Lai the Most High is an up and coming Portland rap artist. His music is expanding more with every single he drops. With his popularity, how much do his fans really know about him? What is something he will want us to know? In this Q&A, Lai discloses these answers to us.
Q: How does your music define your identity? How does it connect to your culture?
Lai: Music defines my identity because music is me and I am music. Ever since I can remember I have been in love with music, and it has been a part of me. My mom is one of the best lyricist in the North West. She toured for many years on the slam poetry tour and she was always putting shows together in Portland. So, since I was three or four, I was front row at concerts, watching the merch table and even getting up on stage sometimes.
It connects to my culture because literally my whole life has been the world grooming me to be an artist and rapper. My mom got me my first cassette tape and player. My first tape was Erik B & Rakim the GOATS of hip hop. I feel hip hop was god's intentions for me and as hard as I've tried to stray away from it somehow i always get pulled back stronger and closer to the hip hop culture.
Q: How do you see your music bringing social change?
Lai: I was brought up around political writers, poets, musicians and teachers. Both my mother (Turiya Autry) & godmother (Walidah Imarisha) taught in the black studies department at Portland State University, so from an early age i was taught about social justice. I see my music bringing social change because I will bring social change as a person. My music is me and i am my music, so you will always get all sides of me when you listen to my music. Some of my songs are more political than others but even my most turn up songs will have a bar or 2 that will engage political thinkers. I don't like to "attack" people or pressure them to engage in social justice so I would say my music is slightly more focused on having a good time, but there will always be Political Activist undertones in my music.
Q: What was the great ups obstacle that you had to overcome? How has that affected your art today?
Lai: The biggest obstacle I faced I think is finding my own lane in the rap game. For a long time I wasn't sure what kind of music I wanted to make and I didn't know who my music was really gonna market to. I mean, of course being Lai The Most High and living in "Portlandsterdam", I knew I'd be a hit with the stoner population, but I didn't really know what was beyond that. I think stepping beyond just being a stoner rapper is the hardest challenge I faced. As much as I love weed, and it will always be a part of my music, I also want to touch other subjects and have many other interests and topics to scratch the surface on. I think it's been a good lesson to never box myself into a single thing or category or type of music. I just love music and want to create as many different possible types as songs as I can, always challenging myself to make better music.
Q: How do you think your fans perceive you? What is something you want them to know?
Lai: I think my fans probably perceive me as a giant pot head, stoner deluxe, on a Snoop Dogg or Wiz Khalifa level. (This may just be how I perceive myself) They would not be wrong. But I guess I would want them to know that as much as I love weed, and as much as I like to take off and visit other planets (Get reallyyyy High) I also am always working. Whether it be working at our new clothing shop, my 9-5 job, or all the music related stuff I'm doing. I'm either working or spending what time I can with my nieces, nephews and the rest of the Family.
Q: What can we expect from you in the future?
Lai: Big things! I have a mixtape I'm working on with Figure 8 and I'm always in collaboration with multiple members from "La Familia". That being said, I would say look forward to more solo projects from me in the future. I'm Always wanting to get better as an artist, so I've been wanting to challenge myself to make more solo tracks. A majority of my songs are features or collaborations, and I would like to put out more solo projects this year.
Q: Last of all, Who do you prefer? Drake or big Draco?
Lai: Drake? Nah, I’m just playing, I like them both a lot for different reasons. But I'm going to have to give it up to Big Draco!
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