It’s Friday. Thursday wasn’t kind to me. I’m laying on my girlfriend’s futon, exhausted after three hours of sleep. My head is pounding. My mouth is dry. But it’s 2:20pm, and I can’t catch a nap because I have to conduct a short interview with Bobby Creekwater in ten minutes. The phone rings. Then stops. Then it starts to ring again, this time from a different number. I answer. The voice coming from the other side of the phone, a husky drawl, colored with a little struggle and a lot of red clay, was familiar. It was a voice I had jammed out to, headphones blaring on the A train. An emcee whose name alone suggests something blue collar and sincere. A guy I watched on Youtube all the time, wondering what the hell was taking him so long to put out an album. A man whose music I always have to “put people on to,” just so I could have someone to talk about it with. I couldn’t believe how much he sounded exactly like his records, on the phone. Usually people’s phone voices are different, I thought. Shake it off, Jason, I said to myself. Should I ask him about the mess that went down with Aftermath? Naw. Not really important. Then what should I ask him? Hmm. Judging from his familiar greeting, he seems normal enough. Like a homeboy. With a shrug, I thought to myself, I’ll just shoot from the hip.

QO: So you’re originally from Atlanta, right?

BC: Definitely, born and raised.

QO: Do you feel any pressure coming from a city with such a rich history, culturally and musically. I mean, some of the greats in hip-hop, like Outkast and Goodie MOB, came out of Atlanta, and ultimately changed the way the hip-hop community saw and now sees the South. Big shoes to fill, man.

BC: I wouldn’t call it pressure. It’s more of an obligation. Better yet, it’s a pleasure to be able to say that I can carry the baton, carrying on the tradition of a place with so much pride, and so much music with such passion to it, which I love. And groups like Outkast had a big influence on me, so I just feel honored to be able to keep this thing going.

QO: For the people who’ve known about you, including myself, the one thing ask, and I’m sure the rest of your supporters always ask when we listen to your music is, “Why isn’t this dude famous yet? Why hasn’t he made it?” I know you even reference that question yourself on some of your songs. What has been the challenge with the whole music industry thing? What have been the roadblocks when it comes to trying to get to the next level?

BC: Definitely accepting the political aspects of it all. The backhand deals, the relationships, and what gets played out because of those relationships, instead of “He’s good and deserves an opportunity based on his own merits and hard work.” It was hard for me to learn that the music business is a business first. I had to really learn to grasp that so that I could save the creative end.

QO: So I know you have a few mixtapes out, and there are numerous Youtube clips, but what can we expect from a Bobby Creekwater album?

BC: What can you expect? Well, on all the mixtapes and Youtube clips and whatnot, what you’re hearing is a man at war with himself. A man on a journey to find himself. What you can expect to hear on the album, is a man who has found himself and has knowledge of self. A man who’s willing to put his flag in the ground, and make clear who he is. A man who is finally sure of himself, with no political agenda, but ready to say what needs to be said.

QO: Sounds good, man. Last question. This one is a bit off base, so think hard about it. If you could work with any female, in any genre, living or dead, who would it be?

BC: Any female. Hmph. I have to say Lauryn Hill, man. I mean, dont get me wrong, I’ve been inspired by a lot of females, from Billie, to Minnie Ripperton, Norah Jones, but for me, there’s something about Lauryn. Her music impacted me the most. It has nothing to do with her being a female, but just the music, the sound, the passion. It all affected me so greatly that it would have to be her.

QO: Yo brother, I really appreciate what your doing, and I’ll do my part to continue to spread the word about you.

BC: Hey, brother, I definitely appreciate all the support. I really do.

For more info on Bobby Creekwater check out: www.ibobbycreek.com and follow him on twitter/bobbycreekwater

I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Jason Reynolds