Following the release of his 2015 sophomore mixtape, Marauding in Paradise, Jazz Cartier (alternatively Jacuzzi La Fleur), quickly made himself known in the world of hip hop. In 2016, the Toronto rapper released Hotel Paranoia, a surprisingly vulnerable cinematic trap mixtape that earned him his second longlist nomination for the Polaris Music Prize. The Daily Texan spoke to Jazz before his performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
The Daily Texan: You differ from other artists when it comes to artistic design such as your cover art and music videos. Where do you get your inspiration for this?
Jazz Cartier: I watch a lot of movies. I’m a very big Wes Anderson fan, so I draw a lot of inspiration from his films. I work closely with my design guy, Dilly. Dilly does a lot of my covers, and then the director I work with has directed all my videos that I’ve put out.
DT: Speaking of your music videos, your “Red Alert/100 Roses” 360-degree reality video was especially groundbreaking. How did you go about filming that?
JC: It was actually a long process. The director, Jon Riera, came to me with the idea. It took about three to four days to shoot and then like six months to get everything together. I definitely feel like it should’ve at least gotten a little bit more attention, but I think it was more threatening to bigger artists to see that someone like me could do something like that. I won’t be surprised if I see many artists with 360-degree videos next year.
DT: At the end of Hotel Paranoia, you close with the track “Save Me From Myself” where listeners can really hear the turmoil in your voice. What led you to access such a vulnerable side of yourself? Was the process of recording that song ever difficult since it hit on such personal topics?
JC: Yeah, that was definitely the hardest track to record, and it was just Lantz and I in the studio one day. On that track, I speak about Lantz too, so it was definitely hard on both of us, but Lantz was just telling me to keep going. He’s the one that tells me to redo lines, execute things better and he’s definitely a big mentor and coach when it comes to recording albums. It took a good three hours for sure. I did one full take, but there wasn’t any emotion in it, and I just didn’t feel it.
DT: What can fans expect at your upcoming shows on your tour with Post Malone?
JC: They can expect chaos as usual. If there’s something for me to climb, I’ll climb it. If there’s people watching, I’ll climb on them. I’m just trying to be as interactive with the fans as possible, and I’m thankful to be on a tour where I can reach fans that I probably never would have without Post. I’m just making the most out of it.
DT: In the past, you’ve repeatedly cited Lil Wayne as your hero. Are there any artists that have influenced you and your music?
JC: Kanye, definitely. Andre 3000, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Drake. I really like Tame Impala, Toro Y Moi and Corinne Bailey Rae. Many of my influences range from a large spectrum, so it’s just a whole bunch of things combined.
This story has been updated since its initial publication. Jazz Courtier's designer's name is Dead Dilly, not Billy.
