Last week, 36.6 million viewers tuned in to ABC to watch the 87th annual Academy Awards. Although the ceremony generated controversy for its lack of racial diversity, (causing host Neil Patrick Harris to remark it primarily focused on Hollywood’s “best and whitest”) history was made and hearts were lifted as musicians John Legend and Common accepted the Oscar statuette for best original song, “Glory” from the movie “Selma.” Legend, Common, and Che “Rhymefest” Smith’s win was the third time a hip-hop song had been chosen for the award.
Who is Rhymefest? This week, the hip-hop blog Ambrosia for Heads named Smith, originally of Chicago, one of rap’s greatest ghostwriters. Last year, he was nominated for a Grammy for his work on Kanye West’s track “New Slaves” off West’s sixth studio album “Yeezus.” This year, his writing chops also earned him a Golden Globe. According to him, life behind the scenes and out of the public eye has allowed him to develop other strengths beyond music.
In 2011, he ran for 20th Ward Alderman in Chicago against incumbent Willie Cochran, and lost by just a handful of votes. Currently, Rhymefest serves as creative director of West’s nonprofit organization Donda’s House, named for the rapper’s late mother Dr. Donda West, where he teaches creative writing to area youth.
The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper obtained an exclusive interview with the emcee, writer and activist, to discuss “Glory,” his Naptown memories, and the Oscar experience.
Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper: Let’s take a trip down memory lane. In 2006, your single “Brand New” which featured Kanye West, was all over the radio here in Indy. For those that are unfamiliar, what is your connection to the Circle City?
Rhymefest: I lived in Indianapolis for about six years and I mean I’ve lived everywhere; Avon, Carmel, Plainfield to 38th and Girls School Road. Indianapolis was a wonderful place for me to take my mother and sister. When I first got my record deal, I got that living in Indianapolis. I bought my first Cadillac living in Indianapolis. Indy is a very special place for me and very close to my heart. I got my chops as an artist performing in Broad Ripple in front of crowds that only wanted to see rock or indie rock bands, but I made them love my rap. DJ Indiana Jones was the first manager I ever had and he introduced me to the guy who gave me my first deal with Clive Davis. If not for Indianapolis, there would be no Rhymefest as you know me as an artist. Kanye and I, while we’re very close and I helped him write “Jesus Walks” and, in terms of my personal artistry it was Indianapolis that birthed my professional career.
Let’s talk about Oscar night. What was the experience like for you to be a part of such a momentous occasion? Was this your first time attending the ceremony?
Yes, that was my first time going and I was like, “Oh this is new. This is a new experience” and everything I do, not to sound ungrateful at all, I am a little bit removed from it. I don’t dance in the end zone too long. I’m always looking for that new experience like man, in five hours this moment will be over so how do I enjoy this moment and study it and understand it to help someone else later? I mean, it was amazing standing next to Eddie Murphy kicking it with Kevin Hart and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and noticing that these are just regular people. Then realizing, “Yo, somebody got an award for best make-up, best costume design” and then thinking what about all the kids in our neighborhood that never know what they could be. They could be at the Oscars not for rap, singing or acting they could be here for technical work.
Tell us about your role in the song “Glory.”
The song “Glory” came from an opportunity that Common had to not only act in the movie, but to also do a song as a theme for the movie. So Common first called John Legend and told John ‘Look man, I just want something that’s glorious that reminds the people of triumph and glory’ and that word glory stuck with him. John Legend then produced the track and played the piano chords and came up with the chorus and the bridge of “Glory.” Common called me and played me what John Legend had done and said ‘Man we have an opportunity to make this a great song.’
The lyrics are so powerful and moving. What was the writing process like?
Common and I discussed… where does it (Glory) need to be coming from? And we decided it needs to come from the ancestors. It needs to come from the people that died. This song needs to be written by Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker and even Michael Brown and Eric Garner. It needs to be a representation of our struggle from the past and the present and it needs to be articulated through Common, but written from the ancestors. That’s what we aimed to do. The right words were written by the blood and the experience of our people. Just listen “From dark roads he rose, to become a hero. Facin’ the league of justice, his power was the people.” Saying things like “No one can win the war individually. It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people’s energy.” I think far too often the problem today is we don’t know history; we don’t care about what people went through. We care about our struggle right now and the fatal error in that, is not understanding that your experience is not unique, your struggle is not unique. You are someone in history and if you look back in history you can see how to pivot from what has already been accomplished to a new experience. We in the Black community and in many communities in America keep reliving the same experience because we’ve never learned from our past. This song had already been written for us, all we had to do was say it.
For more on Che “Rhymefest” Smith visit: Elchethemovement.com.
