Illuminati 2G

KALIZAY INTERVIEW 4/21/09

Kalizay, a MC, producer, film maker from the Bay Area of Cali who has been putting in work and has a new mixtape out which will be posted on Illuminati 2G real soon. Meanwhile, read up on Kalizay and check our her music. - Jehuniko

Jehuniko: Paz hermana, thank you for taking time to sit down with us. We’ve been building for a minute now….So where are you from, how long have you been doing music? I know your creative arsenal runs deep, school these cats on your history?

First And For Most I Would Like To Thank You For Your Interest. I’ve Been Creating Melodies Since Elementary. I Was Born In San Jose, Califas On The Ghetto Streets Of The West Side. Those Melodies Became Words Eleven Years Ago.

So before we go any further, what’s up with your mixtape you just dropped? Where is it available?

21 Tracks. El Mixtape: "Tracks In The Attic" The Very First Cd. Truthfully I’m Doing It All A La Mano, Mom And Pop’s Shops, Hood Liquor Stores, At My Shows.. Its Limited. It’s Local. I’m Working On Getting It Online. I’m Patient.

What’s up with your video production right now? Congratulations on winning that scholarship……..

Yes, The Film Side Of Me Is Up And Going. Shout Out To CreaTV. Do Expect Music Videos, Short Doc’s, And Exclusive KaLiZay Music Stuff Soon.

So you have a clothing line as well right? You keep busy don’t you….

That’s A Whole Mess Of Arte Waiting To Unfold. I Just Released The KaLiZay Music Shirts Featuring The KaLiZay Cartoon Character. Shout Out To King 157.

And…..you produce music.

Kablamo. Indeed, Not Just Music But Film Also. Producing Music Is Something I See Myself Doing More Habitually Down The Line. Until Then I’ll Just Keep Staking Up Melodies And Producing Here And There.

You rock shows, produce music, clothing, video / film, which do you enjoy more or which are you most addicted to?

Rocking Shows Of Coarse. I Just Officially Began Less Then A Year Ago And Every Time I Go On Stage It Just Keeps Getting Better. Film Would Be Second.

You are in a good place because you spit bars, go hard on a more traditional hip hop beat, but you seem just as comfortable messing with a more vibey track, some feel good shit, but in Spanish. What is your perception of your music, what is your vision?

I Love That I Can Adapt To Any Kind Of Music. I Listen To It And Respect It By Complementing The Beat. Music Affects The Listener. Any Type Of Sound Has Its Presence. I Have A Sound That The World Will Enjoy On A Positive Tip. I Want To Learn As Many Languages As I Can So I Could Be More Universal. Everyone’s Gotta Have A Dream, A Vision, Mine Is To Make My Sound Because It’s What I Do.

I love the East Bay and in all my years of visiting the Bay, there was always a chill vibe, always good positive energy. Aside from every city having it’s share of haters, what do you think separates the Bay from LA, or the South, or NYC?

The Whole Bay Area Is Tight. Each Side Is A Different World. Just Like N.Y.C., The South And L.A. Those Are Major Markets Now. Each Place Is Popin. Each Section Has It’s Unique Sound. As Far As Quality Goes The Bay Area Lacks That "Industry Standard" Sound. I Myself Have Had To Master Tracks In L.A. Although, There Is Major Talent In The Bay Area, Many Legendaries Are From Here. I Feel The Bay Area Is Not As United As Those Other Spots, Meaning Thinking More Strategically.

What advice or words of encouragement do you have for other queens wanting to get on the mic, or even with fashion or film.

I Got Love For Lady Artists Out There. My Words Would Be "Stay At IT". If Us Ladies Don’t Stick Together, We Will Only Let This Male Dominated Industry Continue To Overcome It. Meaning: Don’t Hate On Each Other. "Never Quit Tu Arte"

What’s the vibe out in Oakland now with the passing of Oscar Grant and it being caught on camera?

Oakland Is Oakland. It’s Funny How The Media Works. They Say Oakland Is So Dangerous. It Is, But That Same Discrimination By Officials Goes Down In Other Places. In The Past Few Years There Has Been Several Taser Deaths And Attacks To Minority Groups All Around. Not To Long Ago, Early February, There Was A Taser Death On The East Side Of San Jose. S.J.P.D Murdered A Man In His Late 20’s..

But The Media Don’t Want To Blow That Up. Since Oscar Grants Death, R.I.P., There’s Been A Lot Of Tension On BART. They Were Supposed To Branch Out To The South Bay But Because Of The Negative Exposure And Tension, Construction Has Been Delayed.

What’s cracking with Raza and hip hop in the East Bay these days?

It’s Going Down. El Movimiento Del Hip Hop En Espanol Esta Explotando. It's Culturing Around The Bay Area. It’s Always Been Here, It’s Just Becoming More Mainstream Now What With The Latin Movement That’s Involved With The Media. Especially Mun2. There’s A Whole Network Out There And Here In The Bay Area.

What’s coming up next for you, plans, projects?

I’m Trying To Do A Million Thangs In One 5 Min. That’s How It Should Be Done. Stay Surrounded With The Motivated, Always Keep El Arte Flowing. To Sum It Up Bluntly: More Mixtapes, Singles, E.P., Collabs, Music Videos, More Short Film Projects, Lot’s Of Video Editing, Community Involvement, More Style, More Music.

Ok Kalizay, thank you again……….