Blitz the Ambassador, the Ghanaian-born independent Hip-Hop artist who now resides in Brooklyn, will be playing a highly-charged set on Wednesday the 19th of  November at the Knitting Factory in NYC.  Blitz's style is inspired by the early pioneers of Hip-Hop like KRS-1, and is akin to the more contemporary sounds of The Roots and Mos Def. Blitz’s music has a strong emphasis on old school break beats and intelligent, melodic instrumentals, while addressing current international issues such as the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, labor exploitation and immigration in songs like "Home". A few days before his show, Zach Lichtstrahl caught up with Blitz and discussed what it's like being an independent artist, the current role of Hip-Hop in Ghana, and Barak Obama's election victory. Also look out for Blitz's third album, Suicide Stereotype, which will be released in May 2009.

Z.L.: For Afropoppers who might not know exactly what Hip-Hop culture is all about, could you give us the run down?

B.A.: Just from my perspective, Hip-Hop has always been an art form that originated in the Bronx, in New York City, somewhere through the late 70, early 80s; and it had just kinda evolved over the time.  What makes Hip-Hop much different from other musical styles is that it quickly became the voice of youth culture around the world. And especially kids that were disenfranchised, kids that had no way of getting their message out there. Artists like KRS-1, Public Enemy, Rakim, Grand Master Flash: These are the guys that came from the community and spoke about the issues surrounding them, and these just ended up being the anthems that kids sang around. "Broken glass everywhere…". It’s the whole concept about what was around them, "Don't push me ‘cause I'm close to the edge," you know, these are real sentiments.  From my perspective, Hip-Hop hit me late. Growing up in Accra it wasn't like we had access to all the new records that were coming out at that time--I didn't catch on to Hip-Hop until the early 90s.  So a lot had already happened by the time I got into it. I got into it through my older brother who is about five years older than me. He went to high school and had friends who were traveling, so they would come back with a whole day taped on BET, so we would just sit around the TV in Accra and just watch it, and be like, "Wow, that is really interesting."  For me that has been my general outlook on Hip -Hop, being an outsider looking in, and being constantly curious about the art form and how much freedom it gives.  And artists have been able to make something out of nothing.

Z.L: I know you are asked this all the time, but can you tell us about your life growing up in Ghana, and some major factors that lead to you producing politically conscious Hip-Hop?

B.A.: If you grow up in a so-called "third world" country, I think everything is political around you. I don't think I ever grew up separating politics from culture, culture from music, all of that is one.  So, for me it’s a natural progression from being a participant in Hip-Hop and being politically aware. I think it's a really unconscious thing when knowing the political system we have at home, and the corruption we have at home, and even over here. Everything is political, the financial crisis happening right now is going to effect how Hip-Hop music is made and marketed. So I have never had an instance where I have thought about circumstances that lead me to be politically aware, it's always just been the way we interact, and politics is always apart of it, so it's only right that if I am going to be apart of Hip-Hop then that aspect is going to be represented as well.

Z.L.: As an Ambassador, could you tell me some aspects of Ghana that have been on your mind lately?

B.A.: We have an election that is coming up in December, and that is big. We have been blessed enough to have a series of successful free and fair elections which is pretty unheard of in a lot of African countries. We went from 20 years of military dictatorship to a good 10 to 15 years of free and fair elections, so I am looking forward to it being a good example for the rest of the continent.  There is also al ot of development that has been happening right now, some is positive, not all of it is. We just found oil in Ghana, about a year ago and of course you know how that goes, when oil is found in a country there is not too much positive that comes out of it, but we seem to be managing the situation well, so I hope we keep doing that.  Those are the macro things, but of course on the day-to-day there are still people living in dire poverty, and it makes no sense, and those are the things I am concerned about, and I'm curious about how to solve these problems. When I have reached the point in Hip-Hop music when it doesn't make any sense to keep rapping, you know, I have to find a way to influence and help make people’s lives better. These are the things I keep my eyes on.

Z.L.: How does hip-hop function in Ghanian Society? Is it different from how it functions in the states? 

B.A.: It's not really Hip-Hop in Ghana, it's Hip Life, and Hip Life is a combination of Hip-Hop music and High Life music, an indigenous Ghanian music that’s been around since the 30's. It has horns, guitars. It's just really good music, and what the youth did in the 90's, when Hip-Hop started proliferating, they tried to find a way to make it theirs. It wasn't just rapping about guns and drug and or life in Brooklyn. People tried to find a way to talk about stuff that the average Ghanian could relate to, but it still was Hip-Hop. So they started sampling high life music similar to how groups like A Tribe Called Quest were sampling jazz records. We were sampling people like Agya Koo Nimu, these were the legends in the High Life era of the 70's. We ended up creating a sound that was our own, and we rapped in our local languages between Ashanti and other languages that were widely spoken.  So that's been the role of Hip-Hop in Ghana--of course it started just by copying, and just taking whatever they could, but then it eventually evolved into something that’s theirs.

Z.L.: You are an independent artist, is that correct?  Why have you chosen this path?

B.A.: Yes I am. I am not signed to a major label. I have been working independently for a good ten years. I don't really think I chose this path, it's more the default of an artist who really would not be understood. You'll spend more time arguing with the people, then actually doing anything. I took it upon myself to fund, and to market, and to tour, and to promote, and to build a brand that is mine, and mine only, and so at the time when its out there enough, who ever chooses to be a part of it doesn't call the shots. I call the shots, cause I have already been there, and done that. That’s kinda the basis which my career has been built around, not to say I haven't wished I had an extra 100,000 dollars sitting around to help promote and market my stuff, but it's not worth the headaches and not being able to freely express yourself musically. Some of the music I make is not always within the common understanding of pop music and how it is supposed to be marketed. I have had to evolve as an artist, but overall being an independent artist has helped me shape my own carrier, my own path, without necessarily waiting for somebody to tell me what to do. Especially in today’s market where labels are pretty much obsolete, you can pretty much reach the audience yourself. You can do interviews like this, and random people will find out about you, and be fans of you if they really get the chance to hear the music. All the label is now is a management house, and I have a manager, so I don't need a management house. Maybe it's a funding house every now and then too, but the problem is they have to re-coup everything before you get a dime, so it's a broken industry especially now with the financial situation that the whole globe is experiencing. 

Z.L.: You talk about, "Doing it without the bling" in "Remembering The Future."  What role do you feel bling is playing in contemporary hip-hop?  Why do you want to "Do it without the bling?"

B.A.: I meant it both literally and figuratively. Bling goes with anything that is excessive. I think the Hip-Hop community is in a state of so little soul. They put so much emphasis on things that are--in the grand scheme of things—very, very trivial and very unimportant, specifically diamonds, which we know most come from very volatile parts of the world, especially in West Africa. We know a lot of people get murdered to get those diamonds.  So I have always been conscious about that fact, and I think a lot of my peers are not so aware about where a lot of these diamonds come from. So they end up feeding into their own demise, or the demise of their people. It's really just saying that I am replacing whatever that is external, or whatever that is trivial, with something that’s got soul, and got some depth.  America just elected a black president, and that means a lot. I don't think rap artists are going to have to grow up worshipping material things that eventually have no value and will hopefully find a way of brining some change, and bringing some soul into their music. So that was just my whole thing, I am not interested in what I am blinging, because what I am bringing is a lot of information. I hope we are artistic enough that we are not beating people over the heads with preaching, but making it so it's entertaining, and it’s still got some depth and some sound that people can relate to. So the more you rely on external and material things the more you will have to be in debt to these labels, because when you get advances the more you spend on cars and chains when your record is really not selling.

Z.L.: What kind of celebration went down in Ghana when Barack was elected?

B.A.: There was a lot. I spoke to my mom and she said it was like the World Cup, and we don't miss the World Cup for anything. Everybody was glued to the tube, just waiting for the results. I think it's big for anybody from the Diaspora, and it could only happen in America, where the minority can get elected. I think it's a long time coming, but he also has his job cut out for him. It's really been a tough time globally, and I think that it almost got to a point where a lot of people were like, "I don't want this job." So Barack stood up and took responsibility, and I wish him the best. I hope people are patient with him, so he can be able to do the job he came to do. Everyone was so excited, the people of Kenya have named a holiday after him. It is very important what this new picture of the black family represents, which has always been misrepresented--whether through film, or music, or pop culture, and I think he shattered a lot of myths. So I am proud to be associated with that concept  Also, it has really united the continent of Africa, and my hope is that a lot of people back home can look at that and find a way to put an end to these atrocities that are still going on in the Congo and even in Kenya. So I think if people learn to do this, if we follow it, it's the way.

Z.L.: How do you envision the future of Hip-Hop in America/Africa/The World?

B.A.: Everywhere around the world, people have a stake in Hip-Hop, especially the youth because it's such a voice, and you can’t ever underestimate a voice as big and as major as Hip-Hop. I think what needs to happen is more responsibility from cats that are the founders of it, because the whole world still looks to America, so the more responsibility the artists here exhibit, the better for the world.  The more political stuff, social stuff, and conscious stuff gets put into the music here, you know, the more it proliferates in say, Havana, or Rio.  So I think globally, Hip-Hop is only going to grow, the more the world expands, and the more YouTube is big, and MySpace is big, and the internet is big, people around the world are going to keep latching on to Hip-Hop. That’s what the art is supposed to do, it's supposed to expand, and I am looking for some more expansion in ‘09.

Z.L.: What African Hip-Hop artists should we be listening to in 2009?

B.A.: Of course, K'naan. K'naan has a new album coming out, he is Somalian-born, and lives in Canada, really a great artist, you have to check for K'naan. A brother called Manifest, also Ghanaian, he lives in Minneapolis, he is another really great artist. A dude called Krukid from Uganda.  Very, very dope artists. Those are a few I can name off the top, and those are the dudes people should be aware of, and rock'n with.

Z.L.: What advice would you give to the kids coming up in Hip-Hop today?

B.A.: I would say, do “you,” and don't let anybody alter your style for corporate benefit. I don't think art was made to be that rigid in its marketing. So I just think, do “you,” and if it can be sold it will be sold, and if it cannot then it cannot. But I really believe in doing what you feel is right, musically and culturally, and staying true to your roots and not letting that go for anybody. So I think that’s the best advice, just stay true.

Z.L.: Any new projects on the horizon?

B.A.: The record I have coming out now is Suicide Stereo Type.  That’s gonna be my first really well distributed record and hopefully it will be available in the Best Buys, and the Circuit Cities, and the HMVs, and the local mom and pop stores all across the world. I have been working on that for 2 and a half years, and that’s the album I am most excited about.  I am hoping that people can get a chance to hear songs like, "Remembering the Future" and "Home."  "End of time" is on that album, "Breathe" is on that album. I have been working really hard to promote the album, so that’s what all this is part of. The album comes out in May ‘09, so just look out for it.

Z.L.: What is the concept behind the album?

B.A.: This was a chance for me to show what I felt are the issues with Hip-Hop. The radio is definitely one of the worst ways of getting your music now because of how much corporate control there is. The cover of the album is a boom box head in a suite, blowing out its brains. I think that it is where the music is. Corporations were trying to kill the music, and eventually ended up killing themselves in the process. The music around the album is just really well produced, and it's very progressive Hip-Hop, taking themes from back home in Ghana and spreading it across the world. So thats the concept. It's a really really exciting album and I think people are going to dig it.

Z.L.: How can people get a hold of your CDs?

B.A.: I am on iTunes, and it’s just under “Blitz.” My first CD is called Soul Rebel, and my second CD is called Double Consciousness. 

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Learn more about Blitz at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=17485477

And soon at http://www.blitztheambassador.com/

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