(courtesy of Gotee Records)
John Reuben relishes the self-expression that rap music empowers, and as an artist, he diligently strives to make his music personal yet universally relevant. While Reuben exemplified growth with each new album, the Columbus native approached his third Gotee release, Professional Rapper, with the determination that no creative risk was too great to make the album he truly envisioned.
Professional Rapper
Hindsight
Says Reuben, "I got exactly what I wanted with Professional Rapper. In the past, I've had sounds in my head that I can't describe, and for this album, we kept tweaking over and over again until I got them. My personality really shines through on this album."
Of course, most every artist bio makes claims of transparency and growth, but Reuben's creative accomplishments transcend mere marketing hype as his risks can be measured in real life terms. After working with commercial producers on prior albums, Reuben took the challenge of producing Professional Rapper himself as the only way he saw to capture his true artistic goals. Accordingly, he converted his basement into a recording studio and stretched his many ideas to their fullest extent, which is something that studio time restraints prevented in the past. With producer reigns in hand, Reuben tackled Professional Rapper with newfound diligence and excitement.
"I knew exactly where I wanted to go with this album," says Reuben. "Different friends of mine came in to play live on the tracks, which is another reason we recorded in Columbus. Making this album was both fun and challenging."
Professional Rapper demonstrates Reuben's deft hand at mixing different influences and ideas into a single seamless whole. The lead single "Move" stands out as a pulsing club anthem that ranks among Reuben's all-time best, while "I Have No Opinion" deals with Midwest stereotypes and intellectual arrogance against the backdrop of stunning live percussion. Atop moody acoustic guitars and hip-hop beats, Benjamin Gate's Adrienne Liesching provides haunting vocals hooks for "I Haven't Been Myself," a powerfully introspective song about feelings of insecurity and stagnation. Of course, the darker songs balance out with upbeat pop fare like the irresistibly catchy "Treats" and "Life Is Short."
Professional Rapper also features Reuben's most challenging and confrontational lyrics yet. The passionate "Freedom to Feel" lashes out with lines like, "False sense of happiness / is my security wrapped up in this / these control freaks seek out who they can brainwash and make activists." Likewise, "Born, Live, Strive, Succeed" casts a skeptical eye toward materialistic dreams as Reuben raps, "Who's next to climb the wall of success just to see how good the top truly gets / chasing lies, disguised as going somewhere only to arrive and realize it's really nowhere / that's even if you get there in the first place."
Says Reuben, "An album like this represents human life and emotions, the good times and the bad times, the questions and the struggles, and all the other things that we go through. For me, the album is a replication of who I am and where I'm at as a person."
Looking back, Reuben grew up with his family on the property of Outreach for Youth, a program founded by a former Brooklyn gang member. Influenced by the inner-city kids around them, Reuben began visiting downtown hip-hop shops and honing his lyrical skills in open mic rap battles. At age 16, he took out a loan for what should have been a car but wound up being recording equipment and samplers. He soon dropped out of high school and devoted himself entirely to recording and working jobs to pay off the loan.
"If somebody said that they wanted to do what I did," says Reuben about his all-or-nothing approach, "I'd tell them it's not a very bright idea and that they need to be realistic. Of course, I was totally unrealistic myself, but it was in God's plan, and thankfully it worked out."
With his new equipment, Reuben recorded and self-released his debut EP, Monuments, which caught the attention of Gotee Records. With a new label home, the emcee dropped the pivotal rap releases Are We There Yet? in 2000 and Hindsight in 2002. He also hit the road doing shows in North and South America, Europe, and India alongside such artists as Toby Mac, Five Iron Frenzy, and Out of Eden. Most recently, Reuben toured with Mars Ill and Paul Wright as well as with the Supertones, Relient K, and Pillar on the See Spot Rock Tour. On a personal note, Reuben got married since his last album, and the new couple celebrated their first anniversary this past August.
With Professional Rapper, Reuben tapped into the full sum of his experience and creative courage to make the album he always envisioned himself making. With its depth and innovation, Professional Rapper challenges every hip-hop fan to push forward, take control, and believe. |
