another star is made

another star is made
Current mood: proud
Category: Music

February 2, 2008
Momo Smitt is a rapper but no gangsta
By Mark A. Curci
Tidings Correspondent

Even though he can't sing, some day Momo Smitt hopes we can all sing. Actually, Smitt sings, raps and creates rather well- that's a lyric from his song, "Safelife". In short, Momo Smitt is not just another plain, white rapper.

Smitt's lyrical hip-hop topical cannon ranges from environmental, political and social consciousness to personal growth, recovery and the search for truth. Fast fired and filled with sole introspection, Smitt's work can be quite high-concept. One of his songs, "Where I'm at", chronicles a fantastical discussion Smitt has with his ego.

"I think my work these days is pretty positive," said Smitt. "I didn't used to be so. I used to be very strong in my feelings of how hard it can be to step away from certain things. But after about 30 or forty songs in, I was able to let the anger slip away a bit." Meeting Smith, one doesn't expect someone with a hard past. He is charismatic, polite, encouraging and attentive, constantly supportive of even the most novice artists at open mics, and salutatory and engaging to the biggest crowds when he plays with known local talent like the Frankie Hernandez band. And the intellectual and dynamic capacity of his work is stunning.

Smitt's introduction to hip-hop came from entrenching himself in the Monterey and Bay Area freestyle-battle scene. Think Cyrano de Bergerac with a bit more street cred. Musicians, poets and artists get together and exchange spontaneous barbs in better with backbeat.

"Freestyle battling started out small, but led to venues. I was brought up, in terms of hip-hop roots, in a pretty ethnic area.

It definitely helped me transcend that inherent fear of (breaking into) a pop-culture that is predominately African American," said Smitt. "Not that it's a bad thing, and it's actually changing a bit."

Smitt's the kind of guy that take a term like "brother" to have a universal meaning anyway. "I like to do this grass-roots style," said Smitt. "I love the connections, meeting true hip hop fans, and expanding that I try to keep my priorities straight. Anything that distracts from that, is, of course, a scary thing."

For Smitt, moving to the valley from his home in Monterey was a somewhat spontaneous decision. "I left a fan base, or, at least people who knew me," said Smitt. "I moved here on a whim, moved fluidly. Got involved in some theatre productions." Soon Smitt had met his first producer and laid some tracks. Now, moving towards self-recording with an evolving sense of musical production, Smitt has dropped three records. The most recent, "The Rain," was released early this month.

"I think the progress is notable," said Smitt. "I've learned a lot about musical growth and expressing myself. As long as I tell the truth, or how I see the truth, I think there will definitely always be an audience. On the other hand, if I was to ever start catering to particular listeners or groups, then I'd probably see myself as another product. That's probably my greatest fear- losing that ability to connect to my soul." A lofty fear, which Smitt has little chance of perpetrating, the man still speaks sound advice to fellow artists.

Still. The question on many minds is why is this white guy rapping? Well, the freestyle helped get Smitt hooked. "The adrenaline rush, the level of intensity and intelligence- to take what's said to you, process it, come back with it faster, better with broader cadence. It's addicting." But it is the craft of the words which kept Smitt going. "I started writing and one song became 25. There's no way to express more ideas quicker than hip-hop. We can do four pages of ideas in one song," It's likely this passion which helps Smitt ice skate with such lyrical grace and make an impact, His words are, to quote some of them; "Carefully written- a rap transposed from a poem of repentance."

A young man, a student and employee of Rogue Community College working on an Associate Art degree and already prolific enough to have three albums and some 80 songs to his name, Smitt may have gotten here via a darker path than most, but with a spring in his step and a radiant personality, he's here to stay. In another of his songs, the indefatigable Smitt perhaps sums up his life philosophy and longevity best: "Once you bleed, just let it go."

Find Momo on MySpace music; keyword: Momo Smitt.