Interview by @CopaseticSoulz
“Jesse Mitchell aka Big Attikus is first and foremost a writer that speaks his words like a painter splashing visuals on your brain canvas. Using stories, wordplay and a south paw flow Attikus is an instant conjurer of mental imagery. A product of Langley and East Vancouver BC Canada, this powerful wordsmith is known for his intense and captivating presence both live and on tracks. Signed to Wandering Worx since late 2011, Attikus released the highly acclaimed “Boo Radley” in spring 2012. Having toured Across Canada extensively Attikus also headlined the HIPHOP POR LA PAZ (Hiphop for Peace) Festival in Havana, Cuba in August 2011. While in Havana Atti played two sold out shows at the legendary La Riveria theatre as well as attended and taught hiphop classes at a conference attended by thousands from across the world. A member of Vancouver’s Sound Vibe Collective he is also a member Vancity’s legendary hiphop band GroundBreakers and FATTIKUS with fellow rapper/singer/songwriter Fatty Down. With hundreds of shows under his belt Atti considers himself blessed to have shared the stage with the likes of People Under The Stairs, Zion I, Slum Village, NORE, Smif N Wessun, Sean Price, Jurassic 5 and J-Live just to name a few.” – http://www.wanderingworx.com/
Q: What can you tell us about your newest project?
It’s called The Madness and is a representation of my darker side. 2013 was a tough year for me. There were deaths of close friends and family, namely my Grandfather, a big cancer scare in my family and nothing seemed to click for months. On top of that I battled through extreme insomnia to finally be diagnosed with extreme sleep apnea. Basically my body forgets to breath when I sleep. I’d wake up every 15 min with a huge shot of anxiety ripping through my body because my brain and organs were oxygen deprived. I was at a 20% oxygen level and life was getting really difficult. When I was up all night the main thing I would do was write. It became a huge vent. The lyrics I was inking were def a darker connotation than my fans are used too. I felt myself exploring the darker sides of my past, my thoughts and feelings and relationships. Though The Madness may not reflect this darkness in specific topical examples, but the overtones, metaphors and schemes are a direct result of those sleepless, anxiety filled nights. Luckily I am blessed to be working with producer and label founder like Hayden “RLGN” Baptiste. He produced the entire project except for one beat (that was produced by DaiN out of Portland). He really encompassed my mood and mind state with the beats. At the end of the day The Madness is truly a collaboration between RLGN and myself and some of my finest writing and rapping to date. It is slated for release November 1st, 2014. The Wandering Worx team and myself feel it’s a more concise project then my last release with them ‘Boo Radley’. We can’t wait to drop it with some creative visuals.
Q: You recently released a new Fattikus video ‘Breaking Bread’ and it feels like more than just another rap video. Why is this one important to you?
The Breaking Bread video was really special for a couple reasons. Besides the fact it was a collab with my dude Fatty Down and edited by the homie Inkspill, the shot took place at Friendship Appreciation Day, a yearly event hosted by one of my favourite people in Vancouver hip hop, Joey “Mr.Archive” McNeely. Every year Joey gets all his close friends and Fam together at Hume Park in New West. We basically eat BBQ, smoke nice and get hella day faded off brews. We play bocci, badminton and have the yearly tug-o-war where ya boy was the anchor, as usual, and the MVP of this last year’s winning team, as usual. Fatty and I choose this as our set. Our brother Trevar “Inkspill” Fox brought out a crew to film including fellow artist Ashleigh Eymann (she’s dope!) and director Reza Naghibi. Inkspill then did a smashing job editing the vid. We had 60 or 70 kin there. It was a special day and all but the biggest reason the day stood out was because we dedicated the day’s events, the track and the video to our brother Jordan “Illikon” Robinson. Illikon was an amazing up and coming producer who we met through Brukout of Decibel Empire. Bruk had a project called Subdivide and him and Illikon were producing crazy bangers in multiple genres. Illikon gave Fatty and I the beat for Breaking Bread and it blew our minds. Unfortunately, due to all the unforeseen circumstances both Fatty and myself had to deal with at the time, it took us a whole to get around to locking in the final lyrics. Before we had a chance to fully record the jammy Illikon lost his life in a car accident. We were crushed. I can’t begin to imagine how his family and Bruk felt. Fatty and I were obviously very motivated by Jordan’s passing. We re-wrote the song to reflect appreciating the moments we share with people we love that could be gone tomorrow. We wrote it for Illikon. We knew that Joey’s FAD party would be perfect as that is the exact essence of the get together. We invited anyone who cared to attend. We reached to Illikon’s crew and celebrated his life and music on a perfect summertime Saturday. It felt like he was there.
Q: What’s next from Fattikus?
Fattikus is steady chipping away at an EP. We are taking our time with it and keepin it loose. We’ve written some tracks to beats by RLGN, Deceo and Fresh Kils and recorded a gem with Juno winner Elaine “Little Bit” Shephard. We are having fun with it and not taking ourselves to serious. We are having a blast doin shows together and really getting down to entertaining our audiences. This Oct we are hitting the road with Seattle group Dafugadaheer and plan on hittin stages in Western Canada and the West Coast and North Western States. And of course a lot more Joe Cocker covers. Can’t get enough of those.
Q: You’ve been immersed in the scene for a good while now, which newer artists in the city are you listening to?
I’m really feeling a quite a few up and comers. Vancity has a strong wave of talented artists on the rise. Artists like Garret Grhymes, N.O.I.S.E., P-City, and a grip of acts in the Sound Vibe Collective really got my attention.
Q: What’s your favourite part about making hiphop in Vancouver?
It’s my home. It’s my streets. It’s where some of my best people are at. All those examples inspire me continually. The ocean, the mountains, the trees, the concrete, the bricks the raw passion and diverse music from many genres pulsing through the city. The energy and vibes really push my pen.
Q: How do you feel the community has evolved over the years and what excites you about the future?
The community has grown and diversified so much since I starred hangin back in 96/97ish. It’s been an honour to be a part of a music community’s development. It’s taken a whole, but all the different crews and cliques seem to really be reaching out and working together in many different areas or creating music and the business of the industry. I’m really amped for this to continue. For Vancouver and BC to keep pushing each other’s art and raising the bar while staying diverse and original. If we don’t keep helping each other out and stay in our small circles Vancouver will never gain the momentum to produce multiple acts that create a global buzz and continue to put Vancity on the map. Some artist are starting to really break through and we have to keep supporting them, not get jealous of another’s success and turn a cheek to it. We are no position to do that. We must keep building and keep the fires burning.
Q: How would you describe your style to someone who hasn’t heard your music?
Musical, honest, soulful, raw, blue collar, mathematical. I strive to connect with listeners. I want to make an impact while making you move.
Q: What is in store for the future of Attikus?
Besides The Madness droppin on Wandering Worx November 1st and the Fattikus EP I am currently in the studio with Brody Mudryk recording an EP for his label Standstill Music. I am also working with producer/rapper Mike “Sythe” Wickberg of Vancouver group ILL-Legitimate. We were both inspired by the documentary “Searching For Sugarman” about 70’s singer/songwriter Sixto Rodriguez. We have been remixing, covering and interpreting a slew of his material and plan to release the project as a tribute to him titled “Songs4Sixto”. I’m also slated to do a project with my good homie out of Toronto, super producer and MPC phenom Fresh Kils. I’m always working with my dude GBoxx of Northwest Division and the talented LoKeynote. As of late, I started doin all my performances with other artists in the city. We’ve been mashing our songs together and leaving verses open on existing tracks for the other to hop on. Some of my favourite artists to share the stare with are Fatty Down, my labelmate KA.lil out of Seattle and Garret Grhymes. Grhymes and I just played a set together at this past Shambhala Music Festival. I’m always ready to work with my boys ILL-Legitimate, my business partner and brother Emotionz, and got my main squeeze, partner in crime and girlfriend Syductive on the decks. I have tours planed across Canada including an Eastern Canada tour with Syductive and Ill-Tone this November 2014. I have a bunch of offers for US shows that I plan to hit in the near future and tour plans for Europe in 2015. My pen is moving better than it ever has and the juices are flowing. I’m amped for my team and seeing how strong and far along we have all come I can’t help but feel optimistic about what our blood, sweat and tears will result in going forward. I feel good, I love where I’m at but can’t wait to keep it movin to the next level and beyond.