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"The College Graduate" MC, Toronto, Canada http://www.tarachase.com/ Page 1 | 2 | 3 Lee: I also just recently watched the video for Like it Like and Spit Forever 2 featuring DL Incognito. What were the differences/similarities from the production of a video such as Like It Like (which I'm assuming was your latest) and videos that you have participated with in the past. Tara Chase: Both were independent, meaning no major label support, so that made both projects similar. There's corners you have to cut, such as wardrobe, hair, makeup. I mean we both had those but it's not the Beyonce team (you know... work out 3 weeks prior, in the chair for 3hrs prior with make up etc..), we do well with what we have nonetheless. Usually we try to pull favours, get some sponsorships, use local designers, maybe students looking to build a portfolio. My video was an indoor shoot which made it comfy, you wouldn't know that there was a huge snowstorm that day. DL's video was outdoors and was FREEZING!!! But with indi videos you usually have to get it done within a day, so you have no choice..if you choose a bad day...the shoot must go on. There's no money to shoot the next day or shoot over a few days. The main difference between my latest video and the previous ones was the quality of the video. I had a bit more money for each video as I went along, so the film stock got better from super 16 to 35 mm...the 35 is basically industry standard, in terms of quality. As an indi you are already at a disadvantage in terms of convincing tv producers to put your video in rotation over a known artist, so at minimum you want something that at least looks as good as big budget artists videos. That way they'll feel comfortable putting it in the mix based on appearance. With Like it Like, I left many of the responsibilities up to other people because I was busy in school and I couldn't take on as much responsibility as I normally would. Things got a bit crazy which led to ridiculous things happening and the look not being exactly what I was going for (a throwback to 80's rock/punk)...but ultimately it came out clean. L: As for Spit Forever 2, were there any other collaborative efforts with DL Incognito other than this? How did the collaboration come together, give us a little run down of the history between Tara Chase and DL Incognito. T: Yes. Before we did that track, we collaborated on a track called Stereotypes. It was about 2 or 3 years before his LP on a compilation he released called Welcome to the Land of the Lost. We built a good relationship off that initial recording. He was from Ottawa, which is a couple of hours from where I live now, in Toronto and at the time (not now of course) he was virtually unheard of in Toronto and the rest of Canada. Anyway, his manager gets at me and I agree to come out and do the track. I was pretty trusting because I rolled out there alone (something I would never recommend for a female MC..but I'm crazy like that) and it was all butter and biscuits. They were cool and I think we did a couple of songs..can't remember..but anyway the main one was Stereotypes. We sounded good together and people were really feeling that track..so it was only natural to do something for his debut album. We recorded 3 tracks for it..2 of which made it 'What Dreams Are Made Of" (my favorite) and "Spit Forever II" the single. Of course..no surprise that I will be on his next release with a 3rd MC named D-Shade from Montreal (my hometown) called Wild Style. That was a little more than a little run down wasn't it??..sorry... L: Tell us about the Hip Hop scene in Toronto. How are the radio stations treating the art out there? How about record stores, clubs, etc? T: I could write a novel on this topic. The scene...hmm...depends on which angle you approach it from. I'll say there are crazy artists out here, some of which have made crazy noise in the US like Glen Lewis, Jully Black, Kardinal, Saukrates, Brass Munk, K-OS, Choclair, Melanie Durant, (ok I slipped in R & B also but we're all stuck in the same rut). The problem is the lack of local support. Not from the fans, but from radio and labels and television. There is this divide and it's like their scared to take the necessary chances required to make a hip hop star. Oh label reps will come to the shows and critique and offer opinions, which can help sometimes but when it comes to action (ie. getting signed), it's very much a boys club. If you're not in the club don't waste your time. The independent scene is really coming up here, because there are no other options. We have a commercial "Urban" station, that plays favourites. They don't play much from those who've been doing it from before they came on the air and those who even helped them get on the air with petition letters and so on. The general feeling here, from a hip hop standpoint, is that unless you want to make a real commercial type track then it's still all about working College radio. We do have another commercial/college station out here that takes over University of Toronto's airwaves from 12:00am to 5:00am daily and there are no holds bared, so they'll play the hip hop that doesn't get played during the day. Really all we need is for the commercial stations to be a bit more open and work closer with the indie scene because our needs are different than a major label's needs. Despite the lack of support outside, a lot of MC's are supportive of one another..not everyone I mean this is hip hop after all not a church choir...but for the most part we get along..united in our goal on making things better for all...We have plenty of record stores and clubs and the scene thrives in that regard. Downtown from Thursday-Sunday is pretty thick. There are a lot of hip hop regular spots Monday to Sunday for any hip hop connoisseur, from lounges that only play hip hop classics to spots that only play thug music. So there's always somewhere to go to pretty much satisfy your needs from shake your a$$ to nod your head spots. L: There's a lot happening around the globe. With all the issues circulating in the media which is most important to you? If you were in a charge of a 15 minute news slot, what issues or stories would you present? T: The US election was the most important world issue that I had my eye on until today (day after the elections). All I can say is....very interesting (and I'll leave it at that). As for me having a 15min news slot...I would touch on the same issues that Bill Cosby recently touched on. As hard as it is to swallow, the truth is the truth. He had a point and we need more people in his position to say something about our current situation to get people fired up and who knows maybe change will come. I would address misogyny in hip hop and how we're poisoning our young. Ulitmately, my focus would be on the education of young black people and other young visible minorities. L: I also wanted to talk to you about a track titled Autonomy. Is this song off of a compilation or is it a single? Who is featured on this song? When you hear this song, what goes through your mind? T: It was on a compilation called Rap Essentials Vol 2. Rap Essentials, which was a series of compilations that came out for a while that featured Canadian MC's. Everyone from Kardinal, Rascalz, Michee Mee, Ghetto Concept, etc.. etc.. It was the song from my first video and featured Saukrates on the production and vocally on the hook. Hearing this song always reminds me of my move to Toronto and how far I'd taken my music once I moved here. It also reminds me of innocence. When I was a virgin to the industry and I only wanted to get a deal and rap. No BS..just music.
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