For the past 15 years the Seattle based rapper Sadistik has worked on mastering the art of rap, and releasing music he can feel proud of. The artist XXL once referred to as the Cigarette Burn Rap King has never shied away from speaking on difficult topics, but is lyrically skilled enough to do so without being ‘in you face’ with his message. Since his first album The Balancing Act was released, he has pursued his goal of expressing himself honestly and creatively, and has reached the hearts of a devout fanbase in the process. If you see the comments or replies on his social media, fans often refer to him by his first name and feel a strong connection and understating of the artist.

“I write in a little bit more of an abstract cryptic way, where I hide a lot of easter eggs and a lot of meaning in things, but I try to kind of hide the medicine in the feel of it. In psychology they’d call it premack principle, which is basically like a ‘if you finish your vegetables, you can get dessert’ kinda deal. I like the concept of like, I don’t wanna say sugar coating, but you know they they sugar coat the pill so the medicine goes down easier. Because nobody actually wants medicine, nobody wants it… especially in rap, I hate being preached to. I don’t like preachy rappers, I don’t like when people act like they have access to some knowledge we don’t, and they are the shepherd, i don’t like the preachiness but i kinda hide a lot of pieces, the meaning in different places. By design, i really enjoy books and films and games and any medium that rewards me with paying more attention or with re-experiencing it, so I try to design that in my stuff. The first time you hear it, ideally you're like ‘Ok, there’s this rhythm, I can tell there’s complex things happening’ but you’re not going to get it all at first.”

Throughout his career, Sadistik has maintained that sense of mystery in his lyrics. When I learned that he went to school for psychology pursuing a PhD, this mysterious style of writing made a little more sense. He eventually skipped out on his most important PhD interview to perform a show in Seattle for around 60 people. That was the moment where his future became more clear to him, and he made the choice to pursue a musical career rather than a professional career. Fifteen years later, in a world where being an independent artist almost means you have to be a manager, marketer and promoter, the pressure to assume professional obligations returns. There’s the types of artists who apply more marketing strategies to their music than artistic thought, they make what Sadistik aptly referred to as “conveyor belt music.” That is not the type of artist Sadistik is, and it never will be. He’s not going to sacrifice any of his music to adhere to what “works.” This shows in his ability to rap about more timeless and intricate topics, rather than referencing current brand names or trends to be relevant and in the moment. A songs replay value comes from multi layered lyrics that can’t become dated in subject. That’s why Sadistik says he “likes to hide things in front of peoples faces,” and give the audience the respect of letting them figure things out.

“Having that relationship where I know there’s an audience that will really sink their teeth into it, and discuss it on discord or youtube or whatever, seeing people debate what certain meanings are and where they come from, I think that’s a super rewarding part of this.”

Again going back to the topic of how some rappers have become marketing agents in disguise, Sadistik points out how fans have become accountants. He meant this in the sense that some fans will think an artist is good based on how much money they make or how many plays they get. This skewed view of talent discredits an artists ability to succeed independently. “Success for me is the amount of intense, heavily emotional things fan tell me on a daily basis. That kind of my constant reminder to keep going, and know that whatever energy you’re putting into this is going somewhere.” The quality of your fans is much more important than the amount of people who stream your music. The connection artists like Sadistik have with their fans adds so much more value to him as an artist, than things like going viral or getting millions of plays. “1000 real fans who really give a fuck about what you’re doing, you can make a whole career from that. You can make a more longstanding career than people with viral moments.” At this point in his career, Sadistik knows that an artist needs time to grow into their success. You need to try a hundred things and fail, perform shows and bomb, you need to work into becoming an artist who is capable of being successful.

Sadistik is a writer in nearly every sense of the word, and every artistic endeavor he undertakes shows that to be true. He’s taken his love of writing seriously since childhood, writing poems and entering writing contests, short stories, and obviously music. Wanting keep himself busy with multiple projects at once, and desiring a multitude of creative outlets, his writing always evolved into something bigger. For the past few years he has been working on his debut into the world of film, in the form of a recently completed screenplay. Given the lyrical content of Sadistik’s music, and his the glimpses of his personal life shown through social media, it should come as no surprise that this film will be of the arthouse horror genre. This film isn’t just some side project he’s doing in his spare time, but a huge undertaking that’s consumed the past couple years of his life. After writing the first draft of the screenplay, Sadistik brought it to the attention of several directors for feedback and opinions. He noticed a pattern of similarities in the notes he received in response, and took the comments as a cue to dive deeper into the learning process, spending about a year learning the fundamentals of screen writing and applying what he has learned to his work. Being the creative, artistic, and passionate artist that he is, I am sure he will work on this project until it is perfected, and exactly to his liking. As a film lover myself, I look forward to watching Sadistiks movie when its’ complete.

I know that people who consider themselves real fans of rap music are often disappointed by the artists who become “famous” today. It is easy to point out the rappers that follow a formula, versus following their hearts. While some of these rappers are shoved in our faces by the mainstream media and record labels, it would be idiotic to say that “rap is dead.” There are artists throughout the game that still operate with a creative drive, regardless of what’s popular. Rappers like Sadistik who release deeply honest and intricate music, and build strong connections with their fans, should remind us that hip hop could never die. There will always be the insincere people trying to fit in, but artists who seem to make music for their own fulfillment tend to shine through and make their own path. The passionate rappers like Sadistik build a true fan base, unlike the flash in the pan fifteen minutes of fame some of the more trendy rappers of today receive. As he works on finishing his film, and writing new music, we can look forward to more truth from Sadistik.

Finally, knowing Sadistik and I shared an intense passion for film, I was looking forward to asking him this question the whole interview. Here are Sadistik’s 11 movie recommendations:

• 1: Oldboy (2003)
• 2: Martyrs (2008)
• 3: A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• 4: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
• 5: Enter the Void (2009)
• 6: Eraserhead (1977)
• 7: Suspiria (1977)
• 8: Audition (1999)
• 9: Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
• 10: Videodrome (1983)
• 11: El Topo (1970)