Rocket Shop 2/27/2013: Guilty By Association; Johnny Azer

Words by Mason Smith. Photos by Lily Chau.

Guilty By Association

[With the Vermont hip-hop scene,] “you’ll hear about the green and you’ll hear the people who think they’re gangsters.” Guilty By Association front-man, Paul, has grown weary of the local rap scene and mainstream hip-hop everywhere. He kicks a smooth rap flow and utilizes an easy-going singing voice over repetitive, loopy beats. Paul samples from and appreciates many different types of music that come through clear in his tracks. His listed influences range from Eminem and Linkin Park to Alice in Chains and Incubus. He has also done a freestyle coop with Aaron from Funk Wagon.

Guilty By Association has not crafted a new genre of music. He doesn’t aim to wow the listener with originality. As with most rap styles, it’s all about the delivery. And Paul has that part down. He constantly fine-tunes his vocals by taking pointers from other members of the local talent, staying current with music, and staying hungry. He’s always looking for new topics to spit about, sometimes riding a city bus to find inspiration for new material. Check out www.Facebook.com/GuiltyByAssociation.GBA.

Johnny Azer

“All’s I wanna say is ‘Honey, why does the sidewalk get to have more fun than I do?’” Johnny Azer is all about the ladies. His track “6 Inch Heels” is weirdly about his fetish for tall ladies’ shoes, and I think he would like to be walked on. He also featured a fresh new tune on Rocket Shop called “Hot Babes.”

There are two things that thoroughly impress me about Johnny. The first is that he plays many instruments. On a given tune he can be playing anything and everything between the bongos and the guitar. He’s a kind of one-man-band. The second thing that really impresses me is the fact that his covers are just as impressive as his originals. Usually musicians get started by covering, or seasoned performers only do a couple to mix things up. Johnny does several covers, but they are successful interpretations. An old Who song was featured on this edition of Rocket Shop.

Check out Johnny’s YouTube page to get in touch with his psychedelic style and show your support for a nationally-acclaimed musician.