We caught up with Canadian Hip Hop veteran Jason Schadt a.k.a. Vandal, founder of DAOrecords and a Malaysia based recording artist who combines his passion for technology in his music.
I interviewed on behalf of Emanate Community!
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We caught up with Canadian Hip Hop veteran Jason Schadt a.k.a. Vandal, founder of DAOrecords and a Malaysia based recording artist who combines his passion for technology in his music.
DJ Lethal Skillz interviewed on behalf of Emanate Community!
Tell us about yourself?
With so much to tell, I'll keep it short. Most people call me Vandal, my stage name and alias. I was born and raised in Toronto and spent the latter half of my life in South East Asia. I'm a Hip Hop Emcee and entrepreneur who is passionate about community building, the arts and technology.
Along with those interests I've had the opportunity to travel the world at a young age and those experiences have had a real impact on the person I am today and my outlook on life. Currently I'm continuing the legacy of my 2008 Hip Hop Battle Series TYGS and in the process of launching a new record label with a new philosophy and approach to business.
How long have you been taking your craft seriously?
It all started back in '92 when I got my first sampler, a Roland W30. Formed my first crew in '95, which led to big things in both good and bad ways. But by the time '98 rolled around, I knew that I wanted to pursue being an artist and travelling the world full time. So I guess it's been about 22 years now, boy how time flies!
Since then I had 3 major crews — Cryptik Souls Crew ('95-'99), Symbolik Music Crew ('01-'07), Diplomats International ('08-'11), held down a weekly online radio show — The Crib Show ('12-'16) and most recently a failed Blockchain initiative — Hip Hop The Blockchain in 2018. In fact it's been so much fun that I am still trying to take my craft seriously!
Are you currently working on new music or projects? What's cooking?
I'm always cooking! As a chef I don't always cook for myself, even if I know what I like to eat, so the next meal I'm serving up together with DJ Lethal Skillz is aptly called Toss A Coin, which drops on 13th March 2020 worldwide.
A perfect segue into the formation of DAOrecords, my new project that operates on decentralized values, incorporating bleeding edge tech with the spirit of a creative anarchist. The release of Toss A Coin allows us to conduct experiments in the space and I'm pretty excited to see how it all unfolds. (Hint hint.. NFT)
Oh, and I'm also writing a book tentatively titled "Becoming Vandal". A collection of stories that touch on how both music and travel converged to make me the person I am today. It's been a work in progress now for a few years, but only more recently have I taken to completing it. I'm about halfway there I'd say.
What are your musical goals?
I think I'm at a point right now that I hope to just continue at my own pace to write, record and release songs into the world. At 45, I've committed to helping the new generations shine and play the role as big brother to those I can impact directly. Personally, I would love to collaborate more with live musicians though and I can see a few opportunities to experiment there when the time is right! For now, I've got a number of tracks lined up for release over 2020 so I'm pretty excited about that.
What have you found to be the most frustrating part with your artist journey?
As an artist I've faced a lot of internal conflict throughout the years. External forces that are mostly beyond my control have afforded me the perspective to see that conflict for what it is and has helped me accept that I should continue to be the person I want to be in life.
With the commodification of art comes the question of integrity, its value constantly in question I've had to come up with a way to manage my needs in life without falling in to the trap of frustration. I guess I'm jaded with a dose of acceptance and stubbornness to give up in the face of it.
How did you find out about Emanate?
Emanate has been on my radar since it was first announced via the EOS platform. Having been heavily involved in Steemit and Musicoin I always kept an eye out for different platforms related to what I do. Emanate was no exception. I just have to say, great job learning from the mistakes of the platforms before you and I look forward to cultivating our relationship.
How do you think Emanate will evolve or change what you do?
As a sign of maturity when it comes to the Blockchain music space, I believe Emanate is on the right path and I'm excited to see everything that is currently rolling out. I hear there is a lot to be excited about.
The idea of an additional revenue stream is definitely appealing and I'm happy that it fits with my mission, and the mission of DAOrecords, that the process is open and transparent. I'm excited to see how this will impact the evolution of what I do.
Do you have any advice for rappers/musicians working on their craft?
Just continue to do what you do. Do it for love, for passion, for personal growth, for whatever you value most. Life is full of experiences and opportunities, so don't stop learning. The quest for knowledge should never end. This is the only inspiration you need to continue evolving and maturing your craft. Don't give up!
