You might have heard about all the Mothman type sightings in Chicago lately, something like 30 in the last 3 years all over the city.
If you don't know what the Mothman is - to try to sum it up is hard, but witnesses describe a dark bat or moth type figure, with red eyes. The folklore started in West Virginia originally. There have been books and movies made on the subject.
I'm as skeptical as they get on some things, but this mystery is close to my heart, I guess. Is this a shared psychosis? Do we really know that there aren't entities just beyond what we perceive? I thought I might go back to the movie again today, and I was really astonished at how good it was. It stars Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Deborah Messing, and Will Patton. Gere has that acting style that only Richard Gere can do, but his portrayal as an obsessed person was better than usual for him. Laura Linney was great at playing the voice of reason - even when there was none to be made. Messing had a small roll as Gere's wife - who dies right in the beginning after seeing a Mothman.
I've got to say the best acting in the movie was Patton as Gordon - who was being constantly visited and tormented. Talk about a character of neurosis - he pulled that one off big time.
The story stayed pretty close to the original reportings though 40 years later ... which kept it interesting and the musical score was bordering on very tense yet experimental. Mark Pellington directed it. He also did Arlington Road - top notch movie, Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous - along with a Pearl Jam movie and U23D. It seems he likes to mix it up a little bit. Maybe I'll even watch Jerry Maguire next - I never saw that stinker of a movie.
Definitely check out the movie - the myth, the legend. Positivity and love to all my peeps in Chicago - Rahm is one disaster too many!
So, I'm here tonight with Sex the Rapper aka J-X aka my friend Julian Lozano and Miss Chiff aka Marilyn Reles. Julian, I first met a few years ago. I was co-managing a collective in Chicago - Solarium Deluna and Julian was always a spotlight on the regular events. Julian, do you remember those nights, hot summer nights with no air conditioning? I held a fan a lot of times to cool the place down.
Julian - Yeah, I Remember that.
I remember you were always slaying it. I loved picking tracks for you to freestyle over.
Julian - Your invite randomly introduced me to the Chicago conscious community.
No shit?
We were trying to definitely keep it conscious and comfortable there. So, I have to say - it's my honor to see you've progressed and like a butterfly, transform since then, many times in fact. Can we take it back for a bit? Tell me a little about your childhood and where you grew up.
Julian - I grew up in the Chicago suburb of Roselle.
I was a writer as a child and used to write science fiction stories.
Then, I just started writing rap lyrics in about 6th grade, and haven't stopped since then
So, always a wordsmith?
Julian - Always. Vocabulary words were easy to learn for me.
Were your parents musicians?
Julian - My parents weren't musicians. They liked to listen to Bob Marley and 90's mainstream rap. Also, a lot of Mexican music and Latin music in general.
Are there any 90's hip hop artists that really affected you?
Julian - Ironically, the first rapper I actually liked as a child was Juvenile who sang "back that ass up". Then I got into Eminem.
Ha-ha yasss! So you were writing lyrics from early on, what age did you start performing?
Julian - I started performing when I was about 18. At that time I was way into Tech N9ne and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
So did you always know this would be your path or when did it hit you?
Julian - I've been rapping since 9 years old, but I knew I was gonna be this since I was 11, and I sucked ass when I started. I couldn't even ride the beat.
That's intuition!
Julian -Yes!
Well, if I can be so honest - you've come along way - you can rap as fast as Twista or Eminem, but you talk about real shit.
Julian -Yeah I remember being blown away by Tech N9ne like I could never do that
Now look at me!
OK, so you were coming up, you've gone through some changes and you started producing as J-X, am I right?
Julian -I started rapping as J-X. I changed it to JXL in 2015, then changed it to Sex The Rapper in 2016.
You put out some really good stuff, including "You are not a slave" with our good friend Carla Starla and Rico Sisney.
Julian -Yeah, those songs were dope.
So this is probably the question that you get asked the most - Why Sex the Rapper?
Julian - It's about channeling sexual energy to create, and with the addition of Marilyn it even makes more sense.
I totally get it. Sex has also been a negative connotation for years, due to puritanism mainly.
Julian - Yeah, so it's been a challenge, but more people are cool with it than I expected.
But, it might be the most explosive power ever, right?
Julian - Exactly.
As, Sex the Rapper, you've been on the road, yes?
Julian -Yeah, a bit.
Tell me what festivals and cities you've played.
Julian - We played boredom fest in Michigan. The hangar in Miami, so far in San Francisco and I personally did Huffington Post in New York City. Shit is lit!
And you have another project yeah? More EDM?
Julian - Yeah, we are going to move more EDM into the next album.
Cool. I want to talk about one of your latest tracks - Never Going Back. First of all, the song and video are phenomenal.
Julian -Thank you man
Can you explain a little bit about what that song means to you?
Julian - Well I used to be on a lot of drugs and hang out with toxic people. This song is a celebration of being past all that on a new path
"never going back to all the bullshit"
Julian - Exactly!
I've always appreciated and saw you as an example to reaching for enlightenment.
Julian - I'm not even really trying to be enlightened. I used to be obsessed with that concept, but I don't strive for that anymore. I just live as balanced as possible.
On your latest album, you have a few songs with Miss Chiff. Are you two a couple?
Julian - Yes. We are a couple
You've done a few songs together on your new album ... tell me how is it to share what you love with someone you love?
Julian - It's amazing. We have been together for well over a year now and we performed separately for a while. One day, she backed me up at a LIVE show and people really loved it. It made sense to us to combine our acts and so, we decided to do it.
That sounds amazing!
Marilyn - Yeah it's been awesome working together because we complement each other well.
Yes, you do.
Marilyn - Thank you! I managed him for a long time and now I manage us! Lol
So, here's an open speed round ... 10 seconds or less for you both. Julian - Lit
Why do you love hip hop?
Marilyn - How can you not love it?
Julian - Because it's sexy lol.
Marilyn - Because it moves me more than any other genre.
Nice! What's your favorite pie?
Marilyn - Chocolate Eclair
Julian - Cutie pie
Lol
Marilyn -Lol
Where will music be in 10 years?
Marilyn - It'll be void of genres
Julian - I agree. But I believe the future genres will just be hybrids of current genres.
Marilyn - Yeah, blends of each other.
So the same but in a different way.
Julian - Yes
What do you expect listeners to get out of your music?
Marilyn - I hope they can take something positive and inspirational out of the music and implement it into their own lives.
Julian - I want my music to be a fire under people's asses to make them love themselves.
Well the spark is definitely lit. I see nothing but forward movement for you both.
Anything either you want to close with?
Marilyn - Thanks! I'm just really excited about the music to come. We are beginning our work on a joint album. Being in LA has given us the breathe of fresh air we needed in order to grow as artists.
Julian - Yeah thank you so much man. Marilyn and I are looking forward to our fans reaction to the music we have in store.
Nice ... thanks for sharing tonight, both of you! Check out more of Sex the Rapper and Miss Chiff:
