Pawtucket, Rhode Island (USA) native and first generation Cape Verdean-American, Chachi Carvalho has been making hip-hop happen for well over a decade. Activist, father, teacher, entrepreneur (owner of Beat Box Studio in Pawtucket), and American football coach, Chachi’s pedigree has only gotten more impressive as he’s matured. A two-time champion (2008) on Black Entertainment Television’s flagship show – 106 & Park Wild Out – Chachi’s more recent accolades include being selected Best Hip-Hop Act of 2011 by the staff of the arts-and-entertainment weekly The Providence-Phoenix as well as winning the weekly’s 2012 voter poll for Best Album of the year for his Beat Box Studio release – In Dust Real Evolution.
Although Chachi was born in the United States he’s working on getting dual citizenship in Cape Verde, and his current projects include collaborations with some of the heavyweights in the world music scene. You can also catch the emcee dropping bangers off a project called THR33 PIECE SUIT that harkens back to the boom bap days of the 1990s.
World Hip Hop Market had the opportunity to chat with Chachi on the lead up to our second annual A3C Hip Hop Festival showcase Planet Hip-Hop. Chachi tells us to “get ready for a great show. Although most of my music is in English, I will show off my skills in Criolo a bit. “
Check out our conversation with Chachi and peep the video for March 2012′s “Sabim.” The video features the rapper spittin’ breezy in English and Creole on the vibrant, upbeat streets of Sao Vicente, Cape Verde.
World Hip Hop Market: Music has been a part of your family going back generations. Were you naturally pulled toward making music because of this?
Chachi Carvalho: Music has always been a part of my upbringing. whether it was live music at family cookouts, my father or grandfather singing after dinner, going to watch my uncles’ band “Tropical Power” play a concert, or going to watch my sister sing at a school talent show, were a regular part of our routine.
Music caught my attention at the age of 11. I started writing lyrics at 14 and I recorded my first song in the URI radio station production room at the age of 19. After I recorded my first song and heard it on the radio, that’s when I realized that this wasn’t just a hobby. Its a passion that has been instilled in me by family tradition.
WHHM: What brought you to writing and to hip-hop?
CC: My cousin Victor was the one that introduced me to hip-hop. He was 18 when I was 13 and he would pick me up in his Jetta and take me for a ride around the neighborhood almost daily, and I had the golden opportunity to listen to Rakim, Kool G Rap, EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Heavy D, Stetsasonic, Boogie Down Productions, the list goes on. These emcees took me on a trip to a world I didn’t know, and at times didn’t understand. The words were new, the style was aggressive, it was the perfect escape from my boring 7th grade algebra homework.
I was already dabbling in freestyling with my cousin and I was getting good. I guess the writing came when I wanted to challenge myself to write a song about a specific topic. I wanted to describe everything… I wanted to impress my cousin… I ended up impressing myself. I haven’t put the pen down since. Yes, I still write with a pen on paper… not in my phone. It just doesn’t feel right.
WHHM: I want to hear about them late 1990s in Pawtucket, RI. When CNJ Records was around.
CC: CNJ was the little label that should’ve! We had everything we needed to be a successful indie label in the game. We had in-house producers, singers, rappers, djs, graphic designers, web designers, a studio and a fan base. We were touring and opening up for all of the big names that came through our neck of the woods. We were frequenting hot spots in Boston, NYC, and Atlanta. We were rubbing elbows with heavyweights at the right time. The state had our back. We were creating hot new music that was comparable to everything that was out at the time… we had the perfect shot… we just didn’t follow through.
The scene back then was different. There were rappers… and there were fans. It seems now that there are only rappers and critics. It was cool to go out to a show and scream and shout for a local cat that you grew up with. It seemed like it was a victory for everyone when one of us was shining. Things are different now. We never rocked a show that wasn’t packed back then. People came out to the shows, bought merch, rocked the shirts, blasted the CDs in their cars and repped our crew. I guess everyone grew up now. Most of the shows were a blur. It was the best time I can’t remember (laughs)!
WHHM: A lot has changed since then. You and some cats have kept Providence hip-hop going, and you have a new project Thr33 Piece Suit. What is that about?
CC: THR33 PIECE SUIT is a collaborative project between 3 original members of CNJ Records. The group consists of myself, fellow emcee Swann Notty, and our longtime friend and producer J. DePina. After CNJ records became defunct, Swann went on to release 2 albums independently and worked on some tracks with 9th Wonder (formerly of Little Brother). J. DePina built an army of supporters and fans by releasing youtube videos of himself doing live production work on the MPC. He also released 2 instrumental albums and one album where he showed off his rhyme skills as well as his amazing production.
We came together to record an album that was reminiscent of the boom bap era that dominated the 90′s. The album Brand New Vintage was written and recorded in less than 3 weeks. With assistance from Edgar “Vertygo” Cruz who provided the engineer work and also added keys to numerous tracks. DJ Cadillac Jack and DJ Mekalek provided cuts for a few tracks making this project an instant classic in my eyes. I am going to bring Swann Notty with me to A3C [Hip Hop Festival] to show off a couple tracks from Brand New Vintage during my set. I hope the people love the new music as much as I do.
http://soundcloud.com/crthebeast/thr33-piece-suit-take-your
WHHM: How did you come to own your own studio?
CC: After CNJ Records drifted apart, I floated from studio to studio, spending money, trying to find a home to make music. I couldn’t find a place that met my needs and gave me the right vibe for me to be creatively at my best. I got sick of hunting for places, so I decided to build my own. Seven years later, we are not only still making music, we are growing!
WHHM: In an interview with AirMaxMusic.com you put a timetable to your mixtapes that paralleled the growth of your studio. From spending lots of money to make money, to drowning in your own creation with no money, to turning your focus from making money back to making music. What about your studio and you as an artist have changed in the transition from making moves to making good music that means something, and building your community? You know I’m talking about your new videos, and I read in the same interview that you even hold birthday parties in your studio…
CC: I feel like I have grown a lot over the past decade. Not only musically and personally, but also spiritually. I have new goals in life and much more responsibility. I feel it is my obligation to provide positive inspiration to my community, not only as a musician, but as a man. My subject matter has changed a lot. My music is cleaner now and I feel it has much more depth. I still have fun with the process and from time to time I have to release some negativity or frustrations through my music, but for the most part, I try to create music that can somehow create change.
My studio is a creative space for anyone who is interested in feeding that creativity. I had a birthday party for my daughter there one year. She invited some friends, they had a dance party and they recorded a song. They sang over the instrumental of one of their favorite pop hits. They all took home a CD of the recording and played it over and over and over and over again (laughs). Parents loved it, my daughter had a blast, so I thought…. Let’s run with it. Now we do youth birthday parties, bachelorette parties, teen recording parties… Its fun. You wouldn’t believe how many people will jump at the chance to have a live recording of them and their friends having fun and singing songs in a pro studio.
WHHM: You’ve been releasing videos recently that are pointed in their message and almost purposeful. “Last Dollar” is about the issue and stigma of homelessness, using the idea of being down to that one last dollar. “Coffin With A Flag” overturns the bloody truth of wartime and being a soldier in the United States. What was your inspiration for each these pieces?
CC: I draw inspiration from many places. “Last Dollar” was based on a true story. “Coffin With A Flag” came when I found out my younger cousin had enlisted in the military. I asked him about his recruiter and the things the recruiter said to convince him to join. I just want people to hear truth. I’m not trying to force feed anyone my personal opinions unless they want to hear them. I just want to paint a picture. A real picture of what is happening in our communities.
WHHM: You’ve won a number of awards locally and in Cape Verde, when was the last time you were on tour internationally?
CC: I just came back from Cape Verde a few weeks ago. I love being able to get out of the country and share my music with strangers. I gotta get out more. I want to see the whole world before I turn 40.
WHHM: What effect did touring Cape Verde have on your music and your life as a father, community worker, and advocate?
CC: Cabo Verde is a third world country. You can take a 5-minute drive and see the clear divide of rich and poor. I mean opposite sides of the spectrum existing side by side. It’s sad to see so many homeless children wandering the streets looking for their next meal. My heart pours for them. It makes me want to work harder and be a great father to my children. I want my kids to not have to want, if their needs are taken care of… I want them to know that they can provide for themselves and others if they know the difference between wants and needs.
WHHM: How does music and art interplay into the other roles you play in your life?
CC: Music is my life.
WHHM: Your biography says you have been working with a number of international stars. Can you talk about that?
CC: My collaborative efforts have come primarily in the realm of Cape Verdean music. I have worked with some of the biggest names in the Cape Verdean music world. I made it a goal of mine two years ago to be known in the Cape Verdean community as an artist that represents our culture and our country. I was born in the US, but I am very much an ambassador of the Cape Verdean people and culture. I am currently taking steps towards attaining my dual citizenship. Just like my parents migrated to America in the 70′s in search of the American Dream… I did the same when I boarded a plane for the first time to my home, Cabo Verde.
WHHM: How do you feel about being involved in the A3C’s only international showcase?
CC: It is an honor. Not only do I get to play one of the biggest hip-hop festivals in the world, but I get to join some of the biggest names in hip-hop from all over the world. I am looking forward to meeting the artists and finding ways to collaborate and connect. That’s why I respect Nomadic Wax and the World Hip Hop Market so much. They are constantly finding ways to connect the world through hip-hop!
WHHM: What does that sense of diversity and culture mean to hip-hop communities like yours in Pawtucket?
CC: My high school had over 30 countries represented in my senior class. I grew up around so many different cultures so it seemed like no culture was really truly different, it just was what it was. I think that gave me a sense of what it meant to be a worldly thinker early on in life. That way of thinking definitely influences my music, my parenting, and my moves in life.
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