We’ve talked about Michael Myerz here before. In a way, he’s a sort of phenomenon: releasing anywhere from 2-4 records a year, it’s clear from his lyrics and overall demeanor that this dude does not give a fuck what you think of him. And yet, within every artist, there’s a certain vulnerability; it could be an impostor syndrome, or it could be a sublimated desire for approval, perhaps. Not necessarily from others, mind you, but a feeling that what you’re doing is real, authentic. (“The prophecy said don’t be a cog in the machine, be creative, equal, and you’ll obtain your dreams.”) And Myerz’ music is, if nothing else, authentic. (And catchy and fun and smart.) As he spits in “Robot Randy,” the first single from his forthcoming LP, Jewnami: “I’m gonna keep on doing Michael Myerz ‘til the day it becomes a national holiday.”
Throughout the new cut, Myerz sounds at constant threat of tripping over his own words; it’s a testament to his flow, and the downright narcotic production here, that he never does. But if he did, would we find it endearing? Read on for some insight straight from the man himself, and stream our exclusive premiere of “Robot Randy” below.
Would you care to share anything specific or vague about this track?
This song is one of my favorites off the album. The beat reminds me of Courage the Cowardly Dog with the organ and just the wonky vibe about it, so I had to name it “Robot Randy,” which is a character in the show. The song has to do with the main theme of Jewnami, which is growing up without getting boring, so I talk about my upbringing as well as my realization at an early age that I didn’t want to be like everyone else around me, particularly those individuals who funnel into packs and herds because they’re too numbed by their own desperation to buck the status quo. (Is that too harsh?) The rest of the song is kind of a clusterfuck stream of consciousness that you’ll find in a lot of my stuff.
This is your 19th album in five years. Do you see a line of progression in your sound through Jewnami? What are you doing differently on this release? Any particular factors in your life that led to this?
Originally I had planned to release a project every month for 12 months. I called the project The 12 Months of Myerz. I started to do this in September when I released Makeout Creek but after I released Scary Stories to Smoke in the Dark in October I realized that people would get burnt out faster than I would, so I decided to push back Jewnami, which I was going to originally release in November, and instead have it released in February and hold off on my December release (which I had planned to title Hanukillerz and Bangerz, which was a compilation of old and new material that was never released). I’m glad things went the way they did because I was able to re-record Jewnami and plan more for its release, such as shooting music videos, and getting new merch to go with it, etc.
I think Jewnami is really something different for a lot of reasons. For starters, there is no cursing. I think the worst word I say is “dumbass” and it’s only once. Not cursing made it actually easier to write lyrics and overall just made my rapping better because I had to use other words for substitutes. I always try to curse less and less on each album, if only because I feel like cursing, for the most part, is pretty fucking lazy and its shock value wears off real quickly (unless you’re super pissed like Kool Keith on his album Matthew and then it’s totally acceptable). I think each project I do gets better and better, and I always try something new, whether it’s a new flow or using certain word play. I’m always trying to perfect my craft somehow, even if it’s not the rapping, but maybe it’s the subject of an album or the vibe I want it to have—I am always trying something different and I’m always working at it.
The main things that led to me making this album are really two big factors: 1) I have always wanted to make a tribute album to Toonami, which was my childhood in a nutshell, and 2) I wanted to make an album that had no cursing in it and could be accessible to literally everyone. Also—and this is crucial—it’s the ultimate smoke weed and play video games type of album, or for driving at night with the bass turned up. Regardless of everything though, I think people will be stoked when (if) they listen to it.
How does your Jewish background (or beliefs) play into Jewnami?
I think my Jewishness has always contributed to my music. I’m a neurotic, stereotypical Jew in a lot of ways, so I let it show in my music. I’m proud of my heritage and there are quite a few Jewish rappers, like Lil Dicky, Mac Miller, and Aaron Cohen, but I don’t think I’m like any of them at all. We don’t even really look alike. A lot of people have compared me to Lil Dicky, but I don’t see a correlation or a resemblance or even a flicker of pride in being compared to him.
Obviously the title (J-E-Wnami) is related to my Jewish heritage. Also, I’d like to mention that it is in fact a cliché that Jewish men love Asian culture, and Asian women more specifically, and, well, it’s at least a little true, so I’m playing off of that with the title and the whole Japanese aesthetic. But I’m not white washing it. If anything, I’m paying homage to it, or at least I’m trying to. I eat a lot of dim sum. I’ve learned a lot from eating dim sum. (Even if dim sum is Chinese, I really love dim sum.)
Thank you. Good night. Xoxo ;(
Michael Myerz will perform this Fri., Jan. 6, at 529. He will be supported by AyOh, Fake Flowers, and Gas Hound. Doors are at 9 p.m. Admission is $8. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: michaelmyerz.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @MichealMyerz
Instagram: @mrmyerz
SoundCloud: @mich4el-myerz
Twitter: @MrMyerz