Iram Christ: “It’s not about being famous”

Anyone who is relentless, determined and makes every effort to be as much of a doer as they are a thinker is already a star in our books. There’s more to getting where you want to be than just making plans; real advancement involves actually taking the initiative and making things happen. For that reason and more, Iram Christ is an artiste we love this week. Look out for his upcoming album, set to drop Summer 2013!

STAR: First things first, where does ‘Iram Christ’ come from?

Iram: My middle names are Iram Christopher. I shortened it to ‘Christ’ to convey my beliefs that we are all Gods. I am by no means a Gospel rapper contrary to popular belief, nor do I think that (I am Christ); but I know that our capabilities are far beyond the scope of our belief and I am portraying myself as such. In one of my old verses when I used to write more conscious underground hardcore material I said: “Look at us now, we’re human beings when we all used to be Gods… Give praise to Yahweh Elloheem and live amongst the stars…”

STAR: Tell us a little about your roots.

Iram: I was born in St Lucia and moved to a couple other places in the Caribbean in my early years, but spent most of my childhood in Haiti so I grew up with both cultures, which are similar yet different. Throughout the years growing up in Haiti my family and I would travel to Miami every few months and due to some political issues in Haiti we actually had to move to Miami for some time. So I had a heavy American influence growing up as well, which is when my love for rap / hip hop music all began. I moved to Toronto as an adolescent and have been there since. I have yet to adapt to the cold but I have definitely adapted to different environments!

STAR: When did you realize you had a passion for making music?

Iram: Unfortunately my passion did not develop until my late teens into early twenties. I started free styling for fun with my crew from St Lucia and we would play our music at house parties and people would say we should take it seriously because we had potential and talent.

STAR: Was it always Hip Hop?

Iram: It was only Hip Hop at the start, but I have matured and grown in different ways and have developed a deep appreciation for music of all forms. I am someone who will listen to anything that sounds good.

STAR: There are so many aspiring rappers all over the world, what’s in it for you?

Iram: First of all I don’t even care for the fame, though it comes with the territory. I’m in it for the love. If I have one fan or one billion, it wouldn’t make a difference to me as long as someone feels me. On the other hand, I do have a lot to say and as much I love to listen to other people’s music I would want others to feel the same about mine.

STAR: What’s been going on with you musically over the last year?

Iram: I have been working on music videos and networking with artistes, sing­ers, producers and engineers in the city (Toronto) and worldwide thanks to modern day technology. I’ve had a lot of setbacks with releasing my first video due to multiple factors and technical issues but it will be out early 2013. Aside from that, I have been doing some recordings for my new project.

STAR: Tell us about your latest single.

Iram: My single “Saviour” featuring Darryl Riley an extremely talented singer/ producer/engineer from Toronto was released in December 2012. It’s a smooth lyrical track with some tight production. It can be found on itunes, amazon, etc. I shot some of the video in St Lucia and the rest in Toronto, Canada. So it’s got a little of both sides of my life.

STAR: Some of the artistes you’ve worked with so far?

Iram: I’ve worked with my camp illucianz: Cory Carson (lyrical, production, engineering genius), Kevlar, Sinistah, also artists from Henchmenatti, my conscious affiliates in Toronto, my brother Jah Roots, Prhyme (aka Iron Sheikh), Ho chi minh, Snipe, Blackchild, Wizedome) and singers like Darryl Riley, Daniel Daley, Kim Davis and Colleen Anderson.

STAR: What’s the feedback been like from your ‘Pop Off’ mix tape? What was the whole idea behind it?

Iram: I have been getting a lot of positive feedback, as there is something for everyone in it. Hip Hop is moving into a more versatile realm of music nowadays. So I decided let me drop some heavy rhymes and show my versatil­ity lyrically with respect to my delivery, flow wise and let people know what I’m about. Sort of like a hip-pop type of appeal.

STAR: What can fans expect out of your upcoming album?

Iram: Ultimate satisfaction! I am more mature now so I’m coming with a different sound and appeal. Grown folk music but with something that everyone can feel.

Check out Iram’s latest music video on Youtube for his track ‘Labyrinth’ released this week.  Twitter: @Iram Christ or Iram Christ on Facebook. Find out more about this artiste on www.iramchrist.com!