Musician Interview with rapper extraordinaire Josh Lewan a.k.a. Whiplash

Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 7:49 pm

I’m starting to see that musicians in other countries truly see the United States as a land of opportunity and feel that the US is more accepting of their art. I suppose there are a lot of goats in the US that are willing to give any kind a music a listen and that’s a wonderful thing. This time around, Josh Lewan a.k.a. Whiplash explains why rap remains in the Australian underground, desribes what it is like working with Lil Wayne and reveals which character from the movie Grease he is most like. Listen to his three part release, Losing Control.

How did you get the nickname Whiplash?

One of my best friends called me Whiplash because I was a bit of a deviant and I had a devil-like laugh. I really took the name to the extreme and really became Whiplash in my own way years later. My life experiences and mentality brought more meaning to the name later on. It describes my personality and train wreck type of lifestyle I lived around the world.

What is it like being a rap artist from Australia?

It has been tough for me for years because Hip-Hop has only recently made its way into the mainstream and become legitimate in the culture. For years it was hard to break in as a rapper.

Since rappers are discriminated against by a predominantly pop music culture, labels and older generations didn’t understand it, so I could not get music deals with Australian companies or publicists, booking agents etc. I had to get all my music opportunities overseas. Every record company in Australia rejected my demo.

My album was banned in Australia 2009 for its explicit content. Australia is very conservative yet it has such a hard-core underbelly. Every country needs strong individual artists to make a genre powerful over a long period of time or it will be over saturated and lose its appeal.

Tell us about your albums?

The first album is the beginning of it all. The second album goes up a level to the first, yet the second album features fewer samples and other artists. I try to mix everything up so I don’t get bored or bore the listener. I naturally change or progress on each album. The third album features more artists on it compared to the first album.

Overall all the lyrics are from the same story that is my life so every song connects in the end. All the lyrics are from the same books of lyrics I wrote from 2004 to 2009.

What song is the most fun for you to perform?

I enjoy doing one of my songs that has a good balance of singing and rapping so I can attract the people that like my singing voice and attract people that like my rapping. I enjoy doing my best songs that have power or good lyrics, the ones where people clap or cheer during the middle of song not just when it is over.

You recently did a track with Lil Wayne; can you tell us how this came about?

I recorded an album called Rapanease and the label I am signed to ‘Dasvibes Jamaica’ released it worldwide. One of the tracks on the album called “Ghetto Surfer” was sent to Lil Wayne and their crew was feeling it so Lil Wayne recorded over that music.

You sample a song from the movie Grease in one of your tracks, which member of the T Birds are you most like?

I would say I am most like Danny (John Travolta) because he pursues a girl and has a romance on the beach. That sounds familiar. He meets Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) and I would be keen on a girl like that too, also because I sing pretty well along side John on that hook.

Who are your biggest influences?

Eminem is my biggest influence. To hear someone that good makes you want to do what they do as well or better and to take an interest in their lyrics, their music and their story.

It is great to have artists like him there to push us, motivate us and make us go up to the next level for our own music. A living legend like Eminem is my biggest influence; someone like that you can feed off for ten years growing up.

Singers like Justin Timberlake influence me. Rappers and producers like Dr Dre, 50 Cent, 2pac, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, D12 and more influenced me also.

If you could tour with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

I would tour with Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Justin Timberlake, Lil Wayne, 2pac, Xzibit, D12, Notorious B.I.G and more.

If it were your last day on earth, what CD would you listen to?

I would listen to a mix CD of all of my favorite artists hit songs. I would sing and rap along to it until I die. Love Hip-Hop, love music.

Now go on and become his friend on MySpace or Facebook.

–Sheena