I was able to catch up with the always shining and never stop grinding triple threat signed FORD AGENCY model /rapper/dancer known around the world as ‘Madison LST’ (Light Skin Trouble) and who is currently hails from New York. We touched on many things: from race and it’s effects on perspective, the creative writing process, and his take on being categorized to try to fit him in a ‘box’. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview, mainly because it was refreshing to hear music that pushes itself to be the best it can possibly be, and at the same time to converse with an artist who consciously strives for the same. For these aforementioned qualities, Faux Society dubs Madison as a “NEXT TO BLOW!” artist.
MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE BELOW as well.
FS: What was your first love, modeling or music?
M-LST: Ugh, actually my first love was dancing to be honest. I guess music is the answer to your question, I listened to a lot of Michael Jackson and got into dancing when I was younger, I started dancing in high school, and I learned to beatbox in order to practice dancing whenever I wanted to, cause I didn’t have an iPod or cd player. I started beat-boxing that way, and at dance practice people always free-styled, so I would have to end up beat-boxing for the freestyle sessions. One day someone forced me to rap they were like “Madison you gotta jump in, you can’t always just beatbox!” and I jumped in, and at that moment is when I started rapping, and going hard at it.
FS: Since your name is Madison LST (Light Skin Trouble) how much does race and your perspective play in your music?
M-LST: Well LST (Light Skin Trouble) is just based on my experiences growing up, as a mixed kid, the first thing people ask you is “What are you?…What’s your background….What are your parents?” It’s the first thing that comes up, because they can’t put you in a category. Identity, and racial identity especially, played a large part in my upbringing. I feel like it has a lot of effect on my music, but it’s not an explicit thing, it’s just based on my perspective of accepting people, and being open to differences. Those are just values I’ve developed as an adult of not fitting into a category myself, and being appreciative, no matter what, of trying to categorize everything.
FS: Well you know people in the rap world always have to categorize things, (i.e. When Drake first came out he was “That actor that could rap!” What do you say to people who try to write you off as a “rapping model?”
M-LST: I say they’re SERIOUSLY mistaken, to just try and say I’m a “rapping model.” That’s just a blatant insult of a person just trying to say “oh, he’s a model. He doesn’t rap” like this is some ZOOLANDER stuff. Truth is if you listen to any song, you’re not going to have anything to say back. You can have some preferences, but you’re not going to hear “MODEL!” involved in what I’m spitting, you’re going to hear MY truth!
FS: I saw your music video for your new single “Give Me The World” it was super fun, I had a fun time watching it. Can you talk about the shooting of the video?
M-LST: I mean the video was awesome it was a lot of work, and everyone you see in that video that’s all my friends. Those are all the people I hang out with, I go out to parties with, they come over to my house. It’s all a big community of creative people, artists, models, and just young people who really just want to do something.
FS: I’ve noticed that some of your songs tackle larger themes, and each verse it sounds like you’re trying to say so much in a short amount of time. What goes into crafting one of your songs?
M-LST: I really care about the music, and the sound a lot. I really care about the beats. Being a dancer has had a huge influence on me. Like I can’t do tracks that are really light beat, where I’m just talking over for forever. I feel what the music, makes me feel, I take that and try to make it sharper. If the music is sad to me, and I’m trying to tell a sad story, and I’m trying to carry and find the words to make the music even more potent, sometimes it is really hard. When I wrote the song “Who Knows”, it was one of the hardest songs to write because it captured exactly what I was feeling at the time that I wrote it. I wrote basically a letter to myself, about how to deal with something that I was dealing with and it was really complicated because I was looking for the answer. I was looking for the answer to the question I was trying to answer in the (actual) song. A lot goes into it. I really sit down and think about what I’m trying to say, and sometimes it comes out quickly, it all depends on the energy of the song. Depending on how specific the topic is, it can take longer or a shorter time.
FS: What can we expect from your upcoming project?
M-LST: I am going to start working on an EP the second the video drops, I’m thinking of doing an 8 – Song EP to give people a full view of all the things I’m capable of, and all the things that make up Madison LST. You can expect some ridiculous uptempo dance songs, and some heartfelt sincere introspective songs that talk about specific issues we all deal with. Some love songs, and still hard hitting. As much as I like to write specific messages, and really convey a point, I want the beat to BANG. So you’re going to hear the beat, hear the words, then feel the words.
Madison releases his new music video for single “GIVE ME THE WORLD” below directed by Martin Landgreve and Magnus Jonsson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ervV6GSpb90
