cHiNcHeCk Australia

cHiNcHeCk is the winner of our 3rd audio tournament, the second Openmic tournament he has won. The 3rd audio tournament was a topical/battle hybrid. He beat The Janitor, ASIATICLION, and EazyE before his marginal victory over S.T.E.E.L. to reach the final vs. SIINASTAH.

Goldmic: How long have you been emceeing and how did you get started?

cHiNcHeCk: I started doing "text" stuff around 1999, jumping from board to board battling and trying to get my lyrics up to par, Did that for 2 yrs until i decided to attempt audio, Which was February 2001.
So all in all i have been emceeing for about 18 months on and off.
I got into it after hearing my boy Javid rap, He had this track called "Concrete Thoughts" that was dope as hell, And that really got me into trying to make something as creative myself.

Goldmic: Who were some of your influences and first hip-hop artists you listened to?

cHiNcHeCk: Well one of my friends from round my area got me into 2pac, About 1994, And since then i have listened and admired such artists as: Bone Thugs N Harmony, Crooked I, Twista, Onyx, Eminem/D12, Nas, 50 Cent
to name a few, They have all heavily influenced me.

Goldmic: Tell us about the songs you have recorded so far, which ones are most meaningful to you?

cHiNcHeCk: I have made a fair amount of songs, Most of which nobody has heard.
I can't pick one as the most meaningful, But a few that come to mind as the most direct with the messages i was trying to deliver are:

"I Hate This World" - (Not only did i try to come as hard as i could against a formiddable opponent, But i could relate to the topic, Express my utmost emotions through the lyrics, And back the message through a great beat and strong flow)

"Rage" - This song me and my boy Javid did, He sang chorus and i laced the beat.
It was an attempt at expressing the anger that i hold within, And how i feel when i reach the limit and the temper starts to rise.
It was hard for me to exactly put into words my feelings, But i think i did an OK job of it, And so it remains one of the most meaningful songs to me.

And last but not least a song i did called "Kizzy"
It was about the feelings i had for a girl, At one point, That horribly went wrong and the usual cliche`ending occured.

Goldmic: What equipment do you use to record, do you ever record in the studio?

cHiNcHeCk: I DID (Past tense due to my soundcard dying about 13 hrs ago) have a Soundblaster Live.
And i use a PC mic that cost me close to nothing and that is currently taped up so much i can barely see microphone..lol

Goldmic: How would you describe your style?

cHiNcHeCk: My style is a blend. Unique. I am yet to find anyone with a style like mine, Which is a goal i was aiming for since i started.
It may not be for everyones tastes but i'd rather be original then the same ol' same ol.
I also consider my style diverse/versatile.

Goldmic: What process do you use when writing your verses? Any particular approach you take to get ideas flowing?

cHiNcHeCk: Unlike alot of people, I let the beat choose what i write.
I write to the beat, I put it on repeat and i sit there and let my heart & soul do the talking/writing for me.
After i have a page of lyrics, I then go back and try to fix little parts to make my flow as flawless as i can get it.

Goldmic: Have you ever performed live or battled face to face?

cHiNcHeCk: Nope.
I have had many offers but i am not confident enough.
I know i have ALOT to improve on, Im still a newborn baby compared to alot of emcee's, And i know where my flaws lie, So until i actually improve on the faults i won't go on stage.

Goldmic: You've won two of our audio tournaments. Tell us about your experiences at Openmic so far.

cHiNcHeCk: I love this site.
It functions like no other around.
And alot of people actually appreciate me, I also have a whole lot of haters but hey, that goes with the territory i spose.
I feel it has helped me evolve as an emcee, I have learnt alot from others.

Goldmic: What are the most important elements in becoming a talented emcee?

cHiNcHeCk: Heart, Soul, Passion.
These three things are the elements i think every emcee should hold.
It is these things that drive people to push the boundaries, And evolve into something much more.

Goldmic: What is your favorite and least favorite style of rap and why?

cHiNcHeCk: I cant pinpoint one style of rap as my favorite.
There are many i can really feel and appreciate.
Some of these would be: Sentimental (Some real deep ish that people can relate to) and Battle (I love to hear how creative people can be with words, Manipulating sentences to attack there nemesis)

Least favorite, If it can be classed as a style, Would be that Bling Bling/ Braggadocio shit.
Its uncreative, Its heard everywhere, And is usually based around the same message - "I will kill you, bla bla bla, im the best"

Goldmic: How do you feel about battle rap, what does it mean to you and what can it accomplish?

cHiNcHeCk: I got into battle rap to improve my use of metaphors, Similies and Wordplay.
I think "Battle" rap is useful but is not a great base for emceeing.
Yes it can give u respect, Yes it teaches you alot.
But in the end all tracks by battle emcee's usually end up being battle orientated and bores people quite quickly.

Goldmic: What other types of music do you listen to, and do you feel it influences your hip-hop recordings?

cHiNcHeCk: I appreciate ALL music that can grab my attention and hold it.
I LOVE all different types of music'.
Music is just in my genes so to speak, I am one of those types that can hear a non-hiphop track but still get shivers down the spine and literally FEEL the music.
I think not limiting yourself to one genre' does help you in the end, If your trying to achieve a unique/diverse sound. Also it gives you idea's and creative urges, Well in my case anyway.

Goldmic: What motivates and inspires you?

cHiNcHeCk: My love for music for one, My bottled up emotions, And of course the gratification i get from people actually feeling what i create.

Goldmic: Are you pursuing a career in hip-hop? And what are your other aspirations?

cHiNcHeCk: Well this question is kinda difficult to answer...
I love hiphop, I love what i do, But at the moment, Its just a hobby to me. A release of all the frustration, And emotions that everyday life can bring.
I am currently enlisted to go into the Defence Force.
As much as i would love to be signed to a nice label, I know im far from that level and im looking at my future realistically.
I have weighed out what is most important and what is most logical and i see trying to achieve an unrealistic goal ie emceeing, Would not be as easily achievable as a career in the Defence Force.

Goldmic: If you could hang with any rapper for one day, who would it be and why?

cHiNcHeCk: First on the list would be 2pac, If he were alive, (R.I.P)
Only thing is i dont think i could relate to him as much as i could with Eminem.
I would like to see how Eminem deals with the pressure of fame, And the fact that he is the only white emcee to make it in a stereo-typically black profession.

Goldmic: If your house was burning and you could only save one item (not people) what would it be and why?

cHiNcHeCk: My computer (Yeh make jokes :-P )
It is what i use to rap, It is what keeps me sane. lol
It has opened up so many doors (The internet) and i have made many a friend through the internet.

Goldmic: Any closing remarks or shout outs?

cHiNcHeCk: I'd like to give the most important shoutout to my boy Redogg.
He has stuck with me through all the bullshit, And still managed to make me smile, Thankz dawg.
I'd also like to thank Roachie Clipz, One_Der, T-Dogg, Krytikal.
For being there when i needed to talk to someone, And always giving me the motivation and comments i needed to hear to get my ass in gear.

I would also like to give a shoutout to someone that most people would never think i would give a shoutout to.
S.T.E.E.L
I know we are/were beefin...But all in all you are a DOPE emcee
The best on this site without a doubt, I have respect for you through all the shit man.
You've been doing this thing for a while and i know how bad u wanted the title.
You pushed me to another level when we battled and i thank you for that, No matter the beef we had i think we made OpenMic history and i hope you can at least see that.

Oh yeh i'd like to thank OpenMic, The Site, The People.
For giving me the opportunity to elevate and battle with great emcee's.
Means alot to me.

Peace!

Goldmic: Thank you and good luck battling!