Welcome back to the Hip-Hop Dojo, your premier destination for all the best hip-hop from the past month. We know we’re a little late with this edition, but we promise it was well worth the wait. If you’re unacquainted, or if you need a refresher, the Hip-Hop Dojo is a monthly feature designed to showcase the most exciting up-and-coming talent in the game right now. We accomplish this by splitting it up into three different components: the artist spotlight, our monthly playlist and our mixtape roundup. We’ve got a number of exciting names spread throughout, but we have to say we’re most amped about this month’s spotlight artist, Jazz Cartier.

The Toronto music scene has experienced a sort of renaissance as of late, and although Drake remains the only true household name to emerge from the city, artists like The Weeknd, PartyNextDoor and Tory Lanez make for an exciting cast of stars poised to breakthrough to the next level. From a talent standpoint, Jazz Cartier has already proven himself capable of holding his own amongst those names. Building off of the moody aesthetic that’s become a staple of his hometown, Jazz has been able to forge his own unique sound. The enigmatic emcee possesses the uncanny ability to create songs that are easily accessible to the masses, with a penchant for crafting memorable hooks, yet he has no problem with making tunes that are also deeply personal and complex. All of this becomes apparent as you listen through his recent project, Marauding In Paradise. The fact that the mixtape spent four years in development should tell you all you need to know about Jazz’s unrelenting work ethic and his desire for perfection. We had a chance to get Jazz on the phone to talk about his recent album, his experiences moving around the world and why he believes Drake is his Jay Z.

Read on to find out what Jazz had to say, and afterwards click over to the next page to listen to this month’s playlist. On our final page you’ll find reviews of our favorite projects to drop during April, as written by ninja Ash.

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW: Jazz Cartier

’Jazz Cartier – • The Valley’

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’Jazz Cartier – • Holy Shit’

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’Jazz Cartier – • See You In Hell’

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TMN: Let’s start with your recent mixtape, Marauding In Paradise. Tell us about the significance of the title and the project. What does Marauding In Paradise really mean?

Jazz Cartier: Marauding In Paradise was a concept that I came up with about three or four years ago, and I came up with it not knowing about the extent of the idea, but it ended up foreshadowing my actual reality as I started to get older and started to find myself. Marauding In Paradise is pretty much in any city that you’re in, or your hometown in general, someone is going to register that as their “paradise” you know, whether it’s sunny and beautiful or cold and gritty, and Toronto’s my paradise. In terms of marauding, it’s usually things that you do at night and Toronto’s a very nighttime-based city. The bars have last calls at like 2 AM, so the after-parties are what we really live for, and those can last until like 7-12 in the morning. There are different things that come with the partying, whether you’re a party promoter, or you sell drugs, or whether you’re at the club or you go out etc etc. To me, personally, this was just my version of it while I tap into all the cliches going on. That’s what Marauding In Paradise means to me.

TMN: You briefly touched on this already, but I read somewhere that the project was in development for four years, and even saw a screenshot you posted on Facebook where your producer mentions the album in 2011. What were some of the initial goals behind the project, and how did it evolve over that period?

JC: When we first came out with it, I had the concept, and the concept was revolving around life and death, and the kind of power that you place yourself in. When you sign up for this, being a rapper, or someone in the spotlight, you have to sacrifice privacy in a way, you know? And along the road over the past four years, I started to actually understand the price of sacrifice. We had skeletons for so long; we actually had parts of this last version–there were three versions that we did–and the version before this, it got mixed and mastered last summer, but me being the person who I am, I felt like the story that I was telling, it just came from a very infantile place. It just seemed very premature.

I also still have a lot of finding out to do. Along the road, it was just me finding out who I am as a person, and then once I found that, it was like finding my voice behind the mic.

So, with songs like “Set Fire” and “Count On Me“, those were on the last version of the project, but if you listen back closely, my voice sounds a lot different. I don’t sound as confident like I do on the cuts on the last version of MIP (Marauding In Paradise).

TMN: So did you revisit some of the older tracks and try to update them or create a more mature, confident sound around them?

JC: Well, everything has to follow a plot, right? And throughout all the versions the plot was still the same. But the extremity–well the course of it changed drastically in like the past 7-8 months. So, after songs like “Set Fire” dropped and “New City, New Legend“–which was the original intro for the project–I kind of took a step back and I was gauging the responses from people, and I understood that I shouldn’t be making music for people. I should actually be making it for myself, and this last version of Marauding In Paradise was me being as genuine as possible.

TMN: That makes sense. So, going from there, talk to us about your relationship with your producer, Lantz. What is your chemistry like in the studio, and is there a certain back and forth in the creative process, or do you pretty much dictate what kind of beats you’d like for him to make and take it from there? How does that process work between you two?

JC: Lantz is a genius. People throw that word around loosely, but he actually is. A couple years ago, like 5-6 years ago, he locked himself in his basement for a year, and taught himself how to use Logic to make beats. Prior to me meeting up with him, he was making more EDM beats and I saw the potential in him. So, usually when we go into the studio, it’s us going in, and I ask him how he’s feeling today, you know, whether he’s feeling rambunctious or feeling really mellow. That’s how I gauge him, because he’s the conductor at the end of the day, you know what I’m saying? And we start from there. He plays sounds and I tell him how I want it to sound. I give him the idea and we just pass back things from there. He’ll start putting down a bass line or a synth, and then I’ll start coming up with melodies and flows, and he’ll base the tempo and etc etc off of the freestyles I’m just giving out. Then, while he’s making the beat, that’s when I’m writing, because that’s when it’s the most genuine.

TMN: Basically, it’s like you guys start off with a mood or aesthetic and then you kind of just bounce ideas off each other?

JC: Yeah, everyday, we go in the studio at least five times a week, and as of late we’re starting to go in top of the week, start something off, and take our time with it and finish it within like three or four days. We used to just finish the tracks within a day, and call it a day, but now we’re just trying to make it as good as possible with the fans.

TMN: You work on the details, focus on the small stuff and try to refine it. Are you guys still in the studio right now with the mixtape already out?

JC: Yeah, we were in the studio yesterday. I think we’re gonna go back in later on today. I gave him like a two week break once the album came out, and yesterday was our first day back in. So now we have to start from ground zero.

TMN: Of course, starting with a new project. Taking a step back from the mixtape, we want to know who is Jazz Cartier? When did you first get your start musically?

JC: When I was 15, I think. Well, I was doing music before then, but I was back and forth between Toronto and boarding school on holiday vacations. I think one of the vacations, I came back here and I linked up with this guy named JB who got me in the studio, and the first song I ever recorded, we did the music video for it, called “Her Daddy Don’t Like Me“, which is still somewhere on the internet, I don’t know why, but yeah that was there. It’s really not me right now, but that ended up getting airplay on Much Music in Canada, and so that’s how I started my buzz. And then I put out another song called “Ataraxia” like two years after that, a video for that too. And since then, I wasn’t really eager to put stuff out and go through the whole trial and error process. I just wanted to perfect it and be as good as possible just so I don’t have to look back at things and be like yeah, that was whack. I want to be proud of my work whether I get older or not.

TMN: Yeah, you always want to be proud of your older work, even if it’s stuff you’ve grown from. So, how’d you settle on your stage name? And where did your nickname Jacuzzi La Fleur come from?

JC: Well, everyone always called me Jazz in school. Even my mom did, and all the schools I went to my name on the roll call was just Jazz.

TMN: Is that short for something else?

JC: No, Jazz is just Jazz. That was it. And then, three years ago, I think when I first moved back to Toronto, I was living in this placed called “The Dungeon” and it was five of us living in a basement, and me and my good friend, Amy Traphouse, lived together along with my three other boys, Isaiah and Lightworks. Amy Traphouse, she was a floral diva and she was like my big sister as well, so Jacuzzi is like the only word that has “Jazz” in it, and it’s very reflective of my personality, so she gave me the name Jacuzzi Lafleur.

TMN: Nice. Moving on, there’s such variation in style throughout the project, but it all manages to flow together so cohesively. Can you tell us how you achieve that balance?

JC: It’s very hard for artists to do that. I knew it was a risk to begin with, but at the same time I went to thirteen schools, all over the world, so it’s just like I have so many influences and those are still in me no matter how much I grow. So, I think with me and Lantz, we understand the connection, and nothing sounds forced, which is a good thing because it’s all very natural and all very me. I think it’s definitely like my past sticks with me and that’s me paying homage to it and understanding where I come from.

TMN: Yeah, you mentioned moving around quite a bit. Although you rep Toronto, you rap about a childhood spent living all over the map, like being the only black kid in Idaho. How do you think those experiences shaped you and your music?

JC: Going to places like Idaho when you’re 11-10 years old and you’re like the only black kid in your all white school, you become very observant and you in a sense become trapped in your head. It’s like I just build up things like that. And then going to boarding school too, it’s like when you’re at a boarding school and kids come from all over the states–and all over the word actually–and once you’re there and you’re black, all the black kids come together and we all have that common bond that’s like we’re all here together. So, it’s like things like that and also going to Kuwait which is a very foreign country and learning some Arabic and having that kind of perspective on life, it’s just broadened my views essentially. I think that’s a valuable trait that most kids don’t get to have. I definitely can see that throughout all my records.

TMN: Ahhh, got it. Let’s talk comparisons for a second. When people struggle to figure out who you sound like, that’s usually a good sign. We’ve heard comparisons to fellow Toronto natives like Drake, Tory Lanez and P. Reign but we’ve also seen your name mentioned alongside guys like Travi$ Scott, A$AP Rocky, Mick Jenkins and OG Maco. Can you tell us how you feel about those comparisons, and who would you cite as your main influences?

JC: The comparisons are–that’s a human instinct. (When) someone comes across something new, their initial reaction is to gauge it with something that they’re familiar with. It’s just going to take time for them to get used to me and understand that I’m my own artist. But I mean, the comparisons are cool, I get it. I live in the internet age, and I’m consuming so much music from all regions of the world, so it’s inevitable for people to gauge certain sounds etc etc.

Drake is my Jay Z. You know? Anyone in New York who’s an artist can say Jay Z is the best artist in the world just because of that hometown love. And no one’s put on Toronto the way Drake did, largely, so if I did go straight to comparisons, that’s who’s natural.

TMN: Give us some of your thoughts on the Toronto music scene. It seems to be flourishing in this “post-Drake era,” with a lot of emerging talent from the area adapting this dark, moody aesthetic. Where do you think you fit into the scene and how do you think it will continue to evolve?

JC: The Toronto music scene, it’s flourishing right now because the internet is helping a lot of these kids get their sound out. In regards to me in comparison to everyone else, I think the cohesiveness of my music stands out from a lot of the guys because I think most of them just focus on the dark aesthetic, and then at the same time I’m mostly about the bars, you know?I think there’s different divisions and I’m definitely a D1 artist in regards to other rappers in Toronto.

TMN: Let’s take a moment to talk about some of your other musical interests. We’re big Toro y Moi fans and your take on “Rose Quartz” did justice to such an awesome production. Is there a story behind that record you’d like to share?

JC: I did the first verse for that record I think two and a half years ago? And that was around the second version of Marauding In Paradise. We’ve always liked it, and then one day Lantz and I just went back in and touched it up and did the second verse, but while I was doing that I wanted that song to connect deeply, right? So that’s when I channeled the movie Like Crazy, because that’s one of my favorite movies. And so that to me was the moment when I took my art to the next level and I made it a story inside and out. We put that out not expecting to put it on the final version of Marauding In Paradise, but just based on the response and how people fucked with it, we just had to put it on the album.

TMN: Yeah, especially since you added that second part with “Like Crazy,” it adds this contrast and the two songs play off each other really well.

JC: Yeah, and I like to blend movies into music, because without music there would be no movies you know? And that’s like the same with movies and music, because most music videos, they’re like playoffs of films, you know? I’m a very big film buff. There are a lot of clips from certain movies that are scrawled out throughout the project. I wish I could’ve done more, but I’m just trying to gauge people for now and give myself a lot more room to build off for the next project.

TMN: Yeah, definitely. What would you say you have in store for the future? Do you plan on having a tour or anything?

JC: Yeah, we’re working on a tour right now. I think we’re going to probably work on a deluxe version of Marauding In Paradise, but that’s not set in stone yet. I think I’m going to let this project breathe for the next 8 or 9 months just because–I’ll still put out enough songs here and there just to keep the hype going, but I think 16 tracks was a good amount, especially with the long wait it was for me.

TMN: There’s definitely a healthy amount of contrast between all of the songs as well.

JC: Exactly. Yeah, I’m just going to let Marauding In Paradise breathe for a bit, do a couple tours here and there. I’m probably going to make a move soon to the West Coast. That’s not set, but that’s where I’m itching to.

TMN: Do you have a favorite song from the project? One you might connect with the most?

JC: A favorite song? It’s so hard, because they’re all like my babies, you know? I’ve got to say it’s depending on mood, know what I mean? If I’m in a very rambunctious mood, I’ll feel a “Dead Or Alive” or a fucking “Downtown Cliche”, but then if I’m in a very chill mood I feel a “Band On A Bible”, “A Sober Drowning”, also the second part of “The Valley”. I love the second part of “The Valley”.

TMN: What about “Guardian Angel”?

JC: Oh yeah, “Guardian Angel”, that’s like a fucking ode to my mom, having that sample at the end, because she would always play that song for me when I was younger. I don’t think people registered that that sample alone set the tone for the whole album, because just the words Bobby Valentino is singing, that’s me foreshadowing the growth of the project, and everything ties into that. I don’t know, I love the whole thing. It’s so hard!

TMN: (Laughs) Well, that’s a fair answer. This is something we ask everybody at the end of our Hip-Hop Dojo interviews. What’s one quality you think you share with a ninja?

JC: With a ninja? I’m very resilient. Ninjas are pretty resilient.

TMN: Yeah, I would say so.

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Jazz Cartier’s Shuriken Six

Each month we ask our spotlight artists to tell us which artists or songs they can’t get out of their heads at the moment. This is known as their “Shuriken Six.”

’Ta Ha – LIL BIT (prod. NXXXXXS)’

The Hip-Hop Dojo: April 2015 (Artist Spotlight: Jazz Cartier)

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW: Jazz Cartier

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Jazz Cartier’s Shuriken Six

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HIP-HOP DOJO PLAYLIST

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MIXTAPE ROUNDUP