RESPECT. Interview: Marc E. Bassy on the Moment (PT. 1)

Marc E. Bassy is one of the most refreshing artists out right now. He has an extremely unique voice that is incredibly melodic yet flows seamlessly over hip-hop inspired beats. His lyrics are honest and relatable, while his hooks are catchy enough to have you singing along to them for months on end without ever crossing the line of being corny. He seems to have found his pocket with his latest release the East Hollywood EP, which you can find on SoundCloud and Apple Music. If you are unfamiliar with Marc, then hopefully this interview helps shed some light on the down to earth, easy to like musician. And if you already know who the man is, then hopefully you get to see inside of his mind and learn from his life philosophies. I know I definitely picked up on some gems. Enjoy part 1 of our conversation.

RESPECT.: Where are you guys headed to right now?

Marc: We’ve got two more shows in San Fransisco, then we head to LA, then the tour is over!

RESPECT.: Nice! What are your plans for after tour? Are you just going to make music and enjoy life?

Marc: Yeah I’m going to finish this debut album and keep doing shows! I’m doing some dates with Kehlani. I dunno, keeping busy.

RESPECT.: Word. Well I’ve been listening to a lot of your music lately and I’ve got some questions about your lyrics, the process, and your philosophy on life. Lately I’ve been listening to “Only The Poets”. On the intro you say, “if it’s only for survival, then you’re dead on arrival.” What I took from that line was that if you’re waking up every morning and you’re working a job that you hate or doing something just to get by, that you’re already dead before you started. What does that line mean to you?

Marc: I think that interpretation is pretty accurate. I’m basically just a blessed, lucky individual, as a lot of people here are and they probably don’t even realize it. Yeah, if you’re getting up every day just to get through it, then what’s the point?

RESPECT.: I think a lot of people do that though.

Marc: Yeah, they definitely do. Sh*t I do too sometimes. I’ve been trying to remind myself.

RESPECT.: It seems like you’re big into living for the moment though. Are you a big fan of the journey and seeing things progress day by day?

Marc: I’m very much an in the moment person. In my relationships, in my work. I love to kind of be spontaneous. I do think there is a lot of merit to having a plan and sticking to it, and working things out, but you have to remember, as cliche as it sounds, you know, nothing is promised. I think music is a very grounding instrument that kind of puts you in the moment, you know? Whether you’re listening to it, singing it, writing it, playing it, whatever. Nothing really puts you in the moment like that. So I kind of like that as a theme for music in general, and definitely, for art.

RESPECT.: Yeah, for me music and playing basketball are the two things that put me in the moment the most. Where you don’t think about anything else, just that moment.

Marc: Yeah, exactly! That’s kind of what it’s all about.

RESPECT.: Speaking of the process and the moment. I know you’ve talked about starting with 2am Club, but what was it like starting fresh after that? Was it kind of tough starting fresh or was it more freeing? What was that process like for you?

Marc: It was tough because it took forever for me to kind of do it. And I wouldn’t want to harp on it, but I definitely could have done it earlier, but I think that it sort of happened at the right time because everything I learned in 2am Club, I feel like is my sword that I am cutting through around the bullsh*t with now. Business wise, song writing wise. 2am Club was the greatest musical bootcamp you could ever have because the musicians in it were so advanced; past even what people understand. I was listening to the Surf (Chance The Rapper and the Social Experiment) album, and there is a lot of dope musicianship. But Dave Dalton, the keyboard player from 2am Club, he’s Macklemore’s piano player now. And Matty Reagan, the guitar player, he is out there making music like crazy. Progressive, weirdo music that is really good, I think. Everyone was just so good at their instrument and their craft. They put me up on just so much sh*t, and so much music. I just feel like I have this whole wealth of knowledge that most people don’t get to have. And it’s almost like I went to music school. So, I think 2am Club spit me out at the right time.

RESPECT.: Yeah, and I feel like you guys had a lot of connections too. You were working with artists like XV, Big Sean, and other big names. So I feel like it was probably good to get a taste for the real industry before you kind of set off on your own.

Marc: Yeah exactly. I mean, even though I don’t like to think about that too much, the business aspect, that’s probably the biggest thing I learned. Just knowing that in this business nowadays, to be a creative, there is like a business component that is equally important that has to do with branding, and kind of knowing who you are and where your lane is, and knowing what you’re trying to say, and conveying that affectively.

RESPECT.: What is it, if you had to put it into words, that you as a brand, or you as an artist would like to stand for with your music?

Marc: For me, what I’m kind of into right now, is just the idea of making something that is quality in terms of song-writing, especially. Sort of classic in nature. Something that’s timeless. Something that’s educated. I never went to school, but the streets have taught me everything. Not like on some hood sh*t but a little bit of that too. * laughs * Just being out here (LA) since I was fresh out of high school running around here. Everything that I’ve learned. I’m not like a nineteen year old. So I have this extra perspective, and I feel like sharing that with the kids, and with my peers. So I’m kind of embracing this being grown up but making music for the youth.

RESPECT.: Well it’s really relatable stuff. My next question, which you already just touched on, was going to be: since you said that you learned how to make songs from looking at The Beatles, is your goal to make timeless music?

Marc: Yeah man, for sure. It’s like, I think about what’s been made that’s been timeless. Since I’ve been making music in the past few years, and there’s really not that much. Whenever people talk about it, it ain’t like that Dr. Luke sh*t, that’s not holding up. No one’s playing Kesha right now out here (this interview was ironically done before the whole Kesha and Dr. Luke drama, but the line is very relevant in retrospect), that’s not a knock to her. No one’s listening to Kelly Clarkson right now. It’s kind of hard to figure out where it’s at you know? Especially song wise. There are movements. A$AP is forever now, that’s like a thing that changed the world. Kid Cudi changed the world. Odd Future changed the world. But that was more about attitude, and style, and independence. On some punk rock sh*t almost. But it’s rare that songs stay forever; and that’s kind of my quest.

RESPECT.: I agree. I think nowadays it’s about the movement, but what really struck me about you is that it’s always been more about the music. That’s what I related to. For me, Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon album changed my life when I was younger. Were there any songs that changed your life? Anything you listened to when you were younger that you can look back on and be like, “damn, that really changed everything”?

Marc: Yeah, I mean, a lot. Music really changed me. It really informed my whole personality. Early on it was All Eyez On Me. Voodoo was huge. I had this older basketball coach, who was this soulful white dude and I just remember sitting in the car with him and him playing me that D’Angelo song, “Africa.” And he was just like, “you’ve got to listen what he’s saying. He’s talking about how he lives in this country but this country is not made for his people.”

I had always heard rap music in that way, with the cutting political message, but that was the first time I heard it in more of a bluesy, emotional way like D’Angelo did it. Where it’s not like, “I’m telling you what the f*ck is going on”, but more like, “I’m hanging my head, but in a beautiful way. Listen to it and you’ll see the struggle is where the beauty is coming from.” That’s what kind of changed my whole perspective and kind of showed me that there was another way to convey emotion. I went through a lot in my early teenage years, and that helped me a lot and showed me that you can put out a feel, and a vibe, and a message, without being so aggressive. Because I’m not Tupac. So Voodoo really changed my life. And then when I got into Stevie Wonder and classic soul music pretty much around the same time. I’m still listening to that stuff. Bill Withers, Donny Hatheway, classic Stevie.

RESPECT.: It’s cool because all of your influences seem to fit really cohesively into your music.

Tune back into RESPECT on Thursday for the rest of our conversation where Marc dives into his life in the hills, The East Hollywood EP, fame, and his 3 most important life philosophies. You won’t want to miss it. Thanks for reading