Elbow Grease and Good Luck

There’s a lot of talk about Chico native Marty James these days. The young singer, songwriter and producer is on the verge of becoming a bona fide pop star, with a recording contract on über-hip Grand Royal Records and a promising debut album, Okeeblow. It all started in Chico, CA, where young Marty used to be part of a crew called Trailer Park Tornado, and rapped in the Chico High School quad at lunch. These days, anyone who still has a copy of Marty’s first tape, Runnin’ Like a Hardcore Criminal, might want to look into getting an eBay account.

The focus of Marty’s energy for the last several years has been a hip-hop-influenced pop outfit called Scapegoat Wax, whose Grand Royal Records debut release, Okeeblow, isn’t technically Scapegoat’s first album. Before Marty hooked up with music industry giant and Grand Royal Records partner Gary Gersh (the man who signed Nirvana), Scapegoat Wax was signed to Los Angeles independent urban music label, GoodVibe Records, and Scapegoat’s first album, Luxurious, came close to coming out — so close, in fact, that some promotional copies of the album were pressed and distributed within the industry. It was those early pressings that got the music out to the folks who eventually brought Marty to Grand Royal, and several of the songs that were on Luxurious — "Crawlin," "Freeway" and "Light of the Moon" — are on Okeeblow.

"Those songs never really came out," explains Marty, from his current home, an apartment in Silver Lake, a borough of West Los Angeles. "GoodVibe only pushed [Luxurious] so much, and that album was never released in the stores. But you know, those are some of my favorite songs that I had written up until that point, and I just wanted to re-record them and get ‘em sounding as good as they possibly could, and I think we did keep the best stuff."

Those songs, as well as other material on Okeeblow, have a definite flavor of Chico-nicity, that unexplainable, intangible vibe in and around all things Chico. That vibe exerted influence on the young songwriter in his formative days, and continues to influence him today. The first single off Okeeblow, "Aisle 10 (Hello Allison)," was originally inspired by Marty’s time as a clerk at Chico’s All the Best Video, and a short interlude on the album called "Chico Boy" features Marty and Beastie Boy producer Mario C ("Mario C likes to keep it clean") calling out props for Chico in helium voices over a simple, dirty and rugged 30-second beat. In a short Electronic Press Kit (EPK) video — which is viewable on the Grand Royal Records Web site, www.grandroyal.com — Marty proudly introduces himself as a "24-year-old singer, songwriter and producer from Chico, California."

"I really wanted to come out representing for Chico on this record," says Marty, who has been all about recognizing his hometown since the beginning. "You know, I tell a lot of people I’m from Chico and they don’t have any idea where that is, or even know if it’s in California. And Chico is a cool town, man, and to me, it just puts an identity with my music. I’ve said I’m from Chico from the very beginning — I said that in my EPK, I’m saying that on the record. I don’t want to come out as just another stylized Hollywood band that’s from, like, Montana but now they claim LA, you know? I’m from Chico, and that’s the truth, and I’m not trying to front about any of the shit I’m doing, so it only made sense for me to come out like that.

"And I think Chico has really kept me grounded through this whole thing," he continues. "The money that people make out here is just out of control, man, it’s really crazy. I have to really put things in perspective sometimes, and Chico keeps me grounded. It’s a really cool place with cool people, it has a real chill, mellow vibe and there’s honest, hard-workin’ folks there. It is a really nice way to balance myself when LA gets hectic. That’s why I’m still up there every couple of months — basically just to touch base with reality again. I think it allows me to be honest, in a way, like I feel really comfortable saying most stuff on record. I feel like I’m being honest in my lyrics. In my bio, it says that it makes my style sort of less flashy, I’m not all into big production, I keep things nice and listenable, and I think my record is pretty chill, just like Chico. I think Chico’s just kept me in line in general, like when it comes to my attitude about all this stuff."

Marty’s roots in Chico and the town’s influence on his music throughout his upbringing may seem a bit out of place in a town that’s infamous for drunken holidays, blues-based bar rock, hippie and jam bands, and small, strong indie and punk rock scenes. Hip-hop-infused pop music is not something this town is widely known for.

"Obviously Chico is not some big hip-hop mecca, you don’t hear the phrase hip-hop and think of Chico," admits Marty. "But more than the actual style of music I’m doing, I think it’s just a feeling, a vibe, not a style. Because Chico is, you know, hippies and punk rockers and stuff, so I think my style is pretty different from what’s going on up there. But just in terms of the feeling and the vibe in the music, I think if you looked at Chico after you heard my record, you’d kinda start to understand why it sounds like it does."

Once Marty’s goals and full-time dedication to Scapegoat Wax led him out of the safe confines of his hometown, the path he walked to get to where he is now was a bit of crazy journey. At the time, he was partnered with Vallejo rap producer Johnny Z (N2Deep), and struggling to make things happen with a dilatory GoodVibe, which was having issues of its own and didn’t have the time to put into Scapegoat. Johnny Z has since moved on, and as for the GoodVibe situation, Marty’s deal with Grand Royal puts him in a very good position in terms of his career.

"Grand Royal brings to the table credibility…immediately," says Marty, explaining that the small label’s name and its big-time connections make it the ideal place for hip, emerging young artists. "With most smaller labels, you just don’t have that. When you go somewhere and you tell someone that you’re on Grand Royal, they might not know right away exactly what kind of music you make, because Grand Royal has put out some differently styled records, but they do know that it’s at least worth taking a listen to. So Grand Royal brings to the table the indie credibility. Then, with Virgin backing Grand Royal, we’ve got the best of both worlds: We’ve got the indie cred with GR, and then there’s the major, Virgin, which is probably the coolest major label out there — super artist-friendly — and they’re kind of like the big brother. When we need them, they’ll come and kick in the door. But I like Grand Royal because it has a small staff, those people are working their asses of for me, and they’re super good at what they do. To me, what it seems like over at Grand Royal is that they’re not even going to deal with acts that they can’t give special attention to. When I show up there, everyone says what’s up, comes and talks to me. It’s a real family-style label, and they’re fuckin’ pros. It’s weird for me to think that I’m that label now, too."

Marty, like a lot of people his age, grew up on the Beastie Boys, and he remembers listening to Grand Royal releases all through his teen years. Now, being a major focus of the label’s operation himself, Marty admittedly trips out just a little bit. However, he rarely takes the time to look back on what he’s accomplished so far — he’s too busy working — but catch him in a reminiscent mood and you’ll find that Marty’s candor and honesty outweighs his awe of his own situation.

"I don’t really know what I ever expected to get out of music. I mean, I’ve always had goals, but I don’t expect anything from this business in general, you know?" Marty’s take on what he does for a living is very realistic. "None of the people I’m working with here owe me anything, I’m just a kid from Chico who’s working hard to get to wherever I’m going, so I don’t really ever expect anything. My work ethic is such that it never stops, and I’ve had that mentality ever since I was 13 or 14. All I think about is music and how I’m going to pull this off. So I guess sometimes, in that long line of progression, I have to just sit back and take a look, and I think, shit, I’ve gotten pretty far, even though I still haven’t really done all I’m trying to do yet. So there are actually very few moments that I sit back think, damn, I remember rapping on the Chico High School quad. But those times are why I’m here now, that stuff’s legit — it’s given me the courage to take it a little bit further, and then a little further and so on. Nine years ago, I never thought I’d be here, but at the same time, two years ago, I never thought I’d be here."

But contrary to popular belief, success didn’t happen overnight for Marty; this is something he’s been working on since he was a young teen, making beats and sending tapes out to hip-hop labels and producers. Of course, once it caught within the industry, Scapegoat Wax was set off relatively quickly: Within the last two months alone, the single’s become a new favorite in radio markets all over the nation, in both urban and secondary mainstream and college markets, and is a hit with programmers and call-in listeners alike. MTV2 recently picked up the video for "Aisle 10," which has garnered "hand-picked" status right out of the gate, meaning guaranteed regular rotation. Once things got going, it took only a relatively short time for Scapegoat Wax to build an industry buzz.

"From what [I] hear from other artists I know, that’s how it happens — you just keep working, you don’t think about when it’s gonna be your time, you just keep working, and people hear your stuff and the next thing you know, you’re right there and it’s ready to happen," says Marty, who has chosen to concentrate on the work itself, rather than dig too deep into exactly why it’s working for him. "It’s a weird thing. A lot people ask me now, ‘How do I become a professional?’ or ‘what should I do to get my music out there?’ Just keep doing it. In this business, you don’t decide when you become a professional, that shit just grabs you and takes you. You just do your thing, and when the timing’s right, you’ll know. I still struggle a little with the concept of being an actual musician and making money off this. I gotta tell you man, when I got my publishing deal, I kinda felt like a glutton. I know there are a lot more talented musicians than me out there, I mean guys who write great songs and produce and everything, but I’ll tell you what, ambition can get you places. I don’t have the rock star look, I don’t have this amazing voice, I don’t play the guitar better than the other guy — hell, I don’t even play the guitar — but I figured out ways to make my music, and the shit’s gotten me pretty far."

Marty plainly understands what he’s doing, and though he readily admits that he’s not the prettiest pretty boy or the snappiest dancer or the most incredible musical virtuoso, there still something to be said for writing a solid pop tune.

"Especially a well-crafted pop song," emphasizes Marty. "I really appreciate well-written, original, tasteful pop, and that’s what I try to bring to the table. I understand I’m writing pop songs, I’m not trying to say I’m hip-hop — ‘Aisle 10’ is a full-on pop song — so with my music, I’m trying to keep it fresh and cool, and have a little story, and use some cool breakdowns. Simple."

But the music of Scapegoat Wax isn’t your every day straight-up pop. There’s a mischievous element in the music, something that points the finger at itself and laughs, a goofy, self-effacing hipness that projects a generally cool vibe. And more than just the vibe, there are deliberate facets of the music that shake things up. In the song "Almost Fine" Marty raps about how "the president of my record label thinks I’m too fat," and the desperate scream at the end of "Aisle 10" caps the tune with a grating vocal closure — these are things that few pop stars who take themselves seriously would use in their construction of a snappy little pop tune.

"I definitely do not take myself too seriously. I can’t," Marty says flatly. "Basically, I’m having fun, I’m lucky to be making a living doing what I’m doing right now, and I’m just gonna keep this going as long as I can. Shit, man, who knows what’s gonna happen. I want a lot of people all over the world to hear my record and hopefully appreciate it. When I write songs, I think about people listening to them, I think about my friends, I wonder if my little brother would like this jam. I can’t help it, I want to make music that gets people’s heads noddin’, or makes ‘em think about the lyrics, like ‘oh this is something kinda like what happened to me,’ or ‘I can totally relate to this puppy love song.’ I want people to feel my music. So I want a lot of people hear Okeeblow, I want to have some fun and make a little money. But I’m realistic about the whole performing thing, too."

Marty says his ultimate goal is to make a name for himself within the industry as a songwriter and a producer, and ease out of pop star status into something a bit less flashy. He’s already been tapped by major labels for remix projects, has sold a song to the Fox television show Malcolm in the Middle, and his publishing company, Warner-Chapel, is pushing him to work with other artists co-writing tunes, which is good for the career, and pretty good on the pocketbook as well.

"My outlook has always been to ride out this performing thing as long as I can and see what happens with Scapegoat Wax, but you can only do that kind of shit for so long, and I want to be in a spot when I’m 35 or so where I just sit down and produce, write, work with other bands and producers, whatever — kick back in the studio and just work. And actually, I’m starting to do that already, but I’m definitely taking this Scapegoat Wax thing as far as I can take it."

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