Kyle Hubbard gets back on hip-hop track
Kyle Hubbard revs back into Houston’s hiphop scene this month with a new EP and a new attitude. And it’s all thanks to Dean Martin.
The rapper stepped away from the local spotlight in 2013 after releasing critically acclaimed album “You’re Not That Special.” He was overwhelmed, disillusioned and creatively stunted.
“I got to a point where every song I wrote was just a lesser version of something on ‘You’re Not That Special,’ ” Hubbard says.
“I felt like I was writing and performing out of a place of obligation. The fear of putting out new music that didn’t live up to my old music became way too powerful for me to handle.”
He moved to Arkansas and swore off music. During that time, Hubbard heard “Houston,” a 1965 tune from Martin, on the radio.
“I was floored by the fact that I couldn’t recall any song in Houston’s hip-hop history that sampled it,” Hubbard says.
It sparked something, and he reached out to longtime producer Djay Cas, who created a beat around the Martin sample. That collaboration led to “Majestic Hotel,” a seven-song EP Hubbard describes as “deep-fried, Southern soul.”
Q: What’s different
about today’s Kyle Hubbard?
A: I am older, I am calmer and I am, allegedly, wiser. My notion of success is also completely different than it was in 2013. There was a time when all I cared about was increasing the number of people who cared, but now I realize how incredibly lucky I am, and was, for those who listen. I may never in my life be able to make music my actual career, but I have enough people that want to hear what I do to warrant my continued efforts.
Q: What was most important to get across with “Majestic Hotel”?
A: Everything about my approach differs from things I have done in the past. I never actually wrote down any of the lyrics for this EP. I would come up with some lines, repeat them day in and day out and build on top of them. I worked with just one producer, Djay Cas, for the entirety of the project. This album is mine just as much as it is his.
Q: How do you see yourself fitting into the city’s current rap scene?
A: Hip-hop is weird. Houston hip-hop is weirder. I’m not entirely sure how I fit in these days. I just turned 28, which means I have officially been doing this for 50 percent of my life. I know in rap you’re supposed to beat your chest and be cooler than everyone, but I’m too old for that. I want to be the soundtrack for your bad days, moments of doubt and fear, or even heartbreak. I want to make music that reaffirms to listeners that they are not alone.
Q: You share a birthday with Beyoncé. Which classic B song would you cover?
A: I really hope she reaches out for a joint birthday shindig soon. I would have to go with “Single Ladies.” I know that song is clearly written from a female’s perspective, but this is 2015. Girls can put a ring on it, too.
Q: You’re performing at Cactus. What’s a favorite record-store memory?
A: In my early high school days, my older brother drove me to several Best Buys in search of (hip-hop trio) Little Brother’s debut album “The Listening.” I couldn’t find it anywhere. We eventually gave up the search, but several months later, my older brother took me to Cactus. I found it sitting on their shelves. To this day, it is one of my favorite albums of all time. Cactus became my go-to for albums I knew I wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Q: Give us three Houston rappers we should no longer sleep on.
A: Fullmetal, Raymond A and T2 the Ghetto Hippie. Roosh Williams is one of the best rappers in the city and one of my best friends, but I don’t think you can describe him as slept on anymore.