COMOX VALLEY RECORD DESCRIBES JOSH MARTINEZ AS “GLOBE TROTTING SEX MACHINE”

Josh Martinez is a machine.

A well-oiled, straight-talking, globetrotting sex machine, who’s travelled the world more than the avian flu, Martinez has built himself a devout following addicted to his hopeful perspective, joie de vivre and a live show that brings the heat like a Catholic schoolgirl in a confession booth.

Don’t believe it? Check him out Oct. 15 at the Waverley Hotel in Cumberland.

Martinez has never been easy to categorize. The People’s Champ is one of the most diverse artists in the music game, surpassing the limitations of indie hip hop by pursuing an “innovative and entirely unique hybrid of clever pop melodies and intelligent, layered songwriting that borrows from everywhere and sounds like nothing else.” — Spin

As an entertainer, Martinez is in the upper echelons of the business, bringing a confidence, urgency and a comedic touch that has converted disbelievers and brought houses down, rocked to their very foundation.

As an artist, Martinez has a rap sheet longer than repeat offenders, but as a businessman, he has only begun to polish his loafers. In the past 10 years, he’s managed to tour 200-plus dates per year all over the world, start his own label, Camobear Records, ink deals with European labels Bella Union (UK) and V2 (Europe), license records to distributors in Japan, Europe and North America, and headline festivals and showcases worldwide.

He recently started a publishing company, Camobear Publishing, which has helped license hundreds of songs to action sports videos throughout North America, Europe and Japan. Recently, the Chicharones’ Guys Like Me was featured in Interview, a 2007 Steve Bushemi/Sienna Miller film, which was arty. Sienna was hot.

And the press love him. Jaded Critics found themselves shaving their moustaches and abandoning irony to lavish his praises.

Featured in Urb Magazine’s Next 100, profiles in Rockpile, Pitchfork, Magnet, Spin, CMJ, Exclaim, Incorucktible, countless weeklies and college papers and reviews from all over have only served to build the buzz to tinnitus levels.

His record, The World Famous Sex Buffet (September 2008), is produced by Juno Award-winner Roger Swan, and features A-list artists like Devin the Dude, Pigeon John, Cadence Weapon, Moka Only, Mother Mother, Classified, Awol One, Sleep and Skratch Basted.

Martinez has managed to find time amid all the deal-cutting to develop not just his solo career but that of two groups as well. He is a founding member of both The Chicharones and Pissed Off Wild.

The Chicharones is Martinez’ “underground pop” project with rapper Sleep of Oldominion. Together they have released two full-length albums since a chance meeting in 2001 between the two at SXSW led to the formation of the group. The Pissed Off Wild (or The POW) is a live rock band that Martinez fronts.

With a finished opus in the bank, the time has never been nigher. Before hipsters invented sarcasm, before coke rap and hip house, the Martinez lifestyle was there, giving the kids hope for the future, the feeling that all was not lost, that there could be intelligent, relevant music that made you move in all the right ways. It’s sex o’clock and the buffet’s calling.

SEX MACHINE INTERVIEWED BY SENSESLOST.COM

Where did the name “Snak The Ripper” come from?

Snak: Well i been running with name Snak since about 2001. Mainly cause my old name sucked, and i just hit a wall with that shit. Literally. When I started making rap music in 2007, i added ”The Ripper”. It fits cause i been known to rip shit up. What ever im attempting.

You’ve recently released the self titled album “Snak The Ripper”. Whats are your thoughts on the final copy? How’s the response been from the public? Can we expect another album anytime soon?

Snak: Well, being that I was in a very early stage of rap, I’m actually very pleased with the final cut. The first verse I ever wrote is on track ten, a song called ‘Another Day’. The album features production from Vancouver’s top up and comingBeatsmiths; D-rec, Blunt, Ozziechan, and Victoria’s QB8. The whole shit was recorded, mixed, and mastered in a home studio by my boy Skrypt. He also produced a couple beats on it as well. The response from the public was different than what I had originally expected. I had no idea people were gonna like it as much as they do. The album offers a wide range of different styles songs, and moods. I honestly feel there is a song for pretty much anyone to relate to on it. Girls, boys, Kings, Toys, everyone. Sales have been good. You can get a hard copy of the album on my myspace page,MYSPACE.COM/SNAKTHERIPPER. Or if you want, you can purchase it digitally at WWW.CAMOBEARDIGITAL.COM

Can we expect another album anytime soon?

Snak: Well since i released my first project, I’v also released a collaboration album with my boy Fatt Matt, called ”FattSnak”. The whole idea of the album was to try to bring it back. You know? All the beats are super funky and shit. 90’s rap was the main influence. We released a video for the first single from the album, ”Beer day” which you can check out here: WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=MJ58T3OVSU4This album is also available on the sites i listed above. I’ve recently started working on my next solo album, set to be released in early 2009. All the details are still up in the air, but the beats Im fucking with are nuts. In the meantime, I’ll be releasing free downloads, and exclusive tracks every three weeks on my myspace page until then. So if you are on myspace, facebook or whatever, add me homie!!

What influenced you to start creating music?

Snak: I’ve always loved all different kinds of music, but rap and hip hop has always had the majority of my attention. I free styled and battled and shit with my friends for a couple years, but It never seemed like something I would be good at. Or at least I thought. I had been going through a lot of shit in my life at the time of my first album. I was doing lots of hard drugs, and living in a tiny one bedroom apartment in East Vancouver. I was fucked. Rap saved me. The mental state I was in, made it hard to be confident with rhyming. But as I started trying to lay of the drugs, I received my first beats ever from D-rec andBlunt. Before I knew it I was writing two songs a day. I did not need to leave my house on friday night anymore. I gained close to 40 pounds since then. I still consider myself a drug addict, but as long as I’m making music, i don’t think about getting high. Lots of weed helps to keep me chill too.

How long have you been in the Canadian Hip Hop scene?

Snak: Well that all depends how you look at it. I been involved in the Canadian Graffiti scene for years. But I only started really getting involved in the hip hop side of things in like 2006.

What are your thoughts on the Vancouver Hip Hop scene?

Snak: I’ve got love for my city. The scene here is small, but it is tight knit. Every one supports each other the best they can. But with every scene there are haters. Vancouver’s rap scene is dope, but also lacks a lot of variety. You’re either on some ”metaphorical, historical, mind altering” backpack shit, or you on some fake thug coke dealing ‘I’m a fucking baller’ shit. I aint either of those things. I’m just a regular guy, with regular problems, that finds himself in irregular situations. I’m not rich, and I’m not perfect. I’m just like you. I’m just trying to be the medium.

What are some of the musicians you find yourself listening to these days?

Snak: Man, i listen to everything. Everything from Lil Wayne to Purple Rain. From Neil Young to Young Jeezy. FuckingRolling Stones to Bizzy Bone. As a song writer, I feel its crucial to be open to all types of music.

Any traveling with you music in the near future?

Snak: Yep. I’ve got lots of plans, but still not a lot of shit is set in stone. There are rumors of a RA the Ruggedman slash Snak The Ripper tour this September of 2008. But I still have not received many details. I think there are nine dates set up from Victoria to Saskatoon. I also am planning an east coast tour in early 2009. If you want to check me out live, the best thing to do is join my Facebook group, or my myspace page. Show dates are updated as they happen, and I do a shit load of shows.

So tell us a little about your graffiti career. When did you start? What got you into graffiti? Are you still getting out to paint?

Snak: I started in 1997. My side kick Smerk got me into it. Once I tried it, I could not stop. It was my first love and first addiction. I still paint every weekend with my boys. You can still find my shit in cities across Canada. Toronto and Montreal graffiti scenes played a large part in influencing my graffiti. I met a lot of good peoples in graffiti, in every city. I fucking love painting man.

Throughout our past interviews we’ve done we usually ask artists if they have any crazy stories about a time they were out painting. What is one experience that sticks out in your mind?

Snak: Hmmm. Well I’m not really sure if I should be making this story public. But.. fuck it. When i lived in Montreal in 2003, my friend Noheart and I decided that before we returned home to Vancouver, we would hit a Montreal subway car. I loved the subway system in Montreal, so I was excited. We took the last train into the middle of nowhere at an end station. It was the dead of winter, two feet of snow, and the first train wasn’t starting up until six am. Noheart and I broke into a service staircase that lead straight to the train parked underground. We grilled the shit real nice. The ultimate rush. We were standing on the third rail to reach higher up, while it was dead for the night. Shit was awesome. When the train started up again, we got on it, and rode it a few stops to wait for our car. We saw it pull into the station full of people, and almost shit our pants. As we took our photo’s, we were spotted by a transit worker that was on our car. We ran like crazy out of the station and just kept running. Running in the snow sucks. But we hid from cops in a snowy forest, for three hours. Turns out Noheart and Snak were the first Westcoasters to hit the Montreal Metro. I’m pretty proud of that.

Any last words for the Senses Lost readers?

Snak: Alright yo, if you are reading this, and you like my shit, get at me on the internet. Canada’s music scene is what it is cause not enough people support the artist’s they really like. Just add me, or drop me a line. I always reply to emails and shit. If you cant afford my entire album, I’m sure I could throw you some free shit. Just spread the word for me. Let everyone you know, know about me. Tell them I’m coming, and to get ready. I love all you Ripper heads. Keep downloading my music and buying albums. It helps me with new projects. I’m still broke. Respect and love to you all. SPREAD THE DISEASE. Stay up.
–Snak

SNAK & EVIL HIT THE ROAD

When at these shows, buy your third copy of Snak’s Sex Machine and check out Evil’s Exclusive mixtape “Evil Eye: Rare Gems & Smash Hits.” This special release features snippets from the upcoming album release, 8 unreleased songs, and 6 of Evil’s most popular songs from previous releases.