"To know how to say what others only know how to think is what makes men poets or sages; and to dare to say what others only dare to think makes men martyrs or reformers - or both." - Elizabeth Charles, British writer (1828-1896)Al Viz is the epitome of the rappers rapper, in an age where rappers claim to be hustlers first. When his older cousin gave him his first mix tape on his 6th birthday, he became infatuated with the power that comes with putting words over beats. His craft really began to pick up when he came to the realization that breaking down the intricacies of reality will almost always be more intriguing than anything fabricated. Al Viz strives to create a sublime sound in which he, as the emcee, never becomes ‘bigger than the music’ itself. He has culminated his style by listening and studying the greats over the years, and puts together tracks with one word in mind... classic.“My goal is to invite you into my thought process, show you my ideals, my pitfalls, and what I believe in. If I do that and you can feel me or be entertained than I have achieved the ultimate artistic reward. There is no limit to what I will spit about in a track as long as I’m feeling the beat and the beat inspires a topic that I have an attachment to. So what makes my style my own are my thoughts, opinions, my voice, the words I choose and how I deliver them. All rules are out the window, I try and make my own conventions. I am a Russian Jew living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada but what I really belong to most is the daily struggle to maintain mental balance. What hip hop and more specifically rap has given me is a feeling of strength and optimism which is the most I can ever hope to give back to it through my music.â€
