AztroGrizz Talk Their Hip Hop/Country Crossover ‘Man In Black’
When Grizzly John and Lewis I Am teamed up in 2012, they didn’t realize it at the time, but they were ahead of the music game by a decade. The dynamic duo was fusing genres in a never-before-seen way. Whether it was melting together pop and indie or country with hip-hop, each new track pushed boundaries against the norm. Lewis I Am brings the grounded rap bars while Grizzly John uses his soulful voice to cut through the noise. The two are unstoppable in creating music with true intention and meaning, something that’s become lost in the saturated mainstream. AztroGrizz is ready to make an impression on fans of all genres.
AztroGrizz’s newest effort, “Man in Black,” catches you by surprise over and over again. It’s a sound you don’t hear much on the mainstream, a harmonious collaboration of calculated rap bars with a fresh country beat and chorus. It has the southern charm of acoustic guitars that meshes with a bass-heavy trap beat. It’s a heartfelt song about living – really living without overthinking it all. The music video follows a woman supporting her husband through illness until his very last breath. Grizzly John appears to be the reaper who brings the touch of death, while Lewis I Am is an angel to help guide the soul into the light. The video flashes between past and present, where a life filled with happiness has gone bleak with the loss of her love. It’s emotional, raw, and relatable, serving as a testament to the impeccable lyricism and storytelling AztroGrizz brings with each new track.
We got the crew to weigh in on a few things
How did this collaboration come to be? What makes you a great duo?
We met through a mutual friend that was strongly encouraging both of us that’d be a good idea for us to meet. We met, hit it off, set up a studio session, and the rest is what got us here.
The duo is great because the real electricity that occurs every time these 2 get together. Whether in the studio or up on stage, the energy is raw and real. Grizzly John can wildly skip across genres without care while Lewis-I-Am is like the grounding wire that brings the current back to earth every time making it another great AztroGrizz record.
How do you go about fusing rap with country? What inspired you to combine these two genres?
For us, I think it’s less about doing and much more about feeling. If a certain instrumental gets played and it moves us deeply then we’re gonna live in that world until our work there is done.
What is your songwriting process? Do you have a specific way about creating a song or is it spontaneous each time?
I’m gonna explain it like a kitchen.
The meals are very different but the kitchen prep usually has a bit of a system to it. Grizzly John comes to Lewis-I-Am with the special for the night. “Tonight is Mexican. Let’s do carnitas.” He hands Lewis the dish and all it has is the carnitas and some potatoes. Lewis-I-Am takes the dish, adds beans and veggies, wraps it in a flour tortilla and drizzles a sour cream AztroGrizz helmet on the burrito. Sometimes Grizzly John hands Lewis a dish that’s nearly complete and sometimes it’s just the side.
Can you tell us a little about “Man in Black”? What does this song mean to you?
“They only give us a window here, put down what’s on your back.”
This life thing is temporary and yet we waste days and weeks like it’s infinite. People grind it out in the rat race to get ahead to acquire stuff you can’t take with you when it’s all over. Be here and grateful right now and not when…
What was it like developing the concept for the “Man in Black” video? What is the significance of the characters you portray?
Grizzly John is loosely a reaper-type cowboy that is called upon when someone’s time has run out. Lewis-I-Am is a light energy or angel type. We thought of this concept because death and loss can have a high impact on the living in that they realize that this existence is indeed temporary. The gravity of that realization can bring a lot of good and empathy. We need more of that.
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About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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