Local
hip-hop has never rarely had a central figurehead voice. The genre
itself has been clustered into groups on different labels producing
fine talent but has yet to agree upon a single spinner, rapper or
group to represent and vocalize support. Leaving much of the
awareness bolstering up to DJ's with a love for the music. Lucky for
us we've had one of the finest ears keeping the word alive for
years.
--- Ebay Jamil Hamilton has been an instrumental talent
both behind the mic in his music and in the forefront of community
radio. Starting as just a teenager at KRCL to his current position as
the station's Music Director. While on the side creating his own
musical catalog in hip-hop and soul, becoming an influential artist
and a cult-icon of the community. I got a chance to chat with Ebay
about his broadcasting career, being a part of the music scene,
thoughts on Utah music itself, and a few other topics. Along with a
small tour of the KRCL studio.
Ebay Jamil
Hamilton
http://www.krcl.org/
Gavin:
Hey Jamil! First up, tell us a bit about yourself.
Ebay:
My name is Ebay Jamil Hamilton; yes Ebay is my real name. I am the
Mid-Day host & Music Director for KRCL. I also have a few albums
available that I have recorded over the years, and hopefully, I will
have a few more.
Gavin:
How did you first come to Utah, and what was it like moving here
early on?
Ebay:
I’ve actually spent almost my whole life in Utah. I was born in
Long beach, CA but my mom moved us here when I was two. I am a full
on Utahan!
Gavin:
How did you first take an interest in music, and who were some of
the people you grew up listening to?
Ebay:
I heard a lot of Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, and James
Taylor, that kind of music growing up. I started listening to a lot
of Soul music and Hip-Hop music when I was about ten. I also had
piano lessons and trombone lessons as a kid, but my thing back then
was art. I loved to draw, all the time. I took a lot of art classes
as a kid, all the way through high school.
Gavin:
When you were first starting out were you more interested in being a
DJ or a musician?
Ebay:
I really never thought about being a musician or a DJ, I just
enjoyed music, and I liked being around creative people.
Gavin:
How did you score the radio internship at just 14?
Ebay:
It was with a summer youth program called JTPA. They would pay young
people to work for non-profits. I applied with KRCL and had an
interview shortly after. No one really knew what to do with me when I
started so I did a lot of vacuuming and washing windows, that sort of
fun stuff. Then they taught me how to clean the equipment. I would
clean the heads on the cart machine, and the tape decks. Then they
taught me how to use the equipment. I started doing small recording
jobs and some basic splice editing. I loved everyday of it! One day
someone asked me if I liked Hip-Hop music… they opened up a closet
full of Hip-Hop records and asked if I would review them and make
sure they were clean for airplay. There had to be a stack four-feet
high of vinyl that they wanted me to listen to, I was in heaven for
the rest of the summer. Everyday I came to KRCL and listened to
music, it was great.
Gavin:
What was it like for you during that first year there?
Ebay:
That first year was life changing for me. I met some great people
and heard all types of different music. I felt like I had a direction
for my life. I felt like I found something that fit me. I still feel
that way.
Gavin:
How did you eventually come into having your own shift at
KRCL?
Ebay:
One day I covered the Friday night Hip-Hop show, and I guess I did a
decent show. I started sitting in once a month, eventually I was
offered my first show. It was Tuesday mornings from 3-5:30am. I was
too young to drive, so my mom would wake up early and take me to do
my show every Tuesday. Sometimes she would sleep on the couch in the
lobby while I did my show. That went on until I was old enough to
drive myself. Then my show moved from Tuesdays to Wednesday mornings
1-3:30 am. About a year later I got my first prime time shift on
Friday afternoons, and eventually Friday nights.
Gavin:
At what point did you decide to record your own album, and
why?
Ebay: I
don’t know why I wanted to make a record, I just did. I used to
record songs on my tape recorder in my room when I was around twelve
years old. I would use the B-Side instrumentals that came with some
of the cassette tape singles I had. I didn’t have a microphone, so
I would plug my headphones into the mic input. I made some really
lame songs.
Gavin:
What was it like recording Sugar House Chronicles, and what
was the public reaction to it like when it came out?
Ebay: Sugar House Chronicles was a great learning experience for
me. The songs were never intended to be for an album, I was just
making songs. It’s more a collection of songs that I made when I
was 16-18 years old. We didn’t finish the album until I was 19, and
shortly after we released it I moved to Massachusetts. I never really
knew if people liked it or not, because I wasn’t around. I know we
sold some, and people still talk to me about it, but I felt very
disconnected from the record.
Gavin:
Was it difficult being both an artist and an on-air talent, or did
it give you a better perspective?
Ebay:
I think it makes it harder to find your own sound, because someone
else’s music is always in your head. It’s good to compare
yourself to the artist you admire, but you always need to have your
own thing. Being on the radio also made me question my own music more
then I should have. “Am I making a soul album, a hip hop album,
what is our genre?” As an artist you should really only worry about
being true to yourself and doing your best to express who you think
you are, not where you fit in. Being on the radio has taught me what
a good radio song is, but everybody knows that a good radio song
isn’t necessarily a good song.
Gavin:
How have all of the albums after Chronicles gone for you and
what have you learned from it as a musician?
Ebay:
After Sugar House Chronicles I decided I wanted to work with
other people. SHC was a hip-hop album, and I wanted to do more
then just hip-hop. I decided to get a band together and start on a
new album. Recording with a band was a lot more fun, and far more
expensive. I’ve had two different bands since then, and I’ve
recorded two other solo projects. My latest record is a project with
artist/producer Fisch, we call ourselves Julio Child. Our album is
available on ITunes and Amazon MP3, etc.
Gavin:
What's your take on being a cult-icon for the local hip-hop
scene?
Ebay:
I’m a cult-icon?! It’s about time!
Gavin:
Being at KRCL for so long, what was it like at the station during
the 2008 changes?
Ebay:
The changes were hard on everyone, but change is always hard. Over
the years I’ve seen a lot of people come and go at KRCL for many,
many different reasons. I’ve learned so much over the years, from
so many people. All I can say is, I hope KRCL always changes, always
stays progressive and always stays relevant.
Gavin:
How was it for you taking over the Music Director job after
everything was finished?
Ebay:
Taking on the position of Music Director was a challenge. I’ve
been at KRCL for a very long time, and I also worked as a dj for a
commercial radio station for three years, so I had a good idea of
what to expect.
Gavin:
After taking charge, what changes have you done since?
Ebay:
I really haven’t made any “changes”. Anything that has been
done differently at KRCL since the change has been a group effort. We
have a music team, and everyone has a very important role on that
team. My job is to make sure we have great music coming to KRCL. We
don’t have playlist, everything you hear on KRCL is chosen by the
DJ or the music team. I just make sure they have some good stuff to
choose from.
Gavin:
Aside from radio and your own music, what other side projects do you
have going on?
Ebay:
Hanging out with my stinky dog!
Gavin:
Are you comfortable with the way things are in your career right
now, or are you always looking for a new challenge?
Ebay:
I love my job. I hope to do this for many more years. I have a new
challenge everyday, and it’s more then enough to keep me
busy.
Gavin:
Going local, What are your thoughts on the local music scene, both
good and bad?
Ebay:
I think we have a great local scene. The problem is the local scene
doesn’t have the support it needs to really grow.
Gavin:
Is there anything you believe could be done to make it more
prominent?
Ebay:
We just need people to start going out more and checking out more
live bands. We need to be proud of the talent that we have right here
at home. We need to buy local music and support local record shops.
As Utah grows, the music scene grows with it. It’s just a natural
thing, but it’s up to us to keep it healthy.
Gavin:
What are your thoughts on local labels, and do you believe the help
or hinder musicians?
Ebay:
I think artists should know as much as they can about the business
that they are in so that they don’t get screwed over but, they
should never let business get in the way of making art. Money,
contracts, royalties, all of that stuff complicates the creative
process. If you can find a good label to deal with that stuff, then
you should work with them. I guess it depends on what you consider a
record label. These days most artists have their own record label. We
have some great up and coming local labels, but again we just need to
support them. I’m not saying we should support local music or local
labels just because they are local, only support them if you think
they are good. If you like the music, buy a CD, pay the cover at a
show, don’t just tell a band you think they are great, show them.
Most bands I know that are selling CD’s are just hoping to break
even. They just need our help to make sure they can afford to keep on
making music. Studio time is not cheap.
Gavin:
What's your overall feeling on local radio, both corporate and
community?
Ebay:
I can’t stand commercials. I don’t like feeling like someone is
trying to hustle me, trying to sell me something without being direct
about it. Commercial radio is there to sell commercial space. I used
to work in commercial radio, and I know a lot of people that still
do. They got into radio because they loved the idea of radio. Some
loved talk radio, some just loved music, but none of them wanted to
do sales. That’s what radio has become. A vehicle to sell you
toothpaste and tires. Radio used to be the first place you heard new
music, now radio won’t touch a new song unless it’s been market
tested. I think what we do at KRCL is what radio should be doing
everywhere, playing new, good music. Let people make up their own
mind about what they like and give independent artist a chance to be
heard.
Gavin:
What do you think of our current venues, and are there any changes
you wish they'd make?
Ebay:
I think we have some great venues. I just wish I’d see more people
at the venues sometimes…
Gavin:
Where do you see Utah entertainment going over the next five
years?
Ebay:
Who knows? Hopefully the economy starts to look a little better, and
people will feel a little more comfortable about spending their money
on entertainment. Not just here in Utah, but across the country. But
I think Utah entertainers will just get better & continue to
impress and entertain us.