Listening to Midas.Gold, you might be surprised to learn that he’s based in Brisbane – you can hear traces of Travis Scott and other club rap contemporaries – but he’s just one of many emerging emcees diversifying the sonic palette of local hip-hop.
Raised in the United States before moving Down Under at an early age, Midas.Gold has seen both worlds and bleeds them into his own unique brand of confident rap. Today, he’s just dropped his What It’s Worth EP and will soon be hitting the road with one of the country’s brightest brekaout stars, Tkay Maidza. To celebrate release day, we spoke to Midas.Gold about his latest music video, the state of Brisbane and Lil Wayne:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upJnnohEUxg
You said that writing the What It’s Worth EP was “one huge contradiction, just a whole lot of self loathing mixed with post MBDTF Kanye narcissism” – what do you think fuels these contradictions? Do you feel that rappers are often too one-dimensional in their lyrics or subject matter?
I don’t know anything other than contradictions! Life will never be only black or white! I recognise that I am human and therefore flawed. It’s awareness of self that allows to do so, there’s nothing that fuels them, I guess it feels moreso like knowing they are there and accepting them/ I feel like whatever you wanna do, you should do, I’m in no position to judge or offer an opinion on what other artists create – they have their own reasons for it! If you have a lane and it’s working, ride that sucker out for What It’$ Worth.
Are you one of those people who thinks 808s & Heartbreak is Kanye’s best album? If not, what is?
Tie between 808’s an MBDTF. Thats a hard one! Fu*k! Ermm 808’s was ahead of it’s time and I’ve always loved it, but i think MBDTF is a master piece, so yeah definitely a tie.
The ‘Work It Out’ video saw you collaborate with NIDA for some inspiring choreography. How did that joint venture come about, and where did the concept for the video spring from?
I won the Triple J competition for it! S.O the homies! So after that, me and Carissa (the director) and Nick (set designer) and Kam (my manager) threw around ideas and I kinda wanted something Olivia Newton-John ‘Lets Get Physical’ inspired, and everyone from NIDA pretty much took it from there, hella stoked on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bS4itQpDyY
Where did your dancers cop the fresh tracksuits for the video?
You’re gonna have to ask Carissa & Nick!
What are some of your favourite tunes to work out to at the gym? We hear you’re a fan of heavy metal, so any headbanging while you’re pumping iron?
Oh lord, I don’t even gym breh, I do love the metal but I’m prolly more guilty of smashing pop-punk. Surprise!
I guess you are in an unusual position, having come to from the States and now rapping in Australia. How was that transfer for you, especially to a city like Brisbane when most people consider Melbourne or Sydney as bigger hip-hop hubs?
I was young AF when I came here, so I guess I didn’t know any different – but that was something that seemed like a ‘shit’ thing about BNE a little while ago – but right now BNE is going through a renaissance if you will. Within the next year or two I can guarantee it will be the hub. DC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzODkysbl3c
Soon you’ll be hitting the road with Tkay Maidza and Sable. What do you think this says about the local hip-hop scene now, that you can be playing alongside a dance producer and a rapper who just collaborated with Killer Mike?
Ive been more stoked on this tour than my own! Tkay Maidza is making the biggest moves in this country IMO *fan boy* – its growing! People are realising that that the ‘Aussie hip-hop’ stigma is now obsolete with artists like Tkay Maidza, Baro, Ivan Ooze, REMI, Sampa the Great, X & Y Hype, Gill Bates, Allday – the list goes on and people are excited and proud. It’s hella dope!
We read in an interview that you would love to work with Lil Wayne. if you got signed to Young Money, what would be the first in-house collaboration you’d link up, and what would it sound like?
Wayne, but if he wouldn’t come out of retirement then Drake fo shoooo cause I need to eat!
What’s on the cards for Midas.Gold for the rest of 2016?
Tour with Tkay and more studio with Jangus (James Angus Music) – No breaks till we get some of that rap money B!
