Ultra Magnus is a weirdo who grew up in an extremely isolated part of Canada, but thanks to the advent of the internet he discovered hip hop decades ago and obsessed over it. Part of the duo of Ultra Magnus & DJ Slam!, he has been touring Canada for the last few years. While based out of Toronto, Ultra Magnus lives like a homeless grifter, drifting from city to city performing his rhythmic bleating to the uninitiated. If you want to compare his style to somebody else, don’t.
However, his primary influences are Ghostface Killah, Lightspeed Champion, and I-20, the tall guy from DTP with the super deep voice. Three albums in and Ultra Magnus is about four months away from becoming cynical because he’s old, washed up, and his albums never really blew up.
I have been a huge fan of Ultra Magnus for several years at this point! With that said, I’m stoked to be sharing this interview with you. Magnus’ new single Duck is now available!
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Who is Ultra Magnus? Where are you from?
I’m a rapper from Canada. I live in Ontario, but I’m from the Maritimes originally.
What style of music do you create? What attracted you to this genre or style?
I’m a hip hop guy. It’s the energy really, I just like the vibes. And I can’t play instruments or sing, the barrier to entry was super low.
Who or what influences your rapping?
The golden era, you know True school artists, the staples of the genre. I’m into a lot of punk stuff too, I like any musician that presents me with a hungry ethos. Like they’re willing to die on stage, not just stand around and look cool, like really go for it. I idolize risk-takers.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
About 7 years now. Or at least that’s as far as I’m willing to look back before I get embarrassed. I don’t want people dredging up my MySpace page from 07 to find my remixes to G unit instrumentals. Why would we do that?
What motivates you to keep going?
There was a time the answer to that question would have been, external forces, fans, validation, etc. But as I grow older I basically write songs to express myself because I lack the confidence or ability to communicate with people in a conventional way. So to sum it up, nobody understands me and I’m lonely.
What is your new release? How is it different from the previous ones?
The last release, Muziki Mzuri, or Good Music for you non-Swahili speaking folks out there, is similar to my other releases in so far as it’s extremely personal, but it was written at a time of great uncertainty. Your boy was really going through it, I was trying to sober up, getting over the loss of some of my friends, and add some semblance of direction to my life, while maintaining a loose enough grip on my sanity day-to-ay to make music. It was a desperate record, it doesn’t have anything maudlin or morose sonically, it often seems like a celebration, but behind the scenes, it was actually pushed by a sense of urgency. That’s why it’s shorter than my other releases too, it’s very concise, I said all I wanted to say without meandering, unlike I’m currently doing right now with this question.
Did you set out to accomplish anything specific with this album?
Just to express myself really, and I feel like I did that. I feel like I connected with people, made some new fans, that’s all I wanted, I think I got there.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? And to discover more of your music?
Facebook and Instagram: @mcultramagnus
Twitter: @UltraMagnusMC
Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Neither, they’re just platforms. Most people have Spotify, so easy to direct them there. Bandcamp’s a good hub for selling things, I’m on Apple Music as well, but I don’t know, to me they’re just platforms. Gimme a good DJ with some music curation chops, and I’m good.
What about vinyl, CDs, and MP3s?
Vinyl is cool, CDs are strange, what can I say? I hock them both like it’s 1995. At shows, when people cop, it’s not like before, it’s not out of necessity because that’s the only way they can hear your record, it’s quite the opposite. It gives them a physical representation of their support like a trophy. Not that my albums are trophies. They do make good booke ends.
As an indie musician in the digital age, how does the technology help and how does it hinder your art and career?
It doesn’t hurt, all streaming is just an easier way for people to access your music. Streaming is good for the consumer because they can experience your content without risk, it lowers the barrier of accessibility to them. It does flood the market, makes it more difficult to sift through the mounds of music out there, but it’s the task of the artist to make people listen, command their attention. With good music first and foremost. And go tour. Go play, attack the unsuspecting citizenship with your music. Shake em up. Move the needle.
What are your other biggest challenges in attracting an audience to your music?
Budgetary really. Online advertising, shooting videos, it can be tricky. But most of my success is had in person. I can be very persuasive. Would you like to buy an album? Ahh see-see your thinking about it? Ahh you finna at least stream Spotify now, aren’t you? What’d I tell you? It’s that easy. Thanks for your purchase.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Coney Island Baby” The Velvet Underground. I was reading Sandman and the author said it’s what he was listening to when he wrote this particular volume. So I was trying to listen and read at the same time, but I never finished the chapter. I finished the song tho.
Do you tour or play live? Where can music lovers find out where to see you perform?
Yessir all the time, toured Canada this summer, will be back touring next year with a few of my friends going out west. You can peep MC Ultra Magnus on Facebook. Most of my dates are up there when I remember to post them.
What’s next for Ultra Magnus?
I don’t know, my life doesn’t really have a sense of direction anymore. I wasn’t planning on living this long. I’m thinking of leaving the continent for a while, touring overseas that kind of thing. The UK is filled with Rap artists I’m excited about. And their jungalist scene is off the chain. A year from now? Hopefully, I’m in a Ketamine induced coma, passed out in a basement in Birmingham.
Any last thoughts, shout outs, or words of wisdom?
Fellow rappers of Canada, go tour dudes. You have to. Go to a province you’ve never been, go to a town you’ve never heard of. Ontario rules, but Canada is so much more than Ontario, So sharpen your swords, make sure your music is tight, and leave your bubbles. Expand and take over, I know you’re out there somewhere, thinking to yourself, “man how am I gonna do this, how am I going to take this to the next level?” That’s how, boots on the ground mate, one fan at a time, this is a beautiful country with a lot of people to see you have nothing to lose. Take it from me, a certified Nobody making music in the dark, connecting the dots from coast to coast.
