A.O.T.W. - Storm The Unpredictable

Remember when Hip-Hop felt good and rap music involved having fun and could even be described as uplifting? This week’s Artist Of The Week (A.O.T.W.), Storm the Unpredictable, not only remembers those times, he’s been creating them in Maryland for a number of years and is ready to explode onto the national scene this month. While continually performing at clubs, colleges, and showcases including Showtime at the Apollo, Nuyorican Cafe, the Philadelphia Music Conference, and Motown's Black History Month Conference Storm earned himself numerous awards and accolades. The Washington Area Music Association named him their 2002, 2003, and 2004 Hip Hop Artist Of The Year and his music has received praise from publications including XXL, The Source, Elemental and Insomniac. Storm honed his skills with the D.C. Hip-Hop organization Freestyle Union and now a few singles that have charted all over college radio later he’s hitting listeners with A2: What Should Have Been, on Ty-She Ent./SPP Waxworks/Domination Recordings. Make no mistake, though he may have a lot of soul, this is no Quiet Storm.

Adam Bernard: You recently won the John Lennon Award. What does this mean to you, and has a Hip-Hop artist earned this honor before?
Storm The Unpredictable: For me it’s an extreme honor because it is one of the biggest and most prestigious songwriting competitions out there. I’ve won other ones, but none have ever brought me this much attention and notoriety. It’s afforded me many opportunities from people and companies that I doubt would have had any interest in me otherwise. I honestly did not know how big of a deal it was until other industry people began to contact me about it once they heard. I honestly don’t know if any other Hip-Hop artist has ever won it, but people seem to be reacting to it as if it’s a rare occurence.

Adam Bernard: You’re known for putting some heart and emotion into your music, like with “Darker The Berry” and if I recall correctly you also had a song about inner beauty, hit me with the name of the one please, it’s slipping me right now. Why do you feel it’s important for you to get these messages out through your music?
Storm The Unpredictable: I think the song you may be speaking of is “Get Your Weight Up.” I just feel that music is such a beautiful thing that it can be a form of therapy for both the listener and the artist. Sometimes people don’t even realize that things are bothering them until they hear it from an outside source. Plus for me, the only music that REALLY inspires me and I get into is music that draws me into someone’s world. Normally the only music that attracts me like that (at least with albums) are ones that are heart felt and have a range of emotion in them. I want to make sure I make music that people can feel, not only dance to, and I know I’m not the only one who deals with the things I talk about. We just don’t always hear it via music.

Adam Bernard: You have a solo project ready to be hit stores. What can listeners expect from it?
Storm The Unpredictable: It’s called A2: What Should Have Been and comes out via Ty-She Ent./Domination Recordings on August 8th. Listeners can expect a project that is very diverse but cohesive at the same time, with songs that are uplifting, funny, serious, socially conscious, and straight lyrical fire. I try to do everything in an entertaining way so it never seems like I’m just preaching to listeners. The album has classic boom bap beats from The Unknown, Decompoze (DC), Brainstorm Sounds, C. Walker, DJ Symphoni and Richmond, VA’s Danja Mowf, plus guest spots from Priest da Nomad (Source magazine), DP of Poemcees (Def Poetry Jam), Almond Joy, Ty-Riek and Xavier. The CD is also enhanced featuring videos, live performances and exclusive tracks.

Adam Bernard: How will you define “success” for this particular project?
Storm The Unpredictable: Success for this project is getting it out to the people, and I don’t necessarily mean selling large amounts of units, though that would be nice . I mean I want the people to get it so they can see and feel where I’m coming from. I also don’t want it to go to just one demographic. I want a wide range of people to get it because I feel that a wide range of people will be able to relate to it. To a certain respect I feel success on this album already because it is definitely the best album I have recorded ever. It’s an album I am very proud of and I believe there are songs on there that are timeless.

Adam Bernard: Finally, what makes Storm The Unpredictable unpredictable?
Storm The Unpredictable: Just the fact that musically you never know what type of song I may put out. I have so many topics I want to tackle musically that I really don’t have to worry about running out of topics or concepts, at least not right now . Plus performance wise no two shows are exactly alike so you never know what may happen.

Website: www.stormtheunpredictable.com