Ra: Describe your style.
L: My style is traditional/original hip-hop. Which means you'll hear influences of the late 80's to 90's. Boom Bap with samples but also soul and funk infused. You'll a feel of the Golden Era with a mix of some moments from the 2000's.
Ra: What inspired you to rap?
L: A number of things starting with growing up watching music videos as a youngster and seeing how much fun it looked. Then as I got older, I started freestyling naturally all the time around friends and family. After that it got to where I realized that I can make an impact on peoples lives by inspiring them to pursue their dreams.
Ra: Where are you based and how does that shape your music?
L: I'm based out of Oklahoma City, Ok. Its tough because Ok is not known for hip-hop or urban music. I embrace the fact that its tough getting some sort of notoriety here but it makes me go harder and be as creative as possible.
Ra: Who are your heroes in Hip Hop?
L: Some of my favorite hip-hop artists are Nas, Redman, Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube and Curren$y just to keep it at 5. All for different reasons. Each with their own contribution to the culture.
Ra: How does being a Father impact your raps?
L: It impacts me a great deal. My son has watched me rap since he was small so I try my best to let him see how hard I work. I always have some bars about him along with positive affirmations. He's been in several videos of mine.
Ra: What do you look for when picking beats to rap on?
L: The beat has to grab me within the first 5-10 seconds. If it doesnt then I find one that does. It has to be infectious. The beat is the first thing that the consumer pays attention too so its got to be jammin.
Ra: Who are you checking for in Hip Hop currently?
L: Honestly I'm not checking for anyone specific but I always keep my ear to the street and stay in the know of whats going on for the most part. It's tons of dope artist out there. Especially in the underground. I stay locked in focused into several projects.
Ra: Where can people find your music?
L: You can find me on all streaming sites as well as Bandcamp at L-Smooth Mensah. My Youtube channel is Lamar Mensah and you can follow on IG @lsmoothmensah. Thank you!
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