A Conversation with Alexander Spit

From his early beginnings in San Francisco to his time on Rosewood Ave. and cosigns from The Alchemist and Evidence, up-and-coming musician Alexander Spit has made a name for himself in the underground rap scene. With the release of his new album ‘A Breathtaking Trip to That Otherside,’ Spit showcases an attention to detail in both his rhymes and his production, resulting in a medley of unique sounds and auras. At a glance, Spit’s body of work displays not only a dedication to his craft, but also a considerable degree of progression. As his fanbase and audience continue to grow, Spit, likewise, continues to cultivate his own sound and pave his own path. We caught up with Alexander Spit in his home studio in LA as he speaks on the aesthetics of his new album, stories about E-40, what he does on his free time, and some future projects.

A Breathtaking Trip to That Otherside. What was the idea behind that title and the album?
I always like to do something that has multi-faceted meanings. I wanted to parallel it to my progress as an artist, and serve as like a platform for my worldly views, my personal views, spiritual, and emotional. When I’m working on an album title, I’ll sometimes just write the title a bunch of times on paper, and I liked how it looked; it was very much fitting to what I wanted to portray. Most importantly, it was about me trying to expand myself musically and as a person.

E-40 is on the remix of “B.N.E (Best Night Ever).” How’d that come about? Are you a fan of his?
I’m a huge fan of E-40. I grew up on E-40 with a small circle of friends before his mainstream presence. He was the person that me and my friends would consider a pioneer of a style that was original. Growing up I remember we would just find some of his raps hella funny and outlandish, but he was the only one who could pull off that style. Nobody could ever mimic or imitate that. When it came to the remix, I felt like it was one of those tracks that any MC could spit a verse about some “best night ever” shit, you know? And it just so happened that E-40 was on our list and he was down so it pieced out perfectly.

Speaking of the Bay Area, what are some of the influences that have affected you and your music?
Man, I really like anything with some soulful vibes to it. Even if it was like some dance party music from the Bay Area, it has soul and funk flavor to it, you know? But beyond just Bay Area rap music, I like people that are just outlandish and are outcasts in a way that you wouldn’t expect to see in a normal life setting – like Portishead, Morrissey, Jay-Z, and 2Pac. Listening to hip-hop kind of expanded my horizons of what I like to listen to.

You’ve been very involved in the production side of your music. When did you start to make that transition?
Actually, it’s been hand-in-hand with me with my writing since pretty much from the beginning. I started rapping when I was 10 or 11 and by the time I was 12 or 13 I was making beats on my computer on Fruity Loops. It started out as a necessity due to the fact that I didn’t know any producers at the time growing up, and I wasn’t trying to rap on other people’s beats. To me, my production is a big part of my artistry.

You’ve worked with Bago on a number of tracks. What’s your relationship to her?
Bago and I met through a mutual friend in San Francisco a little over 2 years ago when I was doing a show with this band, Tenderlions. I had this song at the time ‘Mimosa.’ It was probably one of my first singles I ever put out, and they presented the idea of having Bago sing on it. They said she had a killer voice, and I was open to the idea. We ended up performing that song together, and I just remember her having an amazing voice. The response was really good so we just continued to make stuff together.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
Man, lately as of the last six to nine months literally has been strictly music. If I’m not working on music it’s usually I’m just eating food, or I’m drinking, or getting fucked up. So pretty much around the clock I’m working, thinking, and conceptualizing some form of my music.

What can we expect from Alexander Spit for the rest of 2013?
Man, it kind of always changes in regards to my ideas because once things start coming into fruition, it happens on a timeline that sometimes I can’t even predict. I’m really pushing right now to put out a follow-up to an instrumental project I did in early 2012 called Mansions. So I’m trying to make Mansions 2 right now, which is gonna be a collection of instrumentals and beats and whatnot. On top of that, I’m working on an EP/Mixtape project with KT the Terrible, who I really vibe well with musically. So I’m definitely working on some new projects.