October-November 2011 - Sah Ril
On a regular, non eventful day, I received a message from Sah ril asking me to take a look at his video after a mutual friend nudged him in my direction. After watching the video, I decided my regular, non eventful day had just become anything but ordinary. I discovered an extremely talented, driven, passionate, conscious man with a lot to offer through his art, and a friendship/collaboration was immediately struck. With a lot of projects in his pocket, Sah ril is definitely someone to keep on your radar. I know he will undoubtedly stay on mine.
AUM:How did Sah ril come to be? What were the main identifying moments that created the man behind the music?
Sah: On some level, I have no idea- but I didn't start calling myself Sah ril until my 8th grade year, Jr. High. I saw two (soon to be) friends debating music and jumped into the conversation. Following that a rap group was formed, a few names were tried and Sah ril was the one that stuck. Before I knew it people were calling me “Sah”. I had always been interested in music and creative writing, so production came naturally. Oddly enough, however, before I even recorded my first song I was already creating album covers (tape inserts, really) and drafting business plans and contracts. By Junior year, I was the president of my high school’s drama guild and kinda known as “the actor”, so I think I knew what I wanted to do before I even knew what it was.
AUM: In the video Unfinished Business which also doubles as the trailer for your directorial debut on a short film, I loved these following words: "in association wit a whole gang a creative ass no money havin black folk wit bills n shit". To me, that speaks of your drive to express yourself creatively regardless of the monetary gain. How do you view the importance of your work in the world today without factoring in a payout for your efforts?
Sah: I’ve spent many a night pondering over this very question (Too many, to be frank)... At this point in my life, I honestly believe the only true purpose of a work of art is to be created. That’s it. At the exact moment of completion, a creative work has reached its fullest potential regardless of any meaning or mission attributed to the work by the creator - or his/her audience. Anything beyond that is a figment of our well-intended imagination.
This isn't to say the effect on the viewer (including the creator) isn’t important, and I, like anybody else, would love to inspire a stipend (or five), but a painting was painted to be..well, painted. And further more, it must be.
I view my work as simply “what must be done”. the ebb and flow of finance just appears to be a part of existing..so..it is what it is.
AUM: You are not merely a musician, but rather, a modern day Renaissance Man. Tell me about Playing With Reality. How did you get that opportunity and why did it appeal to you?
Sah: Thank you! Playing with Reality is a collective of actors and artists collaborating to empower others through fully improvisational and interactive theater. I’ve been a part of the company for almost 7 months now, and the members are very much like family to me. We just recently closed an off-broadway show based on the seven deadly sins in which we invited members of the audience to explore an alternate and entirely unrehearsed reality for thirty minutes each. The show was a great success. It’s rather difficult to explain, but on a good day both the volunteer and the cast are fully transformed, and to facilitate such a thing is a blessing in itself.
I came across an ad for the company earlier this year and thought I would give it a try. I think it appealed to me because it was unconventional and seemed to depend upon the notion of letting go of fear. The audition led to admittance into the workshop, and the workshop led to an invitation to join the cast. And seeing as this is and was my first experience ever with improvisational theater (or any theater after high school for that matter) I was thrilled.
AUM: In a video of you freestylin' in the studio, I could see the joy pouring out of you. Describe the feelings you go through in your creative process.
Sah: I heard it said recently that an artist in throes of creative activity is attempting intercourse with the elements of nature/existence. While it sounds laughable and probably a bit pseudo-whatever, that is pretty much how I feel. Like I said earlier, its easy for one to imbue the moment with meaning or some grand sense of destiny and purpose or whatever..and existence can be a purpose unto itself I guess..but at it’s height I feel like I'm in direct communication with the creative spark that birthed “this whole thing”. I feel justified in my existing and validated, and like a welcome contributor to something higher than I can understand. I feel alive in it’s truest sense. Kinda like I’m speaking an undiluted pre-universal tongue.
AUM: What would be your main goal as an artist? Why is this your passion?
Sah: My main goal as an artist is to inspire a question or two. I think if I can do that I’ve done my job because asking a question is the first step toward discovering the answer. And I kinda dig independent study.. I feel like that's the truest kind.
AUM: If you lost the ability to be creative through the arts, how would you find your outlet?
Sah: I think its safe to say it would be through helping other people discover/uncover themselves or sex. Well, both really.. the beauty of art is there is no fixed definition of what is or isn't a canvas, so I kinda already explore my creative aims through both avenues.
AUM: Tell me about BrownBuddha.
Sah: BrownBuddha is the production imprint and company I am in the process of launching. The name is derived from my two most prominent family nicknames (“Brown” from my father, and “Buddha” from my mother), and also point directly to my desire for increased enlightenment/empowerment amongst people ( people of color in particular). As a company I plan to offer creative consultation and services to the independently minded artist who may be at a loss as to where to start, and/or simply want to produce a product of higher quality at an inexpensive rate. I plan to launch the company on my 27th birthday in June of the coming year.
AUM: How does your spirituality tie into your creative process? How does your creativity effect your spiritual process?
Sah: Spirituality and existence are inseparable for me, as is creating and existing. That being said, both my creativity and my spirituality, birth and feed from one another at random. They’re kinda like equal ends of an infinity symbol for me.
AUM: You have collaborated with quite a few talented artists. Who would be on your list of ideal collaborators?
Sah: I would love to work with many artists, but the ones who come to mind now are Saul Williams, Van Hunt, Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu, J*Davey, Deerhoof, Vampire Weekend, Kevin Smith, Spike Lee, Questlove and Johnny Depp I would’ve loved to work with Bill Hicks too.. he was brilliant. Oh and Sacha Baron Cohen.
AUM: What is the one thing you would want every person experiencing your vision to come away from you with?
Sah: I want people to realize there are a million miles beneath the surface of everyday existence. That and I want everybody to know they can do anything they desire, and that its their birthright. But that's two things, I guess.
AUM: What is next for Sah Ril?
Sah: In one sense what’s next is the release of my 7th album “Art Fear and Loathing: Back Where the Pain Is III” and my directorial debut and first film “A Day in the Life” this Winter. Following this, is a collaborative album with artists BASHIR and Danimal, and a documentary on my work and the making of Art Fear and Loathing. After that will be the company/imprint launch, and beyond that I just plan to continue working. By then I should be able to tell you a bit more.
ॐ An Underground Mainstream ॐ
To date, Sah has already amassed a stunning and impressive body of work. Winter 2011 will see the release of his latest recording, the 3rd and final installment of “Back Where The Pain Is” (Art, Fear & Loathing) as well as a pre-mixtape EP to this album. He is also recording an as of yet untitled project with two collaborators, rapper Bashir and producer Danimal and has been successfully delving into many other facets of the art world.
http://www.sahril.com/
http://standnaked.tumblr.com/
Interviewer, LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco, is a contributing writer for An Underground Mainstream and a participant and occasional host on The Collective Perspective.