verse is awful, but that line can still be used.
6. Have you engaged with any other type of writing, whether presently or in the past? Fiction? Poetry? Playwriting? If so, how has that mode influenced your songwriting?
Other than homework? Nah, not really. Always been strictly songs and verses for me. I prefer to be merely inspired by other mediums for now.
7. How much editing do you do after initially writing a verse/song? Do you labor over verses, working on them over a long period of time, or do you start and finish a piece in a quick burst?
It depends on a lotta things. Some days it just all comes to me, and some days I have a hook and that’s it. Either way, I’m super critical of a song up until the point of release and even afterwards. Like quadruple checking with friends. Always giving myself time to chisel away and make something as flawless as possible.
8. Do you write to a beat, or do you adjust and tweak lyrics to fit a beat?
Recently, I’ve been tweaking old, unused verses to fit beats. It helps a lot and saves time. Usually, though, I prefer to write a fresh verse to the beat, especially if it’s a worthwhile beat. I believe in capturing that initial feeling it gives you.
9. What dictates the direction of your lyrics? Are you led by an idea or topic you have in mind beforehand? Is it stream-of-consciousness? Is what you come up with determined by the constraint of the rhymes?
Oftentimes I’m matching whatever the beat is giving me and try to match that tone. If something isn’t hitting me immediately, then I dive into my handy Notes app for that inspiration or starting point. I do enjoy being tasked with topics though—I love a challenge. Constraint of the rhymes? Who said we had to rhyme?
10. Do you like to experiment with different forms and rhyme schemes, or do you keep your bars free and flexible?
Love experimenting. I literally don’t shut up. Anyone who hangs out with me can vouch that I’m always tryna force some rhyme scheme with a billboard we saw or something. I get “I can’t believe you’re the rapper here” a lot for some of the piss poor attempts—haha. Too much freedom is dangerous to me though, because I get overwhelmed. I need a goal or a confine.
11. What’s a verse you’re particularly proud of, one where you met the vision for what you desire to do with your lyrics?
I have a favorite new verse every time I write, man. If I had to pick one that’s already released? Maybe the second half of “Patrisse Cullors Stole My Lunch Money.” I love how much of a crowd pleaser it is, and I think it gives the best idea of what Ghais is. Some showmanship, some politics, some jokes, some depth, a good time overall.
12. Can you pick a favorite bar of yours and describe the genesis of it?
Being a punchline heavy rapper is hard ’cause it’s so many lines that make me chuckle. “Shootin’ with the left my homies call me Shapovalov, / Choppa Philip Bailey make em sing another octave.” That’s a good one—obscure references to real life stuff. That’s what you gettin’ from me.
13. Do you feel strongly one way or another about punch-ins? Will you whittle a bar down in order to account for breath control, or are you comfortable punching-in so you don’t have to sacrifice any words?
I was brought up in the Soundcloud era, so I’m more forgiving about it than I probably come off as. Not a stranger to punching-in either. There’s an essence to it. It gives the voice a more percussive element. But I prefer the satisfaction of being able to get that result naturally—it’s good rehearsal for the live shows.
14. What non-hiphop material do you turn to for inspiration? What non-music has influenced your work recently?
It depends on how I feel about…life. I’m pretty young, still tryna find out what I want to be and what I can be. I don’t like staying anywhere for too long. Recently been on an alt-pop and alt-rock binge. I cook dinner with jazz on. Just always shifting. Non-music wise? Athletes, for sure. The drive to win is something I’m tryna learn to tame and channel better. Fashion’s been shifting my perspective on what we consume and why, forcing me to think more about the “aesthetic” of a song, so to speak. And, of course, I always try to keep a book on me. Reading The Invention of Women right now, so look out for references to that—haha.
15. Writers are often saddled with self-doubt. Do you struggle to like your own shit, or does it all sound dope to you?
There isn’t much that I feel like stumps me. I’m reminded of the quote, “We didn’t lose the game, we just ran outta time.” That’s how I usually feel about my shortcomings.
16. Audiologists can explain why so many people cringe when they hear their recorded voice played back to them. For MCs, the voice is crucial to how the writing is communicated to the audience. Are you satisfied with your voice? Does your rapper-voice match your regular voice, or do you affect it on the mic? Do you routinely rely on any mixing techniques (pitch adjustments, reverb, double-tracking, echo, etc.) to affect how your voice sounds on record?
I’m a big fan of using the voice as an instrument. It’s one of the first things I think about when I record. Lyrics are lyrics—I’ll read it if I want—but how can I be beyond listenable, you know? I can do some pretty impressive voices. My vocal and breath control is a strength, probably from my athlete days. Gotta use every weapon in your arsenal.
17. Who’s a rapper you listen to with such a distinguishable style that you need to resist the urge to imitate them?
I don’t resist the urge to imitate at all. If a beat conjures up a style worth studying, then I study it. I think not being able to make it your own is where people fail. But I’ll never act like I haven’t sat there and gone, “Hmm, how would so-and-so approach this?” I’m a problem solver regarding songs. It has to sound good by any means.
18. Do you have an agenda as an artist? Are there overarching concerns you want to communicate to the listener?
If you woulda asked me years ago, I might’ve had some grand shit to say, but eh. The things that I say are for the people that care to listen. I’m tired of convincing, burnt out. I was always told, “Your job should be something you’d do for free.” Music’s my job. It sustains me. Emotionally, financially, mentally, and all, and I wish to be adored and appreciated and desired for it. That’s all, to be honest.
RAPS + CRAFTS is a series of questions posed to rappers about their craft and process. It is designed to give respect and credit to their engagement with the art of songwriting. The format is inspired, in part, by Rob McLennan’s 12 or 20 interview series.
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