Chapel Hill High School alumnus Ryan Maiani, who performs under the stage name Saul Goode, is a member of the international hip-hop duo Part Time Cooks. The group recently released the EP Sacrifices, available on both iTunes and Spotify. Maiani’s stage name draws inspiration from the Breaking Bad character Saul Goodman, whose name resembles the phrase, “It’s all good, man.” Part Time Cooks is based in Seoul, South Korea, where Maiani and his rap partner, South African native Black Moss, produce and perform their hard-hitting meaningful lyrics and soulful melodies. Proconian spoke with Maiani about his musical inspirations and hopes for the future.
How did you first get started with music?
My father was a jazz musician in the Bay Area before we moved to Carrboro, North Carolina when I was four years old. I took guitar and piano lessons from him here and there but never ended up really pursuing playing an instrument. I started freestyling with my friends at Chapel Hill High School over instrumentals that we downloaded from Rapster (before Napster) and was kind of a natural. I began battle-rapping at parties, and people began to take notice. I remember coming home and telling my dad that, although I wasn’t good at playing any instruments, lots of people were starting to watch me freestyle at parties. A week or so later, my dad had surprised me by setting me up with a mixer and pro tools in my bedroom.
I began recording a lot of silly songs at home and then formed a group with fellow Chapel Hill High School student Stuart Bell called Endless Mic. Stu, Tauren “Strick” Strickland, Andy Baker and I recorded at my house often, and Endless Mic began selling CDs to different people around school on the way to class. We began throwing concerts and eventually performed at the Cat’s Cradle to a sold-out audience, which was one of the best memories I have from that time. Stu and I eventually went to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro together and kept Endless Mic going and opened for some of our favorite artists back then, like Blueprint, Del tha Funky Homosapien and RJD2. It was there in Greensboro that we met our friend and producer Deez, and we toured around the country with help from our record label at the time, Trekky Records. Trekky was formed by Martin Anderson and Will Hackney, who also went to Chapel Hill High School. Emma Nadeau was our booking agent. She was also a student at Chapel Hill. They previously dealt exclusively with indie rock acts, and we were their first hip hop act at the time.
Were there any influences at Chapel Hill High School, such as classes, clubs or events, that further inspired you to pursue music?
All of the people that I previously mentioned were and still are huge inspirations to me. Martin and Will are still heavily involved with the exploding music scene in North Carolina, and Strick is currently working out of Atlanta with Young Thug’s label, YSL. My father and brother’s dedication to their craft as musicians is a huge inspiration for me as well. However, if I had to pick one person who I really viewed as a mentor when I was at Chapel Hill High School, it would be Mervin Jenkins, also known as Spectac. Mervin was the assistant principal at the time, and also a well-known rapper working with North Carolina legends like 9th Wonder and Khrysis. He even released a song with Big Daddy Kane around that time. Being an up-and-coming rapper and having someone like him with so much knowledge about the industry was a huge blessing to say the least.
I remember having a bit of an ego at the time and Jenkins calling me out of class one day over the intercom. I was pretty sure I was in trouble, as that was usually the case back then, but when I walked into the office, he motioned for me to be quiet as he put a phone call he was having with DJ Eclipse of Non Phixion on speaker phone. Mervin had sent our latest album over to him in New York and asked him what he thought of it while I sat there thinking this was going to be my big break. I was 15 or 16 at the time, and the music I was making wasn’t ready by any means to be auditioning for the likes of Eclipse. Needless to say, I got to hear some pretty harsh critiques of my music, and it really pushed me to work harder.
What motivated you to move to Korea?
I moved to Korea around the time that Endless Mic broke up in 2011. I was taking a break from releasing music but still recorded on my own from time to time. I originally just planned on studying Korean and teaching English for a year, but released a tape under the name Saul Goode, which was well received by some well known rappers here. I did one show, and the rest is history. I haven’t lived in America for the past seven years and have been performing with my new group Part Time Cooks throughout Asia for the past three years. Part Time Cooks is myself and South African rapper Black Moss. We met at a music video shoot in Seoul and formed the group shortly after meeting. We have been releasing music through Japanese and Korean labels and have been lucky enough to perform with some huge names in the Korean hip hop scene, as well as some well-known American acts like Wiz Khalifa and Anderson Paak. We fly out North Carolina acts as well from time to time, like J. Gunn, Well$ and G Yamazawa. I want to bring North Carolina artists with me on this crazy journey.
What are some of the changes that you find both pleasant and unpleasant with the new country compared to the U.S.?
I have nothing unpleasant to say about being outside of America. With the world being as connected as it is now because of the Internet, it has been very easy to interact with our fans all over the world. The only downside is being so far away from my friends and family. I miss my momma!
How is the music scene different there? What do you like and don’t like?
Hip hop is a big thing out here. One thing I will say about performing in Korea is that the audiences are a lot of fun. Lots of dancing and really great crowd participation by Korean audiences has kind of spoiled us.
What would you say to a high school student who is currently in a similar position that you were in high school?
Don’t stop. Keep cooking. I really regret taking a couple years off from music before coming here. I could have really used that time to work on the craft. Surround yourself with people who make you better. Working with Black Moss has really made me step my game up, and the extra time that Part Time Cooks has been putting in by treating music like a job has really paid off. We have recently become the first foreign act to be signed to a major Korean label, Vis Major Company. We are working with some of the best artists in the country now, and all it took was patience and hard work. Stay in the kitchen!
Where do you hope to take your music career in the future?
I want to see more of the world through touring and performing with Part Time Cooks, and to tell my story and raise awareness about important issues through music. I want to make enough money from my passion to support a family too. I might even try to buy one of those nice houses in the Highlands next to Chapel Hill High, so my kids can have a cool place nearby to skip school from time to time.
