Q&A with Hoodie Allen

The Pleiad was given the opportunity to sit down with this year’s Union Board Big Show headliner, independent rap artist Hoodie Allen. Here’s the interview between Managing Editor, Alex Carey, Birmingham senior, and Hoodie Allen.

Alex Carey: Welcome to Albion!

Hoodie Allen: Thanks!

AC: Have you ever performed at a small college before?

HA: Yeah, a bunch

AC: What do you like about that experience?

HA: Well, colleges in general are a little bit different. You never know what you’re going to get into at a college show. It depends on the school spirit. Sometimes small schools are great because people tend to get more excited about events.

AC: Everyone is excited here. Should be a good show. How did you get into music?

HA: Well, I’ve been writing songs since I was 11 years old. I was fortunate to start making music on my own that connected with people and allowed me to start doing tours. From there, just putting my music online and sharing it with people until it became my career.

AC: Where does your inspiration for writing your lyrics come from?

HA: It really depends. I think I write a lot about my own life circumstances and events. I write a lot from my own life and stories that I want to talk about and express to people that they maybe can’t say, but can relate to.

AC: Do you have a favorite song that you like to perform?

HA: Really, honestly, it changes every show. We put together a set that we just enjoy playing the whole thing. The songs that are obviously more popular work better at college shows because they are more likely to be known.

AC: Do you have a most embarrassing moment on stage?

HA: There was a time I was playing in in Lincoln, Nebraska, and I ran on stage and the minute I got on stage, I jumped onto a riser at the front and my pants just completely split down the middle. That was pretty embarrassing. I had to sort of finagle a way to get a new pair of pants and get back on stage as quick as possible.

AC: You’re an independent music artist?

HA: Yea I do everything independently, myself.

AC: Why do you like being independent?

HA: I think just the way the music industry is today, people consume music a lot of different ways. Most people who discovered me initially, whether it’s from friends, someone at some point listened to [my songs] on YouTube, or on Spotify, or played it for their friends and it continued and continued. The old guard of the record label is not needed if you want to have your own career and find a fan base and tour. There is other ways to do it because the internet has given us the ability to reach so many people so easily.

The last questions were constructed from students’ posts using #BritsAskHoodie, when the Pleiad reached out to students via Twitter and asked them what they wanted to know about Hoodie Allen. Here are some of his answers.

AC: Jon Wylie, Pinckney junior, wants to know if your songs back and forth with Mike Stud were real disses or just publicity

HA: They were real songs that got a decent amount of tension. I don’t really think about them any more to be honest but at the time I suppose it was real in the sense of like, rap stuff.

AC: Sarah Likens, St. Clair Shores senior, wants to know what your favorite Snapchat filter is.

HA: Oh, uh, great question. I would lean towards the dog filter. I know that makes me a basic bitch but that’s ok.

AC: Lauren Kelsey, Midland sophomore, wants to know how Hoodie Allen got his name.

HA: It came originally from Woodie Allen, just sort of a play on that. You never know who’s going to show up, that’s the mystique.

AC: Hannah Catalano, Rochester senior, wants to know if you like ketchup.

HA: Yeah I do like ketchup. Thank you for breaking the very controversial topics. I also like dogs and I like Harry Potter.

AC: Last one, if you could be any kitchen appliance what would you be and why.

HA: I think I would be a microwave… ‘cause I like heatin’ things up, bam!

Photo by Emily Miller