Juan Carlos Iwasaki adopted the alias of Jaze since I was in school. With that aka, the Peruvian has built an important career in the battles of rap of Latin America. A sample: in September he competed in the FMS International In Madrid, this Sunday he begins his participation in the Peruvian league and next week he travels to Mexico to compete in the God Level team world championship.
But beyond that fighting facet, there is his musical side. He composed songs since he was a child and dreamed of being a drummer, to the point of studying music as a career. But freestyle changed his life and made his dreams come true. This is how Jaze has just presented his first solo album called ‘Personality 7 ′, with nine songs that are like a journey through various genres. Not only his musical influences were overturned on the album, but also his experiences embodied in the lyrics. Infobae He spoke with the singer-songwriter and explains this trip in his own words. Spoiler: not a rap record.
There are 13 songs on your YouTube channel, which ones are part of this album?
The disc starts from Al Mango, which is the last song on the album but it was the first advance, then it came 403, Versus, Sorry and it is completed by five more songs that were released last Thursday (Moles, Safari, Where is, Personality 7 and Yellow Plane).
There are four previous tracks, are they individual tracks?
Calm down, Vital Clock, Pinta Nomá ‘ and Are things They are songs that I released as single singles. At the end of the pandemic, I started composing and realized that I was making an album.
You could be described as eclectic because of the genres you cover. But you, how do you define your music?
It’s a bit complicated, I always say that I have a very rock influence mostly, well harmonic, indie. I didn’t listen to rap until later, it’s not my favorite genre, but I love rapping. I enjoy more writing a song with a melodic line. But if it weren’t for rap and all that I’ve learned with freestyle, there might not be some songs that I have. Although there are some songs that are also quite remote.
Are you listening to full discs?
Yes. I wasn’t very used to doing it, now I do it 50/50. I have a playlist called ‘Viaje’ where I have all my music. There Charly García sounds to me randomly, I move to Rage Against by Machine, Daniela Darcourt, Alejandro and María Laura may sound, then Agua Marina, the Beatles sound out of nowhere, and then Karma Chameleonby Culture Club. I shit laughing. It is something that has marked me a lot. The album has enough of that, that you listen to one thing and then another. It’s a bit of the concept of the album. But since I’m 18 or 19, I’ve been listening to full albums, because it’s a different connection. I like it.
I’m asking about your album. How would you like people to listen to ‘Personality 7’?
It makes a sense that it goes in order, but you can listen to it in whatever order you want.
What is the order?
First is Personality 7, which is an anecdotal and super battery funk rock, with a freestyle in the middle. Later Versus, which is a song I did when I couldn’t sleep, it’s kind of a trap and it’s evolving. Follow Where is, which is my dad’s favorite song, a powerful song, a very galactic tripero indie, with a violin solo that I wrote on sheet music and recorded by María Elena Pacheco. It is super spatial, if you listen to it with headphones it moves you, you trippets fixed.
Then comes Yellow plane, which is my favorite song on the album, where I talk about myself and the changes I have had from a child to a grown-up. Sorry that already came out; Moles, which is a romantic eighties rock of an idea that I had when I was 12 years old and I developed it at 20.
Safari It’s about a dream I had, where some animals tell me that I had to fulfill a plan and they give me a map, in the end there is an outcome. It is a fusion of various things and has reggae. And then there are 403 and Al Mango. All topics have their video. We work hard to make it sound good.
THE FREESTYLE CHANGED EVERYTHING
What do you owe to freestyle?
When I started doing free, I didn’t think about becoming so mediatic. I always liked to rhyme. My boy songs were rhyming. And he played with my dad: he called me spider and I called him legaña. When I became known I realized that I had an audience that I could show what I want to do.
I owe a lot to freestyle on the public side and what it has taught me, I did not see it coming. It clarified many things for me. I wanted to be a rock drummer, now I want to compose. The same I always go watching and around in five years I will be a drummer again.
And you’re starting to give live concerts …
Yes, in October all in Mexico and in November a festival is planned. Now that everything restarts we will go everywhere. It makes me happy to put out a record, have people listen to me and have a concert set up. There are 9 songs from the album and freestyle. It is a show that goes through many moments. They will hear about everything.
Will you ever release a record like Juan Carlos?
No. Jaze is my stage name. Several times I have thought about it, I would like [que me llamen] Juanca, but Jaze represents a moment in which they did not support me for what I did, and I did it anyway. It is a symbol for me that you have to do what you have to do. To be authentic. Now I do it all the time. That’s why when I compete, if I do it with my head and I neglect my rapping, it is no longer Jaze. If I trained and was more disciplined in sports, maybe I could have more results, but I would not be happy. This is how I see the battles.
The same with music, if I took out everything that people asked me for, it wouldn’t be Jaze anymore. The people who listen to me are more trap, urban and I get a different vibe. I want people to be convinced of my project.
And do you manage to separate the battles from the music?
I separate the battles from the music quite a bit, the music is more of an escape, as well as the improvisation. I don’t like battles, for me I’m in a rap competition where I try to rap better than my rival. Whether I win or lose, I try to leave something ‘straw’. Not necessarily good punchlines, or references, but listen to me and shake your head.
Regarding the competitions, God Level and FMS Peru are coming …
For God Level we have not been able to get together with Jota, Nekroos and Maricielo, but I am happy with the team, they are very cracks. Beyond the results we are going to bring something nice. The World Cups are like that, you have to give them …
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