Just got a few words in with Charlotte MC MESSIAH!. His latest single PETEY PABLO, a tribute to the NC legend, is available to stream below!
What’s been your driving force for the last couple of months?
My pen & my people really keep the gas in my tank. That & the mirror, but my needs alone is not always enough to steer straight. I get a lot of community based inspiration & try to echo that back as much as possible. That’s why deadman is dead, I be writing life into existence now. For we over me. On F cancer Thug say, “my family depend on me that’s who I do it for! Of course I do it for my girl & for my crew fasho! I do it for my jeweler my ice off a fuckin boat!” It’s all that in a nutshell.
Why the name change from ANTI ORPHEUS to MESSIAH!?
DEADMAN turned into MESSIAH! in the afterlife! This next project thru the winter gon’ connect a lot of them dots, but n***as is not forgetting God got a black face as long as I got 2 arms 2 legs and a head!
How did you become introduced to hip-hop?
I’ma East Charlotte baby! We woke up to No Limit Larry on Power 98, Mr. Incognito, all that. And all my folks is real heavy hip hop heads. I was in the stroller off every classic you can name.
How do you feel about the growth of your fellow KILLSWITCH members?
Man I love them n***as like my mama made ‘em. They can do no wrong in my eyes. Proud not even the word. It’s love foreva. Go get that Let The Sun Talk, go get that AIM TO KILL & that new SSCOPACK! some gas too, go stream FlowerHouse!
What do you think about networking with other artists?
It’s a lotta folks I gotta get one with! It’s gon happen when it’s ‘posed to. But right now we waiting on Petey Pablo to get at me!
Tell me about your headspace back in the days making your last project, DEADMAN.
I was depressed and 17. Doing what depressed 17 year olds do, saying shit depressed 17 year olds say. The wild part is seeing the voice I had back then reach waaaaay beyond being depressed and 17. But I’m glad I captured that phase of my life as pure as I did in a real unfiltered, no holds barred kinda way because I done seen the teenage pursuit for mental health and freedom get belittled my whole life. DEADMAN was really a direct response to that. I’m way too grown now though.
Name your major influences, regardless of genre.
Coming up I was on all the Hov, all the Wayne, all the OutKast, Juvie, DOOM, the Wu n***as, Master P, shit like that. Cam, Wayne & Ghost prolly the best to ever do this shit. & S/O Usher Confessions too n***a. That whole thang was the real nigga soundtrack boomin’ off the CD player no cap. Right now I’m real into 70’s soul & funk. I’m wearing out the O’Jay’s slaps, Isley Brothers, Big Teddy, Queen Aretha & all that. And I’m finna flood the streets with Purple Rain in Prince name.
What can you tell us about the upcoming project?
It’s truth’s only consequence. It’s love in every direction. It sound like Charlotte summers preparing for DC winters. It’ll warm up that December air for you while I fix up this next plate to serve y’all. You’ll make it thru the winter with this one I swear!
If you could give yourself 6-7 years ago any advice, what would you say?
13 year old MESSIAH! was on some whole other shit. But if I changed any of this story it wouldn’t be mine no more. So I would prolly just tell bro read more books.
What’s next for you?
We goin’ the whole 9! A lot of incredible visuals I’m real excited to share, me and some good people brought DEADMAN to life with a visual experience I’m finna give y’all, it’s more slaps than I can count finna pour down, TTW coming December [redacted] and merch on the way right behind it. We really finna feed the ppl. So go get that PETEY PABLO and have a seat at the table n***as!
(This interview has been lightly edited for clarity)
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