Was becoming an entertainment journalist your first dream? If not who would Adam of Adam's World have become?
AB:Because timing can be really funny, entertainment journalism didn’t even enter my mind until AFTER I had earned my undergraduate degree. I was actually a sports writer for a newspaper in Connecticut covering a local college football team that no longer exists (Fairfield U) and the occasional high school sporting event when I decided I wanted to make the move to entertainment journalism. My original dream was to be an athlete, but I think that’s true of most guys. That didn’t pan out for me, though, as I didn’t hit my prime physically until my twenties and as we all know, unless you’re a standout at a very young age you don’t have very many options in sports.
Who are some of the people you've interviewed that for you were a dream come true?
AB:I try to keep everything in perspective because one thing I can’t stand is “groupie journalism,” so even when approaching an interview that many, including myself, would consider a dream, I have to wipe that notion away and be a professional about things. That being said, interviewing LL Cool J in person has definitely been a highlight, as was getting a call asking if I wanted to interview Russell Simmons. Who on earth says no to that? One interview that falls under my “dream” heading for a completely different reason was the time I spoke with Entourage’s Jerry Ferrara. I was working for a now defunct men’s magazine called Soak and had told the editor I wanted to expand outside of writing about just music and do more entertainment features. We both agreed Entourage was a great show (it was in its second season at the time) and he said if I could book an interview with one of the cast members it was a done deal. By making that interview happen it led to getting entertainment assignments and five cover stories for the national magazine. A similar dream interview was when I put together a 2,500 word piece on Attack of the Show a couple of years ago for a different magazine I was working for. I basically forced it on the editor, developed all the contacts for it from scratch, and not only did it end up making the back cover, but it was featured in a two minute segment on the show. I guess, in a long, rambling, way, my “dreams come true” all involve interviews that expanded what I do. Maybe my ultimate dream is progression. That sounds kind of boring, though, so let’s make my ultimate dream progression while being surrounded by supermodels feeding me grapes. (Could somebody PLEASE Photoshop that!)
How can entertainment writers showcase the underground community while still captivating an audience that craves mainstream media news?
AB:This is a great question. I think writers that showcase the underground community can captivate an audience that craves mainstream media news by crafting interviews and stories where the two intersect. There’s nothing that says you can’t ask your favorite political rapper about specific issues that are going on right now. A few months ago I interviewed an emcee by the name of Khaled M, who is heavily involved in Libyan politics, and we spoke about the current conflicts going on in Libya. It doesn’t even have to be that deep, though. If you’re interviewing an up and coming pop singer the week Katy Perry ties a Billboard chart record, ask the singer about it. If their answer is good it will not only expand your audience, it will expand the artist’s audience, as well, because people searching blogs for info and opinions on Katy Perry will find the interview.
Name your Top Five Definitely Amazing Hip Hop Albums, and Lyricists.
AB:You know with my group of friends this is the most unfair question you could possibly ask. I can’t even begin to go through the plethora of albums I love. As for lyricists, I hope people eventually catch on to the fact that Tah Phrum Duh Bush is a genius on the mic. Anyone who can get a chorus as complicated as the one for “Randomatic Idiosyncratic” stuck in your head is truly on another level. We also have guys like Homeboy Sandman, iLLspoKinN, Chaz Kangas, Conscious, Dyalekt, Coole High, Sketch Tha Cataclysm and a host of other talented emcees in the scene. Nationally, artists like Dessa, P.O.S., Vinnie Scullo and Tech N9ne deserve more props. Yes, I realize I listed more than five artists, but you knew that was going to happen. This is why I totally side-stepped the album portion of this question.
Who are some of the people in media that inspired you?
AB:This is another great question. I’m inspired by great interviewers. These are people who don’t settle for the sound bites every artist an entertainer has at the ready when they’re promoting a new project. Nothing bores me more than reading, or watching, an interview where the interviewer doesn’t pull anything out of who he or she is speaking with other than the fact that they have something new out. One of my favorite interviewers is Kevin Pereira of Attack of the Show. He only gets five minutes or so for his interviews, but I can’t tell you how many people I’ve followed on Twitter because he’s had them talking about things far more interesting than simply their work. I actually think our interviewing techniques are very similar and they stem from one big thing - research. Nothing is better than a well-researched interview.
What's the thing that makes your blog Definitely Amazing?
AB:I’m always hesitant to give myself props. I’m super humble. According to my good friend Sean “Ope” Williams I’m humble to a fault and should big myself up more, so here goes... my blog is Definitely Amazing because, for one, it features real journalism. I’m not just sitting at my desk posting up things publicists send to me, I’m going out and finding great music and entertainment and personally bringing it to you. My blog is also Definitely Amazing because I’m not afraid to voice my opinion, which, in the case of music, is an educated one after eleven years of doing artist interviews and writing about the industry. Are my opinions always popular? No, but I’m not asking everyone to agree with me, I actually welcome comments from people who disagree. I’m just trying to get ideas, and artists, out there.
Tell us why Adam of Adam's World is Definitely Amazing?
AB: That guy? He’s a jerk! He’ll steal your girl, your lunch money, and your bike! Actually none of that is true. I don’t even know how to ride a bike, so why would I steal one? I don’t know if my ego will allow me to call myself Definitely Amazing, but I love the title my friend Charlotte Mishell came up with for me - “nerdy... but awesome.” Basically, I’m a hard working guy who will do absolutely anything for his friends, I took in a rescue kitten who now runs my entire house, and I clear the snow off of my neighbors’ car in the winter cuz she’s a grandma and grandmas shouldn’t have to do that kind of stuff. Also, if I see Minka Kelly walking down the street I WILL ask her out.
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