BIG INTERVIEW: Rapper and MC Hazey Haze on what creativity is all about

Hazey Haze is a Rapper and MC from Limerick City. He is well known throughout Ireland for his hip-hop music, unique voice and stage presence. When I interviewed Hazey, I got a sense that he is only getting started.

Cathal - People regard you as a creative person. Do you agree?
Hazey Haze - I’ve creativity gushing out my ears but that’s a blessing as much as a curse if I'm been honest. It’s hard to hoard the music you’re making because for me it’s how you feel at that time and might not feel like that by the time it's released so I’m not left hoarding music per say. I’m stuck with a folder of old emotions as songs.. The curse....

Cathal - Can you describe your creative process?
Hazey Haze - I absolutely love writing “visually” as in painting a scene and narrating it second by second adding each emotion through your voice throughout the recording and I think that's from my love of Films mostly, one of my biggest dreams/goals would to do write a soundtrack for a film in the future.

Cathal - What is creativity to you?
Hazey Haze - Creativity to me is everything to be honest because I know I haven't the money to pay for the visuals I want or to create the videos and ideas for my art in my head, yet!! So I always go more visual on the lyrics so you can capture or hear what I’m seeing or maybe even see what I’m smelling.

Cathal - What inspires you? What do you do to get inside your creative zone?
Hazey Haze - For me it’s being around all the crew just bouncing off each other in the studio and others times for me it’s being left alone to create styles that I cannot wait to show the lads, like I love when we all just get together and bang each others unreleased tracks throwing constructive criticism and compliments all over the shop, It’s beautiful.

Cathal - What is your favourite accomplishment?
Hazey Haze - I’m very proud of alot of goals I've reached but my biggest accomplishment that I’m still gobsmacked today about is, the photo of myself on tour, hanging up in my locals restaurant The Cinema Cafe FKA ‘Stix’ on the wall of fame next to Phil Lynnot and the boys, I used go here after as a child and after school and still do go here multiple times a week, best spot in Limerick for grub. I never have to look far for criticism because I’m surrounded by alot of people who do what I do or who are part of the crew and we always share our thoughts on each others music and its very constructive at times which is all the better, we're our biggest fans and our biggest critics and because of that we flourish together.

Cathal - Do you pay attention to other peoples strong reactions to your work? Does this affect what you create?
Hazey Haze - It really does but I feel its more the live shows for me other than recording, since lockdown happened I’ve found it very hard to put my emotions somewhere because I used be playing live music so much I was expressing alot of that emotion on stage, but still recording a song helps me a lot because as soon I record I kind of put them emotions away with the finished product.

Cathal - Do you think creativity is something you are born with or is it something that can be encouraged and nurtured?
Hazey Haze - I believe you can be born creative yes. But it’s nurturing the creativity that the child has and helping them become better and maybe even helping them notice that there’s other sides to creativity for instance music you can sing/rap/spoken word/produce/ play instruments/mix and master or even come from a promo or managerial point of view, so there’s something for everyone if you work at it hard enough of course. 1000 hours and all that..

Cathal - What do you wish to accomplish with your music?
Hazey Haze - I wish to accomplish getting the younger people where I’m from who are into what I was into, to just show them that it's possible that someone from our area are as capable as anyone else, if not even more capable than everyone else to pursue a career in the arts, if it be films or music or whatever you’re into I, wanna prove that it's all possible and trust me when I say I will prove it.

Cathal - What music are you playing at the moment?
Hazey Haze - At the moment I’m listening to very little as I don’t like to listen to music when I’m making music but if I am, I’d pop on some Tom Waits or some Young Thug. That’s the variety of what you’d here coming from my bedroom or even singing whilst walking The paths of Limerick City, during the day and during the night.. Nothing like Tom Waits on a walk home I tell you.

Cathal - Do you think music and creating music helps with your mental health? How?
Hazey Haze - It really does help but I feel it’s more the live shows for me other than recording. Since lockdown happened, I've found it very hard to put my emotions somewhere because I used to be playing live music so much that I was expressing alot of that emotion on stage... but still, recording a song helps me a lot because as soon I record, I kind of put them emotions away with the finished product. I was never really good at talking to people or taking compliments but I’ve come a long way so the overwhelming part is fading the past while but hopefully something will pop up again and keep me on my ol toes, I love an ol shock to the system once and awhile.

Cathal - Do you ever get overwhelmed when making music? If so, how do you combat this feeling?
Hazey Haze - I was never really good at talking to people or taking compliments but Ive come a long way so the overwhelming part is fading the past while but hopefully something will pop up again and keep me on my ol toes, I love an ol shock to the system once and awhile.

Cathal - Does creativity make you feel more in alignment with your true purpose?
Hazey Haze - Yes, I feel it helps me with everything. See, people know me as an enigmatic person so I’m expected to be creative and sparatic and full of ideas and I am. I can’t help myself from constantly thinking of new ideas and stuff I could of, would of, should of done.

Cathal - Do you feel like you are doing what you were born to do when making music?
Hazey Haze - I know this is what I was born to do. Since I was a child, anytime I seen a live performance I got goosebumps and my hair would stand up and I still get that today. Everytime I walk on stage myself, I have never felt a better feeling than a crowd chanting your name before you enter the stage... it’s an absolutely amazing feeling. If I die on stage, I know I died the happiest man on earth.