Sooooooo, I recently had the huuuge crazy pleasure of interviewing Rapper/ Hip Hop artist Lay Roo while on set filming the music video for his latest single Beautiful Sooperstar, which just so happens to feature the smooth vocals of my boo, Roeshdien - Mr jAZ.
Killer!!! Killer song and such great guys. I had so much fun. And Beautiful Sooperstar ... this song... do yourself a favour and have a listen. I'm posting the links to it on iTunes, Soundcloud and Google Play Music Store right here. You can thank me later :)
As for sooperhero Lay Roo, here's what he's got to say about it.
Lay Roo, the sooperhero himself
What's Beautiful Sooperstar about?
Love. It’s about a guy trying to understand what has him so mesmerised by his girlfriend, until he realises that it’s the sweet little things she does that makes him fall so madly in love with her. I learned a lot from previous relationships and along the way, I discovered that love is all about the little things.
How is it different to your other work?
It’s very different! I’m no stranger to fusing genres but I’ve never really done anything with Jazz before. I wanted to reach a new audience; an audience who generally is not a fan of hip-hip and try to “change their minds”.
How did Mr jAZ come to be on board?
I started working with Mr. Mallum on Crazy Sooper Hero Dreams and we needed a hook for this song. He suggested that Mr. jAZ would be perfect. The moment jAZ wrote those lyrics and laid down those vocals…oooooo!
When did you record it and who produced it?
We recorded it on Christmas eve back in 2012. It was produced by Ebrahim Mallum.
Album Cover of Lay Roo's single Jimi Hendrix
Why hip hop?
Because I can’t sing!I joke! I joke! When I first started listening to NWA, KRS One, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Snoop, Cypress Hill, The Fresh Prince and P.O.C, to name a few…there was just something about it ... love at first bar! I was actually born with a speech impediment so I couldn’t really express myself. I started writing poetry in order to do so and they later turned into songs. Hip hop is the medium that speaks to my songs.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing hip hop artists in SA?
Rap always get a bad rap. There are so many challenges and they’re all big. But hip hop still has this ‘negative stigma’ or dark cloud hanging over it. Maybe because there’s so much truth in what we are saying in our music, and it strikes a nerve.
Where do you generally draw your inspiration from?
Life, and the things that I see going on around me, Sooperhero characters and the things that I’ve been through or am still going through in life. I get the craziest ideas after a training session.
Lay Roo showing off his fit self
You're pretty fit. What's that about and why is it so important to you?
I used to play a lot of sport but when I got older, I picked up some injuries and some bad habits, and became quite unfit. I found it hard to write but that all changed once I embraced a healthy lifestyle. So many childhood dreams of mine have already come true because of fitness.
Why sooperhero with 2 oo's?
The two o’s are actually two smiley faces. The first smiley represents the good and the 2nd, the bad. We all have good and bad within us, even Sooperheroes have flaws, we just have to make sure that we live our lives with the scale tipping in favour of the good.
Who is your sooperhero?
I have many. All my life I looked up to these heroes and I still do but if I can quote one of my favourites - Bruce Lee, “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own!" So that’s what I did. I learned something from each one of them and added my own.
What are your crazy sooperhero dreams and what's next for Lay Roo?
I’ve got enormous dreams and I am only just getting started! I don’t want to give away my next move but what I can tell you is that I’ve just returned from Europe and am getting ready to launch the first Crazy Sooperhero Dreams EP.
Want to know more?
Find Lay Roo on Facebook, Twitter, Insta and book him HERE.
The two o’s are actually two smiley faces. The first smiley represents the good and the 2nd, the bad. We all have good and bad within us, even Sooperheroes have flaws, we just have to make sure that we live our lives with the scale tipping in favour of the good.
Who is your sooperhero?
I have many. All my life I looked up to these heroes and I still do but if I can quote one of my favourites - Bruce Lee, “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own!" So that’s what I did. I learned something from each one of them and added my own.
What are your crazy sooperhero dreams and what's next for Lay Roo?
I’ve got enormous dreams and I am only just getting started! I don’t want to give away my next move but what I can tell you is that I’ve just returned from Europe and am getting ready to launch the first Crazy Sooperhero Dreams EP.
Want to know more?
Find Lay Roo on Facebook, Twitter, Insta and book him HERE.
