Eternia [Exclusive Interview, Videos & Photos]

Ich hatte vorher noch nichts von ihr gehört. Und da taucht sie plötzlich vor meiner Haustür auf. Eternia war Anfang Dezember, unter anderem als Support für Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, in Europa unterwegs und begeisterte viele Fans und Noch-nicht-Fans von ihrem Talent. Eigenschaften? Powerfrau. Seelenruhig. Dankbar. Selbstbewusst. Kritisch. Genau. Bescheiden. Weiß, was sie macht. Kann ihr Handwerk. Ist leider viel zu unbekannt. Jedoch nicht in allen Kreisen - seit einigen Jahren hat sie sich einen Namen in der Underground Szene gemacht und seitdem die gebürtige Kanadierin in der Bronx, New York lebt, geht es mit dem Bekanntheitsgrad steil bergauf. Gemeinsam mit DJ Sav-One und DJ Ted Rax übernachtete sie nach ihrem Hamburger Auftritt bei mir und hinterließ viel Liebe und einen warmherzigen Eindruck. Nachdem ich zudem live von ihren Fähigkeiten überzeugt wurde, entstanden das folgende Interview sowie die Photos der Show. Außerdem gibt’s noch eine Menge Videos.

WSM: what comes to your mind when you hear the term “female rap”?

Eternia: I think of a box that I would like to break out of. I think of an identity, that is part of who I am and what I am about, but doesn’t completely cover all the varied aspects of my – or anyone’s – identity. I think of a necessary description for some people, to ‘get it’.
I think of 2 words that, put together, makes many people Not wanna listen. Sure, they’re close-minded people, but a lot of people nonetheless. I think that gender has very little to do with a profession, or shouldn’t have to be a qualifier attached to a profession. For example you don’t hear people call ‘female architects’ ‘fem-architects’! For that reason I don’t want to be called a ‘femcee’, thank you very much.

However I understand how the term can be empowering to some. In the end, I just want to make music and be assessed based on my music, nothing else. So I think the term ‘female rap’ really does a disservice to that end. Let people listen. They’ll figure out i’m a chick pretty quickly [laughing]. Doesn’t need to be spelled out for them like that.

WSM: how did Hip Hop (as a culture) attract your attention and gain your heart?

Eternia: My brother introduced me to Hip Hop when I was around 8 years old, so I guess I was initially attracted to it like: ‘my older brother likes this so it must be cool!’ [laughing]. To be perfectly honest. But, even at that age, I was a writer. I was always a writer first and foremost, and the power of words really captivated me. So it makes sense that I would be drawn to a genre of music that really uses the most amount of words in its song content.

Also, of course, we all have struggles in life. I felt that Hip Hop was the most fitting way to express my own. There’s probably many other reasons, but those are a few off the top. Really I was such a young kid I probably didn’t analyze it as, “why do I love this?”. I just did. It spoke to me then, and speaks to me now.

WSM: So you started making music with 8 too?

Eternia: I started rappin’ when I was around 8. I started writing my own songs when I was around 11 or 12. I didn’t take rappin’ seriously until I was 15, when I moved out of my mother’s house. But at that point I had already been in the studio with my father. He owned a studio and bar and restaurant and all that, and he already tried to record me doing (corny) rap songs. [laughing]. So yeah, I don’t have to say how old I am now, but let’s just say I’m not a newbie.

WSM: What’s the most difficult part about doing what you’re doing?

Eternia: Not knowing how I am going to pay rent, or if I am going to pay rent, month to month. Living in a different country than my family. The internal struggle I have between my belief system – I am Christian – and some of my past musical content, and my future direction. Like, is pursuing this as a career even compatible with my belief system? These are just a few ‘challenges’ and there are many more.

WSM: What’s the greatest part about doing what you’re doing?

Eternia: Being on stage, connecting with people directly eye to eye and soul to soul. Making people feel things. Being able to be validated and honored and blessed and humbled by doing what I love. Being blessed to make a living at doing what I love, for numerous years, albeit a humble living. Making connections worldwide through the ‘Hip Hop’ family that exists. Seeing places, having experiences, meeting people that the average person would never see, experience, meet in their lifetime. I have so many amazing memories in my life, I could and would die happy tomorrow. I kid you not. A lot of that is directly related to what I do for a living. I Thank God for it All.

WSM: If you think about the “You” 10 years ago – are you where you wanted to be with this age?

Eternia: No – i mean not when I pictured it 10 years ago. I think I pictured being a home-owner. Being on the Grammy’s. All that. [laughing]. But I’m at peace with where I am at now. Very much so. I’m exactly where God wants me.

WSM: What are your wishes for the New Year and on Jesus’ Birthday?

Eternia: I wish that everyone would see themselves the way GOD sees them. I wish that I would see Others the way God sees them. I wish that we would be as gracious and forgiving to ourselves (we can be really hard on ourselves) and on others, as GOD is with us.

WSM: Tell me anything you feel like you want to say, ANYTHING, that must go out to the world right now!

Eternia: We are more than what we do. We are more than what our gender is, or race, or etc. We are greater than the circumstances we were born into. Life is about much more than 90% of what you think it’s about.
Live outside your own head. Step outside of your own reality. When you look at others – Do You See Yourself? Because you should.