Interview: Just Plain Ant

Last week, I got the chance to sit down and chat with Anthony Gillison, a 21-year-old hip-hop producer from Richmond, Va. For the past four years, Gillison has been hard at work making beats and collaborating with local artists to produce his own unique brand of independent tunes under the moniker Just Plain Ant.

With two albums already under his belt, Just Plain Ant's blend of old and new hip-hop stylings have made him quite popular in the local scene, as he tells me that he is currently working on three different projects right now with artists from around the area. But, why am I telling you all this when you can just check out the interview down below?

Here's what Anthony had to say:

CB:How long have you been producing?

JPA:I started in 2005, which was my senior year of high school. I wanted to start finding something that I was passionate about and music was that thing.

CB:How many releases have you had?

JPA:I've had two releases. My first album, Fly, was released in July of 2008 and then I followed with Dig Deep, which is my current release.

CB:When was Dig Deep released?

JPA:It was released this past February

CB:I know on Dig Deep, you collaborated with a bunch of local hip-hop artists including Alex Murphy and Brad Oblivion. Was Fly the same way?

JPA:Yes, on both albums, I worked with all local artists except one or two. I feel that when you're surrounded by such talent in your area, you should take advantage of it.

CB:What has been your driving inspiration throughout your musical pursuits?

JPA:Music has always been something I've just naturally felt. I started really listening to underground hip-hop when I was about 12, and after that, I decided I wanted to be a part of the scene. As I grew as a hip-hop fanatic, I realized that a lot of the music sounded the same. As a result of that, I decided I would mix genres like hip-hop, downtempo, ambient, trip-hop, and nu-jazz in order to make something that's not done regularly. I love the old boom bap style beats, but I always find myself wanting to hear something different, and I'm at a place right now where I can undertake that task myself.

CB:Who would you say are your biggest influences?

JPA:With Dig Deep, my biggest influences are Flying Lotus, Prefuse 73, Zero 7, and Blue Lines-era Massive Attack, but my influences change with every release.

CB:Are you working on anything currently?

JPA:I'm actually working on a few projects. I'm working on starting a local mini-label called Just Plain Sounds. The first releases off of that Jay Slim's "The High Life" and Braintrust's album, which is as-yet-untitled. I also just finished Brad Oblivion's "The Beauty Of Imperfection. I'm also working on two new albums by myself. One is a project which will be my first album behind the mic, and the other is my third compilation album called "Lemonade", which will be out in Spring 2010.

CB:You stated that your influences change between releases? Can we get any insight into the influences going into any of these albums?

JPA:High Life is the main one that I've completed. That somehow came out to be mellow and hard-hitting at the same time. I didn't think it could be done, but when people hear it, they'll understand what I'm talking about. I didn't really have any influences on it, except for the records that I dug through to find the samples that I used.

CB:What makes you want to get behind the mic? Or, rather, why are you just now wanting to emcee?

JPA:I have a lot to say. I used to write a lot when I was younger, but I just lost the itch for some reason or another. Right now, I'm at a point in my life where I've experienced a lot of things that make me think and music is definitely my outlet.

CB:Just Plain Ant. That's an interesting name. How did you come up with it? What does it mean?

JPA:I was sitting trying to figure out what a good name would be one day. All of a sudden, I decided that I shouldn't be anybody, but just plain Ant.

CB:What do you want people to take away from your music?

JPA:I just want people to have a good time. Whether it's being dance, mellow out, or reflect upon your emotions. All I know is that I want people to enjoy my music. I do it as a release, but I feel like an artist saying that he/she does the music completely for him/herself is pointless, because the whole point of releasing music is to take people on an experience.

CB:You said earlier that a lot of the current hip-hop landscape sounds similar, but are there any artists out there that you could compare yourself to or take cues from?

JPA:I can't compare myself directly to other artists, but I can kinda compare myself to Dert. Not many know who he is, but those that don't should Google him. He's incredible.

CB:When can we expect to see more of your handiwork?

JPA:Braintrust's album and Jay Slim's The High Life will both be available very very soon.

CB:Where will they be available? Also, (I forgot to ask this earlier) but where are Fly and Dig Deep available?

JPA:They're all available on my blog http://antdotnet.blogspot.com. And if you can't find it, go to www.myspace.com/justplainant and message me for a copy. I won't hesitate to respond.

CB:Anything else you want to add?

JPA:Just Plain Ant is for the Children