In the past 18 months we’ve heard from so many artists about how the pandemic impacted their creativity and output, in ways good and bad. Prolific artist/rapper/songwriter Virghost is no different – he took the time to slow down and take himself and his music a little less seriously. The result is the newly released Ghost Tape 2, the sequel to a mixtape he dropped last year. We caught up with Virghost on the new tape, his songwriting process, and how he’s evolved over six albums and seven EPs.
Congrats on the release of GT2! So that stands for Ghost Tape 2 – it’s a sequel to a mixtape you released last year. How do the two projects connect?
I always kind of had in the back of my mind that I wanted to create a sequel to the first Ghost Tape after I dropped it last year. I just didn’t think it would be a year later. I was thinking maybe 2 or 3 years down the road because of how spontaneous the first one happened. I wanted the sequel to be just as spontaneous and organic as the first one. GT2 was definitely that. I think that’s the main thing that connects the 2 projects, and they both are also very single driven and have more of a mixtape feel than an album.
Prior to GT2 you’ve released six albums and seven EPs – why the shift in formula to a mixtape?
I really just wanted to try something different. Things had become very abnormal just in our way of life in general, for all of us. Covid hit last year and all of the plans I made musically were kind of derailed. And even before Covid hit, I had been wanting to step out of my comfort zone and do something different from my normal formula of creating albums. I wanted to be able to make music without taking myself so seriously. I thought, what a perfect time to just gather all the songs I had recorded and put them out as a mixtape. No deep thought. No concept. Just put it out as is and present the music as sort of a compilation/mixtape instead of an album. I just wanted new and fresh energy for a new decade and this new way of life that was forced on us.
Tell us about your songwriting process. How has it evolved over the course of all those projects?
I think when I first started it was more about the raps, the bars, and the lyrics. My main goal was to be the best rapper. These days I still care about raps and bars but I care more about the quality of the song. Is it a good song? Does it have a good hook? Do I have the right cadence and flow on this particular beat? Am I doing too much? Am I not doing enough? What can I add or take away? Those are the things I care about these days. I guess now I care more about being a great songwriter than I do being the best rapper as I did in the beginning. Being the best rapper is still important but what good is it if you can’t write a good song?
We know you’ve had the opportunity to open for some heavy hitters including Memphis’ own Juicy J – what’s next for you in terms of live shows and touring? Any plans to headline your own tour?
I headlined my own regional tour back in 2017 “No Sleep On the Road” to promote my album “No Sleep Under the Circumstances.” I planned on putting together a tour last year but then Covid hit. I’d love to do another this year but with the uncertainty of covid and the Delta variant I’m not sure if it will be realistic traveling to different states. I’m still going to perform locally in Memphis and Nashville as well as do more live virtual shows like I did last year but until the virus kind of settles down I’m going to hold out on out of town shows and touring. I just look at it as an opportunity to improvise and be creative.
If we could only listen to one track on GT2, which one would you most want fans – or new listeners to your music – to hear, and why?
Probably “Hatchback” because it showcases my songwriting ability, my lyricism, and the different cadences and flows I can come up with. Also, the beat sounds so unorthodox and different from anything that’s out right now. Lastly, me and the producer of the song, KingPin Da’ Composer, have a long collaboration history of really dope music. The first song I ever got played on the radio (K97FM) was produced by him. So just to see how far we’ve come together is really cool. That song is a small sample of the collection of EPs we’ve done together over the years.
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