RI HOPE-FUL: Jon Hope on the RISE!

Jon Hope is reppin' RI with his latest release, Some Kind of Wonderful (release date: APRIL 7, 2009). Fresh off some serious promotion in the latest (MARCH) edition of XXL Magazine, ITZAGOODLOOK got a chance to sit down with Hope, aka Harrison Grigsby, to ask a few questions about the past, present, and future of his hip hop experience.

1) You grew up in Providence. How has growing up in this city inspired your work?

Providence is the cornerstone to everything that is me as an artist and outside of music. It’s the foundation, but I have since built upon it and look to broader endeavors. I think Rhode Islanders have an underdog mentality at least from a musical standpoint because we are between NYC and Boston. So, for me, personally there is an element in my music that is out to purposefully grab the attention of people. It ‘s kind of like a ‘hey, look at me type of thing.’

2) We heard you were an All-State baller in High School. Did you dream about the NBA before you dreamed of rapping?

Yeah, I really had the stereotypical life for a young black kid. It was basketball and Hip Hop that dominated my life. I had dreams of playing in the league. I just couldn’t shoot to save my life. I did make it to Division 1 (Rhode Island College), but it just never manifested after that. Looking back, I really believe that music was my true calling. I wouldn’t change a thing. I still have some game in me though.

3) Tell us a little bit about your journey into the music world so far. What have you learned about yourself?

The most important thing that I learned is that I can only be and do me. I used to spend a lot of time being concerned with what other people thought about me or I was trying to please everyone. I was spreading myself thin. I started to see that my music was suffering as a result. So now, I am more focused on putting all my energy into creating the best product possible.

4) Some Kind of Wonderful (SKOW) is your third album. There is a very organic and live feeling to it. What is the idea/concept behind this album?

SKOW is a very inspiring album that has, I believe, a warm embrace. It’s basically letting people know that we are differently the same. This is a culturally defined genre of music. There aren’t any rules to this. So we need to embrace people’s different forms of this music. I’m really proud that I was able to musically express this idea. I have to thank LJC (Executive Producer) for being able to do so.

The EP is 95% sample free. That is what I am proud most of. For us, to really execute like that in a sample dominated genre was really dope.

5) Your crew consists of a few other folks (also featured on your album). Tell us who they are and how you met them.

We are collectively known as Essence Music Group. We consist of Taktix, who is the one man band. He can do it all. There is Mista Mista who is another talented artist. Of course there is myself and LJC who a singer/songwriter/producer. I am truly blessed in this type of company. They really inspire me. Honestly, we met through God.

6) Are there artists that you are looking forward to working with in the near future?

There are so many talented people I would like to work with. Some of them are Adele, B.O.B., Erick Sermon, DJ Premier, Just Blaze, and I’d love to work with Darryl Hall from Hall and Oates. I guess you can say I am a wishful thinker (laughs)

7) Next steps? Goals? What does your life look like in 2009?

Well, now that I am done with the SKOW project I am really going to shoot for a more broader and universal sound. I am going pop. Still going to keep the core values as an artist, but I am going to go broader and tap into different sounds. I guess you can say I’m going to go left. I am not zeroing in on a particular sound or concept with my next project. It's going to be extremely diverse. I guess we will see where my mind takes me, right?

I really just hope to be alive and breathing. As of late, I have been doing soul searching and prioritizing. I just wanna see another year and another. It’s all a rippling effect. If I am breathing, the world gets to hear more Jon Hope material.

8) If you weren't rapping, what would you be doing?

If I wasn’t rapping, I would be a law and order watching, jaloff rice eating, Sanaa Lathan stalking, custodian at an all female college (laughs).

9) In your song Breathin' you state that you don't have respect for the government. Yet, your mixtape is called the Audacity, inspired by Barack Obama, Commander-In-Chief of the most powerful government in the world. Please explain.

Well, the line was 'I got the most disgust for the govt'...I want to make it clear that 'Breathin' was made in 2005 when Katrina happened. It's actually inspired from the government's response to that event. As far as what I stand for and how it parallels Obama, I just subscribe to the ideology of hope and believing in something even when you are in the minority. As far as his politics, that remains to be seen.

10) What does Hope mean to you?

Hope is the only thing one has when all else seems impossible. When people told me I couldn't make it because I'm from providence, I didn't listen. Now because of hope, look where I am going..

11) Finally, itzagoodlook.com is about promoting self-empowerment, and critical thinking, while promoting sustainability and self-reliance as a cultural/community imperative. What is a "good look" in your eyes?

A good look in my opinion, is being able to find where everyone is a critical thinker. We, including myself, sometimes do not fully understand the power of self. We really need to strive towards not letting society/media dictate what is the status quo. We must be critical. If someone gives you a plate of food, don’ be afraid to ask to who cooked it. Respect one another’s opinion. But don’t be afraid to challenge, even Obama.

www.twitter.com/jonhope

www.myspace.com/jonhope401

JON HOPE - BREATHIN' VIDEO