Xavier Holliday, a talented up-and-coming Chicago emcee spoke with The Source. 

Xavier Holliday is a talented up-and-coming Chicago emcee with a team from Jay Z’s LifeAndTimes.com behind him. He’s been on a few tracks with Iman Shumpert and just dropped a great Speaker Knockerz freestyle. Check out the interview:

 

What would you say the difference is from an emcee to a rapper?

Xavier Holliday:  A rapper is more so boxed into just rapping over Mp3s. It goes more into the physical aspect of it too because emcees at shows they can move the crowd. The people in the crowd can relate to them. Even if you don’t relate to them, you’re going to respect them. Emcees command respect when they’re speaking over anything. I don’t think a rapper does.

 

When was that moment you knew you were here to emcee?

Xavier: It started out young for me. When I used to do speeches to large crowds of people, I’ve never gotten nervous.  A lot of people get stage fright or they get nervous with public speaking. Growing up I’ve always been placed in leadership roles, whether I wanted to or didn’t.  I’ve just accepted it, that was a big part of it for me. All my life I’ve been placed in a role where I’ve been speaking publicly. I just like it, its a rush. I love it.

 

Tell me your experience working with Iman Shumpert (New York Knicks).

Xavier: I’ve known him for so long. We came up together, we went to the same high school. Working with him we have the same lingo, we came up on the same side of the city. When he and I get together we always have fun, we’re so much a like for as life. We call each other for advice. We’re really friends. Him being on the knicks is still surreal sometimes because you’re like man I grew up with this dude and he’s on espn top 10 dunking on people. He and I have always done music; poetry and rap.

 

Why was Iman wearing Carmelo’s jersey in the”Anarchy” video?

Xavier: That’s a funny thing. It was a conscious decision. The day of the video-shoot we we’re in Soho  looking for what to wear.  He was like ‘Do you think I should wear my jersey or should I wear this one?’. We thought about it, and I was like wear Melo’s jersey because the whole concept behind that video, was just what the title says ‘Anarchy’. Nothing in the video was supposed to seem calculated, it was supposed to be a random chain of events and that’s what that was. Instead of wearing your own jersey, wear someone else’s. You’re a sneaker head put a shoe on your head you know?  We took it to the literal. I was walking on top of garbage disposals, it was a fun day.

 

Talk about Lifeandtimes with Jay-z.

Xavier: It’s a learning experience., everyday you’re learning. Being out in New York you meet so many people, you go so many places, I would recommend that. There’s things that you could learn for everyday lifestyle. With Life and Times, you learn how to deal with people, you  learn how to deal with yourself, marketing, design. You meet artists, models, athletics, revolutionaries. Just an awesome experience.

 

What made you do the ‘Speaker Knockerz’ freestyle?

Xavier: I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe everything happens for a reason. The timing of it was really weird. I had just got put on to the song “Lonely’ by one of my younger homies in Chicago. I’m like this sh*t hard who is this? I thought he was a producer. It just so happen a week after that, I heard news of it that he passed. It was really a spare of the moment thing.

 

Where in your life were you when you made your ep?

Xavier: The “Need To Know” ep, it was towards the end of last summer. I was in Florida with Iman. I hadn’t released a full length project in a while. I’ve been getting complainants from people. The weird thing about it is it sounds real cohesive and I recorded it in a 10 hour session.  I want to make people feel uncomfortable with a lot of the things I’m talking about. I want to make you think why is this not okay but I like that. With my music you get to see both sides of me. The real chill side and the real passionate side that gets loud.

 

What is the movement S.W.A.Y. with Iman?

Xavier: Start With Approving Yourself. We really don’t care what people are worried whawe have on. He takes some fashion risks that other people may not approve of. Why are people so worried with what other people are doing? Approve of what you’re doing, just worry about what you’re doing and everything else will go how it’s supposed to go. We are making S.W.A.Y. a world, we are the royals that control it. Sulton of S.W.A.Y.is what I refer myself to.

 

Explain your brotherhood.

Xavier: 3ABM is an array of  Black Moguls. It began in high school, we all had similar aspirations and similar drives. I look at it like we are all moguls in training, we’re looking for ways to fulfill what we what to do as well as what our  friends and families want  us to do. We’re not at the level yet of a mogul but we’re well on our way.

 

Check out his video (doesn’t his voice remind you of Andre’  3000)

Tiy Hampton, @_tiy_