IWARI recently released the R.E.A.L, his debut album, which follows the premiere single—‘This is that R.E.A.L.’, a socially conscious track chronicling the current climate of American contemporary society.
“I make anthems that punctuate life’s great moments–moments that resonate with memories for the rest of our lives. I make heat rocks like “Get Up” that destroy sound systems as well as laid back grooves like “Little Black Dress,” says Iwari.
“The R.E.A.L.” is a concept I started working on about two years ago. I finished my mix-tape—The PreGame–that spring and went right back at it.
“I see myself as a versatile musician and emcee. There is the strictly urban side to my music that leans toward the gangster tradition, but I also like to make music that you can listen to with your kids.
“I like to make music you can play when you make love to your special someone like “Little Black Dress” which features ‘sexy canon’, which is what I call my tenor saxophone. I also like to comment on politics. I want my listeners to be aware of how the world situation looks to me as a voice of my generation. I also want people to be aware of the processes we all go through just living. I put it all in the CD. The R.E.A.L. is a time capsule. A thousand years from now anyone could listen to the R.E.A.L. and get a real snapshot of what it was like to be alive today. I laid it all out, consciously!
“My fans can look forward to a very different ‘Dr. Hyde’ Remix which features virtuoso Mark Cargill on violin. As a musician, I pulled out all the stops. My goal is to rival the best. I write my instrumentals because it makes me stretch as an artist. I do, however, include others in my magic music circle. First there is 2L who is featured on the CD’s title track—This is that R.E.A.L.; Catherine Keithly is featured on Alive, and Mark Cargill on Dr. Hyde. I think listeners will be excited by the range of the presentation and what this CD means to this era of hip-hop,” Iwari said.
“The R.E.A.L. is music for the new millennium. The album has an electronic flavor that will bring the ravers back to hip-hop and reenergize their love for rap. As a lyricist, I bring it hard enough to trade punches with the heavyweights. The R.E.A.L. is intellectual, down to earth and likable. Although ‘The R.E.A.L.’ conveys a conscious message in a uniquely positive way, it is also music to ride with or listen to or just chill. I hit it hard with life’s responsibilities while reminding listeners that at the end of the day, it’s all about fun.
IWARI is a compelling songwriter who loves all genres of music, popular and classic. His introduction to rap music began with listening to 2pac’s “all eyes on me” at age seven. “Since then I’ve added, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and the St. Lunatics and lately Kendrick Lamar as major influences or inspirations. Outside of rap Michael Jackson and R. Kelly are my favorite artists because of the musical geniusness.”
IWARI as an emcee will excite and stimulate with his lyrical genius and new wave hip hop beats, which he calls real rhythms or heat rocks. IWARI can spit as fast as any rapper. He is creative with his flow and some have compared him to artists like Tech Nine. His lyrics are powerful and explicitly conscious. IWARI is aggressive, charismatic and his savvy is inspired. His beats are hypnotic and his swag has old-school flavor.
Iwari is uniquely influenced by the three major cities he grew up in.–St. Louis, MO, New York City and Los Angeles. “So when it comes to claiming — I spent more time in New York City than in St. Louis where he finished high school or Los Angeles where I live. “Musically I feel the influence of New York driving energy and Harlem’s urban flavor. From the Midwest I get those edgy but often mellow blues, jazz and swing notes. Los Angeles or the west coast is responsible for my swagger. I think it is here that I get my unique style which is a blend of all these influences–“real rhythms.”
In developing his fan base, IWARI wants to capture the hearts of listeners who truly love hip hop and rap. IWARI is a Trojan, a former member of the USC Spirit of Troy Marching Band, and he is a mechanical engineer.
IWARI (pronounced EE-WAH-REE)