Originally posted by Causecast.org

Malibu, California native Shwayze is sometime MTV reality show star, but mostly fulltime rapper, most recently with 2009’s Let It Beat.

Shwayze spoke to Causecast’s own fulltime star, Brandon Deroche, about surviving in a changing music industry, getting involved in causes this year, and promoting Peace through music.

Causecast: It feels like we’re in a time of transition, with an underground shift taking place in culture, where generally you see more and more businesses, celebrities, and artists getting involved with more cause related initiatives. Do you notice this happening?

Shwayze: In 2010, people are getting more involved and are becoming very aware of what’s going on in the world, and how every person can make a difference, you know what I mean? Especially artists, we have a way to get in touch with a lot more people, you know? And whatever our views are, we can’t push them, but at least show people what we’re thinking and they have their own free will to fall back on and understand. I think that’s really funny, because I’ve actually been talking a lot lately – with my family and different people – trying to figure out how and what different charities and things I want to get involved with, build awareness for different things, you know? Whether it be global warming or… There’s tons of different things. But yeah, I do think that we are in that kind of time right now, and I’m confident things are changing for the better because of that. I think we are becoming more aware. I think we are in a good time.

CC: What do you think is the role of your music, and music in general, in bringing about that shift?

Shwayze: I think that the good thing about our music is – when I read the blogs, and I read all the conversation boards and all that – the good thing about our music is that we’re not so concerned about the stupid things. A lot of rappers and a lot of hip hop music is just so focused on the wrong things: the money, the cars. All these things are just personal ways of showing success, which is horrible, and I think that we all have to think and move as one in order for us to get better. I think music is a big and an amazing way for people to come together and realize what’s going on, because a song can be so powerful and a song is forever. When we write our songs I think we just try to show peace and love and having a good time; we do have those party songs, but nothing is ever negative. There’s no degrading of women. There’s no negativity and we do make a conscious effort of that. And I think, more and more, we try to keep our fans and everyone aware of how we feel on our views, through our music as a beacon.

CC: You mentioned Peace. What does Peace mean to you?

Shwayze: I think being good to others, and just being good to yourself, mentally. I think you need to give love, just for the fact of love, and not looking for anything in return. That’s another thing – you don’t want to give back or have a certain kind of view to get something in return for yourself. This is genuinely from your heart, trying to make a difference and make things better. That’s what we all need to do, and I think if we do that, without looking for any self-promotion or anything selfish, and you’re thinking just about the good of other people, that’s what Peace is.

CC: Do you have any causes in particular that you’re passionate about?

Shwayze: The way I’ve done it so far is, I’ve gotten a hybrid car, you know what I mean? Next, I want to get involved with an actual organization or foundation. I figure that’s my next step. Slowly but surely, I’m trying to get more people into hybrids and recycling, because the Earth is where we’re living and we gotta take care of it. Soon we won’t have any natural resources that we need to have to survive. I’m really going to be getting hands-on and getting into a lot of organizations that I’m really passionate about. Also, it’s like a great organization for me, too – the power that you have when you’re an artist. I only realize that now as we tour more and more and I see how many people are coming to our shows, and how many people that look to us for an answer. Sometimes you go to your parents, or you go to the news, but sometimes you go to the people that you really look up to. I’m realizing that that person is me, to a lot of the kids. So 2010 is gonna be a great year for me, as far as that.

CC: Beyond using music as a means to raise awareness for causes, we’re also about treating music itself as a cause – exploring ways to deal with the state of today’s music industry. So, what do you find to be the biggest struggle as an artist to survive, progress, and succeed?

Shwayze: We all know that there’s not a lot of records selling nowadays, right? So there’s that fall-back. But at the same time, there’s technology – which is also the cause of that, I guess, with the illegal downloading and and all that. Music is going to be pretty much free. I mean, it is basically free, right now. But at the other end, there are a lot of ways to expose yourself and to get yourself out there, by yourself. The only thing really holding you back, as an up-and-coming artist, or an artist that’s already established, is yourself, because it’s very easy for you to get your music out to everyone. For instance, there are infinite artists. You make a song; now anyone’s able to go and record a song, through any kind of computer. Now you’re able to make music at home and directly put it out to thousands of people through your MySpace and your Facebook, uploaded the same night.

Now ten years ago, the only way you could do something like that was by making the song and then waiting. Either you would have to go to a studio to do that and you’d have to pay the studio fees. Then you’d have to hand-by-hand go and meet people and give them your demo’s… I did that. I know. So now, there’s two sides of the spectrum. There’s the technology, to the point where everyone can go download music for free, but then there’s the side where you can give your music out to everyone and build awareness for whatever it is you’re trying to make. If it’s good, people will have it, and you’ll have respect, and you can find ways to make money. So there’s all these ways to make it, so you can make a living. But it is hard – you just have to put your all into it.

Transcription by NICHOLAS CHUNG, Causecast Writer

Photo 1 by Mac James Ward, flickr.

Photo 2 by Bavvro, flickr.

February 2, 2010 by Stefani
Tags: b-activists, b-listed, Causecast.org, environment, music, rapper, Shwayze, social enterpreneurship