Ja-P X Era Hardaway "Hiatus" EP + Exclusive Interview

Fredericksburg, VA emcees Ja-P and Era Hardaway have a lot in common.  They've both been in the game for a long minute now, honing their skills.  They are both part of the music collective known as Lost Artistry. The two made major waves in 2010 with the release of their collaborative project, The Undiscovered.  It's only right that they link back up in 2012 for the release of their latest project, Hiatus.  There are no features on this project, and the two emcees also handled all of the production, mixing and mastering.  Consequentially, the entire project's direction was determined by them.  Sit back and enjoy Hiatus, and while doing so read the exclusive interview with Ja-P & Era Hardaway that follows.

Click "read more" to read the interview and download 'Hiatus.'

How long have you been working on Hiatus?

Era: Basically all summer, it's definitely been a long process.  

Seeing as how you came up rapping together, and spent a good amount of time developing your style as solo artists, what is it like being back together again?

Ja-P: Maturity-wise, our lyrical content has grown so much. Back then, we were just on our whole bring the 90's back tip. Now we have a lot more power behind our lyrics. 

Era: It's not cute no more. I used to hate that, cat's would call us 'cute.' No! It's not cute. We're out here rappin'. 

How did the two of you first meet? 

Ja-P: Me and Era, it’s funny. We knew each other when we didn’t even think we knew each other. I was going into 8th grade, living in an apartment complex. I was only there for six months and my parents were getting a home still. Era’s grandparents stayed right next door. So, when Era would come and chill for the weekend, he’d be outside with his cornrows, and I’d always see him. But I never spoke to him, never talked to him in my life. So, I go to Mount Hope, the church right up the street. One day, at a bible study class, he came in. I’m not sure if it was his first time or not.

Era: This is when I was working on “Yeah I Rap.” 

Ja-P: And I was working on “Sumtin' Slite” at the time. So we’re in a circle at bible study, and we’re all going around telling everybody what we do. So we get to Era, and he’s like, “I dance.” So we’re all like, ‘show us something!’ And this man Era gets up and just starts killing it! (laughs) He was dancing in that historical old church in bible school. 

Era: I did not dance, I swear I didn’t. I don’t remember this.  Did I? 

Ja-P: I remember this like it was yesterday, son. This happened. I promise you. It was so long ago, it’s crazy. You know how everyone networks through facebook and myspace? Well I released a project and I put out a bunch of old school songs, and he heard one of them and gave me feedback. And then I heard some of his beats.  He had this little beat machine, so I’m thinking this man’s famous! Must have it made. So I hit him up. We decided to get together one day, and nobody faked. We met when we said we would, and we made two songs that day. One song was called “Space Battleship,” on his project “Yeah I Rap,” and the other one was “Cut You Loose.” 

Era: We made three, actually. It was “Space Battleship,” “Cut You Loose,” and then we did one over a joint with Kanye and Big Sean. What was it called? 

Ja-P: I can hear it in my head too. It was like the third track. But we had crazy chemistry together from like day one. 

Era: Yeah, so after that day I just asked him if he wanted to do a tape together, and we went from there. 

How would you compare the experience as a solo artist to the two of you working together? 

Era: When it comes to doing a song by myself, I do it exactly the way I want to, one hundred percent. I don’t worry about anybody else’s verse, or contradicting another artist. You know how artists get on another person’s song and they end up contradicting them? I was always afraid to do that. Most of the time with mainstream rappers, they don’t know what they’re talking about and it really blows me. But, when I’m doing a song by myself, I focus more on the music than myself. When I’m doing songs with somebody else, outside of my circle, I just kind of do a verse and leave it at that. I don’t really care for the songs as much because it’s not my choice. I’m a little picky when it comes to working with other artists. Like, I put a lot of thought into who to pick for guest spots in my features. Because only certain people you work with can truly feel your ideas and think the same way you do. One thing about Ja, he’ll always push me to elevate still. Like, I’ll have an idea to improve a song and Ja will make it even better. Me and Ja still compete too. As we’re writing together, we’ll be comparing verses and competing to improve. 

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

Ja-P: That’s a hard question. You always want to work with somebody you really look up to, but you don’t want to get killed on your song. That’s just not what you want to do, so it’s hard to think. If I had the choice, to tell you the truth, I would love to do a song with John Legend. His voice is so unique to me, and everything he’s done I’ve listened to over and over again and didn’t get tired of it. He has so much soul in his voice. I look up to that man musically. 

Era: For me it would have to be Dilla. That’s one of my favorite producers. I can listen to him all day, every day. Whether it’s “Welcome To Detroit,” “The Shining,” or “Donuts,” any of them. Dilla can flip a sample like no one else. You won’t even know the samples he flips. He’d put three samples together and make it sound like one. And he could rap, on top of that? That’s the man I look up to. The one person I’d wanna look up to. 

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now, musically and in terms of life in general?  

Ja-P: To tell you the truth man, I’ve decided next year that I want to join the army. I’ll probably still be involved in that. However, if this whole music thing jumps off some time before that, I’d gladly jump into it. I’ve always wanted to have my own business and be my own boss. Make money for myself. I’ve always wanted to get involved in business managent. 

Era: In ten years, I’ll be 29. Music-wise, if I don’t have a studio basement or something like that, I don’t know what I’ll be doing with my life. I want to be further than I am now. As far as professionally, that’s all that really matters. The main thing I want to have is a full-time official studio with the track boards and all that. I want to be able to just step in a studio whenever, for free and just do what I have to do. I want to be eating off music, to the point where I don’t have to work. I just want to make music, rock shows, and come home with some bread to pay the rent. As far as life-wise, when I’m 29, hopefully I’ll be into my career in music management. Living in an apartment with a car. 

A manifesto is a declaration of intents and principles.  What is your Artistic Manifesto? 

Ja-P: My Artistic Manifesto is just making people feel what I’m saying. I hope people understand what I’m saying, and feel it. 

Era: My Manifesto is to make great music. Make music that’s me, and matches my current disposition. Whether it is about girls or whatever. As long as you’re being yourself, you can be you in all those senses. The ultimate thing is me trying to give you myself in a 16.

Download Hiatus from the Lost Artistry bandcamp.

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