Ghettosocks – Ain’t Too Much Changed

Category: music 270

Halifax Hip-Hop Artist Keeps His Calendar Full

GCM - Ghettosocks

 

Regardless of where you stand on Hip-Hop or more specifically, East Coast Hip-Hop, it’s hard not to admire the career trajectory of Halifax musician, Ghettosocks.  Across his four solo albums, two of mix tapes and numerous collaborations with some of the best in the business you’ve probably never heard of, he’s built a reputation as one of Hip-Hops best kept secrets. And despite being one of the genre’s most prolific Canadian artists, Ghettosocks has somehow managed to retain a quality-over-quantity ethic any self-respecting musician would admire.

Through a number of top-shelf collaborations with Toronto’s Timbuktu (Teen Burger, Wolves, Backburner) and their collective work with UK’s The Herbaliser, ‘Socks has surrounded himself with an ideal blend of voices and beats that compliment his ambitious work ethic and his Fresh-Wes flow.

Between beats and verses, ‘Socks took a few minutes to bring us up to speed on what’s been happening and what’s to come.

You’ve done an enormous amount of collaboration projects over the past few years.  How important a role does collaboration play in your current career?

Collaboration can be lots of fun. I find it rewarding to make songs with friends and artists who I respect. In terms of importance in my “career” I wouldn’t say it’s crucial, yet it is definitely something I enjoy doing. If anything, some might consider it counterproductive to spread one’s self across as many projects or groups as I have. In my process, collaborations are less career-based decisions and more on an artistic and personal basis.

Is it fair to say many of your collaborations are a result of living in Halifax and a need to work outside of the community your grew up in?

I have worked with artists all over the world. I supposed it would be a natural progression to work with people outside of where you grew up, but it was not really a planned move – more just out of necessity. I’ve worked with most of the best artists in my genre in Halifax, so naturally you begin to look elsewhere- especially as an artist who tours as much as I do.
 

You did a lot of touring with The Herbaliser and were featured on their last album. Have any new collaborative projects grown out of that relationship and do you plan to work more with those guys in the future?

Working with The Herbaliser has been a great experience. Touring Europe and Canada with them has definitely been a remarkable achievement for me. The Herbaliser produced a song off my latest release For You Pretty Things (FYPT) called “100 Bars” feat. Timbuktu. Currently, Tim and I are also working on a new Teenburger album entirely produced by The Herbaliser which should be done by the end of the year. In short, I believe there’s lots more on the horizon.

What’s 2015 look like for Ghettosocks? Do you have any new solo stuff in the works?

I have a few releases coming up in 2015; the aforementioned Teenburger x Herbaliser album, Hivemind should be out by the summer, a new mixtape Wine 2 with DJ Jon Deck should be done even sooner, the new Backburner album, Eclipse, is coming out on March 17th, plus a few more surprises in store. I’m also in the midst of producing a full-length record for Toronot-based MC, Nilla. In addition, lots of touring, both nationally and internationally are in the planning phases…
 

What artists have you been listening to lately?  Any recommendations you’d like to share?

I haven’t been listening to too much new stuff these days as I’ve been focusing on finishing my new mixtape, but artists like Blu & Exile, Ya Old Droog, and Roc Marciano have been in the rotation.
Ghettosocks+Monark+Old Self+Benzie | The Capital Complex | Thursday March 12, 2015 | Doors at 9:00pm – Show at 10:00pm | $8

Selected Tracks

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[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3264629870 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=3389295439]

 

 

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