10 Ifs One Hit: Baggs

It's been a minute since my last post so I'm going to try and make this one worth it. By worth it I mean I'm creating a new segment; "10 Ifs One Hit." You'll be able to find it on the page bar as well as the home page.

Basically it will be a short summary of a featured artist followed by ten relevant and not so relevant questions. I'm also going to put out some of their work ("one hit") some links and whatever else they give me free reigns on.

With that said, for the first 10 Ifs One Hit, I bring you Andrew "Baggs" Baggaley, controller of the zodiac and observer of the phony acts.

Straight off the boat from a study abroad trip in Hamburg, Germany (or should I say study abroad trip turned impromptu open mic tour); Baggs and I got to sit down at the local pub this past Monday to talk about Lauryn Hill, river otters and anarchist communes.

If you've never heard of Baggs, then you're in for a whirlwind of fresh thoughts. In a way he's your typical college hippie, flowing brown locks, little concern for bad vibes, and all his energy pointed towards love and unity.

Like many other '90s babies, Baggs found his passion for rapping growing up in a time where "real slim-shadys" and "thongs songs" reigned supreme. He remembers Nelly's "Ride Wit Me" defining his fourth grade experience and writing one of his first raps in 6th grade about Manchester United. 

Messing around with freestyles in the halls of his high school led to a consciousness today that's exploding with an intergalactic message of hope and achievement. As he says, "If you ain't happy with yourself then open your heart, love flows in and out and heals every scar."

Maybe the best part about Baggs is the fact that he isn't afraid to show his dark side. With honest qualms about sorrow and insecurity, you can't help but feel drawn to his lyrics, "Is the real world beating you down? Well I was in the same place; I had the same frown on a different face. Desperate, thinking dreams are two fast to chase, a fleeting feeling is the past passed away."

The fact is, Baggs is just doing it different. Instead of rapping about girls, glory and gold watches he tells the truth like it is, "A realistic world ain't no fun to be in." 

If you could share the stage with any current MC, who would it be and why?

I would say Slugg from atmosphere just cause he’s my favorite. When I first heard him rap I was like oh wow this guy can rap about different shit from another point of view. The way he always spit really hit home with me, and the fact that he made his own label and his own thing totally independent.

If you could start any type of restaurant, what would it be?

I would do a food truck and make doner kebabs. So, they hang meat from a giant slab and they take an electric shaver and slice it up real thin. They put it in this pita type bread and throw on lettuce, onion, tomato whatever you want.

If you could marry any artist?

Lauryn Hill because, Lauryn Hill. Also because she is a dope mc and her unplugged album is my shit and she got a brain and soul and is beautiful. And because, Lauryn Hill.

If you had to climb any mountain?

Somewhere in Patagonia I guess, because it looks gorgeous and everest and kilimanjaro are soooo mainstream. ha. and my bro was there and said it was dope and there are glaciers there and they're melting quickly so i guess i gotta see em while they're still around.

If you could meet any deceased writer?

I'd say Herman Hesse. I haven't really been into too many books lately but I really like what he did with Siddartha. 

If you had no choice but to get inked up this second, what would you get?

I’ve always thought about getting one but could never think of anything, until one of my last nights in Germany this past month. We were in this club at 7 in the morning and I had been thinkng a lot about death, I started having this anxious feeling of not existing and for a brief moment this sentence in German came up in my head, "Eines Tages werden wir sterben, deswegen müssen wir tanzen." Translation: One day we’ll die, because of that we must dance!

If you could be reincarnated into any animal, which would you be and why?

I would be a river otter cause they just fuckin’ have a blast. I see them at the zoo and there always just like having the most fun.

If you could be the president of any country in the world, which would it be and why?

I don’t fuck with countries, I don’t even fuck with states. I’m just not down with all the power and the boundaries. If I had to be the president of something it’d be like an anarchist commune island place where people just come and go as they pleased.

If you could be born into any Era, which would it be and why?

If I could be this age in like 1963, I’d do it just for the music. I think that whole era is over-hyped, but the music was legit and people did their thing. I love Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan’s tight, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison is my shit.

If you could live anywhere the next two weeks, where would it be?

As much as I wanna be other places, I wanna be right here right now. Just looking at what’s going on in the next few weeks of my life.

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With that last question I now leave you with full access to Bagg's first full length album: "New Day." Best of all, it's Free...FREEE!

With nine passionate tracks and some of the realest and most down to earth lyrics I've ever come across, this album lives up to its name and then some. 

Plus, there's a featured artist on the last two tracks that will make you question when a "Fine Wine" album is coming. Enjoy

You can also find Baggs on Facebook, Youtube, and Twittter.