10 If's One Hit

Baggs

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); I got to sit down with Baggs 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 and cosmic sensations. 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.

SubLioN

For the second installment of 10 If’s One Hit, I bring you “Sublion,” alias of up and coming EDM producer Jack Cunningham.

I actually first discovered Cunningham’s work through twitter about a month ago, and after chance encounters at a Phish show and then a friends house, I told him I was curious to find out what all the electronic dance music was about.

It turns out Cunningham first started producing his own Reggae acoustic beats under the same name a few years back in college, and up until six months ago, hadn’t even produced his first EDM track.

His inspiration to find a new direction in EDM producing came about when he met up with current producer and longtime friend Aaron ‘MaHi’ Cole. Cunningham became inspired to transition from simple reggae chords to complex dubtronica once MaHi began mentoring him.

Through state of the art programs like Reason and Ableton, Cunningham has synthesized six complete tracks currently on his sound cloud. His music has this new generation feel that mixes soothing keys and melodic themes with this ability to take you on a ride where the insertion of lyrics just becomes a distraction.

The motivation behind Cunninghams producing capabilities is quite simple, “When I make my music I want it to be Pretty. I want it to be beautiful, uplifting. Im a positive person. I like jambands and I like to be happy and I want to bring that happiness to EDM.”

With future plans to continue dropping new tracks and to eventually spin his own music, it doesn’t seem there’s much in the way of stopping SubLioN from reaching the peaking ears of EDM fans near and far.

If you could possess any single super power?

You know what, I’d freeze time. Every once and a while when your stressed out just BOOM stop time and let your mind calm down.

If you could run any current music venue?

I don’t know how well this would work for EDM, but Red Rocks sounds pretty amazing. It sounds like one of the best venues you could go to in the country. I imagine EDM would sound pretty good with all the re-verb.

If you could spend a whole day with any artist?

DJ Tiesto. When it comes to music nowadays days and having the ability to get a whole arena full of people all on the same page, to get just a little bit of insight on that would just blow my mind.

If you could take a shuttle to any planet?

I would take a shuttle to Saturn. The ring system is sick looking and would be beautiful to see. Not to mention Saturn has like sixty moons.

If you could eliminate any one music genre?

The way I look at, even if I hate the music I always can nit pick little things that I love. Like I don’t like country, but sometimes I like the guitar. I may not like screamo, but sometimes I’ll love the double bass pedals and the drums. I just love music.

If you could have any animal as your best friend?

Bald eagle. I would have a bald eagle on my arm or like on a perch next to me while I write music and when he hears something sweet he’d like squak or do something cool.

If you could get any tattoo?

I actually do have one right here, it’s a 311 quote; “Follow your bliss on every day, let the cards fall where they may.” It’s kind of just a reminder to do what you love, and whatever happens happens.

If you could marry any one artist?

I would marry two, and it would be both Peg board nerds because they have the sexiest synths in the entire world.

If you could leave tomorrow for any country in the world?

I was reading an article today about a successful business women who took a trip to Africa, and after taking with the warriors in their specific tribe she asked how many women warriors they had and the leader said none, women can’t be warriors here. She ended up coming back for two months and hunted with all the men and lived in poverty to become a warrior. That story just made me want to do some good, so I would probably find a place like Darfur for a different kind of destination and help out any way I could.

If you could control any element and why?

Wind. With the right costume, of course, I would be the most bad ass super hero ever. I would tell Superman to fuck off. Plus you could literally take someones breath away on command. I would also be the best skipper in all of the land.

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And here I bring you one hit from SubLioN: "Evolve" Be sure to check out Cunningham's sound cloud for other quality tracks. Enjoy!