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Q: Welcome to The Beat, I'm Cindy, nice to finally meet you. I don't know how many of these
you have done, but you don't have to be nervous.
A: Thanks, nice to meet you too...and don't worry,
I'm not.
Q: Alrighty, lets start off with a bang, shall we…Where did the name
“Bau Down” come from?
A: (Laughs) I don’t know what kind of bang your expecting…but
to put it simple, the name “Bau Down” was first a vanity license plate on my first car when I was 16, a 1992 Pontiac
Firebird Formula. My best friend came up with it when I struggled to come up with something original for it. It took the beginning
of my last name, which of course…is Bau, and combined it with Down, to make the saying…Bow Down, but spelled
different. There’s your bang.
Q: Interesting, so why is it your rap name?
A: You mean my STAGE NAME? Yeah...because of my car, Bau Down quickly became a nickname for me with my friends and
at my high school. I was really into cars, and everyone knew me by my car…cause it stood out everywhere. Since, I never
really took up a serious interest in making music until Senior year of high school, it was something that was just a given
for me. It was my name, my alias - so I just ran with it when I started making music. Over time I realized how good a choice
it was since almost everybody nowadays tries to rap and all use the same names. There isn’t another Bau Down, I can
guarantee that.
Q: So, you are into cars are you…what car do you have now?
A: Well, as much as I loved my first car, and it hurt to get rid of, I sold it to my best friend and got a newer one.
A 1999 Pontiac Firebird Formula, white with a blue stripe. It’s bomb.
Q: You like Pontiac
Huh?
A: Firebirds yeah.
Q: Not the others?
A: They’re
alright, I thought this was supposed to be a music interview?
Q: I’m just trying to
get to know who you are a little better.
A: I see.
Q: Okay, when did you
start making music and why?
A: Well, I have always been into music my entire life. As a kid I was always
hanging around my grandpa who had a music business and a recording studio. He used to record me singing in his studio and
it was a lot of fun to me. Still, as a young kid I wasn’t the best at it, and my grandpa liked working with my brother
and sister more than me. As I grew older, I really took an interest in acting in musicals and stuff like that. I never took
any lessons or anything, just learned by watching my mother and grandpa do what they did. After grade school, I really moved
away from the musical stuff and got into sports and cars. I never got back into it until Senior year of high school when out
of nowhere I would find myself inspired to work on my own material. Q: Wow.
That's cool. Why did you start then?
I really couldn’t tell you why I started if I tried. Looking
back, I think I was just really inspired by what I heard around that time that led me to want to do the same in my own way.
Q: So, you don’t know why you started out making music?
A: I really
couldn’t tell you. Everything happened very fast. I started making beats and recording one day my Senior year of high
school, and everything just kind of happened. I mean I really didn’t have any support of my friends to do it. Back where
I’m from, the suburbs of Chicago, it isn’t really excepted to do anything out of the ordinary with your life.
Everybody will judge you right away before they even know anything about it. Back then, it wasn’t even that bad with
everyone trying to be a rapper yet. They just didn’t understand, and never did until I got good.
Q:
Are you saying you used to be bad?
A: I mean, everybody starts out somewhere. I have come a very long way.
So far from who I used to be that if you heard some of my original stuff you would be like…that isn’t you. I
have grown a lot. When I first started out, I wasn’t good. I made music just to make music. I didn’t know how
to format a song, have any musical skill, producing skill, or anything. Now I do it all. Everyday when I work, I get better
at what I do, and that is how it really should be. If I came this far and couldn’t get any better, I wouldn’t
keep going…there would be no reason to.
Q: Lets talk a little more about where you
are from.
A: What do you want to know?
Q: Word is, you went to high school
with Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stumph. Is that right?
A: Yeah, but I don't like to talk about
that really. Alot of people around my neck of the woods love to brag about that.
Q: Did you
know him?
A: I knew him yeah. We weren't friends or anything...he took Chemistry with me one year, other
than that I just saw him around.
Q: Neat. I just had to find out about that.
A: It's all good. I get asked that all the time.
Q: What inspired you to start rapping?
A: I havent always liked rap. I’m not gonna lie. I used to love rap like K7, Naughty By Nature, Coolio, LLCoolJ
and Ini Kamoozie from the 1990’s, but I never loved people like 2Pac, Nas, and The Notorious B.I.G as I do now. I acquired
a love for them around 8th grade and moving into high school. Before then it was all oldies and other things I used to listen
too. As I learned more and more about them and listened over and over to their music, it inspired me to make music myself.
Q: I have listened to both your albums, and I would say you are very good at what you do…what
do you think?
A: (Laughs) Well I’m glad you think so…I hope others do to. But on a very real
level, I used to care what people thought, and it limited my creativity. When I was strong enough to not care, that is when
the real Bau Down came out, and I was able to become very good at what I do. But the thing is, I did not come this far to
sit back and be like…I’m good how I am. I am always looking to get better at what I do…and until the day
comes when I can’t tell growth by comparing something new to something from before, I will keep going and getting better.
Q: You are the executive producer on your both of your albums, I am not too familiar with the
lingo, what does that mean?
A: It means I am the executive producer…(Laughs)
Q:
Okay…what does that mean?
A: It means that I produced the entire album. I put together every little
thing you hear on the entire cd. I had my boy Bassick produce four tracks on the album though, and that means he created the
general instrumental for the song, and I made it sound the way I wanted it too.
Q: I get
it. So you must know what your doing then…because your album BELIEVE is very good. In fact, it was voted the 5th best
album of the year from an independent artist by the IMWS in 2006, and was strongly supported by the critics at MP3.com.
A: Sure was.
Q: Were you happy about that?
A: Yeah, I was. But
at the same time, I try not to get caught up in that nonsense too much, cause it gets to a lot of peoples heads. I don’t
want it to get to mine. I still have a very long way to go as an artist and a producer.
Q:
You say you have a long way to go…where do you want to be in a year or two?
A: Well, I just graduated
from Valparaiso University in Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, but I really don’t want to use it. I would love
to be making enough money from my music to be able to do this without having a another job. Because to me, this isn’t
a job. It is a passion I have. That is where I want to be. I really don’t want to be signed to a major record deal because
they have you by the strings when you do that, and I am not going to be some industry puppet. I will do big things without
them.
Q: What big things do you want to do?
A: The music industry is filled
with stupid people nowadays. Not only the artists, but the radio station DJ’s who play the same stupid music all the
time, up to their bosses who make them play the music because the labels pay them to do so. I want people to know that there
was a day when the music industry was not run like it is now. That it was free from all the bull that goes on today. It is
sad to me that an artist such as myself really can’t reach the people they look to reach without becoming part of the
circus. it’s a disaster and I really don’t want any part of it. I am a very Christian guy, I look for God to guide
me in my life, and I feel this is what I am meant to do. It really doesn’t matter how many records I sell, or how many
fans I have. What really matters is the kind of person I am and what I can do for other people.
Q:
I saw that you have a cross in your logo, I figured you were a very big Christian. Not to dig too deep, but what can you do
for people…as you said?
A: I really think that I have the ability to make music that will be appealing
to the masses and still be embraced by those looking for something deeper. Someone that does not know about God, can learn
a lot and take from it what they may from my songs. For those who do know him, can take refuge in the fact that there is someone
out there like them having a hard time living life everyday as a Christian, because of how difficult it is at times.
Q: Why did you name your newest album BELIEVE?
A: Wow. I have answered this question
hundreds and hundreds of times. To make things simple, again, I am a very strong Christian above everything else that I am,
so I believe in God and his plan for my life. Also, in order to be successful, you have to believe in yourself before you
can make others believe in you.
Q: Was there a time you did not believe in yourself?
A: After my first album, I was very confused. I took a step back, and looked at what I was doing, and where I wanted
to go. I really didn't believe I could do it, until I really gave my life to God. Then everything just sort of happened.
The title was a given, and inspired me.
Q: That is very cool. I really think I might be your
biggest fan.
A: Im glad. I think you might a have a few that would fight you for that title though.
Q: I would say by interviewing you, that you know who you really are…and let me tell you, you
are the real deal. I have interviewed many people, especially musicians and they never seem to confident in their responses,
or have good answers. They just seem shallow, and I can tell you are genuine.
A: Thanks…it means
a lot to me. I won’t talk bad about other artists right now though, I do that too often. People know how I feel about
them.
Q: I forgot to mention you are very handsome. I bet you have the girls all over you.
A: Naaa, I don't have time for them right now. But thanks...
Q: I bet. Is there
anything else I should know, or you want the people to know?
A: Just to really find out who people are when
you start listening to them. Figure out what inspired them, and what makes them tick when you listen to them. It is the best
way to be a fan. 99% of the musicians on myspace and these other sites are fake, and only care about being famous. Learn how
to distinguish between them and the real ones. Also, I guess, if they could take anything away from this interview is to know
that they should know I will never be fake, I know who I am, and that as you said, I’m the real deal. Never expect anything
less. Thanks so much for having me, I’m sure well see each other again.
Q: The pleasure
is all mine. You are wonderful.
A: (Laughs)...Thanks again.
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