Michael Schwartz became Michael Myerz when he was in seventh grade, around the time that he realized
Michael Myerz poses outside Atlanta’s historic Plaza Theatre
when rapping to karaoke tracks in a friends’ basement, he could use his rap skills to impress girls. “I started rapping and making up stupid lyrics to the karaoke instrumental of ‘Slim Shady’. I used my so-called rap skills to get the girls and well, then it became an easy way for me to get friend-zoned really fast.”
(If you were wondering where the moniker came from, his dad is named Fred, his brother is named Jason so you do the math…)
When you talk to Myerz, he is animated and quick witted, as if Larry David were a member of the Beastie Boys. And what especially stands out is that he is a Jewish rapper living in what may be considered America’s hip hop mecca: Atlanta.
It’s odd that the local ATL publications seem to have slept on Myerz since he’s now, like local noise NOLA rocker Feck, on his 28th (or 29th technically) full album release. And boy does he have range. He’s got tracks like “Ritualistic Funerals” that are reminiscent of Ghostemane on a Jerky Boys trip (with a video shot on Super 8 in Atlanta’s Oakland cemetery that might just give our cemeteries pause), songs about Bowser from Nintendo, and homages to perhaps America’s last video store bastion, the infamous Videodrome DVD rental store in his hometown. (Ed. note: After publication, Myerz appeared in the NY Times discussing his love of VHS.)
When he’s not slinging a 9 to 5 job, he’s learning German and from the sound of “Anvil,” where he raps in full German wearing lederhosen, his Duolingo has paid off. For all of his obscure influences, he swears his full allegiance remains to Soul Coughing, the 90s formed alternative hip hop group that appeared on the Spawn soundtrack and had a hit with “Super Bon Bon” which most people will recognize as the “Move Aside Let the Man Go Through” song. And on his newest project, Chronika, he debuts what may be his most ambitious song and video yet: “Osh Gosh Shamash.”
When I hear it, for all the Adult Swim-like animation in the video (we’ll get to that later), I hear a religious influence and in one of those rare moments of synesthesia humans have with one another, Myerz and I connect. “Wow! I’m so glad you said that,” he exclaims. “It is in a way.’Osh Gosh Shamash’ there is a lyric ‘Adonai I feel like dirt’–Adonai which is God in Hebrew. This song is like me screaming at the sky. Sometimes I feel like I’m killing it musically and creatively and I’m asking God why nothing is happening and I hear this voice saying to me, ‘There, there, Son…just be high because life is miserable.`”
And while that sounds like a downer, Myerz is comfortable enough with making jokes out of misery and so we have a laugh. Which makes perfect sense that Myerz resides in a world of frequent gunshots and heavy traffic that looms in the background of the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim networks which are housed in, you guessed it, Atlanta.
So it’s no surprise that the video for “Osh Gosh Shamash” is dripping in sick animation. But that animation is by way of The Netherlands, through Sander Ettema and Jezus Cinco. The trio collaborated after Myerz reached out to express his love for Dutch rap.
The word “synesthesia” comes from the Greek words: “synth” (which means “together”) and “ethesia” (which means “perception). Synesthetes can often “see” music as colors when they hear it, and “taste” textures like “round” or “pointy” when they eat foods. Although it’s a fairly un-researched phenomenon, musicians and producers and sound engineers have to be able to communicate in these terms to be on the same page. Luckily for Myerz, he has found that synth bond with his producer Ben Hopkins (better known as Damocles).
For their next magic trick, the two have collaborated on Myerz’ official 30th project The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread. “It is a mix of punk, rap, trip-hop, funk, jazz, pop, everything cool and fun that is an homage to mid-late 90’s early 2000’s groups like Soul Coughing, Sneaker Pimps, drum and bass music, I mean the list could seriously go on and on. I have a lot of people contributing to it, providing real bass, stand up bass, cello, saxophone, drums, synths, banjo, everything and anything then throwing it to Ben to craft whatever magic instrumental for me to write to. I want all hands on this album and it being my 30th I want it to feel like a raised toast to everyone who has stood by me for almost a decade!”
To buy Michael’s album: visit his Bandcamp here.
