The real is back.
I had a great dialogue with Baltimore rapper/artist and NWO (New Wave Order) member Shwaze Collins. Exuding wavy raps, insane hustle and an insatiable desire to get all he deserves for his career, Shwaze has been grinding all 2018 with singles, music videos, interviews, live performances in Baltimore and beyond. This is all ahead of his next project release, Get Money or Nothing (2018).
The last time I formally spoke with Shwaze about his artistry was in January of 2018 on my radio show, The Underground Beat. Although Shwaze runs with the same tight crew, wavey style, and ambition bigger than life, his hustle has increased tenfold ahead of his new release like the studio has been his hyberbolic time chamber of Baltimore emcee excellence. This interview and private previews of the forthcoming project throughout this past year has proved so.
For this recent interview, I took my work break at my other teaching job for the interview while Shwaze himself got off of his other job as well. This exchanging of pleasantries and the dialogue of having a 9-5 to fund your 5-9 passion perfectly funneled into the conversation about what the meaning of his album was to elucidate to the masses:
“That’s exactly why I made it!
[Because] no matter what you do in life, you GOTTA get money.”-Shwaze Collins
While the concept may sound mundane, Shwaze began to break down a conversation of power in regards to money and the value of accumulating resources. If you aren’t doing that, you aren’t really doing anything. Although money is only of intrinsic value, you have to pay to play to get what you desire; there can be no way around it as Shwaze described it, “because money controls everything.” If you essentially understand how the game works, then you’re going to grind to make sure you make the right moves to get what you desire. Thus, it’s Get Money or Nothing as a mindset for success.
“Money CAN buy happiness..Cars, homes, upgrades, security…”
-Shwaze Collins
The forthcoming project’s philosophy even applies to Shwaze’s life as he talked about the process to get to the project’s completion.
The GMON Lifestyle in the Making of the Magic:
“For the young artists coming up, you have to SPEND money to make money…I never had problems paying producers or graphic designers.”
-Shwaze Collins
Shwaze explained that a large part of his process with making his rap career and even GMON was making sure that people are properly compensated so that they can eat as well. Recognizing the reality of individual’s situations has allowed for Shawze to have all the tools he needs to make this next project truly legendary in terms of quality and delivery. His hard work was reflected in his banger of a single, “Geronimo” and the accompanying cinematic masterpiece of a music video earlier in 2018.
The process behind finishing GMON took two years, as described by Shwaze, working with Jayno Beatz and his other main producers to create one sound, “My own sound,” as Shwaze describes after being compared to rappers like Big Sean early in his career.
What to Expect:
Althugh his last full project, the Silver Surfer (2017) was a full-length project of quality, Shwaze reviewed the effort with his team and came to the conclusion that: “There’s not enough bangers.” True growth of an artist is realizing that they can only keep getting better rather than be complacent. In our dialogue, Shwaze told us what to expect.
“[Although] they should expect the unexpected, I wanted to take more time with the beats and hooks.”
-Shwaze Collins
With prime-quality Baltimore producers like Jayno Beatz, 187Beatz, and features from NWO, 7uca, and even BDJ of The Demo Tape himself, Shwaze Collins’ GMON—a dynamic new project and way of life is due out later this year, hopefully by the end of September 2018. Manager and Executive Producer of the project, Taji Burris, of Baltimore’s The Demo Tape and Host of The Working Title Podcast, has also been on the team putting extra hours in to fine-tune the project and make sure the roll-out goes as cruise-control smooth as Shwaze’s own aura.
For the entire team, it’s always Get Money or Nothing; every day of every week of every year.
Stay tuned for the project’s official release.
