Pittsburgh rapper Saïd is a cultural commentator for whom no topic is off limits. His latest project "Revolutionary But Gorgeous" deals with the unapologetic similarities between politics and the streets — all while staying fresh with a nice pair of sneakers.
Saïd recently spoke with WYEP's Joey Spehar.
What’s your musical history up to this point?
I’ve been in the music industry since I was 15. I co-wrote a record with a friend, and it did well on the R&B charts. I believe it went to 23 on Billboard. That kind of baptized me by fire.
I signed a major label deal a few years later and I took some bumps and bruises throughout my journey in the business and was fortunate to see some early success just through connections I made from being outside moving about.
I came up doing battle rapping, freestyling, and a lot of whatever was popular at the time: rapping and singing on stages at dances, house parties, you name it. I was fortunate enough to get on some really dope tours as an opening act and eventually sign a record deal, put out a studio album, and make a modest living and impact just from loving rap music and participating in hip-hop culture.
Fast forward to today, I had taken a lot of time off from creating music, but I remained adjacent to the music industry this entire time. I just recently started doing music again over the last few years
How do you describe your sound?
I’m a cultural commentator. I think throughout my whole time, I gave an honest experience of what I went through. No topic is off-limits for me. I think my last two projects ("The Kid With The Golden Arms" and "Revolutionary But Gorgeous") were really “sign of the times” narrations of any intersection I found myself at.
Politics and the streets are so unapologetically similar, as I am now in politics and coming from the streets; that’s always an easy conversation for me. I talk about many firsthand accounts of life for so many of us who find ourselves trying to navigate the Black experience. I’m currently working on a project that’s close to completion, which will be all relationship raps. All love, heartbreak, and everything in between, so I guess my sound is just honest. It’s reflective of where I am in that moment of creation.
Tell us more about the song “Griffey 3s.” What inspired you to write it and what does it mean to you?
So this record, ironically, was the first record we recorded for Revolutionary But Gorgeous. When it came time to sequence the album, it was the one that stood out the most from the original vision, so we were comfortable with cutting it from the original release. That was the impulse for rereleasing the album as a deluxe version. As a sneaker collector, the Griffey 3 was the shoe that got me into collecting and sneaker culture. So, that shoe and song were the focal points in recounting a pivotal time for me.
What was the first album that really changed your life?
The first album I remember sitting down with and having my mind blown was "Liquid Swords" by GZA. From start to finish, I remember that era, I was still really young, but I remember when my friend let me borrow that album, and I was like, wow. This album is incredible. It was just like discovering the Ark of the Covenant or opening the suitcase in "Pulp Fiction."
Do you think an artist can change the world through music?
It happens every day. Mos Def said, “What’s getting ready to happen with hip-hop? I tell em, “You know what’s gonna happen with hip-hop? Whatever’s happening with us.” You look at what rap has done since its inception: Cultural shifts. Political shifts and impact. Global impact. We had a rapper who is making a case by many to be regarded as one of the best and win a Pulitzer Prize. The last how many presidents have rappers at the White House and using them for cultural currency. Rap is the metronome for the tempo of the world.
Any other super interesting things about you we should know?
One question I get a lot from people is, do I really do Karate? Yes. I’ve been at it since 1991. I think that’s the most common thing people ask me.
