Toronto-based rap artist, Classik was born and raised in the world of Hip-hop. Growing up, he would listen to the greats and soon developed his voice. As he discovered the power and influence in writing rhymes, Classik began to focus on creating tracks that his audience can vibe with, relate to, and come back to time and time again.
Tapping into the soothing grooves of infectious melodies in his latest track, "Worth It," Classik embodies a sedated state of raw emotion in the lyrical dexterity that he projects to listeners far and wide. The instrumentation's minimalistic approach that weighs in on the rhythmic acoustic side has us sinking into our seats as we reap what Classik sows.
With the addition of beguiling drums carrying the invigorating soundscape expressed to us, the foundation that effortlessly supports the buttery rhyme schemes of Classik takes over in moments.
Creating an atmosphere that touches on a nostalgic hue of Hip-hop vibrations, Classik also manages to adapt to the Contemporary upsurge of R&B comforts flawlessly. Classik's intricately scripted words cut through any facades in place as they fixate upon a reality that immerses the speakers in truthful moments.
We're exposed to an evocative cascade of Classik's innermost personal thoughts as he vividly paints a picture of his peer's only paying notice to him when he succeeds, not when he is struggling to take flight. As Classik continues to take you under his enchanting spell, there is something to say about the clarity divulged in "Worth It."
Congratulations on the release of, “Worth It.” With the personal roots sprouting from this song, in your own words, what does, "Worth It," mean to you?
'Worth it' embodies my perspective on what it feels like to be a hungry artist in a sea of other creative minds, and the devotedness it takes to shine through. The song represents the feeling and process of continuously putting your heart on your sleeve in the form of art - and the stress and sacrifice that comes along with it. It can be easier for spectators to see the end results of someone's accomplishments without understanding the process it took to get there. "Worth it" is a question to myself - asking if all of this hard work and sacrifice is worth it and, even though all the pain and struggles, reminding myself that this is about more than music.
Could you please share a glimpse of what sparked the creative process behind this track?
The process for this song was a bit different than usual. Sometimes it can take me multiple days to finish a track since I do more than write lyrics and rap, I also take care of the entire mixing and mastering engineering process. The writing usually takes the longest since it's important to me that my lyrics portray my emotions and opinions in a way that listeners can vibe with, matching a tone and flow that's pleasing to the modern sound. With "Worth It", it's almost as if my subconscious already knew what was going to happen before my pen even hit the paper; it's almost as if I was subconsciously frustrated and needed to vent something that was deep within me. I wrote this song in under an hour and had it recorded, mixed, and mastered all within one night and did not second guess it for a second. I set it out for a release schedule the very next day. I feel any artist or engineer who knows what it's like to be 'in the zone' can relate.
How do you allow your musical and non-musical inspirations to tap into your creative headspace?
Inspiration takes form in so many ways for me. One of my biggest non-musical inspirations comes from travel and discovering new places I would have never dreamed of when I was younger. With the pandemic, I've been in my headspace more and I've been reflecting on my past and the results have been different, maybe a bit sadder in tone with every new song. I'm not the best at expressing deep emotions in real life, many know me as the funny guy who is always cracking jokes making people smile, but something about writing lyrics lets me tap into a part of myself that I guard and protect on a daily. As for musical inspirations, they come from so many places. I grew up in a very loud family that loves to blast music at any time of day, from bachata to 90s hip-hop. I've always cared about the content and message in my music due to my love of golden age hip-hop but also I also understand the importance of melody and movement within a good sound. While writing 'Worth it', one important inspirational figure popped in my head which was my uncle who passed away in 2017. He introduced me to his box of hip hop cassette tapes when I was younger, schooling me the hip hop greats and reminding me that this music shit is powerful. I felt it was important to mention him in the song to remind myself where I come from and that yes, it is worth it.
What would you like your listeners to take away from the songs that you put forth?
First off, I want to say I appreciate every single listener who takes the time to dive into my world of music. I look at my songs as extensions of myself dropped on this planet in time capsules, always marking a moment in time or an emotion/feeling. I listen to hip-hop as a way to relate and adapt through the good and the bad, the anger, happiness, or tranquility. There's a song for everyone. I just want my listeners to feel connected because it's always beautiful when someone knows exactly how you feel inside.
What can we expect to see next from you?
2021 is all about the music for me. I plan to keep up with my consistency of new, quality music releases on a regular basis. The pandemic has given me more time to reflect on what's important to me and create a body of work that I know my listeners will love. I plan on pushing more videos also, and giving more attention to the Canadian hip-hop scene.