What’s your stage name and where are you from?
R.sinik, Portland Oregon
What’s the story behind your stage name?
Cutting my teeth in the early 2000s as a young teen and being a big fan of rappers such as MF DOOM, RZA, KRS ONE, SLUG etc. I wanted to have an acronym name as well. I originally went with R.S.I.N.I.C – Rappers. Served. Instantly. Never. In-Consistently. At some point I liked the way R.SINIK with a “K” looked and made that change. Sometimes, I feel like stage names are like AOL instant messenger screen names (dating myself) you make them when you first start and then never change them.
Describe your musical journey in three sentences.
I stopped making music for over a decade, I love it, but struggle to be inspired. My Journey has been the hokey pokey meets complete lyricism. I am in, I am out, I am back in.
Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.
Not a track, but my latest album; John Was Here. As I said earlier, I took 10 years off from making music. When the pandemic hit, I lost my job, was sequestered in my home, bored and depressed. To kill time, I started writing to MF DOOM Benzi box and completely reignited my passion for writing and making music. After a year or so of writing I decided lets put something out, so I purchased the equipment on a super budget and taught myself to record, mix and master. I produced and mixed everything on that project. The highlight for me was getting One2Gage to feature on my track “Tell Me.” Him and I came up rhyming together and I am excited to say we will be releasing a 5 track ep this summer titled, “Kept The Day Job.”
What message do you want to convey through your music?
Myself. My music is like a journal. What you are getting is different views, states, or feelings expressed over an instrumental. If it is a political song, its because these are themes I am struggling to work through and or accept. The next track could be an existential crisis followed by a braggadocios show off track. The #1 thing I want to have my music convey is that the listener can hear the time, effort, and energy I put into that song , specifically the lyrics.
Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.
After 10 years of not making music, to do so with the intention of releasing it to the public was daunting. Why am I doing this? What is the point of this? When the pandemic ended I had to strongly debate on finishing John Was Here and vaulting it, or taking that risk and accepting the vulnerability of putting it out there. I value my anonymity and privacy. Most of my close family and friends don’t even know I released a project.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
My answer would be MF DOOM or Chino XL (R.I.P) but that cant happen for obvious reasons so Aesop Rock
Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?
Absolutely nowhere. I am doing this because it is cathartic, it is energizing and it brings me joy. If Interscope called and offered me a deal I would decline. I don’t have a desire to be famous. I have a desire to just be. So my music just is.
What’s the next big step for you as an artist?
I don’t have plans with music. It will be what it will be. I am excited to release the upcoming ep with One2Gage and I am currently working on another album as well. That album will feature multiple lyricists including Jaynimical out of NY and beats from BK The Def out of Johannesburg, South Africa
Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?
