ON THE RISE
Maryland-based rapper and song-writer Flex Kartel is teaming with Detroit rapper Sada Baby to produce a motivational tune meant to push people to move on in their lives.
Kartel’s newest single “Get A Bag” was created specifically to bring these two hip hop heavyweights together.
“‘Get A Bag’ is meant to get people to get up and be motivated,” Kartel said. “It gives you the motivation to want to get up and go get some kind of hustle or ambition or get to your next goal or get to that next point where you can collect your next big fee so you can move on to the next step in your life.”
Kartel said Sada Baby got involved at the suggestion of his company, Haplios and GATC Entertainment.
“My distro called me and said what do you think about Sada Baby, he’s pretty dope?” Kartel said. “They said what do you think about doing a record with him? I said for sure I’d want to do a record with him. I was in the studio in Los Angeles and I was in there with my twin brother, my engineer and I created something to see if we could get a record with him.
“That night I made that song in about an hour and sent it to him. He was like yes, he loved it, he wanted to get on the song and next thing you know we were doing the song and shooting the music video.”
The song features Kartel’s unique blend of hip hop, combined with a bit of Go-Go, a subgenera of music originated by musicians in Washington, D.C., as well as some of the R&B and dance hall that his parents used to play at home.
Kartel said he got his musical start with Go-go before venturing off to hip hop in his late teens.
He got into rap when another rapper suggested he try it.
“Shout out to Boomer Chamberlain, he had a studio set up in his house and he was like man, you need to get on a song and try it,” Kartel said. “I said, no, man, I’m not a rapper, I don’t make music like that. He said come on man, just try it. He asked me for the whole day and by the end of the day I tried it and I was like, hey, I actually don’t sound that bad. The ball kept rolling from there.”
Kartel said his collaboration with Sada Baby in “Get A Bag” was his first experience collaborating with another artist, and he’s looking forward to more.
“It was dope, Sada Baby is very energetic, he has a lot of fun,” Kartel said. “It was definitely dope, it was my first record with an artist from a different city, like that. It was definitely a great experience.”
Kartel described his own music as something that takes on a variety of sounds.
“My sound is like a Picasso, very beautiful work of art and there are going to be different versions of different pieces of art, but you’re always going to get something beautiful and masterful,” he said. “It’ll be like the only one in the world, no one will have that sound or that style.”
Kartel said “Get A Bag” is a single for now, and h’s working on a new EP called “Untitled Emotions.”
Next year he’ll headline his own concert at the Union Stage in Washington, D.C. He also has a new single and music video featuring Sauce Walker and Peso Peso from Houston.
“People need to stay tuned for all of that,” Kartel said. “Expect to be blown away. I don’t even want to give them too much, I just want them to hear it and tell me what they feel, but expect to be blown away.
Make sure to stay connected to Flex Kartel on all platforms for new music, videos and social posts.
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Elvis Presley – ‘Mystery Train’
“My first love was Elvis, no question. In our house, we had a French-release compilation album of his songs called ‘Le Roi Du Rock ‘n’ Roll’. As a small kid, I was obsessed with ‘Mystery Train’. The way Elvis held his guitar like a gun and the percussive way he attacked the strings made me fall in love with the guitar. Many years later, I went busking around Europe on my motorbike with a tent and played my guitar in the streets. But it was all because of Elvis and those early Sun [Records] recordings – and ‘Mystery Train’ in particular.”
Blondie – ‘Autoamerican’
“There was an Our Price on Finchley Road, North London that I’d go to with my older brother and sister. That’s where I bought ‘Autoamerican’ in 1981. Blondie – what can you say? Apart from the fact that as a young boy, it was impossible not to be in love with Debbie Harry. I love the variety on this particular record – it goes through different genres. Years later, I saw Blondie play [in 2013] at a private function in New York with Kanye West. Debbie Harry was still magnetic.”
Queen, Wembley Stadium, 1986
“Queen were supported by INXS. It was before they released ‘Kick’ [in 1987]. I only went because it turned out my friend Kieran’s dad was a big-shot in the music industry and he got four tickets. I was around 17, it was a year after they played Live Aid and Queen were phenomenal.”
The Beatles – ‘Eleanor Rigby’
“All through our early teenage years, my younger brother and I were always at the top of the house listening to The Beatles. ‘Eleanor Rigby’ reminds me of the ‘80s and the views out of our house in London: looking at the grey, rain-drizzled skies. I always felt its melancholy, looking out of the window back then as a teenager. Not that I was unhappy, but I definitely responded to that in music.”
Ever meet Macca?
“I have met Paul McCartney and he was a complete gentleman. At a political party, we were watching the American election on TV and he came up to me and said [Lewis does a pitch-perfect Macca impersonation]: ‘Oh, you understand a bit or two about the TV, don’t you?’. And I just realised he’d seen me on TV and I melted. I went to bed grinning. That McCartney knows who I am is incredible. I was completely tongue-tied.”
David Bowie – ‘Heroes’
“I know 173 other people will probably also have picked ‘Heroes’ for this, but from the opening note, it’s just relentlessly brilliant. It’s the most evocative, triumphant, euphoric song – and unbelievably cool. The second album I ever owned was Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’ – and he’s remained a touchstone for me.”
The Rolling Stones – ‘Little T&A’
“I listen to the Stones a lot and I can never get ‘Little T&A ‘ out of my head. Keith Richards is quoted as calling the song ‘dumb’ and that it’s just about rock ‘n’ roll energy. It’s a celebration of carnality, I’m aware of that, but that’s the one that stays in my head!”
Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers – ‘Swing the Mood’
“I can’t fucking hear Jive Bunny again! But I don’t mean that in a pejorative way. When I was in my twenties, I would go out on my own dancing to old-school rock ‘n’ roll at rockabilly nights. Then Jive Bunny came out and cut up my favourite songs into snippets and put them into this endless [novelty] medley. And then it was never off the radio, so I’d have to put it into the Room 101 of music.”
Crazy P – ‘There’s a Better Place’
“It’s an ambient rave tune with a fantastic Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory sample. I’m just that age. I left school right into the dance culture of the ‘90s and that will still always get me up on the floor.”
The Weepies – ‘Gotta Have You’
“It reminds me of moving to LA as a family with my late wife Helen [McCrory]. My daughter was one year old and my son was about to be born. We were living in Venice Canals – and I was filming out there. We had a babysitter who was a 23-year-old roller-skating, already-Botoxed sunny Californian girl. We asked her, are you listening to any good music? She gave us two great bands. One is The Shins but the other was a lesser-known band called The Weepies. That song will always get me going.”
Elton John – ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’
“I can’t say I do karaoke but I will proudly divulge that I was at karaoke in Fulham Broadway once. I went in there with a friend and I got up and sang ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’ and I won a bottle of champagne for best karaoke of the evening! Very chuffed I was too. If I was back looking for another bottle of champers, I’d pick it again.”
Talk Talk – ‘It’s My Life’
“I was an ‘80s kid and I liked electronic music. I’ve always loved ‘It’s My Life’ and Andy Hollis’ vocals, as well as its slightly bombastic nature. Life’s what you make of it – seems like a good sentiment to have.”
Damian Lewis’ UK tour begins on October 2. His album ‘Sweet Chaos’ is out now via Thin Red Duke
