Bridgeport, Connecticut independent hip-hop artist Call Me Ace has only just begun to mark his territory in the game. He continues to challenge the reality of what it means to be Black across the globe.
Growing up, how did your relationship with schooling mold who you are today?
School definitely became my hustle and helped push me past the situations that I was living in. I was a financial aid kid throughout my college experience, so being able to leverage that blessing really helped show me a life that I otherwise wouldn’t have known. My education is a crucial element of just who I am as a brand; through my music and how I want to communicate to my listeners. It’s shaped what I do outside of the music and my job by striving to give back and help provide high quality education for other people as well. Being a first-generation Jamaican-American also played a role in who I am.
Being a first-generation college student also throws a learning curve towards your direction. What lessons have you taken from being a child of Jamaican immigrants?
Survival is the name of the game, is how my dad raised me. Also, I have to constantly remind myself the privilege I have with my education, because you know my parents didn’t have the opportunities I had. Not only is it a privilege; it’s a power. For this reason, I try to stay mindful of that when I hear my mom and my dad speak on political topics here in America. All that to say education is very important, and I love it and I don’t think just because I have these degrees, I’m better than anyone that doesn’t. My dad didn’t move past the eighth grade, but I see him to be a very smart person and he’s taught me a lot of common sense and survival tactics that I still use to this day. Same thing with my mom, she’s shown me I can dream bigger than what rational logic would allow me to and that’s how I’ve gotten myself in this world with having these jobs as well as rapping.
Along with the double life you’re living in your careers, what lessons are you able to transfer between the two?
I love that question. I took structure and organization from the corporate world to help with the business side of my music career. Being a consultant and always presenting for the higher ups taught me how to build credibility and rapport with people who are above me. Then, using my work ethic as credibility to gain access to those rooms. I bring that to my music and make sure I pay attention to how I present my music career so when I talk to my sync licensing company, I have everything prepared like a business presentation for a smooth and successful transaction.
Your duality gave you the insight to recognize the benefit of treating your music career like your business.
Yes, so for me it’s important to understand my business like the back of my hand. I need to know all my metrics, and easily be able to find all my information. For example, I know preciously where all my songs are. So, when it comes to my sync licensing, he’s told me he doesn’t usually work with rappers but working with me is different because I’m legitimately on my game. I’m able to build a reputation from my work ethic along with my talents. From the music side of things, it’s shown me the ability to just creatively think. I don’t want to just ride the same wave as everyone else; I want to create a new sound to push people to think different. So being able to learn from that standpoint, especially independently, has shown me if I encounter an issue I can use my creativity to solve any situation that’s thrown my way.
That explains how you’re able to already be working on your sixth project.
Definitely, I value how I utilize my time. There’s this one song on my last project I dropped called “Waste Time”, and I wrote it with no inspiration, or motivation. I literally start the song with saying:
“It’s kinda weird to not have no motivation / I’m so used to being the engine for others / Start up my brothers,Turn ‘em to a startup or something- “
I was like okay, here we go. I relate it to Steph Curry shooting half court shots, like he didn’t just come out the womb shooting these shots, right? He had to start walking and dribbling and all that kind of stuff and then learn how to shoot and progressively move further and further away from the hoop. But he had to keep doing it. It shows talent is cool, but it goes back to the work ethic. I’d rather have my reputation be, “This man can work”.
While using your musical talents to create dope music, how are you using your gifts to uplift the culture?
Honestly, I’ve always had it in pieces if people really listen. From my song, “Positive Vibes” in 2016 talking about people getting shot to making “Burning” in 2017, and my song “Airplane Mode” were I’m conveying how I still feel like I’m on a slave planation still even though the times has changed. When it comes to my music, I’ve always talked about it and its always been a part of my story. Specifically, within this past year, I just want to say more. So, when I think about the music, its cool to see I have fans in Russia, and fans in South Africa. Thanks to technology; but it becomes not just how am I getting it to them, but what I’m getting to them. These are global issues so what am I saying? I’m always thinking how can I bring forth this message to my listeners and how can my lyrics speak to them…It becomes my responsibility to use my music for a purpose. I want to use my words to speak up in these moments of despair.
Tiara Cooper
