00:00
DJ Beowvlf
Off the Record is a show from 88.1 WKNC in which DJs talk with artists about everything from their music to upcoming tours to former bandmates birthdays. Make sure to follow WKNC on SoundCloud and Tumblr so you never miss a beat. Enjoy. This is a podcast brought to you by WKNC 88.1. The following content may contain profane language and subject matter. Listener discretion advised.
00:51
Jack
All right, I'm Jackeryne here at Dreamville Festival and I'm honored to be joined by my man Mez here. Mez, how you feeling?
01:00
Mez
Thank you, man. I feel amazing, bro. Thank you so much for doing the interview. I love 88. 1.
01:04
Jack
Hell yeah. That's what I like to hear. Yeah, you absolutely kill that. So how did it feel to perform in front of a Raleigh crowd once again?
01:10
Mez
It was amazing, bro. It was amazing. I was honored to be able to open it up, you know what I'm saying? The first person people heard when they walked in.
01:16
Jack
Yeah, it was perfect. It felt right walking into a Raleigh festival with, like, the man himself. Yeah. So when's the last time you've been to Raleigh? Did you play?
01:24
Mez
I was here like two months ago, but I wasn't performing. But, you know, I live in Los Angeles. Los Angeles. I've been out there like five years now.
01:30
Jack
Yeah. So.
01:31
Mez
Yeah. But I miss the crib.
01:32
Jack
Cool. Yeah. So how's that been going for you? Does it feel. You feel like you're like, finally settled in?
01:36
Mez
Oh, man. Yeah, it's amazing, bro. And it's crazy, cuz…My hand is in the film thing a little bit too. I don't know if you know, I directed the Middle Child video.
01:42
Jack
Yes. Yeah. Which is an incredible video, by the way. Seriously, like, that was a masterpiece.
01:47
Mez
Thank you so much, bro.
01:49
Jack
Also, I'll definitely be getting into that too. Yeah. For those who don't know too much about Mez, he's been directing. He's been about to drop a new album, if I'm not mistaken. And he's on the new Revenge of the Dreamers. So are you doing a shift towards, like, directing or are you more.
02:07
Mez
Nah, man. I mean, I'm putting an album on the summer, bro. Oh, yeah. I got. I got some big features. You know, I'm gonna say who, but there's one guy that you could probably guess that might be up there.
02:16
Jack
Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah.
02:17
Mez
It's gonna be a lot. It's gonna be a lot. It's gonna be Great.
02:19
Jack
That's super exciting. Like, you started working with Dr. Dre.
02:27
Mez
Yeah.
02:28
Jack
All within, like, a year And a half, two years. You were working with Dr. Dre, Kanye.
02:32
Mez
Yeah. Hell, yeah.
02:33
Jack
And, like, Anderson Paak, just, like, basically all of my favorite artists. How has that experience affected, like, your creative process and output? Because obviously, you got a lot of attention all at once. Coming.
02:44
Mez
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:46
Jack
Coming from that situation.
02:47
Mez
I'm grown, bro. You know, I grew a lot. You know what I'm saying? I think iron sharp is iron, you know, and this did wonders for my creativity. Yeah, Yeah, I think so. Hey, J. What up? Hey. He in the interview now?
03:01
Jack
Yeah. JID coming through.
03:05
Mez
Hell, yeah.
03:06
Jack
Super excited to see that set as well. And so you said again, you just feel like, overall, it's made you grow as an artist. Yeah. And so I guess another question I have for you. Like, did you feel any pressure coming from that situation? Or, like, you know, you got a lot of media attention and stuff like that.
03:24
Mez
So for you, did it change everybody in it? Everybody in it.
03:29
Jack
We got Kaz, JID, everybody, the whole Dreamville crew in the interview. I love it. True North Carolina event.
03:34
Mez
I love it, man. Come on, bro. But I think you get. Get to the end of that question one more time. Yeah.
03:39
Jack
So I was just curious. So with all the attention you got from working with Dr. Dre.
03:43
Mez
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:44
Jack
From a lot of people in the U.S. like, Mez was on the map for you, did that pressure have any effect on your creativity or. It was for you, it was just like.
03:52
Mez
I mean, if anything, I mean, I think I do best with pressure. I do best with, you know, with high intensity situations. For me, the whole. The whole. The business side of this shit is what I've been figuring out. You know what I mean? And that's what we finally got locked in right now. You know, I know how I'm putting the project out. I know who I'm putting it out with. You know what I'm saying?
04:11
Jack
Yeah, yeah. That's like navigating the inner workings.
04:14
Mez
That was really. That was everything. You know what I'm saying? So. But, yeah, as far as the creative, man, all this shit ever really showed me being around these people and then fucking with me was the fact that I'm supposed to be here. That's all it showed me, was wild Dre fucking me, Kanye fucking me, you know, I mean, I'm sorry for cursing.
04:28
Jack
Oh, no. You know, yeah, you're good. We can edit that out.
04:31
Mez
It just mean that I'm supposed To be here. You know what I'm saying? I don't even feel like I'm always thankful. I'm super thankful when I get in the situation. But the truth is I just be feeling like I'm supposed to be there, you know?
04:41
Jack
Right. Yeah. It's just like a matter of being patient with the process. Yeah. And that was something like, I've thought about a lot with you just because I've been following your career since you've been like, doing mixtapes and stuff.
04:51
Mez
Yeah, it's.
04:52
Jack
It seems like your work involves, like a lot of patience. And just lyrically, I just think that definitely. I think being patient is definitely showing that you're where you're supposed to be.
05:06
Mez
Come on, bro. It ain't when you come out, it's how you come out. That's what I'll be trying to explain to people. If you do it the right way. See, now I'm about to come out as multifaceted, creative, you know what I'm saying? Oh, wow. He directs music videos at that level. You know, clothes and fashion and music. Like, it's gonna be exactly what I always wanted it to be, you know, you just gotta stay diligent.
05:25
Jack
Yeah, exactly. And.
05:26
Mez
Yeah.
05:27
Jack
Does it feel like living in LA for 5 years? Does it feel weird when you come.
05:30
Mez
Back to Raleigh, man, it feels buttery. The only thing that's weird is the city. It looks so damn different. Yeah, it's crazy.
05:36
Jack
Dick's Park. Like, for example, this is 10 years ago.
05:38
Mez
I was telling people this was like down there, insane asylum type shit. You know what I mean?
05:41
Jack
Yeah. Seriously, 20 years ago, it was an insane asylum. To see it looking like a stereotypical, like, great festival.
05:48
Mez
Yeah.
05:50
Jack
Just going back to, like. I'll wrap up pretty quick with you here. I just was curious what effect living in North Carolina has had on your creative output.
06:00
Mez
I think if it wasn't for being from North Carolina, I wouldn't be as cool with that peace and that steady pace and that diligence.
06:06
Jack
Right.
06:06
Mez
This is a very introspective place and make you go inside yourself, you know? And I'm rooted and grounded because I'm from here. It made it easier to navigate the industry and not lose myself or lose my vision, you know. North Carolina had a lot to do with that.
06:19
Jack
Yeah. Cool. Another thing I was thinking about just recently, sound wise, has it had any effect on, like, do you think there is, like a North Carolina sound? Because it's interesting seeing artists like Rhapsody. You go out to la, then J Cole?
06:36
Mez
Yeah. Yeah.
06:36
Jack
You know, it seems like he's got some, like, New York influences. You think North Carolina has its own sound or do you think it's more combining other stuff?
06:43
Mez
I would say so. It's hard, though, man, because we're the south, but we're also on the east coast. So I feel like I can hear New York and J. Cole. I can hear New York. And a lot of us from outside, we like rap. Like North Carolina rappers can rap. All of us, even the baby who just came out of Charlotte, you can rap.
06:59
Jack
You know what I'm saying?
06:59
Mez
So, like, that's the cool part about us is, like, you got the country part, but we could rap. So I think. I don't think there's as much of a sound as much as there is that very specific characteristic. Even with Rhapsody, like, we all might have different sounds, but everyone from North Carolina can really actually rap. Not nobody. That's, like, weak, you know?
07:16
Jack
Exactly. Yeah.
07:17
Mez
I really love that about us. We kept that part of the culture, you know?
07:20
Jack
Yeah, definitely.
07:21
Mez
We preserve it.
07:22
Jack
If you can't spit, essentially, you will not make it in the North Carolina.
07:24
Mez
Preserve it. For sure. For sure.
07:26
Jack
That's awesome.
07:27
Mez
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
07:29
Jack
And so, yeah. So you directed the Middle Child J. Cole video. You're on the new Revenge of the Dreamers, Is that correct? Oh, my God. So, yeah, for those who don't know about Revenge of the Dreamers, who just list off a couple names we got on there. I know, like, just like, literally everybody.
07:42
Mez
Say too much, but I'll say what.
07:45
Jack
I've heard, basically, like, legendary producers, kenny beats, Illmind, 9th wonder, J. Cole, all these people. Yeah, just basically every rapper in the industry all in one room, which is crazy to think about.
07:59
Mez
Incredible, bro. When you hear it, you're going to love it, bro. And I'm on that thing a few times. I feel good.
08:05
Jack
This is what I like to hear. Any chance you could any tips on whether we're going to hear some Revenge of the Dreamers today or.
08:12
Mez
I'm going let you know something right now. If you hear it. I'm going to be on stage. And now I'm going end it like that, man.
08:17
Jack
Thank you so much.
08:18
Mez
I appreciate it.
08:19
Jack
Thank you so much, man. Yeah, it's great talking to you, man.