I was working in the Rampage office when I was approached by one of my editors informing me that I was to interview a rapper that I had previously never heard of. So it was then that I met local rapper Gentle Jamie.I was informed, before meeting the man, that Jamie was eccentric, a real character, I suppose. The day came and based on my experience with artists and musicians I prepared myself to deal with a “talk show” personality. However, I found Jamie Nelson to be so much more than a mere persona.Jamie is a fantastically approachable guy. He gave off no artistic pretension or invasive aggressiveness. Iin fact, he was well-humored and pleasant. Don’t get me wrong, Nelson asserted a booming personality, but he was a fun, nice guy.
Before the interview, we spoke of classic films such as “Cat People”, “Demons, and “The Night of the Living Dead”. We discussed the importance of films such as these and their impact on the history of entertainment and their individual reflections of their era’s cultural climate.
As soon as we jumped into the interview a switch flipped and from Nelson came a refreshingly professional demeanor, though he remained himself. We discussed his latest album “Survivor Series” and its recent distribution in Japan. He told me about his excitement for the overseas release and his hope to travel over and tour the area.
“Thats the biggest dream in the world for me. The coolest thing I can think of is doing shows somewhere other than California because of rap, like, ‘we’re paying you to come over to Japan and do some raps’ thats the coolest thing ever to me.” Nelson said.
From his new developments to his early life, we discussed what drives him and why he chose the rap medium as his primary means of expression. I really found, in the way he described his life, a passion for his work that is inspiring. “When I’m being cutesy I’ll mention things that are out of the box like horror films or Hank Williams Senior Records but root of why I do rap, its saturated in my solo album, is gangster rap.” Nelson said. That love for gangster rap and classic movies bleeds into his work. Seriously, check out “Survivor Series” the quality and theatricality of the album is very impressive.
Upon first listen one might think the album a collection of random songs but within the overtop nature of the album rests an honest well-written storyline (my favorite chapter being the track “Maxine”). It’s like hearing a comic book; a loud, hilarious comic book. “This is my version of gangster rap album. Its filled with violence but from the perspective of an idiot nerd dude who just watched the movie”
Gentle Jamie’s new album and various merchandise are availiable online at www.gentlejamie.com
