Pit Talk highlights a different student each week. Know someone we should profile? E-mail dthpittalk@gmail.com.
Name: Julian Caldwell
Class: 2013
Hometown: Dobbs Ferry, NY
Major: JOMC – Electronic Communication
Twitter: jswisshere
During the day, chances are you’ll find sophomore Julian Caldwell at UNC’s School of Journalism , taking classes in the electronic communication track and learning about sports journalism.
Outside the classroom, however, don’t be surprised if you find him rapping in the Media Resources Center in the basement of the R. B. House Undergraduate Library . Chances are, you might just hear him recording his latest rap songs.
Caldwell, who used to work for the Daily Tar Heel and whose stage name is JSWISS, always listened to rap and hip-hop—especially early ’90s hip-hop songs and artists like Nas and Common —but only recently started recording and performing songs. While he did rap for a talent show in high school, it took an open mic event in New York a month before starting at UNC for him to find his calling.
“My family was there, they saw me rap, and it was the first time I got a good response, and that’s what made me actually pursue and look for opportunities when I came to UNC,” Caldwell said. “Before then it was just a hobby, but it went well and I felt comfortable in front of the crowd, so that’s what made me want to do it in the future.”
Ever since he has been recording and trying out new songs in the MRC, covering a wide variety of topics ranging from gang violence to enjoying life and not taking things for granted. He added that writing the songs themselves usually takes a while.
“After every two or four lines, I’ll go back and recite everything up all the way to that point,” he said. “[It usually takes] anywhere between 15-40 minutes depending on how easily it goes.
“But anytime of the day I can record, I usually like to record.”
Caldwell will perform selections from his new album Out of State Intuition at Cafe Beyond on April 7th at 9 p.m. For more information on him and his work, visit his website and check out the music video for his new album’s first single, Look Easy:
Eric Pesale: What’s your favorite Franklin Street restaurant or bar, and why?
Julian Caldwell: I really like Buns for eating. The burgers are big; I could get a double cheeseburger from there and some fries and get full! As far as bars, Jack Sprat Café . I had a chance to perform there several times with other people, so that’s cool to be able to perform there and have someplace for local acts to be able to perform.
EP: Memorable performance experience that stands out to you?
JC: It’s funny; some of the moments that stick out the most involve forgetting my words onstage. It does happen. The first time it happened I think I handled it pretty well. You might get nervous in your first performance and think everything will go wrong—and as a rapper one of the worst things that can go wrong is you forget your words—but I handled it well, kept going and people could still see that I could rap, so afterward the audience wasn’t focusing on the fact that I messed up my words since I didn’t make a big deal of it onstage. It was a growing point getting over that hump of having something go wrong in a show and not have it be the end of the world…I think it was in Jack Sprat.
EP: How would you describe the ideal perfect day?
JC: If I could wake up at 8 a.m. and feel extra well-rested somehow, that would be perfect. Eat a good breakfast, probably have some pancakes, bacon, some potatoes, and after that spend some time in the studio and hang with my friends since we’re all in the studio at the same time-we’d spend 3-4 hours there and knock out a couple of songs. Then I’d leave around 12 or 1, get lunch, have some more good food, hang out with my friends in the dining hall eating. There would also be no classes on this perfect day so don’t have to worry about that. After that I’d probably play some basketball, since basketball’s been my first love since I was 5. At night I’m not a big partier but I could go to a good party with nice-looking females I guess, and end the night like that.
EP: What’s the top song on your iPod right now?
JC: Probably myself (laughs) . I listen to a lot of my songs just in case…when you perform you want to make sure you don’t forget your words. I was just playing to latest J. Cole mixtape, so a lot of that, and still play a lot of Nas. A lot of the stuff I play now a lot is older hip-hop, but I listen to local artists too. Producer 9th Wonder , he’s pretty well-known in the hip-hop community; he has a label and I listen to a lot his artists too.
EP: What’s your most embarrassing moment?
JC: Freshman year last year I lived in Hinton James, and I somehow tripped walking into the elevator over nothing, and had my backpack on and everything, and fell and kinda hurt my leg. Luckily when I fell I looked around outside and nobody saw it. I know I would’ve laughed at myself!
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