“I’m that all utility guy with the pen” -Carl Lamarre
This past week Billboard’s Hip Hop editor Carl Lamarre joined us to discuss his debut project Shut Up & Write, his musical journey and journalism vs. music. Brooklyn born, Long Island raised journalist Carl Lamarre knew from an early age that writing was his destiny. At home, his house was filled with Caribbean music, but it wasn’t until his cousin introduced him to Tupac & Biggie that his love for rap blossomed. Lamarre’s musical influences also include East Coast legends like Jay-Z and Nas whose lyrics reigned supreme. “That era bred lyricism,” says Lamarre when reminiscing about how his influences shaped his own lyricism. Lamarre even cites Joe Budden as one of his favorite rappers purely based on his lyrical ability.
Inspired by the Nickelodeon series Doug, Lamarre began journaling in the second grade. Born with a natural curiosity, Lamarre’s journaling evolved into writing poetry which led him to write raps and songs. He began rapping in the 6th grade and joined a rap group in high school and that love for rhyming lent itself to his affinity for journalism. In his high school yearbook, he predicted he’d be a rapper in ten years, knowing full well he’d be a journalist. “I’m just a writer at the end of the day whether it’s journalism, poetry or rap…I’m that all utility guy with a pen,” says Lamarre. He believes in multi-hyphenates, although he is a journalist first and rapper second.
The time Carl spent in quarantine led to an awakening. He suddenly found himself with enough drive to complete the project he’d started in 2018. Lamarre had doubts in 2018 and set the project aside until 2020’s pandemic hit. “I can’t be a top rap critic and come out with some bull**** when I’m critiquing rappers….I can write a song with good lyrics, but you need to have the mechanics as a rapper,” says Carl on why he waited so long to finish the project.
Ten years after dropping his first and only mixtape, Lamarre returns with his debut project Shut Up & Write, a response to all the doubters who don’t support his dreams of branching out beyond journalism. Originally, the project was titled, The Atlanta Sessions, because that’s where most of the project was recorded, but Lamarre was in search of a deeper meaning. Shut Up & Write also pays tribute to athletes who’ve been told to “shut up and dribble” in response to their politically-driven actions.
The 10 – track project includes features from Elijah Blake and legendary journalist Rob Markman. Rob played a large part in Lamarre’s journey, encouraging him to pursue his musical goals. Shut Up & Write has been years in the making and highlights Lamarre’s lyrical abilities. The project is available exclusively on SoundCloud in order to drive traffic to one singular hub and remind Lamarre that he’s making music for fun. He’s not trying to make a profit, he’s trying to enjoy what he loves.
(images courtesy of @therealcl24)
Lamarre highlights “Black 100,” “24″ and “Come Home” as standout tracks because of their personal significance to him. “Black 100,” pays tribute to Diddy’s Black 100 list on which Lamarre was mentioned. “That was such a confidence booster,” said Lamarre after seeing his name on the list. “The beat I found for “Black 100” was so celebratory that I had to use it.”
(images courtesy of @therealcl24)
“24” pays tribute to the late Kobe Byant’s career. Initially, the song was completed before Kobe’s passing, but after that loss, Lamarre knew he had to go back in and incorporate recent events into the song. It was recorded in Atlanta and is symbolic of Lamarre’s transformation into #24 after struggling and hustling early on in his career. “24” represents the honest, awoken, and evolved Lamarre.
(images courtesy of @therealcl24)
“Come Home” is the outro to Shut Up & Write and pays tribute to Lamarre’s late father. Lamarre went with the newer version of the song as opposed to the older version in which he’s more negative about his circumstances. After joining Billboard, Lamarre was in a better place and decided to rewrite the song into a more sentimental and uplifting track. The newer version also includes the very last voicemail Lamarre ever received from his father.
Though turbulent, Lamarre’s journey eventually brought him home to Billboard. Freelancing at blogs like XXL helped prepare him for his current role as Billboard’s Hip-Hop editor. Billboard’s not only Lamarre’s favorite job, it was the first full-time job he’d ever had. Lamarre cites working with Billboard as one of the highlights of his career, in addition to being able to give marginalized groups more opportunities and walking the Grammy’s red carpet. While at Billboard, Lamarre’s had the opportunity to interview his favorite artists like Nipsey Hussle, Kendrick Lamar, Jhene Aiko, Mac Miller, and Erykah Badu. However, he’s still waiting on two dream interviews: Drake and J.Cole. Although Lamarre’s been able to work with stars, he’s also made it a priority to highlight upcoming talent every week.
Carl Lamarre continues to be a gatekeeper of the culture, telling stories that need to be told and helping preserve musical history. Check out Shut Up & Write exclusively available on SoundCloud.
