Substantial
Like Batman, Stan Robinson has two personas that folks know him by. During the work week, he’s the mild-mannered, guy-next-door—albeit hip and cool—Assistant Director of the youth program Teen Life Choices housed in the back of St. Lukes Catholic Church near the Shrimp Boat in southeast. After hours, he is the lyric-spitting, genre-jumping rapper known locally and abroad as Substantial.

Substantial’s music can be described as positive yet fierce with its references to uplifting youth, and rhythmic beats spanning the musical compass from Jazz to House music. However, without resorting to tried and true subject matter, Substantial definitely gives his listening audience what they can relate to as he pulls from his personal experiences which include being homeless and losing friends to senseless homicide.

Promoting the recent release of his new album, “Sacrifice,” Substantial engaged in a little question and answer session that shares everything from how he got his moniker to what his views are on the current state of hip hop. He, like our next featured rapper, Kokayi, has been nominated to be the hip hop magazine URB’s Next 1000 featured artist. Chosen artists are featured on the cover of the magazine and receive exposure and recording products.

East of the River (EOR): Tell us how you would describe your artist style...and do you define yourself as a hip-hop artist or a rapper...is there a difference?
Bruce Lee once said that his style was to have no style. I try to remain as versatile as possible while remaining true to myself. I've delivered rhymes over Hip-hop, House, Trance, Jazz, R&B and various other styles of production and different time signatures. I just try to remain genuine and let my true personality shine through at all times making sure I always speak on how and what I feel.

EOR: How did you come up with the name Substantial for yourself?
Actually I was given the name by my boy Beef in Brooklyn back in '97. He booked me for a gig and had the flyers done up. When he gave me a copy of the flyer I noticed that my stage name from back then—Confucius - yeah, yeah, yeah... I know-- wasn't on it. He told me that he didn't like it so he called me Substantial and placed it on the flyer. At first I was blown. But when he explained that it was a word that represented me and the music I make, I took it as a compliment. Plus, he added that it also had my real name "Stan" in it. [I’ve] stuck with it ever since.

EOR: What areas of the world have you performed in and how have these
experiences impacted you as an artist?
All around the U.S. of course and I've performed in Japan several times. These experiences have really shown me the power of music, how it can bring various cultures together and inspire people as well. I had a guy in Japan tell me he played my song "Eclipse" at his wedding. That amazed me because whatever song you play at your wedding usually means a lot to you. You never know what people will use your music for.

EOR: What is your opinion on the current state of hip hop?
I think that a lot of main stream hip-hop is very weak. But I also felt like 2007 wasn't a bad year for hip-hop. Common had a number 1 album if that doesn't give you hope I don't know what else to say. I also feel like if you want better hip-hop then you have to be more pro-active as a fan. Don't just say it's dead and walk away from it. Honestly, sometimes it looks like so called fans are as weak as the music is. Demand excellence and you'll get it.

EOR: What local artists today are among your favorites and why?
I'm definitely a fan of God's Illa out of P.G. County. I'm also a fan of the Low Budget Crew (Oddissee, Ken Starr, & Kev Brown) and I like Fertile Ground and Brown Fish out of Baltimore. Shout out to everybody making good music here in the “DMV”.

EOR: What mainstream artists have been, in your opinion, respectful to
the craft of hip-hop over the years and why?
Lupe Fiasco, Common, Scarface, Nas, The Roots, Kanye West, Outkast, even Jay-Z to name a few. I think that when you listen to their music in comparison to everything else it's clear who respects the art/culture and who doesn’t? Most of the artists I listed all have done a good job of balancing the business with the art. All of them nine times out of ten deliver quality music each time out. Nowadays that’s easier said than done.

EOR: Tell us about your new album; what local artists are featured on it?
My new album is called 'Sacrifice'. It's my second official album since my debut release 'To This Union A Sun Was Born' which dropped in 2001 on Hyde Out Productions. The album touches on everything from life, love, to hip-hop culture. I call it “Sacrifice” because a lot of sacrifices were made in the seven years it took to complete this project. I worked with several artists on this project--soul vocalist, Steph features on two tracks and up and coming producers, Algorythm & Definition handle a lot of the production on this record.

EOR: Where would you like to see yourself as an artist in the next five
years?
I see myself with a few more critically acclaimed releases under my belt, touring the U.S., Europe & Asia, continuing to provide for me and my family with this gift and taking my work with youth to the next level and helping them reach their full potential in life and in the arts.

Kokayi
Northeast native, Carl Walker—known to his fans as Kokayi-- was featured last month in the “Meet Your Neighbor” section of East of the River newspaper-- his family life and music passions shared with the reading public. Holding down a 9 to 5 as a legal processor, Kokayi has successfully, for the past fifteen years, balanced a hip hop music career that has been successful if you rate success by traveling the globe, selling CDs world-wide and staying true to your idea of what hip-hop is the whole time while maintaining a healthy marriage and the rigor of parenthood. His single “Babylon” is an underground hit as it is lyrically explosive with a high-energy fusion of Caribbean and New Orleans jazzy sounds.

This month Kokayi continues to promote his new album “Mass Instructions” while announcing his nomination as one of the popular hip-hop magazine URB’s Next 1000. Catching Kokayi in the midst of a slew of public appearances, we asked Kokayi some questions to best let us know why we should vote for him.

EOR: What is your opinion of the current rap scene in general?
The current music scene is scattered and littered with seasonal artists, all seeking to hit big, sell a gang of singles and ring tones and fizzle out. Presently it's all about cross marketing to further the lackluster sales that are going on industry wide. I say seasonal artists because a lot will eventually end up on the one hit wonder list. [Hip-hop] is not a career field as it used to be and a lot of the music isn't timeless. It's hot right now, but in fifteen years people won't be singing along to it on the "oldies" stations.

EOR: How does this music scene you just described impact the DC area?
DC's music scene is always consistent. We are a top buyers market and a lot of the artists that are here exist and grind separately. There are pockets of unity, but not a unified music scene in DC. We have some of the greatest talent and best audiences in the nation and the world, but we as a music community need to pool our resources (as Atlanta has) and then we too could make the industry pay attention to our city.

EOR: What makes you stand out as an artist?
I stand out because I'm honest My music is honest and isn't aimed at a certain demographic or genre. I refuse to be boxed in. I try to make music that is timeless. I try to hit the forgotten demographic between 21-48 and those both younger and older. And, the live show is worth seeing.

EOR: What is your long-term goal within the rap game?
I'm hip-hop. I've been hip-hop when it wasn't cool in DC, when rapping meant you were the lead talker in a gogo band. My approach to this music business is from a hip-hop mind-set, so I look at how I can best do my music, stay relevant and create a sellable product that would allow me to quit my day job. I produce and arrange as well for different artists in different genres so that is worked into the plan as well.

EOR: Who are your inspirations as an artist?
My family, especially my kids. I try and look at the world from their perspective, because they aren't jaded.  They see both the beauty and cruelty in things that I wouldn't see on my own.  

EOR: Where are some places that you have performed?
I've performed in over 18 countries including Cuba. On my most recent international outing, I was in Paris at this club called the Trabendo and in June-July in 2007 I was in China, Mongolia and Vladivostok Russia with my group Opus Akoben as part of the Rhythm Roads program sponsored by the State Department. Here in the city I just did both a listening party and a record release party at Bohemian Caverns [in NW], and later did a set at Bar Nun to promote the release of my new record Mass Instructions. I hope to hit the Black Cat and Rock and Roll Hotel some time soon, too. As you know the live venues in DC have become scarce.
Thanks for the questions.

To vote for Substantial and Kokayi as the Next 1000, visit www.urb.com