Coach Wave is a rapper, producer, and graphic designer from the east coast who loves the color green and describes himself as an artist in the truest sense of the word. He says that he raps for fun and doesn’t want to confine himself to any particular creative field. We caught up with him on vacation in California, where he was visiting his girlfriend and living the Verde lifestyle.
IdOMUSIC: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! I know you're in Cali right now, but where are you based out of?
Coach Wave: I live in DC right now. I connected with a lot of people in New York City as well, and we still rock with each other.
IDM: Cool, that's how we caught onto you. It seems like you're pretty involved in the scene over there. I've seen you produce tracks for other artists, rap on tracks produced by other people, and rap on your own production. Do you consider yourself more of a rapper or a producer?
CW: I’m an artist. I produce, graphic design, rap, everything. I really just rap because it’s another creative outlet for me. I don’t see myself rapping forever but I see myself producing and graphic designing forever. Rapping is cool, it’s fun, but at the end of the day I just do it for fun.
I would ultimately like to get into management and publishing. I went to school for music business and stuff like that. I just want to have my hand in whatever I can.
IDM: Yeah, that seems to be the wave these days amongst the people who go on to become genuine world-shapers and influencers. Speaking of that, who would you consider to be your biggest influences as far as production goes?
CW: I don’t know. I’d really say Pharell. I started making beats because of Purple Haze by Cam’ron. That album really motivated me to start producing. Also Indy music prod like Passion Pit, that’s what made me produce. Most of my production skills come from my friend Adam, (@moedoisnice). I don’t really have a style in particular. I just make what I think is good.
I just kept producing. I started producing and rapping at the same time. I still fuck with Pharell as a producer to the max, but I just don’t feel like I’m channeling anybody when I’m making beats.
IDM: I really love the cover art for "u know" did you make that yourself?
CW: Yeah I did. I used a burnt polaroid. I just burned a polaroid and put it in a bunch of different positions and took pictures of it. I'd never seen anyone else do it but I thought it was a dope idea.
IDM: So what are your goals as a creative and an artist? Do you want to be famous or just create art that you think is great, or both?
CW: Everybody needs a bag. So I need a bag first and foremost. I just create just to create. I like the idea of people having an opinion on work done. Just seeing growth in work. I'm not in it to be famous. That's not my goal. If a wave was to catch it'd be lit. I'm all for it, but that's not my goal. That's why I fuck with production. It don't make a difference to me how I get it, I just want the bag. It's not about the money. I didn't start creating to start being rich or nothing like that. I wasn't thinking about being an actual rapper or anything like that. I just thought that shit was fun.
IDM: Who’s one musician you’d absolutely love to be able to lock into a studio with and build a 5-track EP with?
CW: Definitely Young Thug. Just to be in the studio and be on tracks with Thug. He would have my shit turnt up.
IDM: Who’s one creative person you really admire, from any artistic area? Like an author, a rapper, a filmmaker, anyone.
CW: I don’t really look to a lot of people. I fuck with certain people. Musically I could say Jay-Z I guess. Anybody right now. Like the niggas who made Lyft and Uber. You know they be doing shit. All that is lit. I don’t really look to niggas like that for inspiration. I look to inspiration from real life. Like my family. It’s unique. Like anyone can get inspiration from Steve Jobs, but not everyone can get inspiration from my family. Plus I don’t even know that nigga, or person or woman or whatever, so I like to find my own inspiration. I like people when they’re not trying to ride anyone else’s wave.
Check out Coach Wave's new project, Green Island 4, recently released July 2nd.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4GoAd0z6c4D2jS3RlwVh0c
https://twitter.com/coachwave_
https://soundcloud.com/coachwave
https://www.instagram.com/coachwave/
Photo credits: Heather LaShun Photography
"I will literally go through every single sound I have until I find the right one...it can take forever sometimes."
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