01: Can you give some insight into how your life has changed since coming to the States to pursue your dream?
In Ukraine it’s much harder to pursue a career in music, so my family immigrating to the states really opened doors and created a great opportunity for me to explore and be a part of the music industry. Music has been a big part of my family’s history however no one has had the chance to devote their life to it until we moved to the states. I started playing guitar, piano and drums at a young age and began writing songs as well. By the time I was 14 I realized that I wanted to make a career out of this. Between 14 and 17 i wrote hundreds of songs before I put out the ‘SASH ep’, my first release, which brandishes the colors of Ukraine’s flag on its cover.
02: How has living in the Bay Area and recording music there shaped your approach to making music?
Although I listen to many genres of music from all over the world, the Bay Area exposed me to hip hop artists specific to the area, like Andre Nickatina, J Stalin, and E-40, who influenced the way I make my music. The Bay Area also put me right in the middle of a booming hip hop scene which introduced me to some of the sound engineers and producers who I’ve worked with on this mixtape and on previous projects.
03: You primarily worked with producer Chris Hayes on your previous project, Blood Diamond, and he only appears once here. What was the motivation for working with other producers this time?
I met Chris Hayes in New Orleans. He’s an amazing producer. When I met him, he showed me some of the tracks he was working on I was like “Man, I have to cut an album with this guy ASAP” so that’s how Blood Diamond came about. He’s also a really great guy, so I love working with Chris at any chance I get. On Black Caviar, I wanted to explore different sounds with different producers while still keeping my same style, so I worked with some more well
known producers like Cal-A and Traxxfdr.
04: You really open up lyrically on closing track "Days and Days," which feels like the culmination to the partying and no-fucks-given attitude explored on the previous tracks. What made you want to explore that side of the lifestyle and do you see yourself exploring that mindset more moving forward?
I think that since it was the last track on the album it is kind of a reflection on my life from a different perspective. Everything i rap about in my songs is taken directly from my life experiences, things that have happened to me, good or bad, its all influence. Bouncing around between the Bay Area and New Orleans makes it very easy to find influence for lyrics, crazy shit goes down. Days and Days is me kind of taking a step back and thinking about some of the wildness that my close friends and I have been through, girls, drugs, making ends meet, the fact that I’m still even alive makes me appreciate everything I have and all the opportunities I’ve been given. — That being said, I don’t see my lifestyle slowing down in the near future at all. Not ruling out the possibility of another track similar to that style though, its always good to be conscious and evaluate yourself from time to time.
05: What's next after the release of Black Caviar?
I actually have some great music that didn't quite get done in time to make it onto Black Caviar, so I'm already back in the studio working on some new tracks that I’m really excited to put out. The grind never stops.
06: Any dream collaborations you want to discuss?
Yeah… Lets talk Amy Winehouse. What a beautiful voice. If she we’re still with us, she could hop on a SASH track or vice versa any day. She’s been such an inspiration to me, she would definitely be a dream collaboration.