Carl Armada
Bussin’ - Carl Armada
Part 1:
CJ: Introducing Carl Armada, one of, if not, the most versatile artists here in Fresno. There are so many topics to dive into with your creative skillset, but I would like to start with Ghost Labs. You’ve put out so many designs ranging from sneakers, jackets, hats, and my personal favorite, the Ghost Suit. How would you describe Ghost Labs from an artistic perspective?
Carl: I'd say Ghost Labs is not a brand, it's more so like just a playground for my ideas. When I want to see something and I don't see it out there already, I want to bring it to fruition. So I'll just do it through Ghost Labs. Right now my focus is on clothing and merch, but down the line I want to expand into toys and furniture. It’s a playground for my ideas where I can release items that are detached from my music - an artistic outlet.
CJ: What was the first official year you started working on your fashion pieces?
Carl: I would say maybe 2021-2022 is when the idea of Ghost Labs really started, where it was like, this is going to be a thing. The first pieces that I worked on were some pants. I did three pairs of pants and they were just one-on-one custom pieces. I ended up giving them away to the homies for modeling them and stuff. They were upcycled pairs of polo pants, like khakis that I had put different designs on and stuff like that.
CJ: Do you have a favorite piece you’ve made?
Carl: I have these hats that I made and it's basically a G with this ghost camo that I created. I actually hand drew the camo, which is the pattern within the letters, and there’s a little ghost peeking out over the G. That’s one of my favorite logos I’ve created because of how simple yet complex it is with the ghost camo.
CJ: Are you working on anything right now for Ghost Labs?
Carl: I have some more hats coming out, some simple spell outs in black and white. I'm planning on doing a run of shirts, but it just depends on what comes first. I'm thinking of doing other items. It just depends on what I can get done the fastest.
CJ: I like that you do limited series with your work. I feel it captures a time frame in Ghost Labs history. You have this, you're the only one that has this.
Carl: Exactly, I want whoever owns a piece from Ghost Labs to have that feeling with it. The feeling of almost history.
Part 2:
CJ: Musically, over these past years you’ve been consistently dropping high quality tracks with a lot of versatility in sound. What would you say are some of your favorite styles of music you draw inspiration from besides rap?
Carl: Besides rap, I would say a lot of indie stuff or even some rock, punk, or hardcore music. Lately I’ve been into Turnstile. I’ve also been into the sounds you hear in video games from around the mid 2000s, early 2000s. Think Jet Set Radio, SSX Tricky, and DDR. I’d also say some electronic stuff like Com Truise or Flying Lotus. The kind of production Hunts makes.
CJ: I’m glad you brought up Jet Set Radio, which is also the title of one of your latest releases. The song gets listeners hyped and excited and puts them back into that video game with the vibe. Feels like you’re roller blading around the city, grinding. Vastly different in comparison to your second latest track, Loving Yourself is Hard to Do. Which as a listener for me, made me feel like I was able to hear a deep conversation you’ve had with yourself. Discussing the difficulties of self-love, harm, and one’s persecution of the past and present. The two singles encapsulated the contrasting feelings I felt on your project Le Fante Magnifique. Discussing your battles and triumphs of mental health, but also sprinkled with some hype tracks like Ears Ringing or A Haunting in California. What would you say is the theme for Magnifique?
Carl: Le Fante Magnifique was definitely an exploration of my mental health and also an exploration of the human condition through the lens of the character I built, the Magnificent Ghost. The character is almost like the bystander or outside figure watching me go through all these different motions.
CJ: In Le Fante Magnifique you say some very dark and open things, like your lyrics “Everyday I think about death, but I’m still here.”. What allows you to be so vulnerable about your mental health in your music?
Carl: I figured it’s something that a lot of people think about, but don’t feel comfortable talking about because of the stigma attached to mental health “problems.” Being silent can be counterproductive because you need to vocalize it sometimes in order to recognize it and get you the help you need.
CJ: Do you feel you vocalize it in your music?
Carl: I wouldn’t say it’s an immediate cry for help. I would say it’s more like stating what I may be thinking at that time. It’s something that may have crossed my mind a few times. I know I can’t be the only one who has thought this way. I will state it in order for it to be heard, like-don’t worry, you’re not the only one who thinks this way, but let’s correct this by vocalizing it, recognizing it, and then moving on from this feeling. You know what I mean?
CJ: Yes. And that’s why I think Loving Yourself is Hard to Do is such a beautiful song.
Carl: I feel like that track is very slept on too. I need to push that track more, honestly. It is a very hefty song, in a sense for casual listeners.
CJ: Is there any other advice you’d give someone who’s struggling with their mental health?
Carl: It’s case by case but, still at the end of the day, ask for help. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. You may think you’re all by yourself with this sh*t, but you’re going to have someone that’ll listen to you and try and figure something out for you if you ask for help.
Part 3:
CJ: Excellent advice. I know we kind of took a turn since the random questions (Carl Laughs) but another topic, besides being able to tap into sharing your most intimate feelings musically, your work ethic is also extremely impressive. You’ve mentioned before setting daily goals for yourself, such as producing two beats a day minimum. Do you have any other goals or standards you try and hold yourself to creatively?
Carl: I feel the most important standard I really hold myself to would be first and foremost, does it match a level of taste that I feel is acceptable? A certain level of quality. A certain something that attunes to a broad range of taste. Some high class stuff, but still approachable for the average listener. That being said, I could easily do some bad tasting stuff just to do it, but that’s not me.
The second standard I hold myself to would be the amount of substance I have. Even if it’s like a silly song or like a simple song that’s not too deep, it needs substance even in terms of the words I’m using. I don’t want it to sound super generic.
CJ: How often would you say you write?
Carl: I write a lot less than I used to. I used to write almost every day back in the day. Now it’s more like whenever I have a pack of beats, I’ll write to those. Before, I would just write to write or if I had an idea, I’d jot it down. Lately I’ve been writing more to beats - you know what I mean?
CJ: Oh okay, so before you were just writing ideas down without the production.
Carl: I still write but, also recently I’ve been experimenting more with free styling and punching in.
CJ: Have you ever released any song where you’re punching in?
Carl: I have a song called One Punch Man.
CJ: What song of yours is the most important to you that you’ve put out?
Carl: Thinking Hour Part One. It was released around 2017, 2018. That song was really important for me. It was the first time I actually paid for studio time, went to a place to record something because I believed in that song so much. And it did really well. Especially for the type of song it is - it’s a deeper song. It’s very much me, it encapsulates a lot of Carl. This is Carl’s song. Nobody else could make this type of song.
Part 4:
CJ: Which song would you consider your favorite you’ve released?
Carl: This might be a crazy one, but Bussin’.
CJ: Bussin’ is really dope. People get so hyped when you’re performing it. Out of your six albums that you’ve dropped so far, is there one you think of as your best or favorite?
Carl: Probably Le Fante Magnifique because something about that one just felt special at the time.
CJ: And you produced the entire album?
Carl: Yes, I produced all of it. It was the second time I released a project where I produced all of it.
CJ: Did you produce Flavors as well?
Carl: No, on Flavors I think I produced like one or two tracks. On Ghostboy I produced almost all of those tracks and then on the Neighborhood Ghost project, I produced most of those as well. So damn, I’ve actually been producing for myself for a while now.
CJ: That was something I wanted to touch on, how dope your production is.
Carl: It’s crazy ‘cause I don’t consider myself a producer at all. A beat maker maybe. I use it to serve my purposes as an MC, for me to rap on something. I had to get good at that to a degree so it would match up to the quality of the raps. You know, I can’t be rapping over no fuck*ng ringtones. (Both laugh).
Part 5:
CJ: How long have you been rapping for?
Carl: I’ve been rapping since I was in….. 7th grade.
CJ: DAMN. Bro, that is long as hell.
Carl: I released my first mixtape online when I was 16, maybe 15.
CJ: You’ve always been going hard, dude.
Carl: There was a project called Appetizer or something like that. And there was Mustaches, Bow Ties, and Boomboxes. At 17 I released Fu Manchu.
CJ: Do you still have any of the projects?
Carl: I believe I have the CD for two of those albums. The other ones are lost on the internet somewhere. I released my first song online - like on MySpace.
CJ: MySpace!
Carl: Back in the day, close to the end of 7th grade, beginning of 8th maybe.
CJ: There are fuck*n levels to this sh*t.
Carl: I didn’t take it too seriously until after high school. I would do shows here and there, but nothing crazy. Then around 2015 I link back up with Bnice. We had this crazy run.
Part 6:
CJ: How did you meet Bnice?
Carl: We met because we went to the same high school and he was a grade older than me. He had heard that there was this Asian kid that raps. He sought me out and was like, let’s rap. Ever since then we were homies. We lost connection because he had gone to a different school for awhile, then I randomly met back up with him while doing some video work for an artist named Zee Will. Zee happened to live next to Bnice and Bnice was there when I pulled up to grab my memory card. Then we went on another run from there.
CJ: “He heard there was this Asian kid that can rap.” - he was correct.
Carl: He was correct. (Both laugh)
CJ: To wrap it up, are there any projects in the works readers should be looking forward to?
Carl: Expect some music coming out from Casino Cam, IAintWithThatShit, and myself. We have a couple tracks and visuals to pair that are on their way. Also watch out for Purgatory California, release date to be announced hopefully in the next two months. Other than that, I will be dropping some singles in-between, so just watch for all that. I’m always going to be dropping.
Part 7:
CJ: So, you recently released a project - I Got That Dog in Me - let's talk about the artwork. You did it yourself? How did you do the doodling around on the cover?
Carl: Okay, so basically, yeah, I went into Photoshop. I laid down the initial text. I went and cut out the dog and put some effects onto it, add some textures. Then I printed it out, took a Sharpie, doodled it myself, and then took a picture of it because I didn't have a scanner. Took another picture of that and then just basically put it back onto the computer - and there you go.
CJ: That's dope. It's a process, but that's good to know.
Carl: Yeah, it's a process, but you know, I was like, damn, I don't have a drawing tablet or nothing. I can't do it digitally. So I'll just do it a little old fashioned way.
CJ:What made you choose this title for your project?
Carl: I think it's just because of how the three songs are specifically, like the attitude they have in them is just like, damn. If you’re really listening, like I'm really rapping my ass off.
CJ: Yeah, like you're spitting on it.
Carl: You know, it's not, maybe the most lyrical miracle sh*t, but I'm rapping my ass off. I feel it's a good display of I got that dog in me. Like, he really got it.
CJ: He really got it. Would you consider I Got That Dog In Me as a collaboration project or?
Carl: Being volume one right now, I’m deciding whether it's going to be an ongoing thing with the same producer, or if moving forward I’ll have this be the title of projects produced by one producer.
CJ: Who created the production on Volume one?
Carl: Invader Zach. Really talented. Really, really talented.
CJ: The production is hard. These are slappers. You’re blasting this in the whip.
Carl: It was definitely an even 50/50 split on the work here because if the beats weren’t as fire as they are, the raps wouldn’t have come out.
CJ: How long did it take you and Invader Zach to put this together?
Carl: Honestly, just a couple of months. It was all through email. So, playing email tag. Sending him references. He had sent me a batch of beats and I was making songs to all of them sending them back and forth. These were the three that I felt sounded the best together. I felt they had the most presence out of the batch of songs I made.
CJ: They do have a very similar feel to them. The project is very together.
Carl: You could say they definitely live in the same universe as one another.
CJ: Would you say there was a reasoning behind the song placement on I Got That Dog in Me?
Carl: Um, yeah. Run It Up starts off really well. The song’s hook is a good statement to start it off with. “I can’t wait just to run it up.”. It sets you on the path of the project. It then goes into Ghostboy Fresh, captivating you with the sparse instrumentation and then goes into the actual drop. It carries you along until the middle, that song that let’s you know I’m him for real. “Ghostboy Fresh I’m ahead of the pack.”. Then the last song is to cement that statement.
CJ: It’s me. I’m Just Me.
Carl: This is how it is, this is what you’re getting. It’s a lot less lyrical per se, than the first two songs but the charisma on that one is on one hundred.
CJ: Your delivery on all three songs…you capture this hype but then sometimes the delivery is on the quiet side, the switch between the two energies is really dope. It makes you feel really cool.
Carl: Thank you, I appreciate that. I guess that’s kinda what I like to get across because I’m not necessarily a super turnt person. I’m more laid back. But this is my way of showcasing the aggression and laid back style.
CJ: Do you have a favorite of yours on the project? Or one that you think goes the hardest.
Carl: My favorite one is I’m Just Me because it makes you pop your collar, makes you gig, throw that stank face on. It’s the most feel good track, I’d say. I was having the most fun when I made it. There’s even a part where I reverse the song.
CJ: Yes! I had wanted to bring that up. That was CLEAN. We haven’t heard that in a minute.
Carl: Shout out to Miss Elliot ‘cause if she didn’t do it…I probably wouldn’t have done it. (Both laugh)
CJ: Is there anything else you might be dropping soon or that you’re focused on?
Carl: I’m going to be pushing this project for awhile, but pretty soon I’m going to drop another single called Dojo Flow featuring IAintWithThatShit. So if you like I Got That Dog In Me, you’re going to probably like Dojo Flow as well. I’m also going to be dropping a skate edit soon for my song Jet Set Radio, featuring Sets Crew, local rollerblading crew out here. It’s just a little bit of footy that I got from them and threw together to the song. So, you know, keep your eyes peeled for that.
CJ: Dude, I think we’re good.
Carl: Yeah? Sick.
Check out Carl’s latest project below.