Q & A With Ripynt

North end representer Ripynt has been steadily building a name for himself with a reputation for energetic live performances and two well received releases in '09. In March he dropped RIP: Re-Inventing Poetics, an honest effort sharing some very personal stories, celebrating the good times in life and of course some typical rap braggadocio.

Ripynt is an impressive emcee and it's not hard to hear his natural skill and what got him his name. But beyond the raw energy and flow that he posses he has some demons to get out and he shows no shame in expressing his ups and downs. This kind of honesty is something rap used to be lauded for.

Next Wednesday, the 27th, you can catch Ripynt along with Fatal Lucciauno, Gran Rapids, Notion & DJ Swervewon at the High Dive. I caught up with Rip this week to get some back story and see what we can expect in the future.

TML: Who are you? Where are you from? When did you decide you wanted to be an emcee?
Ripynt: My name is Cory Tate, Ripynt, Rip, Rippin It. Take your pick. I'm from Everett born and raised. And I've been writing for about 15 years now, but have seriously been involved in the scene for about 5 years. I've wanted to do this since the day I wrote my first rhyme. Just never thought it could happen till I heard myself recorded.

TML: You work with a producer named Aether, is this the same Aether who dropped the album Artifacts in '08? How did you two connect?
Actually, no. Aether is my younger brother. I actually haven't heard of another Aether until now. My brother has been making music with me almost as long as I've been recording. He started producing for me when he was about 12 or 13. He's 20 now. Very talented.

TML: Were you in the lab w/ Bean & Sinic for recording or were you writing to beats and then going in to lay down verses?
Sinic is and has been my right hand guy for a long time. I did write quite a bit of RIP with him while he would present me with beats. But he's also my engineer. So every song I've ever done, except 1 or 2 have been with him either behind the boards or present in the room. With Bean it was pretty much just me purchasing beats and writing to them. I'm not sure I've even had the chance to give him the album. Matter of fact...I don't think he's heard the songs I did. Hopefully soon and hopefully he thinks they're dope. Lol. I probably shoulda been on that.

TML: How long was this record in the making?
About 4 years total. I dropped an album I didn't push very had in 05. It was horrible quality and just wasn't a good representation of what I was doing. I started working on RIP right away. It was really over '07, '08 that the album started to form, well, an album. Until then it was just me writing songs. My wife and I split, I lived out of a car, and it was at that time when I started going in a particular direction. Especially when I recorded "Scarecrow". That's when I knew where I was going.

TML: How is your relationship w/ your family today? Are your son's listening to your album?
Me and wifey reconciled for a while. But things still weren't working, and I honestly haven't been a very good husband. We're split again, but it's on MUCH better terms. We see each other all the time, and we talk everyday. I see my kids as often as possible. They do occasionally listen to daddy... but it's usually when daddy listens to himself. Christian, my oldest, just loves to hear himself at the beginning of the album. He's just like his dad. Lol.

TML: You worked with MTK who, with as much work as he has done, seems to be a little slept on by Seattle emcees. How did you develop that relationship and what was it like working with him?
I actually went to Big Tune in '07 and heard him wreck shop there. I got a hold of him and told him I was interested in some beats and what not. I think it was a good fit because we're both Northend/Everett guys. There's a level of respect there because we're two of the only guys from there really making waves. Him more so than me but I'm catching up. The dude is just a filthy producer and a genuine guy. You can expect to hear Ripynt over more MTK beats in the future.

TML: Can you talk about the approach to the A Mid Summers Day Drive EP?
Sinic made a beat with the intention of getting 3 MC's on it, and then taking it to Undercaste to finish up mixing on it. He got me, of course, Neema and Speedy, and then has Latin Rose come in for the hook. The song became "What Im Going Through". I thought the idea of taking the song as a jump off point and forming an EP would be a dope idea. Every rapper and their mom were doing free EP's at the time and I just thought it was a good idea. So we came up with the summertime theme and just tried to structure an EP that would sound good on a nice Summer day drive. We cranked it out in about 3 months time, did nearly all the mixing at Undercaste, and put it out. I'm actually really proud of that EP.

TML: Are you working on new material now?
Yeah. Kinda. The cats been let out of the bag recently but Notion, Know Choice, and myself along with Shast on production have began talks for a group project. And I'm going back in the studio on Feb 1st, but I don't have any plans of dropping any new solo material anytime this year. I'm really focused on getting out of town to promote RIP better then I have been, and really trying to get that album poppin' more than it is now. But the artist in me stays itching his veins to get in the studio, so I can't stay gone too long.

TML: You work in a pawn shop, what's the strangest thing someone has brought in to try and pawn? What's the most expensive thing you've seen come?
Jesus. Pawn Star has really fucked my life up. Lol. I'm joking of course, but it isn't like it is on that show. I really see pretty normal shit. We actually accept cars in loan. Sometimes weird things come in like power scooters that make you wonder what the elderly person who was riding it is doing for transportation. But other than that, it's really not as interesting of a job as people think. But
shouts to my bosses for writing them checks. Lol.

TML: What do you look for when choosing a beat?
Depends on my mood. I feel like I'm pretty versatile in what I can do so I'm pretty open minded. I like everything from nice simple sample beats that allow the MC to do what he does, to them big, epic bangers that challenge the MC to do something unexpected and hard. I like shit with a melody. Beats that form a song, not just a rhythm to spit a 16 over. Live instruments are never a negative. I just like music. A beat that inspires me whether it be hyphy, conscious, street, political or otherwise is a beat I want to rap to.

TML: Does the music usually inspire the rhymes or vice versa? Both?
Both. Sometimes I have an idea already I need to find a beat to. More often though it's the beat that speaks first.

TML: What is in your iPod, car deck, etc?
Well, I just got an iPhone so I've stocked it up with about 1600 songs ranging from Aesop Rock to Young Buck to Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Like I said...I love music.

TML: What is your favorite Hip hop album?
It's a toss up between Nas It Was Written ("I Gave You Power" is my favorite hip hop song of all time), Eminem Marshal Mathers LP, and Ripynt RIP: Re-Inventing Poetics available at all your fine online retailers (haha).

Download A Midsummer's Day Drive EP to shake of those winter blues here; Cop RIP: Re-Inventing Poetics here or get yo ass to the High Dive next Wednesday, the 27th, and watch a dope show from just a sliver of Seattle's great talent. Something tells me Ripynt will have CD's for sale, maybe if you're nice he'll sign it for you.