Emily Berkey Interview
You’ll
most likely see Emily Berkey interview your favorite Hip Hop artists, she has
interviewed the likes of 9th Wonder, Ab Soul, & Big K.R.I.T. over the
years. Emily Berkey is a hip hop journalist, social media & marketing
director. She’s usually the ones asking the questions but today we’ll get
insight on her career and the current Hip Hop landscape.
When did you love of hip hop first
come about?
I’ve always
been the weirdo. And in Hip Hop I saw that being the weirdo is accepted. On
Christmas day, 2003 my parents bought me Jay Z’s Black Album. They let me blast
it throughout the house and that’s where I feel in love with Hip Hop.
What compelled you to pursue interviews
with Hip Hop artists?
I was in Louisiana, I did a semester at LSU, I went
to an XV and Chip The Ripper show. I hung out with XV after the show and he
asked me what I wanted to do. I said I wanted to interview Hip Hop artists and
he said “Why not just go for it?”. That sparked something in me and I started
pursuing that goal. Once I got back to Oregon, I got my own radio show at
Oregon State.
Other than Hip Hop, what are some of
your favorite eras of music?
I grew up on golden oldies: Mostly my parent’s
records. So Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, & Jimi Hendrix. I’ll always love that
era. Simon and Garfunkel is a favorite of mine.
How do you use other mediums of
entertainment (vinyls, books, concerts,etc.) to further your musical intellect?
I love going to concerts and seeing how other people
react to their favorite artists. It’s really interesting to see the
feelings…emotions that these artists evoke. I really like reading lyrics as
well. Poetry is at the root of rap and I love reading lyrics like poetry. I go
to Rap Genius and read up on lyrics, then I’ll listen to the song.
As a social media & marketing
director how does that help you conduct your interviews? The questions you ask.
Having a good knowledge of social media is important.
I do a lot of research before an interview, and social media is a great
tool to use to see what the artist’s fans are wondering and to see what’s
important to them.
With so many big Hip Hop albums and
mixtapes coming out this year which one is your favorite and why?
My favorite bodies of work this year are mixtapes.
Audio Push’s, Rapsody, and Chance The Rapper all came out with great tapes this
year. It’s really interesting to see how mixtapes are making more of an
impact.
Where do you think the current landscape
is in Hip Hop as it pertains to influencing the culture?
I really think this is the “do it yourself
era”. Many artists are going the independent route, like Macklemore, Dom
Kennedy, etc. It’s exciting to watch these artists navigate the current
landscape while staying independent. I think we’re getting more genuine artists
because we’re able to see the artist’s creative direction, not the record
labels instructions to the artist.
What interview have you not done yet
that you would most like to do?
I would like to interview Jay Z. He’s the reason I
fell in love with Hip Hop, when I got his Black Album, something just clicked.
I would also like to interview Outkast. Andre 3000 is such an amazing lyricist
and Big Boi knows how to entertain.
What are you hoping for as you further
your career?
I want to be a respected voice in Hip Hop, I
want people to see how genuine and real I am. I think it’s important for the
artists to respect the interviewer, knowing that they can open up and have
their story will be told from an unbiased source. I would also love the
opportunity to work along side a bigger entity than myself, a bigger blog,
magazine, or publication.
Where can people see your interviews and
reach you at?
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