KingsOfKings
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"Esham is a groundbreaking artist on a few levels.
Most notably, the Detroit legend helped lay the groundwork for the Midwest to emerge as a viable region in rap music. When he dropped his 1988 debut, Boomin' Words From Hell, there was little to no interest from major labels on either coast; which leads into another major facet of his legacy: he's one of the most significant independent successes in Hip-Hop history.
But, for millions of listeners around the world, Esham is the man who put "horrorcore" on the proverbial map. Before it had a name, the style was forged in music like Esham's distinct brand of "acid rap." He talks to ROCK THE BELLS about that legacy, and is helping to get Hip-Hop heads into the Halloween spirit this year.
"Back in the day when horrorcore was originally made, I didn't come up with the term 'horrorcore,'" "I believe the term was made up back in the day, because when we first started out, we were moving so many units that, being an independent company, the major record labels wanted to capitalize on what we were doing. So they came up with the term 'horrorcore' and they put that out in the marketplace. But it's always been the wicket shyt with us, and acid rap."
"Actually, my music had nothing to do with horror or just trying to be scary. It might've been the political topics or just some of the subject matter I was rapping about that shocked people, even back in those daysโback in the 90s. Now, it's not as shocking because everything seems to be out of the bag. But in those days...the things I was saying was scary to a lot of people."
"That's why the label is called 'Reel Life Productions,'" he explains. "Because nothing is more wicked than real life, from the past to the future. If you're a student of history and just life, then the more you live, the more you learn that it's some wicked shyt going on out here in these streets and in this world! That's what I was talking about back in the day."
"I also was entertaining people, too, as I got further into my career and just started to master my craft and what I was doing, as far as entertaining people. So I did make up themes around some subject matter that might've seemed like horror-based themes or whatever. Because I like that kind of stuff, too."
Esham is giving Rock The Bells listeners a soundtrack for their Halloween festivities, as he takes a deep dive into classic horrorcore and wicked rap tracks. The genre spans decades and remains one of the most distinct styles of rap.
[EGG]If you're a student of history and just life, then the more you live, the more you learn that it's some wicked shyt going on out here in these streets and in this world! That's what I was talking about back in the day."
- Esham[/EGG]
"When I first started out, I had no idea that it was gonna become a genre. I just started writing rhymes and the rhymes I was writing turned into a genre. Everybody that met me or heard the soundโthey wanted to get in on the act. They started creating rhymes like this, and it slowly but surely seeped into the industry. With a lot of those other groupsโthere was nothing out there called 'the wicket shyt.' They were doing gangsta rap or reality rap. They [weren't] basing their music around religious [or] horrific themes."
Esham's approach would inform a wide range of artists, from fellow Detroiters like Eminem and Insane Clown Posse, to fellow indie star Tech N9ne. But he sees wicket shyt as it's own voice, even while acknowledging everything that connects to it and vice versa.
"The Geto Boys did dabble in that sorta thing; and I admired them when they came out [with] songs like 'Mind Of A Lunatic,'" he says. "But it was still gangsta, street shyt."
Esham is a straight-up legend. And horrorcore has thrived largely because of the seeds he planted and the uniquely distinct career that he's sustained for 35 years. He's acknowledged that he has grown as an emcee, artist and as a man. He's more conscious about his voice and his art these days, and when you peruse his lengthy catalog, it's obvious that Esham can do more than shock. But he's a pioneer of a style that's so surreally original, and he's proud of that legacy.
"I look at the wicket shyt like it's a full-fledged genre," says Esham. "Because so many people have used this type of rhyme form, this type of imagery, to have a successful career out there in the entertainment business. So, it's a genre. It's full-fledged genre."
Eshamโs โWicked Hip-Hop Halloweenโ
His dark rhymes, storytelling and infamous "red tape" inspired many artists in his hometown Detroit and beyond. Now Esham plays some of his favorite classic Horrorcore and Wicked Hip-Hop songs Halloween Weekend on @RockTheBells Radio, Ch. 43 on @siriusxm.
Premieres 10/29 at 5pmET
@rockthebells @siriusxm @ESHAM #WickedHalloween #RTBRadio
Esham On Horrorcore and "That Wicked Sh*t"
