Interview: Buffalo Based Rap Artist And Record Label CEO The Supreme General
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The Supreme General is a Buffalo, NY based rap artist and record label CEO who just released his debut album entitled "It's My TURN!!! ...The Throne Ascension LP". We connected with the witty and savvy emcee to discuss the new release, how he ended up with the symbolic name, how the city of Buffalo is reflected in his music and much more.
After reading our exclusive interview with The Supreme General, be sure to follow him on his social media streams and definitely stream/download his debut album below by clicking on the album cover.
How did you end up with the name Supreme General and what about ancient Egyptian culture inspires you?
I got the name from reading somewhere about how during the height of Napoleons reign the people of France created a title specifically for him commemorating his dual role as both ruler of France and the highest commander of the French military. That title was "The Supreme General". I felt at the time and now that being both the main artist and CEO of my label it really related to me well and literally everything about ancient Egyptian culture fascinates me. From the grandeur and artistic innovation coupled with the precision of everything, to the wonderful teachings of kemetic science, to the decadent opulence of it. I love and am fascinated by it all. It's something I've always adored and now that I know my true history, my love for it, Africa, and my ancestors has grown exponentially.
Tell us about the rap scene in Buffalo and how did you get started with music?
At this point the rap scene in buffalo consists of a lot of sonically eclectic, talented individuals collectively working together to raise the profile of the scene as a whole. It's really something to be proud of. Far as my start in music goes, it was a complete accident. At the time, I was involved in other more nefarious ways of getting money when I one day visited a former friend of mine who was a producer and had a recording studio in his home. He, after buying a new mic asked me to test it out on a whim and rap into it for him. So I went in the booth and spit my favorite big pun verse at the time and REALLY liked the way my voice sounded. Also, what no one really outside of anyone who saw them personally was that being inspired by Tupac heavily, I had been writing poetry for years. So I wrote a the beginning of a verse for my first song, a joint I still haven't released called "Gotta Go" right on the spot & really impressed myself. I also really enjoyed the process of creating and knew immediately this was the career for me. I still haven't released that song tho lol but that was how it all began.
How would you say that your experience of growing up in Buffalo is reflected in your music?
I'd say it's the foundation on which everything I do is built. Authenticity and uniqueness being of the utmost importance, the fact that respect is always earned never given, and that don't take no shit mentality are all things I carry and were ingrained in me from that upbringing. It's something I greatly appreciate being lucky enough to experience and is exuded in all my records.
Which one song from your catalog would you say reflects you the most as an artist overall?
Definitely "Eyes of the Real" currently. It has everything, the pain, the pleasure, the love, the hate, the up, the down, the darkness and the light all in one record. It's lyrically my most personal as it is truly a lyrical glimpse into my come up and features multiple rhyme schemes, unorthodox verse lengths and super dope melodies. It's supremacy defined in my opinion.
With a title like “It's My TURN!!! ...The Throne Ascension LP" you are pretty much planting your flag in the ground. What does the title and the album itself a reflection of for you?
With that I definitely am. The title and the album itself are both a reflection of my arrival in the rap game and my personal evolution as a black man. Though I've always innately embraced it within me, It's only very recently that I began to truly learn of the greatness I descend from. Given that, I wanted this album to exude that type of opulence all the way through. I wanted to express it in the title, express it in all of the visuals, and most importantly express it thru all the lyrics.
