Some artists just release music but Wych Hasle offers transformative experiences. This visionary rapper/storyteller rips the cover off of today’s refined R&B with The DEATH OF R&B MIXTAPE 2: CHANGELING, and packages it back into something raw, moody and unashamedly vital. It is not a conventional mixtape, but instead a work of art and a cultural commentary toward the erasure of art.
Where the first Death of R&B project implied rebellion, CHANGELING is entirely devoted to revolutionary art. Constructed on twisted gospel samples, beat-boxed drum breaks, and lyrics that are both spoken word poetry and incantations, WYCH reshapes such themes of love, loss, change and renewal into artful expressions.
His musical background is strong, having been informed in his formative years by exposure to Earth, Wind and Fire, Parliament, and The Last Poets, as well as the early social commentary of hip-hop through such songs as The Message and It Like That. In the case of Wych, true rap music was never R&B–it was soul music made bare of its fundamental backbone.
His daughter Shen Aura and son Sun Ashay are major contributors to this new project, and this artistic vision is developed forward, with a sense of generational attitudes throughout. Already creating buzz in underground music circles, CHANGELING is a song that requires concentrated listening. The project features a harsh and perilous sound that is a stern reminder that music is not just the soundtrack of life, but a force that can challenge and completely transform our worldview on a fundamental level.
Listen to The DEATH OF R&B MIXTAPE 2: CHANGELING below
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What inspired the concept behind “The DEATH OF R&B MIXTAPE 2: CHANGELING” and how does it differ from the first mixtape?
The idea for the title came to me one night a few years ago while digging through decades of rhymes I wrote. I came up in the late 70s and early 80s. My father, uncles, and friends listened to bands like Earth, Wind, and Fire, Parliament, The Stylistics, and The Stylistics. Some deeper into The Last Poets and Gil Scott Heron. When rap came on the scene, like ‘The Message’, ‘The Breaks’, and ‘It’s Like That’…the truth about inner city trauma and angst was being expressed. That was a different movement than R&B and it killed my and my peers desire to delude ourselves with music that was syrupy, unreal, and not reflecting the outer and inner challenges we faced.
The whole Motown era was manicured and cleaned up for consumption and mostly fantasia and escapist, word to Berry Gordy’s method of choosing hits and acts. It did not , lyrically, or sonically reflect what the streets were coming to be.
The blues and rhythm that 80s and 90s babies feel is not the same blues, or rhythm of our parents.
Real Rap is not R&B.
How did you approach the creative process for this album compared to your previous work?
It came together organically after choosing a bunch of as songs out of notebooks that I collected for quite a while. All of the songs that were either deeply personal, or autobiographical…, or concept, relationship, or freedom songs that I stored away during the beginning of the 2000s when rap got real materialistic and club scene oriented.
What I do in this series, is closer to Soul than R&B. And closer to conscious rap roots than braggadocio.
MICROPHONOLOGY the EP and Mixtape I did with WATKINZ Da General out of N.C., those are more for the heads into those type of bars.
MIDNIGHT WALKS, that I did with Rulerz Inc. is for the streets, those who grew up to purely urban music. Street Knowledge and revelations on such.
The DRAMAFICATION series was more about healing and reclaimin the my birthright as a griot and is also soul and social justice music.
The title suggests a transformation or change. What does “CHANGELING” represent in the context of this project?
When I was young, my father used to take me to see horror movies because I was really deep into Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and The Twilight Zone.
We saw this movie called The Changeling about the ghost of a child trying to communicate with a man who lost his wife and child in a road accident.
The way the child communicated, by moving objects, defying reality, telepathy, etc. was the scariest shit to me. More so than the slasher films.
So I became interested in the paranormal and studied quite a bit til the fear became intrigued and a desire to either debunk , or know about the unknown.
Doing so, over years of study, aided me on seeing nuances, parallels, and realities that changed my entire perspective on life.
I finally felt totally free to talk about any and everything how I wished.
I began to have a desire to aid people, through my lyrics, in seeing what is beneath the surface.
an you tell us about any standout collaborations on the mixtape and what made those partnerships special?
The most enjoyable part of this Mixtape is my collaborations with my daughter Shen Aura, a singer, and my son, Sun Ashay, a dancer, and beat maker from this current generation. The songs we did are multi laden and rich with information and feeling.
The Hive Cinema, Forbidden Fruit, Creature Feature, and Changeling are great thematic and stylistic leaps for me and the culture.
How do you think this album challenges or redefines the current state of R&B music?
I was never after redefining the genre, only expressing with vigor what it is not,…it rarely , at this point in history ,bares the naked soul of the artist singing it. Lots of the greats who did that are gone now…James Brown, Prince, Barry White, Marvin Gaye, etc.
I came to bare my soul and mind on poignant issues on this project and to represent for those who grew up during my era. To also show that Ageism in Hip Hop is bullshit. A masterpiece can be made at any time in our lives if we are true to what we do.
Nas proves this with his King’s Disease run.
Were there any personal experiences or stories that heavily influenced the themes on this mixtape?
My life, my studies, my observations. Coming out of dysfunction and into therapy. Having knowledge of self. And most importantly, the lessons these things have become and manifested.
It was also my desire to not be led, coerced, or influenced by a label, producer, or momentary movement within the genre in an effort to create something timeless.
I always wanted to do that.
How do you want your listeners to feel or what do you want them to take away after listening to the album?
I want them to approach it with an open heart, open mind, and a hungry soul. Be prepared to go on multiple journeys. As much as I want them to feel, I want them to think, I want them to listen and analyze…not feel like if they have to rewind something to enjoy, or get it that something is wrong.
I hope they understand that rap can go anywhere subject, sound, and flow wise.
I hope they go back into my catalog to see that I am ever evolving and have many styles, and much more content to offer than fast food music.
I want it to inspire them to change.
The production and sound selection on the album feels unique. What guided your choices for beats and instrumentation?
It was all feeling in. They came naturally, but over time as I locked in to paint the complete picture. I wanted nothing that sounded the same as the first installment, which was more rooted in soul music.
I read and listened to a lot of advice and perspectives of some have greatest creators on Earth: Questloves, Rakim, RZA, Rick Rubin, Prince, … different geniuses from different walks of life.
What challenges did you face during the making of the album and how did you overcome them?
I did this on my own terms and with a more than capable team. The only challenge I faced was my own scrutiny and tendencies to perfectionism. Getting out of my own way.
I was very comfortable in my own skin doing this project.
How do you see your sound evolving after this mixtape? Do you have a vision for your future music direction?
My next album is DOVES AT NIGHT. It will go in a different, yet familiar direction. I will be talking about some very deep and real things facing our existence. It is heavily influenced by black literature, the wedge between the streets and academia, black spirituality, reality rap, and inner revolution.
It is also very Solomonic due to my Father and myself being very intrigued by him as a figure in Masonry and Black Esoteric ideology.
Is there a particular track on “CHANGELING” that you’re most proud of or feel is underrated?
Again, all the tracks I did with my children are my favorite for many reasons. I am sure there will be many more on that vibe with lyrics on that level and beyond.
What role do you think independent artists like yourself play in the changing landscape of R&B?
We shake up things and attempt to bring about necessary paradigm shifts to elevate the art and culture. We talk about things in new ways that make others look at reality a little different. We invent styles and promote possibilities.
How has your experience with your fans influenced this album’s release and promotion?
The reception has been great. I have gotten a lot of great reviews and positive feedback. Specifically for packaging and presenting it in a way where listeners must survive listening to the entire project in one sitting. They have to make time for it.
Shit is too accessible and spoon fed nowadays.
What message or statement are you making with “The DEATH OF R&B MIXTAPE 2” about the genre and your place in it?
Stop worrying about always being cute, polite, and manicured when it comes to expressing deep realities and feelings.
Let’s not spend whole albums simply talking about the superficial, dive in and do some potent bars with some meaning.
Can you share any behind-the-scenes moments or stories from recording this mixtape that fans might find surprising?
They might be surprised to know that I work a 8 hour a day job, have two Masters degrees , write horror, sci fi, novels, scripts and essays daily as well,…all which can be found on Wattpad and soon Amazon. Please support my art there as well ( @wychhazle1).
I am in two films ‘ The Man Who Didn’t Shake Hands’ and ‘Is Your Story Making You Sick?’ a deep documentary directed by Frances Causey
to which I also recorded an alternative soundtrack.
My father is author Charles Pugh Sr., author ‘Griot’ and ‘The Hospital Plot’.
