IN BOOTH WITH ETERNIA: Eternia picks her own brain on being a Canadian woman in an American male dominated industry. earwaks.com ETERNIA - It's Called Life By: Eternia Photography by Helene Ehrlich & Che Kothari Earwaks has recently gotten our girl, and former Toronto hip hop mainstay, Eternia to sign on as a special guest contributor, hitting us with the straight goods live from New York City. Once a month, Eternia is going to be be hitting us with interviews from some of New York's most respected and standout artists. But first things first. In this initial installment of "In The Booth With E," Eternia provides us with an introspective, and quite creative concept: Eternia interviewing Eternia! There once was a girl who rapped. She was an Assyrian-Canadian girl born in Ottawa who really had no business rapping. But, who knows what you are and are not supposed to be doing at the age of 8? Not her. She would rap anywhere, for anyone. On the playground in fifth grade, on public transit in ninth grade, in bars when she was supposed to be in tenth grade (yes she was underage), at open mic spots and street corners in the tweflth grade, on national television by university, and finally headlining venues internationally by the time she graduated university. This is the story of that girl. As told to and by herself. Her name is Eternia.BR> BR> Do I have to ask all the questions all the other journalists always ask you? Is it really necessary to find out 'what it's like to be a female mc in hip hop AGAIN? I don't know. Asking me that is like asking someone from China, "So. How does it feel to be Chinese?" or like asking a man, "Is it weird or uncomfortable at work for you to carry around that penis?" Please don't ask me that again. If you ask me that I may have to kill you. Which I guess would be me killing myself, since you are me… aarrghhh fahget it. You're not really from Toronto, although you've come to be known as a Toronto head. Where are you really from? I love Toronto. And I do consider Toronto my 'hip hop' home since I really grew into the artist I am today in Toronto. But I was born in Ottawa, and lived there until I was twelve. I consider a whole lot of places 'home', and none at the same time. We have a running joke when I tour that every other place I get on stage, I'm like, "Yo whattup! I went to middle school here!" or "Whats good! I went to kindergarten here!" or "my people! I used to stay up the block from here". My heart lies in a bunch of places. I can easily say I've lived in ten different places in Ontario alone. Why NYC? And why now? We heard the Rotten Apple ain't what it used to be. I've always wanted to be able to say 'I did NY', that I lived there. I've been back and forth to NYC since I was fifteen and moved outta my parents house. I made a lot of really good friends, established some strong music contacts in the mid-late nineties there. I should've moved there then, since things were poppin' a lot more for indie hip hop artists then. But I came home and made graduating high school and university a priority instead. So I'm back there, ten years later, thinking to myself, umm am I too late? It's not a positive prognosis, but I'ma stick it out. Good things have been happening. Been meeting good people, people I never dreamed I'd hang out with and work with and know. And in the end, I'ma just sprinkle the seed and when its taken root, I'll bounce to the next destination. Why the short skirts? Why the sexy photos? Have we come this far only to peddle backwards by your short skirts? I never thought my pictures were that sexy. I've seen a lot more risqué photos than mine. But I guess for authentic hip hop heads it may be foreign (take that however you want). The other day my video director, a woman, and makeup artist, also a woman, mentioned that I have some sort of natural sensuality that permeates - like as a character trait - that they were trying to capture on film. They didn't wanna try to hide it or mask what's naturally a part of me. I would never say that about myself, but maybe they had a point. It's just naturally who I am. I like feeling and dressing like a grown ass woman. And if I wasn't an emcee, who is being critiqued half the time, I would dress a lot more womanly a lot more of the time. And I hate jeans. Any time anyone ever sees me wearing jeans… know that I am hating every single minute of it. What do you feel the greatest difference is between the Canadian and U.S. Hip Hop Industry? Canadians seem to be more about craft, less about packaging. We are more about taking time to get it done right, then rushing to get it out now. Canadians are less about hype, and more about content and substance. We are more about skills, less about image. We are critical but not as hyper critical as Americans; we can appreciate hip hop that's 'good' but not 'classic'. We aren't as focused on what the next man is putting out, what the hot single is. This is of course a broad generalization,something that I'm good at; there's exceptions to every rule. What's your position on hip hop bulletin boards? The boards obviously have a position on you! I'm pretty much indifferent. I skim some of them once every few months. It takes a lot for me to post. I may have visited others on occasion, but not anymore. I think that there's some shockingly negative stuff on boards. I think it gives courage to talentless critics who would normally be mute cowards. At the same time, I think I have read some pretty uplifting things about myself and other artists too…. So it's really all in how you look at it. I just prefer not to look at all, for my sanity's sake! You know a lot of people, personally, who have been successful at this hip hop career thing. How come you ain't yet? I'd like to think it's all about putting in more time, and I'll be there in the same ranks as my peers soon enough. But maybe it's more about timing, and in that case maybe the ship has already sailed for artists like me. Only one way to find out… and I can't live without knowing. What star do you think you'd be best friends with, if only you had a chance to meet em? Alicia Keys. I know everybody and they' mother identifies with her. But really, I think its uncanny how she be saying stuff in interviews at times, and I'm like… was that me speaking right there? What do you really think about your debut album, "It's Called Life"? I think I accomplished everything I planned on accomplishing. But I know all of its' weaknesses too. I know it's dark, and slow-tempo, and all the content is serious, and maybe 'too' personal for some people who listen to hip hop for other reasons. I know people wanted to hear more of me spittin' and less sharing. I don't make any apologies for any of those things; I don't even think those are things to be ashamed of. I think it was a perfect introduction. Do I think I can make better songs? Yes, but not without that debut album as a stepping stone to learn from. The next album will be a whole lot of things that "It's Called Life" wasn't. But I still listen to my first album. A lot. Ideally, what do you want to have done a year from now, if everything goes according to plan? A year from now I would like my second album to be released. On what label, with what kind of distribution, who knows? I would like to work with more high profile producers or, maybe just one producer for an entire album that has my back like that. I would like to try making happy hip hop… does it exist? Without being corny? Perhaps. I would like to have gone back to Europe n Australia, hit Asia for the first time, and toured the U.S. & Canada more. Most importantly, I would like to be living off my craft. Sigh… was I saying that this time last year??? What do you love about yourself? Hate? I love the fact that I'm probably one of the most open-minded people you'll meet. Very few things can shock me. I also love the fact that I express how I feel, even when sometimes I shouldn't… cause I've known people who repress shit, and it's not a pretty picture. I'd rather deal with the fall out of me expressing feelings now, getting shit out (sometimes at the expense of others) than have to deal with psychologist bills when I'm fifty. Hate is a strong word, but I dislike a lot of things. I don't like the fact that I care so much when someone dislikes me. I always think, "But why? If they just knew me, or talked to me…" But really I shouldn't care when strangers don't like me. It's not rational (to care). I care too much in general about what people say or think about me, especially in relation to being a 'woman in hip hop', and I wish I could be more like Madonna or something. Not giving a f*ck. I can also be selfish. I also hate the fact that I ain't stronger. People who know me say I am strong, but I don't feel strong. People walk on me all the time because they feel like they can get away with it, and that's my fault. I hate the fact that I let them. Do female mc's really all wanna duke it out in one big hair-pulling, face-slapping catfight if given half the chance? Laughs, Ummm…Depends on what chicks you referring to. All the female MC's I converse with, hang with, and know? Nah. We are all pretty drama free. I love Tara Chase, she loves me. I love Masia, she loves me. I love all of the Anomalies, they love me. Me and Jean respect each other (can't say love since we ain't know each other like that - hehe), I think Isis is dope as hell on the mic. Me and Tiye Phoenix (Polyrhthmaddicts) respect and help each other out. I got people like Bahamadia and Lin Que and Moni hitting me up & showing love. I got newcomers like me, Nemiss from Chicago and Fallon from Cali and others, organizing shows to give us all shine and reaching out to show love. Me and Psalm One (Rhymesayers) is peoples. I got international ladies hitting me up on the regular to say they support and wanna help any way they can, from Australia to the UK to Malaysia to France to Germany. So nah… the short form answer is nope. Although if paid the right amount for a live pay-per-view event……..hahahah. Talkin' about NYC, I asked some of your peoples to suggest questions I should ask your lazy ass. They came up with the following: Wordsworth: Are you making music for yourself? Or the people? Or both? Good question. Short answer: Both. Long answer: I started making music just cause that's naturally what I loved doing and was good at. Never thought about it beyond that. Obviously as you get older and make more music, you start to think about it more. Now I want to make music other people can feed off too. I think I have done that already in the past, and plan on continuing. Buckwild: Is it hard to work with guys without catchin' feelings? Ha! Only when they as charming as you, my dear (*laughs*). I think women are always viewed as being overly 'emotional' in this biz. But from past experience, I'm no more emotional, whether that be sensitive, or fragile, or liable to catch feelings as the dudes I know in the biz. Usually it's the reverse. Dudes be catchin' feelings. Special Ed: Why is Mindbender in every one of your music videos? Cute! You're so observant. Because he's my bestest friend in the whole wide world. Which means he is my greatest supporter. And I love him for that. I also think he can act. 88 Keys: Do you ever/always classify yourself as a "female m.c.?"? Only when I have to. I.e. Bios, one Sheets, quotes from writers, promo. I would love to never have to ever again. Unfortunately this is part of what makes people interested in what I do. So I don't want to ignore that natural curiosity listeners will have, either. It is what it is.