Q&A with Schama Noel

You’ve probably seen this guy around the interwebs, making noise through his emulated bars. Schama Noel is a Florida-based artist who rose to prominence among the rap community through his ability to “rap like” pretty much every artist out. Now, a few months removed from his latest release, the Eternal Feels EP, I got to catch up with Schama and ask him about his origins, his thoughts on the boon in so-called “internet rap,” and more. It’s a bit more lighthearted than some of my previous or upcoming Q&A’s, but still worth a gander to see why Mr. Rap Like raps like and get to know this up-and-coming artist.

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SOTB: For those that don’t know, can you introduce yourself?

SN: Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is Schama, S to the C-H, wanted to rap now they said “please wait.”

(Pauses) Hov fans gon’ get it, but I’m Schama. The “c” is silent, I’m a rapper–I think. I’m only famous on the Internet.

SOTB: Where does your name come from?

SN: My name is Hebrew, In the Bible, Shammah was the son of Agee, a Haratite, and one of King David‘s three legendary “mighty men.”

SOTB: So, I’ve gotta ask, and I know you’re probably tired of it, but where did the idea for @RapLike come from? Was it just, like, you messing around with music, saying “lemme get on Twitter, goof around, and write some bars like Lupe and Tyler, the Creator?” Or was it a marketing tactic? Or was it somewhere in between?

SN: I would post raps under YouTube videos. Like, there was a Big Boi song that didn’t feature Andre and I commented “if Andre was on this, he would’ve said…” And I would proceed to emulate his style and people would like it so I would eventually end up as the top comment for a lot of videos which would lead to @OnlyHipHopFacts finding me. Months later, I started doing it again and thought to myself “hey I could create a page, gain thousands of followers, show my skill at writing, & build a core fan base.”

SOTB: Have any of the artists you’ve rapped like gotten offended by your bars?

SN: I did a rap like Capital Steez & Joey [Bada$$] said it was a good attempt but he wasn’t feeling it, and I completely understand.

SOTB: Outside of the @RapLike profile, how would you describe your sound?

SN: Unpredictable. I can give you that hardcore, old hip-hop feel with the wittiest rhymes and amazing rhyme schemes. Or, I can get extremely personal and introspective over some synths & pads, I don’t even think I have a sound yet, there’s so much more music to be made.

SOTB: Your first official tape, God’s Playlist, dropped about a year ago. You called it “a mixtape God could listen to,” and it waspretty dope. My favorite tracks were “Where Were You” and “Never Be Good Enough.” What was the inspiration behind that tape, outside of the obvious?

SN: Inspiration for God’s Playlist definitely came from my fans. Writing so many bars on Twitter started making everyone curious about my actual rapping ability. I don’t think I met their expectations because, at the time, I was new to the recording process and was developing my flow.

SOTB: Where did the Eternal Feels EP come from? I remember seeing a couple Twitter jokes about it, but where did the idea come from to turn it into a legit EP?

SN: I’m always talking about getting curved by girls & how I make music for guys who get no love. So why not make an entire EP revolving around these ideas? I also wanted to show my ability to create songs and the improvements in my flow.

SOTB: For those that don’t know, why the “hate” for the light-skinned girls (laughs)?

SN: Not all light skinned women are the same. But a lot of them are known for being self-centered, narcissistic & materialistic–at least the ones I’ve dealt with. I also feel like being “light-skinned” is a mentality nowadays

SOTB: Versus, like, a full-on racial thing?

SN: Yeah. So, if you embody these attributes—not texting people back, deleting an Instagram picture because it doesn’t get a certain amount of likes—then you…are…a….light-skinned.

SOTB: Who are some of your influences, musically and otherwise?

SN: Musically I am influenced by Eminem, Kanye, Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Drake, & Kendrick Lamar, those are my greatest influences. Outside of the music, it would have to be Jesus, that man was the real MVP.

SOTB: In your opinion, have sites such as Twitter, DatPiff and Soundcloud changed the game? If so, for better or worse?

SN: I think Twitter changed the game for better; all you need is a Wi-Fi connection to create a fan base and release music nowadays. Sure, you can argue that a lot of whack rappers are coming from Twitter but whack rappers never last, so ultimately Twitter is a great platform.

SOTB: When you’re not recording or rapping like other artists, what are some of the things you find yourself getting into?

SN: When I’m not making music, I’m probably out partying and telling myself that I’m never gonna drink again (laughs). I also like playing basketball with the homies.

SOTB: Are you working on any new projects, like a full-pledged album?

SN: Yes, I am working on an album, music videos and all. This will be my Friday Night Lights or Acid Rap.I am ready to prove to the world that I am more than just a Twitter rapper that can emulate the styles of artists.

SOTB: Who’s in your top-five? You can mix up and include rappers and producers, just producers, R&B singers—there are no limits to this one.

SN: My top five rappers, as in my favorite, are Eminem, Kanye, Lupe, Andre 3000 & Kendrick Lamar. My favorite singers are Frank Ocean & Justin Timberlake. For favorite producers? Kanye, Cameron, Timbaland and Flying Lotus.

SOTB: Where can people reach you?

SN: To reach for me you would need the arm length of a thousand trains. But, my Twitter is @SchamaNoel or you can just add me on Facebook at Schama Noel.

SOTB: Any parting shots? And, no, I won’t ask you to rap like me. That’d just be embarrassing…for me, I mean (laughs).

SN: I wanna thank everyone who supported me. Love you guys and I’d be nothing without you, regardless if you think I’m a narcissistic prick (laughs).