Problem Child

“Everything You Never Wanted” is the soundtrack of sixteen years of life. It is the audible story of Harrison Schneider, AKA “Problem Child.”
Hailing from Great Neck, NY, by way of Queens, NY, Problem Child has been surrounded by buzz since his first demo, at age 12. Four years later, Problem has made the album he’s always want printed to record. With The New York Times and Geraldo Rivera knocking at his door already, it’s clear Problem doesn’t have to go seek the spotlight—it’s seeking him.
Growing up fast, Problem was always the sharp tongued wordsmith. Never one to blend in with the crowd, his presence was always felt in the classrooms he occupied. With the support of his family, Harrison wasted no time in chasing his dream. By age sixteen, he withdrew from high school to be home-schooled while working tirelessly on what would eventually become his debut album.
Although his family was behind him, there was no shortage of obstacles for Harrison to overcome. Trusting his instincts though, Harrison, now dubbed “Problem Child” (a name that he didn’t take, but was given to him) decided to let his music do the talking. Many important names, including Wyclef Jean, started picking up on him.
“People were shocked,” the young rapper says, “they would hear my album and say, ‘there’s no way this is coming from a sixteen year-old white kid.”
Truly, with a voice and lyrics matured beyond his age, turning on “Everything You Never Wanted” sparks an instantaneous reaction. Problem Child is indeed more than just a gimmick—his album has genuine substance.
Problem Child’s album has something for everyone. Never afraid to take on the heavy issues, on the song “World On Stilts,” Problem raps about war, corporations and power, critically examining the world he grew up in, and the world that seems to be growing up around him. Not every song is so dire though. Always exercising the witty sarcasm he honed in the classrooms of his youth, songs like “Beyond Repair” take a less serious approach—slapstick, but smart.
Besides his biting lyrical punch-outs, what separates Problem from his rivals is pure musicality. Electric guitars light up the groove-based song “Got You Beat.” Grand piano and saxophone break the earth on “Teenage Graveyard,” a dark reflection on youth culture that will leave you checking your pulse. And on the rootsy “New York Bandits,” a gritty banjo crawls across the streets of New York, past, present, and future where Problem Child, a Queens native, schools us on the history of the city he holds dear.
Connecting to his audience in each line, Problem Child’s rhymes are deeply personal, but at the same time, have the diversity to reach out to all types of listeners. It’s Problem Child’s stark honesty that makes him immediately accessible on such a heart-to-heart, mind-to-mind level. On his disc, he bravely takes on both his blessings and his demons. No subject is too taboo, no names have been changed. Nothing is spared and Problem never cops out. There is a dualism at play—Harrison Schneider and Problem Child—“an angel and a devil.” The voice that erupts out of your speakers walks the balance, trumpeting “a perfekt imperfection,” like his song of the same name.
Not taking anything for granted, Problem Child saw out each stage of the making of his album. He was there from start to finish, every edit, every track. Never cutting a corner, and never sticking to the formula, he has not only created a stunning debut disc, but a unique creative soundscape that breaks the mold of traditional hip hop. The resulting achievement can’t be pigeonholed. “It’s my own sound,” Harrison says, “my own market.”
Never satisfied, Problem hasn’t stopped there. Since mastering his CD with the legendary Tom Brick, Problem has gone on to rap on tracks by other artists and even carve out his own Production company. With the engineers and producers of his album, KOIL PreAmple and Jeff Schreiner, Problem Child has formed “Punchline Cliq.” The Cliq makes up a motley collaboration of musicians, and creators of what Problem Child calls, “a new generation of aural stimulation.” Punchline Cliq is the force behind Problem Child, an allegiance that runs deep, converting listeners with their tracks and the motto—“Run with us, or from us!” The former seems to be catching on.
Playing his new CD at Cove City Sound Studios in Long Island for a collection of friends and family, Problem Child anxiously talks about the making of his album. When asked about the process, he sharply smiles and says, “It was the best time of my life.” Problem’s confidence is inspiring—his enthusiasm, contagious.
So many questions await him. What will others think? How will the media, so desperate to get a piece of him, react to this record? Who will naively criticize? Who will jump on board? Who will make Problem Child the offer that will bring his career to the next stage? Problem Child smiles relaxed, relying solely on his proud product. “My open mouth creates open ears,” he says.
Before you know it, everyone will be listening.