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I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

- Kamasi Washington
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Author:
Kamasi Washington
Tags:
Living
Insecurity
Edge
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By the time I was about 15, I was out playing gigs and knew I was going to be a musician.

My dad was really into avant garde jazz: Archie Shepp, John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders.

At the time of 'The Epic,' as a core band, we were all spending so much time apart making music for other people that by the time we got together - even though we grew up together and there's a special connection we have - it was like a rare privilege to come together.

We learned at a young age, with our dad, that even if you weren't doing something, you had to look like you were, or some hard labor was coming your way. That's the reason I started practicing music - when I was practicing, Pops left me alone.

As a person who grew up in Los Angeles - that's a very diverse place - I've always felt like that diversity is a blessing. It's not a problem to be solved: it's a gift to be thankful for.

The fact of the matter is that nobody understands what John Coltrane is doing except John Coltrane. And maybe not even him. So we're all experiencing it on this subconscious level.

My dad was a professional musician; my mom played, too, but just for fun. All my siblings played. The house was full of music books, videos, albums. I guess it's not surprising that I ended up becoming a musician.

Hip-hop and jazz have always been intertwined. Even the G-funk thing. You listen to 'The Chronic,' there's flute solos and everything. It's always been there.

L.A. is a big city that has a lot of music in it but is not necessarily known for it. A lot of musicians got lost in that. You can make a living; you can gig a lot within the city and never get out of it. That was something that me and my friends, our generation, were afraid of happening to us.

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I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.

I like living on that edge, musically. I like a bit of insecurity and that feeling of not really knowing what's going to happen.