It Takes A Village: Kolgate

Kolgate, a Cleveland native who’s on a steady hustle, and grind.
With 2 previously released albums, Kolgate is preparing do more in the near future.
With songs like “216“, and “It Takes A Village“, Kolgate pays homage to his city, and neighborhood through out his music, while expressing true emotion.
Not your average artist, delivering a unique ‘alternative’, influenced hip-hop vibe.
Lets find out what Kolgate is doing to push forward in this crazy music industry.

Kolgate: Whats up?

216thetakeover.com: Chillin’, and working, how’s everything going for you?

Kolgate: Not to much, just got off of work.

216thetakeover.com: So, where exactly did you grow up?

Kolgate: I grew up in Cleveland, Slavic Village area.

216thetakeover.com: You go deep with the emotion in your music, why so?

Kolgate: I feel like, that lacks in music right now. Especially hip-hop, their are not a lot of rappers that seriously touch base with that now. It’s more about ‘cappin’ especially in Cleveland, and I’m not going to rap about things I don’t have, and haven’t worked to get. So, I’m going to talk about what I do have, and that is my past; my history. That’s the best thing to talk about because I know I’m not lying. All that emotional stuff is real to me, and I feel I can convey that perfectly on a rap beat. All people go through ‘it’ so why not talk about it.

216thetakeover.com :So, what is it that influences you to write?

Kolgate: Day to day, I mean I never really had a strong influence. I just started doing it. It’s something that kind of helped me. I used to write short stories, and a project in school came up to write a song. At the time I wasn’t really listening to a lot of music, just what was on the radio. The song I wrote, happened to be written like a rap, and my teacher made a comment like “oh your gonna be a rapper”. I never really took it as anything, but what encourages me right now, that its a really good way to vent. I could be out being violent but, instead I write it out.

216thetakeover.com: Why should people listen to Kolgate?

Kolgate: People should listen to me because I feel that my music versus other music is like free therapy. It’s me saying things that other rappers might be ashamed to say; like people don’t want that light shined on em’. I’m not afraid to say anything, if it happen to me, it happened. It’s my life, but clearly I’m not the only person in the world to experience certain things. I feel like listening to my music, is a good way to look inside of yourself almost, and say “wow that happen to me two, I’m not the only one”. It’s a good way to experience things through someone else’s eyes as well. Their might be someone in the suburbs, like some rich kid who’s never in his whole life experienced the things I have. Maybe he never even knew about it, until he heard my songs. I feel that’s a pretty good reason to listen to me.

216thetakeover.com: Is hip-hop music, or a culture?

Kolgate: Hip-hop to me is a culture, it always has been. Hip-hop to me is like Eric B., Rakim, B-boyin’, taggin’. Now, you don’t have a lot of that going on, I mean you have cats like Common, and Talib Kweli. It’s not on all MTV, and it’s not what kids are seeing. I think rap is the culture now, because every body is sleeping on hip-hop.

216thetakeover.com: Can you tell me about your most recent tracks?

Kolgate: The last track I did was called “It Takes a Village”. It’s about growing up here on fleet, watching the neighborhood change. When I was younger it was predominately a Polish neighborhood. A lot of old folks, wasn’t really many kids around, it was kept pretty nice. Over time buildings started getting knocked down, and things started changing. Just like in any part of city, just natural progression, and change in a city. I saw a lot of kids, I saw growing up despairing, and moving away… new people moving. I felt like I’ve had some friend who’ve been there with me, through it all, and seen the change. They where feeling the same thing I was, like what happened. This used to be so different, there is so much violence now, so many houses getting burnt down. It wasn’t always like that, and the Ave. is gettin’ a bad wrap, I felt like I needed to talk about that. It’s consistently on the news with happened here, and this there. I just tried to pain a better picture.

216thetakeover.com: Who all is on the production team?

Kolgate: I do a lot of my own production, but I exclusively mess with this one fellow, his name’s Eric. He doesn’t really mess with hip-hop, he’s more of a techno producer. I tell him what I want, and he can do it. He’s just that talented. Most of the stuff you hear on my myspace, I did them myself, some of them where given to me by people who like my music, and said my style might fit their beat, and they’re usually right. I can pretty much rap over anything, I really like classical sounds stuff, with piano’s. No production, just me, and who ever feels like helping me out.

216thetakeover.com: Anyone from the 216 your looking to work with?

Kolgate: I’m looking to work with everybody! I’d really like to do a song with Corey Bapes. I’ve worked with his manger Truth, and did a couple songs at his studio. I like everything he’s put out, I think it’s got a good sound to it. It’s not necessarily the same style of music as me, but I think that’s one of the good things about myself, and Cleveland in general. We are all versatile, it would be a good balance. Also, Young Shank, I like what he’s doing.

216thetakeover.com: What the next step for you, with your music?

Kolgate: I’m in talks right now with an independent record label out of Detroit called Pinegrove Records. They are showing interest in signing me as a solo artist, and also my group act. It’s hip-hop influenced, but it’s comedy. The next step is just getting out there, and doing all of the paper work. With that will come with all of distribution on Itunes, and stuff like that.

216thetakeover.com: Last but not least, how did you end up with the name Kolgate?

Kolgate: It was given to me at South High, in my 9th grade year. The teacher asked what everyone’s nick name was, and I didn’t have one. Out of no where this girl said “I’m going to call you Colgate”, I was like why? She said “because your white like the toothpaste”. I hated it for the whole year, then naturally people would call me that jokingly, and by senior year I loved it. Then when I walked a crossed the stage for graduation, and to hear people yelling it, it kind of hit me then I’m going to go by this from now on. It kind of works, I like it because it calls attention.

Thanks again Kolgate, it was good speaking you.

To all of the true hip-hop heads, looking for a fresh sound. Check out Kolgate on myspace, download a track or, two. Enjoy!

Kolgate – 216

Kolgate – It Takes A Village