For an artist, breaking from the comfort of a group situation can be nerve-racking. "It's something I never really wanted to do," Toronto rapper Adam Bomb tells Exclaim! With a catalogue that spans over 15 years, the 30-something Canadian scene vet was a member of the Empire for ten years and more recently a member of both Freedom Writers and the Juno Award-winning Naturally Born Strangers. But he hadn't yet stood on his own two. "I didn't think I had enough to fill an entire project with my thoughts," he continues. "I always thought it was better sharing that with people."
It wasn't until May that Adam dropped his first (long overdue) solo project, Live From Larstone, alongside producer Big Sproxxx. "The goal was to get four projects out this year," he says about that release, as well as his latest mixtape, A-Material. "[Next up] is a Freedom Writers LP and — at the end of the year — On the Road to the Riches and Rehab, which is a solo album produced by my favourite guys across the city and from the States, as well."
Adam tells Exclaim! exclusively that the lead single from that project, "Believe," is produced by Drake collaborator 40; it's a song he's hoping will push him over the edge.
Adam does plan to be here for years to come — eventually branching out into other facets of the industry. "The podcast thing [is something] I've always played with the idea of," he says, "I'd [also] love to get behind a newer artist and help them to hone their craft, help to make them a little sharper on a management tip."
That, however, is in the future. Even though he's been in the game for years, his newfound solo route has him feeling like a new act. "There have been times where I saw other guys take their swing and succeed," he says. "I was like 'Wow — I wish I had taken my swing.' I've also seen the opposite; I've seen guys swing and then disappear and fade away. I'm still here because I haven't taken that full swing yet." He pauses for a moment before adding "This is my first effort towards that, and yeah, I just hope it goes well."
His love of hip-hop keeps him moving. "That's the whole motivation," he says, "leaving a legacy behind of good music. If I feel like I can still put out some really good music, I'm going to keep doing that. Until I'm at a point where I've done everything I feel like I can do in this industry, then I'm going to keep going."
Adam Bomb's A-Material, a 13-song project strung together using clips of various standup comedians, from George Carlin to Gilbert Gottfried, is available for stream here.
It wasn't until May that Adam dropped his first (long overdue) solo project, Live From Larstone, alongside producer Big Sproxxx. "The goal was to get four projects out this year," he says about that release, as well as his latest mixtape, A-Material. "[Next up] is a Freedom Writers LP and — at the end of the year — On the Road to the Riches and Rehab, which is a solo album produced by my favourite guys across the city and from the States, as well."
Adam tells Exclaim! exclusively that the lead single from that project, "Believe," is produced by Drake collaborator 40; it's a song he's hoping will push him over the edge.
Adam does plan to be here for years to come — eventually branching out into other facets of the industry. "The podcast thing [is something] I've always played with the idea of," he says, "I'd [also] love to get behind a newer artist and help them to hone their craft, help to make them a little sharper on a management tip."
That, however, is in the future. Even though he's been in the game for years, his newfound solo route has him feeling like a new act. "There have been times where I saw other guys take their swing and succeed," he says. "I was like 'Wow — I wish I had taken my swing.' I've also seen the opposite; I've seen guys swing and then disappear and fade away. I'm still here because I haven't taken that full swing yet." He pauses for a moment before adding "This is my first effort towards that, and yeah, I just hope it goes well."
His love of hip-hop keeps him moving. "That's the whole motivation," he says, "leaving a legacy behind of good music. If I feel like I can still put out some really good music, I'm going to keep doing that. Until I'm at a point where I've done everything I feel like I can do in this industry, then I'm going to keep going."
Adam Bomb's A-Material, a 13-song project strung together using clips of various standup comedians, from George Carlin to Gilbert Gottfried, is available for stream here.
