ALBUM REVIEW hiphopcanada.com ETERNIA - Where I'm At - The Setup Reported by: Johnny Mazaratti New York, NY - In many ways it's the same Eternia with just different surroundings but those familiar with the aspiring emcee can appreciate how quickly and swiftly her craft has continued to mature. Not to mention how she has so naturally molded herself into the music industry and established the beginnings of what we hope is a long lasting career. She's living off her passion and that's the greatest feeling anyone can get in terms of entering the workforce. It's generally a long road filled with potholes and speed traps to obtain that 'A-List' salary status in the music industry, or any industry for that matter, but Eternia is not concerned because her passion for hip-hop and music goes much further then the mighty dollar; you'll see evidence of that in the interview below. In 2005, Eternia AKA Silk Kaya released her critically acclaimed debut album, It's Called Life, and successfully released her 5 th music video, "Love", which also featured her sister, singer Jessica Kaya. She's steadily becoming a household name in various different markets and ultimately this falls in line with her aspirations for international success. She's already established solid foundations in Canada, Australia and now the U.S. and continues into new territories with each new endeavor. In 2006, Eternia earned herself a Juno nominee for Best Rap Recording and completed her first European tour hitting Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Austria and France. When she returned to Canada, she immediately embarked on an AIDS awareness tour with What's The 411 Initiative. After teaming up with Amnesty International on the aforementioned Love with her sister Jessica, Eternia released her 6th music video titled "Struggle" which featured Wordsworth and Kenn Starr. Her latest project is called The Setup and features the new singles "Putcha Hands Up" featuring Wordsworth and the 9th Wonder produced "Nowhere No More" featuring Torae and Toronto's Kim Davis. The latter was recently featured on HipHopCanada.com's Canadian Choice Cuts and was extremely well received by viewers. [Click here to listen to "Nowhere No More" ]. The project features a total of 26 tracks in total and is the first official release coming from Eternia since her album debut. That being said, she has various full-length releases in the works including the highly anticipated album with Apathy of the Demigodz. We caught up with Eternia to discuss The Setup, the new projects, her views on the state of hip-hop in comparison to the scene in New York, the incident with Phonte of Little Brother and various other things. Here's how things went down: HHC: Eternia, it's great to have you back here at HipHopCanada.com. Tell me, how has your summer been thus far and what have you been up to performance wise? Any summer tours we should know about? Man, thank you, it's great to be back! My summer has been crazy; lots of spot dates: Winnipeg, Toronto, NJ, NYC, CT, and I might be doing Cali in a few weeks. I rock in NYC around once a month on average. But more than anything it's been about the release of the new CD. We just had a release party in NYC for that on July 26 th, and it was off the hook! I don't think there's anything like a first time. And this was my first time doing a release party in NYC… a small venue… but packed! The crowd was open. It was very validating. HHC: Nice! Let's get into more background information that we haven't touched on before. To begin with, why rap? What kind of influences brought hip-hop into your life? Rap wasn't something I consciously 'chose'. I think most people that are talented hip-hop artists, that shit just was natural. I was introduced to hip-hop by my older brother when I was around 8 years old, in the late 80's. I missed a lot of 80's history because I'm young, but yeah… it was Public Enemy, 2 Live Crew, Maestro, LL Cool J… the mainstream rap at the time. Then I got into, of course, the Native Tongues thing, the golden era… the 90's indie scene (Rawkus, Fondle 'Em, Fat Beats, etc.). That's what really raised me and my craft mostly. I feel like this has been said by a ton of artists before… [Laughing] I am no different. But yeah, I've been spitting since I was around 8 or 9… documented, on videotape, all that. It was natural, I just never stopped spitting. HHC: If you weren't making music for a living, where would you see yourself? Is there ever a time where you consider, "what if?" (Example: "what if the rap career doesn't pan out?" or "what if the boat has sailed?") This thought used to scare the shit out of me. There never was a Plan B. I did graduate (with honors…Yeah baby!) from Ryerson for Broadcast Journalism. I got my degree. But, music pretty much eclipsed everything else I did or do in my life. So to answer that question is difficult. I'd be interested in a lot of things though. Media, radio-personality, documentary film-making, Cultural Studies research and work… I want to go back to grad school for Cultural Studies (Sociology) actually. I have plans outside of rap. It still scares me though. HHC: How supportive is your family of your career choice? Very. My brother helped finance my first album. At first, the parents and aunts and uncles were probably a little wary. But, by the time your video is on national rotation, they're planning what I'm going to buy them with my first big check! [Laughing] I think it takes being in the national public eye, or being in press, for family to really be like, "She might just have a shot at this." My family is very supportive now. They encourage my dreams and help me when I struggle and sacrifice for those dreams. HHC: You've done a lot of work with your sister Jessica Kaya, including one of your previous singles "Love". Have you guys always been close or would you say that music has brought you guys closer? When did you guys collaborate for the first time? Music definitely brought us closer. We weren't always as tight as we are now. It's funny; we were just talking in the car last night with my parents about how the first collabo came about. It actually was "Love". My sister was mad nervous, she had never recorded in the studio and had just started writing. I was just sharing beats with her that I had for the project, and I think I played her that Mercilless beat and spit the verse I had for it. She was like, "Umm... would you mind if I try to write and record to this? I mean, you don't have to use it." I was like, "Sure! Go for it!" If she had never worked up the nerve to ask that, I would have never thought to ask her to record to it. I'm so glad she did though; it made all the sense in the world. Since then, it's given her confidence to record a lot more and perform… her shit is fire! Think Amel Larrieux, think Sade, think Fiona Apple, but different. I love her writing and music… it's beyond R&B. We are shooting her first music video for a song called "On Blast", I got 16 on that. It's dope. HHC: Your recent blog on MySpace is a pretty harsh synopsis on dudes in the biz… so I guess no boyfriend for E, huh? [Laughing] "Never kissed, fucked, or loved you? Ain't official!" People like to assume. I mean I catch it worse than anybody because I'm a female, and most of my peoples are dudes. I'm so used to the "she sleeps with everyone" rumor that it's like… passé. [Laughing] Can we get inventive people? If you're going to make something up, get a little more creative. And maybe find something to talk about that actually relates to my music. But yeah, I actually commend a lot of Canadian dudes in the biz. I've generally been treated with nothing but respect from them. The U.S. is 100% a different story. I feel like no matter how much I accomplish as a serious artist, it's still just "some chick to try and fuck", down there. They're raised with one thing on their minds no matter whom I am, how talented I am, or what I've done. I can't count how many times I've heard, "I don't care about Eternia… I want to get to know Silk". Well, motherfucker, Eternia is all you're going get! But, there are a few exceptions… generally the dudes you see me work with on tracks. That's respect all around. Anyways, the short form answer to your question is: no boyfriends. Nope. That should be the name of my next album. [Laughing] HHC: Speaking of blogs, I've wanted to follow-up with you in regards to the dispute you had with Phonte of Little Brother. Did you guys ever patch things up? Kind of…. sort of… halfway; we spoke. He had his side, I had made. I'm sure he may still feel he didn't do anything wrong, and that I was wrong to put him on blast. I still feel I didn't do anything wrong, and he was wrong to refer to me that way. So that's where it ends up, where it is. It's a nightmare that I didn't intend on getting that huge, that's for sure. My average blog readership is around 10 people… my intentions were not to have the whole world on that story. But I would never retract anything I said or felt. HHC: Fair enough. So it's common knowledge now that you've deserted us for New York City. What's your defense? That I talk about Toronto every two seconds down here? [Laughing] Ask anybody… I talk about Toronto like its heaven. And compared to here I think it is. But yeah, I left purely for logistical reasons. There are more people in the state of NY then all of Canada. Divide that by people who buy rap records. Divide that by people who buy Canadian rap records. Divide that by people who buy Canadian chick rap records. And you don't get a positive prognosis. I needed to increase my fan base. I felt like I planted seeds in Canada that could be nurtured and grow without me living there. I moved to NYC to plant seeds here. I'll move to Paris one day to plant seeds there. Creatively speaking, I need new environments to stay inspired musically. You stay in one place too long, the inspiration and drive slows down. But, at the end of the day... if I was going to give up the rap career and get a house and a dog and a 9-5… I'd choose to do that in Toronto; any day. HHC: Break down some differences between scene in Toronto and the scene in New York. Man, do you have a couple of days?! [Laughing] The short story is really: anything anybody does in NYC (whether you rap, sell cars, drive a cab, you name it) is driven by money and money alone... nothing else. People are not interested in how dope you spit, if you can battle or if you look good unless that equates to making money, which it can, right?. But yeah… that's all it is here. I could say a lot more, but it all comes back to that. In Canada, yeah people are trying to eat, but we can also be driven by other motives as well. It's not the almighty dollar over our own soul, you know? I believe in balance. HHC: What is your overall take on the state of Canadian hip-hop? Do you think a progression in consumer sales on a wide scale is on the horizon? No, sorry, I don't. Right now the industry is... well, in need of an overhaul. It's not just Canada, it's internationally. The major label model is quickly expiring. YouTube, MySpace, iTunes and everything else have given fans quicker access to artists, while removing the middle man. It's good and it's bad. I think in the end we'll be ok. But right now, sales are down worldwide, from what I understand. Labels aren't taking risks or developing artists anymore. Artists may just have to tour their asses off to put dough in their pocket (à la Classified). I'm ready. I wouldn't mind being on the road over half the year. Promoters, where you at? Let's do this. [Laughing] I'm not scared of hard work. HHC: What's your mission statement? What drives you? The only musical mission, I guess I've developed over the years, is to stay real, genuine, and as down to earth as possible in my music (and of course in life). That sounds like, "bah... whatever", but really think about it: how many rap cats do you know that are actually honest? Brutally honest to the point where they show their own vulnerabilities in their music? Most people I meet or see have the 'rap persona' and then who they actually are is 100% different. My mission is to bring those two together, as much as possible. I'm not about creating an illusion. Like renting a luxury whip for your music video... I hate illusions. I want real life. Film me on the TTC, you feel me? HHC: No doubt. Let's discuss your latest project which has a lot of people talking. You made a lasting impression with your album debut and fans are happy to have another release available. So, that being said, what is "The Setup" really… an album or a mixtape? Aww thank you, that's what's up! It's formatted like a mixtape (blends, cuts). But it has 75% original content and 26 tracks. So call it what you want to call it. I call it "The Setup". We're promoting it like we would an album. The purpose of it was really to get new music out... (It's been two years since the album! Whoa!), and to keep people checking for what I'm up to. 90% of the material was recorded over the last 1.5 years in NYC. It's got a different sound… still me, but progressing. Not as serious or as personal as the album, a little more light hearted, still lyrical. I love it. I hope y'all do too. HHC: You did another track with 9th Wonder, and this time invited Torae & Ms. Davis (Toronto!) on the joint. We just recently featured it on the Canadian Choice Cuts as well. How did that all come together? I'm blessed when people I admire and respect in the game return the respect and acknowledgement. That's what that song is really… 4 people that believe in each others talents, and want to rock with each other. This is grass roots at its finest, people. Originally 9 th sent me a few tracks to write to. I wrote the first verse. Torae and I bumped into each other (he just toured Canada with Marco Polo and E MC and he has a 12" out with Premier), he was like, "Yo! What's good with a collabo?" So I was like, "Here write to this 9 th joint". Then Kimmie happened to be in NYC around that time, and her song with Sizzla was (is) blowing up on Hot 97… she's like a local celebrity around here. So yeah, I actually spit on a few of her tracks and she returned the favor by jumping on my joint. I'm so happy it happened the way it did. HHC: We heard some exciting news that you were putting together a collaborative album with Apathy of the Demigodz. You've known Apathy for years and those types of rumors have always been flying around but it seems this time it's actually happening. What's the scoop? I have a few full length album projects in the works… the one that is closest to completion at this point is a full length with Apathy on production. It's called Eternia by Apathy [Laughing] I love it. I actually think its some of the best music I've ever made. We work incredibly well together in the studio and he produces the hell out of me… doesn't just let me spit; I need that. And I always wanted an album with one producer. People know Ap as an emcee first, but his production is ridiculous. It's taking us awhile cause of his touring schedule, and shit, but it's going to be done before the end of '07. Hopefully it will be out in 2008. I've never been so excited. HHC: Who else should we expect to see you working with down the line? You can't get away from HHC without letting at least 1 or 2 secrets out the bag. It's going to be common knowledge eventually anyways so let's have it now! [Laughing] Man, don't you know that jinxes shit? I know a lot of people. But I can't predict who I'm going to work with in the future… I don't want to jinx shit. I'm serious, I believe in that. Until we have something recorded… then I may let the cat out the bag! [Smiling] HHC: Ok, I can respect that. How about if you had the opportunity to work with any artist/musician/producer etc. in the world, who would it be and why? I have a few. I would love to feature on an Amy Winehouse track. We both have a similar 'take no shit' vibe, and low voices. Somebody recently called me the "rapping Amy Winehouse" the other day… [Laughing] I thought that was funny. Also… Pharoahe [Monch] is a given. [Thinking] Alicia Keys… There's tons. Bjork. Give me some Bjork! HHC: Should we get into some world politics? Nah, let's keep this pleasant [Laughing]. In your opinion, what are the Top 5 rap albums of all time? I hate this question. I honestly do. Not because I couldn't pick top 5 albums I like to listen to a lot, but I think all that shit is so relative. Everyone's different. My personal albums I listened to a lot over the years (not top 5 rap albums of all time, but just what I liked to bump… which can change depending on my mood). 1) Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest 2) Sun Rises In the East by Jeru the Damaja 3) Illadelph Halflife ties with Do You Want More?! by The Roots 4) Illmatic by Nas 5) Enter the Wu-tang by the Wu-tang Clan Don't get me wrong, I love me some Jay and Biggie and even some Tupac, but at the time the albums dropped I didn't catch on… warmed up to those later. Organized Konfusion's Extinction Agenda gets honorable mention HHC: What about the new stuff? Aside from your own material, what project should people definitely be checking for? Saigon. Joell Ortiz. [Thinking] I loved T.I.'s King but haven't done the math on the new record yet. I'm super excited about Common's new album but that's just because I love me some Common. I want to hear Nick Fury (Richmond, Virginia) finish an album, he's 're-dunk-ulous' to me. More that I can't remember now… HHC: How about on the big screen? Which movie(s) are you co-signing for 2007? Man I'll be honest with you I don't really stay in the loop like that. I'll watch a movie and be like "that was the most significant film I ever saw in my life", and forget that shit the next day. I've never been that pop-culture junkie. But I will co-sign for SICKO. I was like, "Yes! Score!" every 2 minutes. He fucking hit the nail on the head with that one. HHC: For sure. Thanks for coming through Eternia. It's always great to have you. Anything we didn't touch on that you wanted to discuss? Any shout-outs? Shout out to my manager Azar for all the hard work. To Darryl, Kyle, and Rev at Urbnet for always holding me down. And to HHC for never dropping the ball on Eternia endeavors! But, most importantly: those who are independent minded music heads that form their own opinions, based on what they feel, unbiased by others or speculation. You are leaders. You are why I do this! Make sure to vote for "Putcha Hands Up" featuring Wordsworth on the Megacity Countdown! (http://www.hiphopcanada.com/megacitycountdown) Editor's note: For more information on Eternia check out and .