CRAW is set to drop his new album ‘Escape Artist’ on October 16, 2015. We are proud to host the exclusive premiere of the new single ‘Push Pull’ exclusively right here along with some questions about the new single answered from the man himself: rising hip hop artist CRAW (Michael Crawford).
Our Exclusive Q&A with Craw about “Push Pull”
Keven: I love the vibe of this song – its dark but its extremely catchy can you tell me who or what situations in your life influenced this track?
Craw: Push Pull was an interesting song for me to write. I accumulated the 4 verses over the course of a year or so, and when I heard Matty’s beat, it all came together. I wrote the first verse when I was recovering from back surgery. My good friend StLouie had sent me a conceptual R&B track that he wanted me to write to, but I never ended up using the verse that I wrote. When I heard the beat for Push Pull, with that verse, it just felt right.
The other 3 verses were written during a pretty crazy time in my life; my rap partner in Character Assassins, and good friend, Shizzy, got into a bad car accident, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and my homie Johnny passed away, all within the course of a few months. Essentially, everything mentioned in the title track of the album transpired during the course of writing Push Pull.
Keven: There are some heavy lyrics on Push Pull – including some That reference you being told to kill yourself over the phone. Can you elaborate on what drove that situation?
Craw: The fundamental idea behind Push Pull was that everything in life, from relationships, to friendships, to triumphs and struggles, all ebb and flow. That particular line is referencing a phone call I got from a good friend when we were going through a rough patch. In fact, I wrote the last verse of Push Pull right after getting off of that phone call, while I was still experiencing the raw emotion of hearing something like that from someone I love. The writing process for most of the album was very vulnerable for me, I was making a constant effort to keep it as real as possible and still come correct.
Keven: Escape Artist is an album that means a lot to you and from what I’ve heard so far I have no doubts you should be proud of what you’ve accomplished making it. What do you hope fans will get out of the record the most?
Craw: Thank you, I appreciate that a lot. Escape Artist, to me, is a reflection of my soul, a documentation of my life over the past few years. Working with Matty on this album really allowed me to break some boundaries, get uncomfortable, and leave it all on wax, because I knew he was doing the same through his production.
I hope that this album can act as a soundtrack to life and maybe help someone get through a rough time, along the way. I am really proud of this project and what we’ve been able to accomplish sonically. I definitely feel like this is the most authentic music I’ve ever made, and I hope that transmits through the album.
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About Craw:
Craw (formerly Crawdad) is an American Hip Hop artist from Ventura, California. At a young age, he began writing and rapping and his passion for the culture has ensued sense. In 2008 Craw united with Producer Jim Claytor of Venice Beach, CA. Their first collaborative effort was an extended play released in 2009 titled “The Underground Perspective”.
2010 saw the release of Craw’s extended play “The Art of Making Flowetry”. This EP included production from several different producers from all over the world. Throughout his life, Craw battled many demons. He attended six different high schools before ultimately dropping out. In September of 2011 after enduring the loss of several close friends, he accomplished the largest feat of his life, getting clean.
His new life decisions granted him unparalleled momentum and in 2011 Craw co-founded the group Character Assassins alongside San Francisco rapper Shizzy. Character Assassins released their first project “Sinnocent” in 2012. 2012 also saw the release of Craw’s “Complex”. An extended play featuring a series of narrative a’capaellas between each track.
In 2013 Character Assassins released their second effort, “Heartbreak Hip Hop & Junkie Jams”, this album featured the likes of Slaine (of La Coka Nostra), King Magnetic (of AOTP), Randola (of Randam Luck), AIMS, Skinny Cavallo & more. Following HHH & JJ the crew began working with Matty Trump (Kelly Clarkson, Jadakiss, Styles P, Action Bronson, Sammy Adams, Slaine, AZ, Fat Joe) to embark on their debut studio album “Disasterpiece”. In 2013 Craw released his “Back II the Rhyme” EP which included his single “Where the Moon Stays” which peaked at #3 on the Rap Attack Nationwide College Radio Charts after being ranked on the top 40 charts for nearly 6 consecutive months. 2013 also saw the release of a collaborative effort between Craw & Hollywood producer, Organ Grinder, titled “Ology”.
In 2014 Character Assassins released their first single from their debut album Disasterpiece titled “Paper Shredders” Featuring Chino XL and produced by Matty Trump. The song received spins nationwide and peaked at #2 on the Rap Attack Nationwide College Radio Charts. In 2014 Craw won the award for Best Hip Hop Artist of 2014 at the Ventura County Music Awards alongside a talented roster of various other winners, including the legendary Chuck D of Public Enemy.
As this pattern of constant catalog building continues, Craw is set to release his debut studio album, Escape Artist, produced by Matty Trump in fall of 2015. Prior to its release, this album was nominated for “Album of the Year” by the Ventura County Music Awards, and the single Target Practice featuring Blueprint debuted at #4 on the Rap Attack Nationwide College Radio Charts in June of 2015.