When you hear a name like Iman Europe, it instantly captures your attention. Your mind instantly goes to thoughts of elegant designer clothes, lavish overseas venues, and flashing lights. At the very least, youve thought of David Bowies Wife, and another continent. I had been hearing this larger than life name from friends for the better part of the last year, but had never had an opportunity to hear anything of hers until on night during a study session and at friends apartment when one of her songs came on and everybody knew the words. I too had to admit that the vibe was entracing, and when I asked who made the song I was formally intoduced to Iman Europe. But i need more, I had to put a face to that name, a personality to that voice; so I reached out to Iman to see if she would be interested in doing and interview with KSM and when she agreed I was estatic. Now I have met Iman informally on a few occasions in group settings, but had never actually had an opportunity to talk wither her, so this interview would also be the first time we got to speak as friends. I casually rolled up as I set up for our appointment time of 7ish and at 7:30 recieved a text from Iman saying she was parking and I began to get nervous. I mean, this is IMAN EUROPE, what if the tables too dirty? or the waters not clean enough? There was certainly no red on the carpet, so it was much to my surprise, and relief when she parked he mid year white honda in front of the house, stepped out and asked " I wont get a ticket if I park here right?" Thats when I understood, what made Iman Europe's music so powerful, so real, was the fact that she was a normal person, and i realized that this was about to be fun. Now Iman wasnt dressed in the most expensive couture like her counterpart on the runway, but she had a presence and a self aware sense of style that could put a modern stylist out of work, and although the girl was clearly well travled, she was down to Earth enough to hit the Kush when offered. Iman was So well poised during our pre-interview conversation that I could hardly believe it when she said that this was going to be her first interview, It was a shock, but it
Also meant that things were about be interesting for the both of us....
KSM: well we’ll start with simple questions, since I’ve never met you previous to this engagement, where are you from? What’s your name actually?
Iman: My Name is Iman Europe, and Iman Is Faith in Arabic. I’m from Bronx New York, well I was born In Manhattan, but my family lived in the Bronx, and then I moved back out here.
KSM: And umm…Is Ur name Iman because Arabic is your Ethnic background or what’s up with that?
Iman: Well my parents don’t know where they’re from in Africa; they just wanted a name with meaning...so they named me Iman.
KSM: So where is the Europe from? Is that French?
Iman: (Laughs)Oh No, no its really my last name, I don’t Know where they got it from, like my parents don’t know, my whole dads side of the family doesn’t know how we got the name. My dad thinks that maybe our slave owners were European or something like that.
KSM: Are you the only Europe’s out there?
Iman: Yea. Yea we’re the only Europe family, its kind of weird…
KSM: So Europe is your actual last name…
Iman: (laughs) Yes, yes it is.
KSM: So this is a destined for greatness situation hmmm?
Iman: (Laughs) you didn’t know that was my real last name?
KSM: I had no idea! I mean people kept telling me Iman Europe but usually nobody refers to somebody by their first and last name.
Iman: yea….I mean why change my name, if my name is Iman Europe?
KSM: That’s tight you have no reason to. So what made you decide to pursue music?
Iman: Well My dad is a Musician, he plays the bass, and he and my mom are into music. They love music, so I started music as a kid when I was REAL young. But it wasn’t until I got to college that I actually wanted to pursue it because although I was told I could do like anything I want to do I didn’t feel like….I didn’t feel like I could you know what I’m saying?
KSM: Mhmm
Iman: And it wasn’t Until I got to college and I was on my own and I stated learning things about myself that I realized that Music is everything to me! I’m here pursuing psychology; I don’t want to do psychology! I’d rather do music. I remember I was singing, well actually I had been rapping for a while but I never took myself seriously...
KSM: Yea?
Iman: And then I remember I was singing one day in my friend Leslie’s room, and she was like, “Iman, like you can really sing!” And I was like what, no I can’t! She was like “you can really sing”. It was my friends that really encouraged me like “Do this, you got to do this!” you know? So I had the support and I felt like I could so I went for it.
KSM: Do you play any instruments or anything?
Iman: The piano and I’m trying to learn the harmonica and the guitar right now.
KSM: The Harmonica? That’s like…. (Blows to imitate harmonica)
Iman: NO it’s so difficult! I have been trying to learn it for like 5 months.
KSM: yea? How about the Kazoo?
Iman: (laughs) I never even thought of the Kazoo!
KSM: So does either of your parents have like a platinum plaque or a production credit stashed somewhere?
Iman: umm no they don’t. My Dad is just a base player he plays the drums to actually, but it’s just in us! We don’t have any placards to verify it. That’s where I come in
KSM: (laughs) yea, you got to start somewhere. Some families don’t have any high school graduates and then someone comes along and gets a master. Maybe you’ll get a music masters.
Iman: Yea. I should I should, I really wanted to minor in music in college but I didn’t have enough time. If I would have done that I would have had to stay an extra year. I CANT STAY IN COLLEGE FOR ANOTHER YEAR. ILL GO CRAZY.
KSM: I believe it; the price just keeps going up.
Iman: Yea and It’s just like when you know what you want to do and it not college it’s hard to do that thing you know?
KSM: How does Cali differ from New York?
Iman: dang… do I have to say? Honestly…
KSM: as far as physically and sonically, so the music as well.
Iman: well sonically I’ll tell you that, the people out there have more flavor, I mean Cali Is kind of bland to me. When I leave Cali and come back I realize how bland Cali is. We pronounce our words with no Flavor and its a little more plastic out here, but there are more opportunities out here. Out there its hella cold…like Hella cold. That’s the great thing about Cali it’s always sunny but the people are different.
KSM: How’s New York Music?
Iman: Their music….is a little more rugged than ours…ours is about swag, there’s more about getting money.
KSM: who’s ours?
Iman (laughs) oh yea I got to start differentiating that huh?
KSM: (laughs) yea
Iman: Cali is about swag and what I got, New York is more about what I’m doing to get what I got, do you get what I’m saying?
KSM: Yea like New York is about the Grind and Cali is about the Shine
Iman: Like out here we say we got it, even if we aint got it you know? But out there it’s like “I’m on my grind I’m doing this and doing that” but out here it’s just…bragging you know what I’m saying?
KSM: yes…..Swag rappers. So what parts, if any of both California and New York music do you bring to your music?
Iman: what part? What do you mean?
KSM: Stylistically what you bring from New York that a California artist might not be able to and vice versa.
Iman: Ok, I think to California from new York I bring the persona…how can I explain the persona…I’m more Hood, well not more hood…what’s the word I’m looking for.
KSM: Thorough (laughs)
Iman: yea I’m more thorough! I’m real! And from California I bring…hmm…what do I bring from California? My appearance…but most of my music is inspired by southern music so
KSM: Nothing wrong with that
Iman: I don’t know what I bring from California…if anything it would be my look but nothing in my music.
KSM: There’s nothing wrong with that I mean as far as rap style I don’t add very much Cali to my style…I like Cali beats
Iman: yea, oh yea!
KSM: I’m a little new to the Iman music movement so how many Iman Europe projects are actually have available now?
Iman: we I just don’t feel like the first two count, but there are two.
KSM: Why don’t they count?
Iman: Because they’re just not…I shouldn’t have put those out. That’s when I was trying to find out what music I wanted to do, tying different stuff you know?
KSM: Would you like to name either of those projects?
Iman: Yea, the first one is Love Life and In between. That came out in 2010; actually both of them came out in 2010. The other one is called Cranberry Fields.
KSM: How long have you been at music? Like seriously pursuing it? And we won’t start from when you recorded your first song because that makes it seem like you’ve been at it forever. So when was your first official project release.
Iman: About two years this April.
KSM: So about April 2010 is when you started
Iman: yea
KSM: Why is it that you dislike your previous projects?
Iman: I don’t dislike them I never said that!
KSM: Oh well you kind of disowned them
Iman: I just didn’t have my style figured out yet so I wish that I hadn’t released them until I figured out but all those songs are great! They’re still great songs, it just wasn’t my style.
KSM: And what Genre of music would you consider yourself?
Iman: Psychedelic
KSM:?
Iman: just stuff that gets in your mind, but if I had to classify it seriously I guess I would say R&B soul. But I like psychedelic.
KSM: Is there anywhere people can get your old music?
Iman: LLIB is gone, I guess limelinx has a one year limit, but Cranberry Fields you can get at ImanEurope.bandcamp.com along with other songs that I have released since then.
KSM: Tell us about your last project? This one that you just released?
Iman: Oh From me 2 u? That wasn’t a project with just me though, that’s starting something new but it’s with my whole group Rare Blend that includes Beats by Che Say A JQ and Christian Blair and Smoke. And…what else would you like to know?
KSM: Tell me about the two songs you put on there
Iman: Oh there are two songs I did; one song is One in A million although I made the title look different. but that was just a cover and at the end I added an original Rap. Did you like it?
KSM: YES! I loved the rap. So tell me more about the Rare blend group, and big moves coming from you guys?
Iman: well we just put out the biggest move! So we’re just going to try to make other moves as far as performing the music. This month I think we’re planning to do two shows.
KSM: How did you guys come together?
Iman: The way we came together it was magical. We all met, well except for Christian, we all met at Ches apartment one day and he was playing some stuff but I had never worked with any of them before. Aaron (Say A) just invited me over and told me he wanted me to meet with all of them because he wanted us all to do a song together, that’s how it started. None of them besides Aaron had heard my music so when I played the song for Che he Flipped out, it was Alien Lullaby, and when he heard it he said he couldn’t look at me and I sounded like a combination of Fergie and Jesus. By the end of the day we had heard all of each other’s music and decided that we needed to make a group. So we had been trying to come up with a name for a while and one day we were getting drunk on E&J and on the bottle it said rare blend, and we thought that was really cool so we used it. And that’s rare blend, we’re pretty cool.
KSM: So where do you think that you fit into “the blend”?
Iman: I’m just the Alien
KSM: Ur the Martian?
Iman: I’m the rare one
KSM: oh so you bring the rare to the blend, do you want to go on record with that?
Iman: (laughs) yea put it on record!
KSM: What are you guys management situation like? Are you managed independent or what?
Iman: We’re independent right now we’re looking for a manager, we’ve had a few offers but we just want to make sure it’s right. So as of now we’re independent.
KSM: So what’s the next BIG THING from Iman Europe?
Iman: Do I want to say it? I don’t know if I want to give up all that information right now!
KSM: you’re welcome to give one of those Hollywood answers.
Iman: Well I’m only going to say this because I think that Kendrick Lamar is going to name his thing the same thing as me and I want to put it out there first….
(We wound up having a long conversation about Kendrick Lamar)
KSM: So what would you say your message is Iman Europe?
Iman: Chill out
KSM: Just Chill Out?
Iman: Just calm down, And Chill out.
KSM: Wait, I don’t think we ever got to the next big thing; we just went on a Tangent about Kendrick.
Iman: Oh yea, ummm…I don’t think I want to say
KSM: That’s ok! Just give the Hollywood answer
Iman: ok “I have some big things coming its all good don’t trip”
KSM: you know some big things on the way, couple of names u may have heard of
Iman: a couple you may have not. But no matter what, it’s gone be hot.
KSM: So back to your message chill out?
Iman: Chill out, come on, just listen to this, and go on about your day.
KSM: Have you ever Heard of Adot?
Iman: (laughs) yea I’ve heard of him before! He came with this I’m on one remix and I was like OO! He’s pretty cool, I haven’t heard too much of his stuff but I want to hear more.
KSM: You planning on working together maybe?
Iman: yea definitely!
KSM: Testify To that! So who are your Musical influences?
Iman: ooo the fun stuff!
Erykah Badu, Andre 3k, John Legend, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West. I feel like I’m a combination of all these wonderful people. I’m like what all of those people would be in one you know what I’m saying?
KSM: So do you listen to them every day, is that your creative fuel?
Iman: Yea but I always change it up; you know I don’t always listen to them. I listen to a wide variety of things which is why I have so many influences. Right now my favorite song is “Get over it” by Busie. It’s like some electronic stuff, but it’s mixed with jazz and club music.
KSM: it’s not that dub step stuff is it? -__- (editor face)
Iman: Oh no, no, no, well…it's like dub step mixed with jazz. But not really dub step it’s not like (imitates dub step sounds) you know it’s not that. It’s more like beats with jazz on top of them.
KSM: So what type of experiences do you relate to your music like what types of topics do you like to touch on?
Iman: Love. Sex. People, just everyday regular stuff that can help people forget about the everyday stuff in their lives that’s going on in their lives that might make them feel bad I just want this music to be happy things they can relate to. But sometimes there’s sad stuff too but for the most part I like to talk about love and happiness and just life you know? Love, Life, and In Between, that’s why I named it that. Hmm (she’s just made that connection) I just saw a little light bulb.
KSM: It’s always nice when you find those little revelations huh; umm what major artists would you like to work with?
Iman: KENDRICK LAMAR (laughs) Kanye West….
KSM: I mean besides the ones that obviously you’re influenced by.
Iman: Oh Ok hmm… well I’m not really influenced by Kendrick Lamar I would just like to work with him so he’s one and…oh A$AP, and Iggy too she sings cool.
KSM: Who?
Iman: Iggy Azalea
KSM: Oh (begin discussing "the novelty of white people in hip hop") Well how do you feel about the passing of Whitney Houston since we’re on the subject of famous people?
Iman: She’s influenced me, but she wasn’t like an influence to me. It’s always sad to see someone with so much good talent die, especially so young and over drugs but I don’t know it’s really sad I can’t say anything negative but when I heard it I was like DAMN another one gone to the drugs. Everyone’s dying and it’s to self destruction.
KSM: What would you like to hear more of in music?
Iman: Instruments. I would like to hear more real instruments; yea that’s it right there.
KSM: Nobody knows how to play those anymore.
Iman: Nothing the most they know how to do is this (simulates typing)
KSM: The best you’re likely to get is a piano
Iman: No instruments! Our generation, we didn’t pick up instruments like that.
KSM: and we’re down to our last question, Which is Kill one, Fuck one, Marry one, Jimmy Hendrix, Michael Jackson, and Bob Marley.
Iman: Fuck one…Bob Marley. Kill one? Oooooo I can’t kill any of them!
KSM: …You HAVE to.
Iman: Oh no! There’s 3 of them right kill one what are the options?
KSM: Kill one, fuck one, and marry one.
Iman: Oh wait….
KSM: (laughs) that still makes it difficult huh?
Iman: Oh who would I kill I wouldn’t kill them! Ok let’s start with marry well yea I’d marry Bob Marley. Id fucks Jimmy Hendrix…..
KSM: You’re killing the King of Pop!?
Iman: I can’t kill Michael Jackson!!!
KSM: You killed him.
Iman: I can’t, but I can’t….Marry him! I can’t have sex with him, like what Ima do!?
KSM: (laughs)
Iman: I can’t kill Michael Jackson
KSM: Musically among them he’s probably the biggest influence you have.
Iman: I would probably have to marry him
KSM: to preserve what he’s given you?
Iman: Just so I could help him, He was so troubled.
KSM: he was a saint, as close to Jesus as people probably could have ever seen.
Iman: yea I would probably have to marry him because he was such a good man, and they did him wrong. But I would marry them all Straight Up. I'd marry them all, Have sex with them all, and if they did me dirty, I’d Kill them all.
KSM: On Record!
Iman: I’m just kidding! Don’t put that on there!
KSM: I’m going to have to! But it’s a wrap do you have any final shout outs or links you’d like to promote?
Iman: Yea check out ImanEurope.Bandcamp.com, Follow me on twitter @nami_eporue and that’s it really, stay tuned we got good stuff coming. Oh and check out beatsbyche.bandcamp.com/Frommetou for our newest EP that came out on valentine’s day by me and my group Rare Blend presented by BeatsByChe
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