"Chatting W/ L's" Interview: Chancellor Warhol

2L's: Welcome to the world of 2L's fam! For those who may not be familar with you, let us know about yourself.

Chance: Chancellor Warhol signing in better known as one half of the Cyber-Rap/Electro Group N.O.B.O.T.S. (No Other Band Offers This Sound), Chancellor Warhol is a mix between pop culture, the love of art, fashion and music. I'm American mentally with Japanese tendencies! You can say I crash landed in Nashville,TN because nobody believes I'm from here until I tell them I am. Which is usually followed by looks of disbelief. I am the thread that accents and not the fabric that overwhelms.

2L's: When did you first start your career and who were your influences?

Chance: I started taking music seriously when I was 19. I signed with an independent label called HunnedSpoke Ent. as part of the rap group Verbal Assault. (Shout out to Big Kev & Drupy for giving me my first start). I mean we were all into what Rocafella had going at that time with Jay Z, State Property, Young Gunz, and Ye and Just Blaze on production. Shit was Crazy!!! Can I cuss in my interview HAHA! Pharrell Williams was probably and still is one of my biggest influences to date. At first they thought I was weird cause I would be playing Daft Punk, Eagle Eye Cherry, N.E.R.D.,Smashing Pumpkins, and Susan Vega until I started rapping to those same tracks and they started diggin' it. You see nowadays it's cool that everything is different, and you can also see everything has hip-hop influences. Go to these Electro?Dance clubs and you'd be amazed to here the electro version of stanky leg or Birdman Money To Blow! You see, I was diggin' different long before it was cool.

2L's: Not only are you an artist, but you also are very in tune with fashion, correct? who are some of your favorite designers?


Chance: First let me start off by saying RIP Alexander McQueen, his vision and creativity will be missed. If it's one thing that could take the place of music in my life it's fashion hands down. I always tell people I'm not a rapper, I'm a fashionista that just knows how to rap...HAHA. No seriously, I've always been the guy that didn't like rocking what everbody else was rocking. I remember when rocawear was cool I was already on Bape and Evisu. When Bape got Saturated I cut down on my collection and started rocking SoftHard, Clot, Fenom, and John Lawrence Sullivan. I remember walking in PhatKaps one time with a Clot shirt on and the saleman being like "Where did you get that, what is that?". I mean not to knock any other rappers swag, but alot of them talk brands in there songs to sound cool but don't own it....If I say it in a song I own it. Hell I might own it and havent even said it yet. I was a stylist on the side to alot of local rappers and producers, thats how i got alot of my beats. Beats for BAPE's and exclusive Sneakers!!. In 2008 I was fed up with music and stopped to focus on my line Marti Mcfli full time. This was around the time I met N.E.R.D and gave Shae, Fam-Lay and Common a shirt and they were really digging it. Now I'm currently on my 4th season and it is being sold in the upscale Posh boutique in the Village and will soon be in JoyRich in L.A. Having it in Posh was a great accomplishment in a sense, because so many local designers try to get in there and get turned down and here is my brand on a rack next to Cavali and G Star. Im a big fan of Japanese design. Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons, her apprentice Junya Watanabe, and Nigo creator of BAPE. I'm also a big fan of Karl Lagerfield, Tom Ford, and Stefano Pulati of Yves Saint Laurent. These are designers that are more so architects of fashion to me and I'm always blown away and inspired by their work.

2Ls: So what exactly influenced Japanese Lunchbox: A love story?




Chance: Life.Love.Lost. Just like in the promo video. It was just alot going on at that time in 2009 good and bad, but I'm the type of person that takes bad in it's worst form and make it art. N.O.B.O.T.S was doing very well in 2009 and we didn't even have a project out, I think we were the only act to play Next Big Nashville that didn't even have an album out...Crazy!! I'm a music artist...not just a rapper, and what I mean by that is It's embedded in me to paint a picture and for all the pieces to make sense in a creative way and for it to appeal on a universal scale outside of the four corners of the block. For example, would you look at my album cover and think that it is a hip-hop album? Probably not but it draws you in. Then you hear how ecletic the story is. Anybody that's listened to my album can never just classify it as one thing and I like that, because it's not just one thing. I've got country A&R's who, let's be honest aren't big into hip hop, loving my album, Heavy Metal headbangers and even the hood gets me which is even cooler. I always want to grab everbody's attention no matter what race, color, or creed. Thinking outside the box or Lunchbox for that matter has always just been me doing what I love to do no matter what people think. I also made this album for the ladies...Yesssir!

2L's: Nice! Who have you worked with so far?

Chance: Well in order to make an eclectic album, you must have a diverse group of minds working with you, which is why I had production by Ducko Mcfli who is the Maestro of N.O.B.O.T.S., that one was a no brainer. One guy that I was honored to work with, and did alot of the production for my album was Aaron Harmon of the rock band Enjoy The Zoo. I mean real talk, those guys from ETZ are the reason why I started back making music again at the start of 09. I went to one of their shows and was just blown away! I could tell by the first time talking to Aaron Harmon that his influence of hip hop was matched by his electro-rock vibe. I also have worked with upcoming producer/singer Boss Of Nova and Marcin Bela from Poland. As far as other artist, I have collab'd with electro heavy Justin Kase and Speaker Spell, R&B artist Rio & Robin Raynelle, Rappers Drupy & Future. I also was proud to get up and coming artist Mikky Ekko on my album, he has that Thom Yorke meets Muse kinda vibe and our collaboration on "Bleeding Hearts" was a first for both of us. I don't think he has worked with any hip-hop artist before so I was very honored.

2L's: Aside from your music, what are some other things you are into?

Chance: I'm into art. I'm not a painter by any means, but more like a connoisseur or advat admirer and collector. That is where I get the Warhol from, because of my love of art. Seriously all my photographer friends and models come to my apartment and want to take pics of my collection. You probably can catch me at almost every Art Crawl downtown at the Arcade. I mean free wine and art! It doesn't get any better than that!


2L's: What impact do you feel you will or have had on the music industry?

Chance: I'm just getting started, so I can't really say what impact I will have. As long as at the end of the day people sit back and vibe to my music, rock my clothing line or whatever I create and feel like they are apart of something thats bigger than the man behind it, then I'm fine with that.

2L's: I understand that. Your line is nice by the way! What can we expect from you in the future?


Chance: Tours!!! College tours, promo tours, etc.I'm going to SXSW as we speak, and then I'm doing Nashville Fashion Week with Naked Without Us. Also me and Aaron Harmon are doing the theme song for that. We are going to shoot a video or two for Jpanese Lunchbox. I'm looking foward to working with Nyse and Nash Overstreet from the rock band Hot Chell Rae as far as production goes. A "Warhol The World" mixtape, N.O.B.O.T.S. album, and the sophmore album "The Silver Factory." probably in the fourth quarter. Me expanding my clothing line and collaborating with Converse on my shoe line thanks to my Manager Robert Campbell. I'm also in talks with Sony, Universal Republic, and Republic Records as well.

2L's: To the artists who may havent gotten their foot in the door yet, what advice could you offer for them?


Chance: In the words of my fellow Nashville rapper "Grind Hard"!!! Also don't change or conform. The world needs individuality so don't be afraid to give the world you as an artist. Whether you a skateboarder or a hustler just tell your story and the world will appreciate you more than just another rapper following the pack.

2L's: What sets Chance Warhol aside from other artists?



Chance: I have a spaceship and they don't. HAHA! No seriously, I'm just me at the end of the day take it or leave. I'm the same guy whether I'm rockin Louis Vuitton Jaspers or $20 Polo shoes I bought from a Vintage store. Whether I'm in Karma Lounge or 12 & Porter electro night! I'm still me. Every artist thinks there the freshest, or there the best rapper. I just do me and let the people decide.

2L's: Anything else you'd like to tell my viewers?

Chance:Japanese Lunchbox: A Love Story on iTunes NOW!! It's epic, it's fresh, so go cop that!!!!

Check me out at www.warholtheworld.com
and follow me on twitter twitter.com/chancewarhol


Managment Contact:
Icrea8 Ideas
Robert Campbell
615-586-5999