CrASh LaNdINg

By Doran Gresham

There are three distinct stages to any parachute jump: the chaotic first step, the deployment of the parachute and the landing. This could just as easily be a metaphor for the enigmatic life of PAttY Cra$H. If you let her tell the story, she’s a self-admitted screw up, on a road that leads to and from her own soul. Her music has been inspired by everything that surrounds her. This would include hip-hop, punk, soul and rock influences. She’s a 20 something mosh up and the world is just about to know her name. When I caught up with her, she was about to do one of four things. But that comes later…

Freefall

Q: So, what’s the connection between you and the Roots Crew? Specifically with their manager Rich. How’d he pick you up? What was that process like?

Well I was underage when I met The Roots in Baltimore. I couldn’t get into the show, so I got wasted at a nearby bar. My friend I was with said she could introduce me to them cuz she knew one of the members. I ended up wasted on the tour bus freestylin in a cipher with Tariq Trotter (Black Thought) Dice Raw and Truck North. I gave my demo to someone before I left around 3 in the morning. I got a call at like 4 in the morning, and it was Tariq asking if I would come to Philly the next day. He got me a ticket and the next day I was on my way to Philly. That day I met Rich Nichols who a couple years later would be my manager.

I was living in VA at the time. I would go see The Roots for the next year anytime they were on the east coast and soon Tariq introduced me to Nikki Jean, who had just moved to Philly to join a band with Dice Raw. We became really close and it made me think that I could just get up and move to a new city to follow my dream like she was doing. So I did. I had another manager at the time who introduced me to Sam Hollander, who asked me to feature on Tyga’s album and then being on that led to Travis of Gym Class Heroes tracking me down cuz he loved my voice to be feature on their album “The Quilt” on a song called “Drnk Txt Rmeo”. I had parted ways with my old manager at that time and I knew I needed a manager ASAP. Dice, which is Tariq’s best friend, always had my back and he suggested we talk to Rich about managing me. We did, and I was scared cuz Rich is a crazy muther fucker but he’s one of the smartest people I know and I’m proud to have him as my manager!

Letting out the chute

Q: What can we expect from you in 2010?

Well, the first collabo I know of so far is with The Roots. I wrote and sang on a song called “The Day” which will be on their new alum scheduled to be released in 2010. My immediate goal for 2010 is to get a publishing deal and ghost write some pop smashes, while also recording songs for MY project.

Q: Describe a day in the life of PAttY Cra$H.

I wake up kinda early like 10, sometimes as early as 9. Brush my teeth. I roll up, smoke, go to the gym. And then I do one of four things for the rest of the day in any order: write, practice, eat or record. Write…write…eat…practice. Me and Nikki Jean just got a house together. Nikki just signed a huge publishing deal with Sony and a recording contract with Colombia so she is always doing the same thing. Trying to be the best at what I do is what I strive for everyday.

Q: How do you balance your private life (dating, living, loving) and your budding career?

Well I tried having a boyfriend. I had a really good one but at the end of the day I just didn’t have enough energy or time to make it work. And I also realized that right now the love of my life is my music so fuck monogamy! Ha.

CrASh LaNdINg

Q: What direction can your fans expect you to move toward in the next few years?

Forward is the only direction I expect to go in. I kinda crash as I go. Who knows what’s to be expected.

Q: Any thoughts on the direction that the music industry is going in?

Well I have high hopes. It makes me happy to see dope artists like Lady GaGa do so well.

Q: What do you listen to?

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Fleetwood Mac. I go through stages were I listen and then sometimes I don’t listen to anything.

Q: Last question. The new pics on crackspace are beautiful. How conscious are you about body image? How much does sex sell and what are your limits?

I’m conscious that body image is a huge problem with young girls and I definitely have struggled with it in the past. The fact that everyone on TV is a size zero doesn’t help. Sex sells. I don’t think it sells songs though. But who cares. I know no limits!

For more information on Patty Crash, visit her Youtube video blog (http://www.youtube.com/user/pattycrash) or go to her myspace page http://www.myspace.com/pattycrash.