40 years old | Rapper Aztra has a master’s degree in theology, majoring in exegetics: “I am interested in Hebrew and ancient scriptures”

Exegetics that is, studying the old scriptures may not be the first thing that comes to mind from a rapper. To a resident of Helsinki Aztralle or To Aleksi Vaittinen however, it is an important inspiration among others. Vaittinen has a master’s degree in theology, majoring in exegetics.

“Mua is interested in Hebrew and ancient scriptures. Exegetics is really the study and interpretation of the scriptures: how the scriptures were born. ”

So after dropping the rap names that influenced the aesthetics of my own music from different directions in the United States, Vaittinen begins to get to the so-called hard core: the cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the exchange of traditions, and so on.

In the music theology may not be directly covered. In the case of the silent, it is seen above all as a curiosity about different cultures and beliefs.

“Religions have always interested me. For example, during his studies with his current wife, as much as he could was sawed around the world. It was interesting to see how religion was seen somewhere in the world all the time, and here it is a rigid institution. ”

At the time of the interview, early in the morning, Vaittinen is starting her working day at Vantaa Vocational College, where she works as a teacher. Students are coming in an hour, so here’s a good time to talk, he says on the phone.

“I’ll take a short walk at the same time, so the idea goes better.”

Although Vaittinen has been making rap for more than twenty years, he may be completely unknown to the general public.

“Well yeah, sure,” he sighs.

The latest solo album DNA appeared last year. In addition to his own records, Vaittinen has collaborated with, among other things, his well-known parody of the Memphis sound and his ski hat Eevil Stöön with the MNTTT configuration. Those who have followed rap music for a long time also remember Vaittinen from the ranks of the rapper group Kaucas from Lappeenranta at the beginning of the millennium.

Still, it feels strange to talk about such a long slice of rap, Vaittinen thinks. When the first raps were born sometime in the twilight of the 1990s, his goal was not to make any career let alone celebrate at the top of the charts. For Vaittinen, it has always been more and more about the desire to do it yourself. The same idea is still behind it all.

“When you see something, you think about how you could do it yourself. And then it does. It doesn’t have to be a diamond, but at least it did it itself. ”

Shut up grew up in Lappeenranta. The local punk circles flourished, and he too was immersed in them first.

“I bought a bass amp with mopeds and became a bassist in a band called Sotatila, where they played older jabs. We had a brutal sound, the worst and fastest grindcore was played. ”

There was a mentally short way to rap in the way the punk was done, even though the style was completely different. The hip-hop scene in Lappeenranta was small, but like-minded people were found.

Until twenty years ago, the geographical distance seemed greater. Influences and fads came more slowly, if at all.

Vaittinen recalls how Fintelligenssi was heard on the radio Invinciblethe predictor of the first tsunami of Finnish rap, gave faith in rap in Finnish.

“Rap in Finnish was a whole new thing. He thought he could do this in Finnish. At the same time, I was a little ashamed, but I still started working. ”

Thereto at the time, the division between the street-credible marginal rap and the spotlight-frying party rap was large. Founded in 1998 by Vaittinen and partners, Kaucas had a strong foothold in the underground.

“We really had a slightly smarter grip. Not art rap, but stiffer, more disturbing. Nor was bling bling rap desired, nor any humor rap. As a parent, you already understand that there is all sorts of good muse. ”

Since then, Vaittinen says that he is passionate about styles on the west coast of America, such as g-funk. And with Stö, that dirty south has also become familiar.

But what side of making a rap right now really speaks for itself?

“Musa is a counterweight to the rest. I like it simple, it’s fun and a hobby, even if I take it seriously. I have no pressure with it. ”

Pupils the entry is a quarter, so it’s time to end the interview.

“If Musa ever stays, there will definitely be something else to replace it. It would be cool to even race cars or grow some bonsai. Do something that could properly hang you. Muksuna was drawing, then came Musa. ”

Vaittinen still does not aim for the moon from the sky.

“The older you get, the more you care about everyone. It would be fun to know more about everything. ”