Instant Message with an Edge: Rap Artist Hydroponikz

Hydroponikz isn’t some new cool aquatic technology but, just like water, this name is synonymous with great flow. At the Shine for our People event, a benefit in New York for the victims of Typhoon Frank, he was one of the highlight performances. His music hypnotized the crowd and everyones spirits rose, on a otherwise gloomy evening. The Rapper was born in Quezon City, Philippines and Hollis Queens, NY at only 18 months old. Even then he showed signs that music was in his future. Last week I got to have a conversation with the New York hometown hottie and found out this rap-artists musical methods. As a lyrical interpreter, Hydroponikz a.k.a. Ryan Abugan, forms beat and rythm into langauge, making Hydroponikz a artist in a league of his own. Here is a little Excerpt of our conversation…

Mia: This is awesome: I’m here this is great!
Hydroponikz: I can only stay for about an hour, do you think it’ll be that long?
Mia: I promise that I won’t take too much of your time. ;)
Hydroponikz: OkAy! sounds good. I really don’t mind my time being used though haha. It’s just I gotta get my day started, i’m still in bed
Mia: {{Mia Swoons}}Haha well Good Morning! (I am sorta in my penguin feetsy pjs too)  *Ahem* So lets get started,

We are very lucky that Ryan Abugan had an early affair with performing. His firsts experiences on stage began in grade school when he was about 8 years old. He calls these par-takings “typical school band type of stuff”. Taking very well to playing the Trumpet, his conductor began to pick him out for solos. “I liked the feeling of just being me up there.  So it probably carried on over to my present day hip-hop music.” Hip-Hop the weapon of choice in the present day is used by Hydroponikz as he mesmerizes the crowd. His audience truly surrenders over to his work which he also had a early start all the way back to 8th grade.

Hydroponikz: 8th grade talent show where we did a cover of No Pidgeons by Sporty Thievz for fun. I wasn’t really rapping at that time… but then they told me I should write and do my own song.  And so I did… It was terrible. From there I just worked on getting better and better. In 8th grade when I first started performing, I’ve wrote songs prior to that, but never recorded or performed.
Mia: but you were in 8th grade? You have to cut yourself some slack lol
Hydroponikz: All good times haha

Although he is busy with performing throughout the New York Tristate area he does produce tracks in his home studio. “When I am.. performing, I’d say I still get nervous depending on who’s looking at me, but once I’m in that zone, I’m fine” The days of Trumpets and Talent Shows being apart of Hydroponikz’s performances are over. He has recently gifted his younger cousin the instrument that helped him plant his feet on a musical path. Througout his family is very much apart of his life. He mentioned his Mother & Stepfather, and how they have been supportive of his choices no matter what. In fact they would love to come to his shows but he does not believe that they would appreciate his more Risque lyrics.  More so he is appreciative to his friends who will go to his appearances, even if it’s the same material. “They promote me the most.  I’d say friends and family are the main reason my name is out there in the first place.” I asked him if he wanted to give any love (shout outs) and we got a few here they are… “Mom and Freddie, Pam, Suitkace, Deep Foundation, Jeannel, J Chen, Mistr Ease, Incise, ‘PPD and the Beer Pong Crew’, Part Time Models, Derek O, Jink 5, Nick and former Viacom peoples”

Mia: do you consider yourself a lyricisit? a poet? or just a rapper?
Hydroponikz: That’s a very difficult question.  I’d say much of my work comes from the beat that it’s on.  When I produce a beat from scratch, I listen to what it’s telling me first, and then I write the lyrics.  It’s almost impossible for me to do it the other way around. but I do write poetry that nobody will ever see.. haha
Mia: Okay I won’t ask about the secret poetry but I have to say my interest is peaked!?! {{Swoons}}
Hydroponikz: Haha
Mia: So more on the process… You create a beat and then it speaks to you from there is it a conversation you have with the rythim?
Hydroponikz: I’d like to say so.  I try to make sure the beat works with my lyrics and vice versa.  I try to complement some of the instruments I hear in the song, drum patterns to work with my syllables, etc. Subject wise, the beat tells me mostly what I should write
Mia: So we can say you speak the beats langauge and then you act as a translator almost interpreting the music for the rest of us who dont understand?
Hydroponikz: Haha, that’s pretty deep, but yeah.  As a producer, I can understand how it was built and the feelings a song would be trying to convey.

Much of his influences are names we have seen before BIG, Nas, Jay-Z… but the ones he specifically ties himself to are Kanye, Common, DJ Premier, J Dilla, and Lupe Fiasco. If he was capable of doing so he would love to work with any of those artists. He has however worked with great talents such as Kina Grannison interscope, and Incise from Goontrax.jp.  But mostly, he would love to work with Lupe Fiasco due to his level of really taking time to sculpt his rhymes to be really meaningful. I got to talk to him more on being a New Yorker…

Mia: So Hollis, that place is legendary for rap artists! maybe its in the water?
Hydroponikz: Haha, maybe.  I moved to Jamaica very recently, maybe 5 years ago and just across the street from where I used to live.
Mia: LOL lovely boarders… I took a bus once and it stopped just after a light due to traffic… half the bus was in LI the other in Jamaica. LOL only in NY right?
Hydroponikz: haha yup.
Mia: I dont want to ask fan girl questions I really want to put emphasis on your music
Hydroponikz: haha
Mia: But let me ask some anyway LOL! if you were a flower what flower would you be?
Hydroponikz: haha
Hydroponikz : I’d be a sunflower
Mia: sunflowers rock!
Hydroponikz: and so do their seeds
Mia: yeah the seeds are tasty and they are high in protein… so wait.. does this mean you are health nut?
Hydroponikz: I pay attention to what I eat, but I definitely wouldn’t say I’m healthy. Not until I cut that soda out.
Mia: Soda is too much sugar and carbs. I stopped drinking soda myself last December
Hydroponikz : that’s really the first step to it.  But when I worked at MTV, they had free soda machines I couldn’t resist.

He also has a love of  Video Games and Video Production..

Mia: so what are the guilty pleasures? Xbox PS3? rock band?
Hydroponikz: PS3, mostly.  I was a fan of Rock Band, but we recently did the endless setlist.  I’m a little guitar hero’d/rock banded out.  But I played RB2 and I like some of the songs on it.  I’m into a lot of classics of course, particularly the Mega Man series, Street Fighter series, you know OH~ and some newer series’ like MGS, GTA of sorts
Mia: Ahh so you must come to the mega man movie premier at Ningin
Hydroponikz: Absolutely.  I saw the trailer and was going nuts
Mia: haha
Hydroponikz: When is that, btw?
Mia: I think the movie is almost done production wise, we think it may be released in November
Hydrozonikz: That’s the best thing in the world haha.  Good timing because Mega Man 9 just came out, and even though it’s a small production for a game these days, it’s something I been looking forward to for a while
Mia: I know how you feel some of the older titles are the best
Hydroponikz: I did play World of Warcraft for a very good chunk of my time
Mia: WOW is definitley addicting but im a starcraft girl
Hydroponikz: ohhohhohoh starcraft carrier rush ftw

Mia: So how do we get a hold of your music? is there a Itunes? myspace?
Hydroponikz: Right now, you can either pick up the CD at a show for $5, or listen to most of my songs on my facebook fanpage, http://myspace.com/hydroponikz, or www.hydroponikz.com. I do have one song on iTunes, but only in Japan on Incise’s “Nobody’s Story” a song called strife.  The album is also on Amazon, Tower Records and HMV. And definitely check out the songs coming soon on the Deep Foundation album.  I’m like on 6 songs, biggest one I produced, of course is Children of the Sun, and a remix that will actually feature a verse from myself and a couple of others

I suggest you check out Hydroponikz.com and give his music a listen… here are some of my Hydroponiks favorites from youtube.