Profound Aesthetic had the pleasure of sitting down with Feroz, a young talented rapper from Jersey, on a snowy Saturday evening to shed some light on his music, talk about his experiences, his goals and of course, his favorite Profound tee. Using metaphors, like some of his favorite rappers, Feroz takes rapping to new heights with creative depth in his words while staying in harmony melodiously. It's magical and definitely deserves a listen. Feroz is expecting to release his official mixtape in early 2010. Nod your head to his beats on his Myspace while you read our conversation with the man himself:
Profound Aesthetic: Who is Feroz?
Feroz: Feroz is a 22 year old man just trying to find his way through this world and document it doing something he loves. All I can really represent is myself and hope that other people can relate.
Profound Aesthetic: What do you think is the root for this found "love" you have for the way you have chosen to document your life, i.e. through music?
Feroz: I've always been into trying to create music. I remember when I was 3, my mother bought me a Casio keyboard and I'd spend all day on it trying to figure out how to make music that sounded good to me. Ever since, I've always been involved in music in some way. I always was a fan of hip hop, but I didn't really attempt to rap until I was like 16. I used to write poems and stuff before that but never raps. Once I saw how I could use it to get my thoughts out, I got really serious about making music.
Profound Aesthetic: For anyone that takes a listen to your music, it is clear that you are trying to do more than put together some words that sound well with a beat. What are you trying to accomplish through your music?
Feroz: I want it to be relatable. The greatest rappers, to me, always said what was on people's minds but they just needed somebody to say it for them. That's what I admire and aspire to be able to do.
Profound Aesthetic: You rap a lot about people, situations, politics, life ; where do you get your inspiration from?
Feroz: I get my inspiration from people, definitely. If someone does or says something that sticks out to me, I never forget it. I think everything that I talk about is a culmination of what I've pulled from different people in my life.
Profound Aesthetic: You have written some amazing tracks, which one are you most emotionally connected to?
Feroz: I have a long ways to go on building my catalog, but for the moment, I have this record called "Teenager" which I did at a very confusing point in my life. I had a lot going on and I hadn't done a song in months. At the time, I was actually thinking about giving up doing music all together and I kinda just got in the studio and made the record for myself. One of my friends who's also my partner heard the record the next day and he loved it. So just because of him, it'll be on my mixtape, which we should be dropping early 2010.
Profound Aesthetic: What do you want to accomplish with the release of your mixtape? Are you looking to get signed, and turn your music into a full time career?
Feroz: That's definitely the goal. As far as signing to a label, there are labels I could probably work with at the moment but it's really not something I'm looking into right now. I got a great team with me who are really my boys turned business partners. We want to put out a few projects ourselves with our own money before someone else steps in and takes apart what we're trying to put together.
Profound Aesthetic: How do you think the media and fans of hip-hop music will react to a Pakistani rapper? Is the world ready for the first?
Feroz: That's something I truly have no idea about. It's never happened before, so there's no way to predict what the reaction would be if it does happen. It could be positive, negative, or both. As long as my ethnicity is something that helps bring people together, I'm cool. That's why I have to make it a point that to be a good example for the people that I represent.
Profound Aesthetic: We feel you share the same sentiment as Profound in creating something which appeals to most people as well as carries an underlying level of meaning. Which part of "creating music" is more satisfying for you?
Feroz: I actually don't separate the two. When I do songs, I just do what feels right at the time. Sometimes I'm expressing what I'm feeling, sometimes I'm just rapping to rap. But if you had to separate them, I say appeal is more important. If you don't have appeal, your content is only gonna resonate with the people who already agree with you.
Profound Aesthetic: Jay-Z said in one of his lyrics that he "dumbed it down" and doubled his digits. What do you feel about this saying? Do you feel that most people do not listen to music deep enough to find its meaning, or does it even matter in your view so long as it is being enjoyed?
Feroz: The funny thing about that quote is, when I hear Jay-Z's material, I don't actually see his content "dumbing down." All I see is him learning to say the same things to a much bigger audience. If anything, that's smartening up. I think different people listen to music at different levels, and if you wanna be relevant in this game, you have to figure out how to speak at all those different levels at the same time.
Profound Aesthetic: What is the greatest lesson you have learned in life?
Feroz: That nothing is going to just happen for you. You have to make it happen. It's hard to break out of that comfort zone that everything will fall into place. But once you do, you actually have a shot at making it happen.
Profound Aesthetic: Beautifully said. There is no doubt you are one of the most talented artists we have ever come across. We set your tracks on itunes, let it jam and hit repeat, over and over while we are in the Profound Mindlab. We really appreciate the opportunity to sit down and talk one-on-one. I want to conclude by asking you one final question, what is your favorite Profound Aesthetic tee?
Feroz: The paranormal peace tee is dope. It has Arabic and Hebrew writing on it. You guys sent me one once and I was walking out of this studio I work at in NJ, and I saw middle-aged Jewish man grilling me. I felt offended at first because I thought he didn't like the fact that I had Arabic on my shirt. In actuality, he was trying to read the Hebrew on it. It just showed me that thin line between hatred and peace is fear. We are scared to embrace peace because we fear opposition and that shirt personally helped me experience that, so it's my Profound Aesthetic favorite!
Profound Aesthetic: You actually hold the vintage version of that, our very first hand screen printed tee that you rocked on stage, appreciate that. Much love and respect to you, Feroz. You have a home at Profound. Your message, your play of word to express your thoughts, is flawless. There is only one thing we disagree with in your lyrics. In your track, "Incredible" you say, "what you want me to say,' i'm incredible', nah, i'm not incredible." Well, if you ask us, you are incredible. We are waiting for you to shoot to the stars and we know it's going to happen, it's not a matter of if, but when.
Staying connected with the I AM PROFOUND BLOG keeps you connected with Feroz, his new tracks and the release of his mixtape.
Check out Feroz's Myspace Page: www.myspace.com/hiimferoz
amazing.
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