First of all, I would like to thank V Sinizter for doing this interview.  I’ve been following his career for about seven years now, and one thing that I love about it is that you never know what his next album is going to sound like or what it’s going to be about.  He has made unpredictability into an art form and has carved out a niche that is truly his own.
Here at Swollen Thumb Entertainment, my goal is to build a company that can survive off of art, whether it be music, drawing, movies, cartoons, or whatever.  I also want to encourage people to go into business for themselves, find their inner artists, and make a living doing what they love to do.  This is why I am super excited to talk to V Sinizter, because he is both an artist AND an entrepreneur.  His company, Area 51 Music has stood among many other companies in the underground music scene and continues to be talked about day after day.  I’m hoping to gain some insight into the path of running a business and being an artist at the same time.

Go ahead and introduce yourself to the people who aren’t familiar with you or what it is that you do.
What up. My name’s V Sinizter and I rap, produce, run a company, do art, hell what DON’T I do?

What can you tell us about growing up differently from other kids?  Any words of encouragement that you’d like to give to other people who were “different” and had unusual interests than the other kids?
Keep with the interests. Those same interests may land you a shot at the big time. Hopefully some of those interests won’t land you in prison or on death row, but that’s another story.

Having worked with other companies, and now running your own record label, what can you tell us about going into business for yourself?  What are the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur?
It’s hard. The pros are you’re self sustained and you answer to no one but you. The cons are some of the people you work with. If they’re not 100% eye to eye with you or are on point, then you’ll find it a lot harder to get to your goals especially if you rely on them to do anything for you.

There’s a lot of reasons that I’m a fan of yours, but the number one reason has to be the video game influence on your music. I remember recording video game music on my walkman and jamming out all day to it, and it warms my heart to see that video game music is finally starting to get some recognition with events such as Video Games Live and Nobuo Uematsu getting to conduct his own concerts What are your thoughts on the progression of video game music from the type of interest that would attract ridicule from others, to the more “legitimate” art form that it has become today?
I remember bumping 8 bit music when people thought I went off the deep end, but I knew all along something was there. Music is music, and VGM (video game music) is nothing more than lengthened contemporary music to fill-in the empty audio sound scape in a game. You could loop the “hip hop” beats in video games and rap over them. Try Streets of Rage for size, another favorite of mine.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on the potential for music that isn’t being realized.  For example, you use your music to tell stories, to educate, to motivate, and to witness to others.  Why do so many artists choose to ignore this potential, and seem to only be concerned with bass thumps and mindless chants?
Cause that’s what music has evolved to. Mindless drivel. I come from a period in time when music was meant as a teaching tool, and some life lessons and more I’ve learned FROM music. Nowadays, it seems the majority of what one can learn is either being depressed or how to be an ignorant fool and think it’s cool on top of dressing really weird. Fuck skinny jeans and bright colors…lol.

My short experience with the music industry is that there is a lot of jealousy and insecurity.  A lot of existing artists are trying to discourage new artists from honing their craft.  Since you are, for the most part, self taught, what would you say to someone who wants to start a musical career?  How would you prepare them for the lack of encouragement that they are about to receive?
Simple. If they can’t take the heat, they better find something else to do, cause the music industry is an unforgiving beast. I don’t care if you put years of blood, sweat and tears into trying to make it. You gotta understand the nature of the beast and sometimes just because you give a lot doesn’t automatically entitle you to receive a lot back. Only those with the fortitude to push forward despite the lowest points in their burgeoning career WILL succeed. Most don’t because they quit when shit gets real rough and unsteady.

There’s still a lot of people who don’t understand the concept of horror themed music.  In other words, it’s okay to write a book containing horror themes, it’s okay to produce a tv show with horror themes, and it’s okay to make horror movies, but if someone makes a song with horror themes, it’s suddenly a big deal.  Why do you think this is, and do you think this double standard will ever go away?
Not really, but it’s like this: The way you present it to people is what they’ll judge it off of. Peep this. Stephan King writes a horror book about a character committing unspeakable atrocities. It get’s made into a movie. Well in rap, more specifically this genre, the emcees don’t make a distinction between the character and themselves. You’ll hear rappers in this genre say “they’re murderers” and will do this, that and the other, but if you look at them, it’s hard to take that notion serious because it’s not “drawing a line in the sand,” saying this is me, and this is a fictional piece I’ve crafted. To put it in better perspective, can you imagine Stephan King making a music video saying HE was a killer and a monster? He can write tales about someone else, but to put that label on him, when it’s far from the truth is another story, and which is why a lot on the outside don’t take this genre serious. Some do it good. Others? I have NO comment. Lol.

You’ve mentioned before that you suffer from a mental disorder.  Personally, I suffer from bipolar disorder.  Sometimes, it’s hard to not feel like it’s me against the world, especially when there’s so much misinformation about mental disorders, so many people who are prejudiced against those with mental disorders, and so many people trying to profit off of those who have them.  What are your thoughts working with a mental disorder and what would you say to the people out there who think that they can’t succeed because they have one?
They can. Anyone with schizophrenia knows, no amount of medicine will make it go away. It’s something that will always be there. But the matter is will YOU let is make you succumb to it? If you can just tune it out and move forward, you can function like anyone else. But letting it dictate you is just asking for problems in the future.

In the past, you’ve credited your daughter Nichole, for being the reason that you’re not in jail right now, and in the credits of “Hunting Season” you mention that you are pursuing music so that you can pay for her college education.  Now, seven years later, is that still your goal?
Yep. And might as well add Leigha to that list as well. A few things have differed and been added in my overall goals, but the primary focus is still the same.

Tell us about your upcoming album, Pale Horse: Requiem for the Darkness.
It’s going to be an epic atmospheric album that will show listeners there’s many ways to pull off a horror themed album and NOT make it clichéd or cartoonish. Pale Horse will hopefully open up the minds of other artists and show all it takes is to think outside the box to get people to want to see what’s inside yours.

Thank you very much, V. Good luck with the new album!
Thank you for the interview. I appreciate it very much.

You can follow V Sinizter on Myspace, ReverbNation and Twitter.