For The Critics

Searching for an Outlet

In every city you’ll find new artists grinding. You’ll also hear them scream that they’re the best in the city…Well Pittsburgh’s no different and we got to sit down and talk with Rell Mac, an upcoming talent out of the Garfield section of Pittsburgh. Here’s the conversation we had with Mac about music, politics and how it feels to be Searching for an Outlet in a city that’s losing it’s biggest voice for Hip Hop

ForTheCritics.com: What’s the inspiration behind the music you create?

Rell Mac: My family is my inspiration behind my music helping the Beenafactors get into a good situation drives me to make good music. My e Beenafactors family (J-Brown, Geo, Amen, MV, and AO) their my inspiration they keep me humble and keep me sharp we always have a lil lyrical exercise to make sure everyone is where they should be if not better that inspires me. My dude that passed away George “Killa” Kyles I know he’s looking down and that inspires me to make good music and strive to be the best.

ForTheCritics.com: Besides the Beenafactor family keeping you inspired how do you keep that motivation with the state of the game the way it is currently

Rell Mac: I stay motivated by being around people that understand good music, that lets me know there are poeple who still understand it out there. And people that want to make good music, like I’m one of those people that grew up on Classic albums such as: illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Ready to Die, OB4CL, ect and I want my name being brought up in the conversation when those artist are named. I want my music to be remembered, I want people to play my music 10 yrs later and still value it I want to make timeless music thats what keeps me going and inspires me

ForTheCritics.com: Who were some of your biggest influences in not just hip-hop, but music?

Rell Mac: My biggest hip-hop influences would have to be the late 80’s and 90’s music cuz thats when I feel in love with hip-hop. From Daddy Cane, Rakim, Kool G, NWA, The Bad Boy Era, The Rocafella Era, The Death Row Era. Other than hip-hop I would have to say “The oldies but goodies” such as, Earth Wind and Fire, Al Green, Mike Jackson, music during that time cuz growning up in the household I grew up in thats what you heard. Sunday morning ya moms down stairs cleaning and she’s jamming to the oldies, you just learn to love them as you get older.

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ForTheCritics.com caught up with The Scholars and had a quick conversation about a few things…Mainly, The Scholars’ name, Extra Credit, The current state of artistry in Pittsburgh and Keeping your grades up. Take a look….

ForTheCritics.com: So, you guys just dropped Extra Credit as a Prelude to “Keep Your grades up”…Where did the Scholars name and the Academic theme come from?

Primavera: It actually started after we left college and began to work on a collab project in 2007. We’re both able to express ourselves in an intelligent manner and with wittiness. After brainstormin’ for about a week, and writin’ “The Scholars” down in my notebook on every line on the page, I called Ghost and pitched him the name, and he liked it. It stuck from there.

Ghost: Haha f*^#. Pretty much what Vills said.

ForTheCritics.com: So is “Keep your Grades up” the official album from the scholars?

Primavera: It’s still not 100% fully determined if “Keep Your Grades Up” is goin’ to be a street album or a mixtape, but we want it to be official.

Ghost: I myself, am leaning towards it being a mixtape because I want do some more work with DJ SpaceCity. He’s mad official on the ones and twos. I was thinking about dropping a solo street album before a Scholars street album.

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