Wizzie Dee Exclusive

Alexander "Wizzie Dee" Wallace

Q1) You're real name, Alexander Wallace, doesn't sound Swedish. So how come you're based in Sweden?

You're completely right. My name is Alexander Wallace and it's american. I moved to Sweden at the age of six, with my parents. My grandparents descended from Sweden to America in the 40's right before world war two, and then in the 90's they decided to move back to Sweden. That's why they moved back and also how Wallace became Swedish.

Q2) Tell us a bit more about your childhood.
Yeah. As I told you I was born in The States. I lived in Miami (Lauderdale), until I turned 6 years old. After I'd turn 6 we moved to Sweden and bought a house in the northern parts of the country. It's really a big difference from Miami, especially the climate. Miami is big, hot and sunny and I moved to a small town that's called Örnsköldsvik. A life of cold and long winters and not that hot summers. As I said it's a small town and that's where I grew up. With my two parents and a younger brother twenty kilometers outside the city, by the coast in a small village with only 2000 inhabitants.

Q3) How did you come to pick the name Wizzie Dee?
Well, it's actually a nickname to my nickname. I used to be called 'Wizdom' because of my lyrics. But in the beginning of my career I realized that there was many rappers out there who were sharing the same artistic name as me. So I simply decided to change it to a more personal level and took the nickname my friends gave me. 'Wizzie Dee'.

Q4) Who do you look up to for inspiration?

Who I look up to. I don't think I look up to any living person to be perfectly honest. I get my inspiration from real life experiences. So the answer to that question would change each day.

Q5) Do you honestly feel that with the advent of people like Lady GaGa and Justin Bieber that the rap industry is slowly fading away since more and more people are taking to pop now a days?

The rap industry is not what it used to be, that's for sure. But I think that it is what you make out of it. There is some points that you'll need to understand though. People want new things, people want to leave the sound of the 90's behind (I'm talking about the big mass, love to all you old school hip hop heads out there). Therefor it's important to use your creativity in a good way. You've got to have plans, goals, and a great product. I would never drop rap and start doing pop, but I could use influences in my rap that I now works for other artists. That's how you grow the scene and make the definition of 'Hip Hop' bigger.

Q6) Apart from rapping what else do you enjoy doing?

My life is mostly about the music. It takes a great amount of time. But outside that I'm still in school and also I play football, or soccer if you prefer that. 

Q7) If you were given an option to sing a duet with any artist, who would you pick?

Sing a duet, haha. I don't really know. But if we're talking about a artist that I would like to feature a track with, it would be... Yelawolf. I think. If I could chose a person that ain't alive I would probably chose some old Swedish singer like Cornelis Vreeswijk.

Q8) Since I'm sure not many people have heard about you just yet, how do you propose to let the world know that Wizzie Dee is here to stay?

Well. By listening to my music of course. I'll release a mixtape this summer and those who takes a listen to that will understand. I'll be dropping bombs.

Q9) If you weren't  a rapper, what would you become?

I find that hard to think about. But I think that I would probably be just a 'normal' student. Music is pretty much all that I think about and has been since I was like five years old.

Q10) What advice do you have for people looking at careers in the rap industry? How difficult was it for you to get to the position you find yourself in?

My biggest advice is to be yourself, but also to be different from the big mass. Express yourself in ways that haven't been done before. I've been working for approximately 5 years to reach this level. If you talk to labels and people that have been in the music business for a long time they would say that it takes about 10 years to develop an artist. 

Q11) One thing that no one really knows about you?

That's a hard question. I'm very open about myself and my personality. I don't really know what to say.

Q12) One thing you wished no one knew about?

Nothing actually. I've got nothing to hide.

Q13) What is your favourite holiday destination/city you performed in?

I've been performing around Germany. The place I liked the most was at a sold out club in Berlin. I haven't played in The States yet but I hope to get there soon.

Q14) Do you have any plans on a tour sometime soon?

I'm planing a tour in Sweden from August to November. And after that I'm planning to work on my first real album.

Q15)  According to you, what is your favourite song that you've performed.

The favorite song is on my mixtape and it's called 'The Underdogs'. The mixtape will be released in August so you'll have to wait for it a few months.

Q16) Where can we get to download/buy your mix tapes?

It will be to downloadable from my site www.wizziedee.com

Check out Wizzie Dee on:

Twitter: twitter.com/wizziedee

facebook: facebook.com/thewizziedee

Blog: www.wizziedee.com


Photo Credit: Wizzie Dee https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9mihy6wuei3WmtTto-mkQqE-ZKTN8ZRDFIVoIK8_fKRjJAAFl4JEzvZdKTa-RAGEVR85tR4G4he3xdXlxfSwIlX7pVKi3y7Oq4OHOoGjv6-dlFd7i142h33ri5YvoS2moSR3EiSxiXU/s1600/twitterback.jpg

Trip to Kerala: Day 11 (5th June)

Kathakali Dance Performance

Sunset En route My Way Home 

 I will quote myself and say that Malyali weddings are weird. It's true that the ceremony is different but the lackadaisical attitude of people is a sight to marvel at. People are done with lunch, some are midway through their meal; and all this before the bridal couple enter the hall for the reception. I used to think that Bengali weddings were bad, now I know that they've got competition. Of course it does go without saying that I have utmost respect for both Malyalis and Bengalis and in no way do I wish to hurt their feelings with regard to their beliefs and customs.
  The Jewish Synagogue was the only place I was yet to visit. My mom tells me I had been to the place when I was one year old, so naturally I remembered nothing about my visit. The synagogue was at the heart of Jew Town, which was walking distance from the palace which I had visited the previous day. The place I didn't expect to see was the Pepper Exchange. I'd heard about it on TV as the world's only pepper exchange but I didn't think I'd get to see it.
 I was well aware that no visit to 'God's Own Country' would be complete without the traditional Kathakali and Kalaripayatu performances. Enchanting, they were enchanting to say the least. Loud,vibrant live music accompanied by energetic steps left us all in awe.
  Slowly and surely dawned the last night of my vacation. I was homeward bound, almost. I learnt a lot of things that would help me in future. History, culture and traditions of a place I'd only read about before. The next day would be spent doing nothing but travelling home.

"A holiday well spent and hopefully one of many more to come."

Trip to Kerala: Day 10 (4th June)

Santa Cruz Basilica, Cochin

Cochin Harbour Cruise

 Lazy days rule. There's nothing better than lazing in a hotel bed until that last moment when you realise that breakfast closes in minutes. That's when all the panic starts. And after a tiring previous day, it was in fact expected that today would be one such day. Now, the size of Cochin town surprised me. It wasn't that huge upscale city I had imagined it to be, it was quiet, filled with a lot of old world charm. Also there wasn't much to do, and well everything was located in one area - Mattancherry. You heard me correct. The name though seemingly delectable wasn't meant for the hungry at heart.
  The Dutch Palace was soothing, and it taught people the history of Southern India. The Chinese fishing nets were a marvel in itself, the walk towards St. Francis Church and the Santacruz Basilica was a treat in itself. These two places were where I learnt that Vasco da Gama was initially buried at the church while the basilica was India's second oldest one. What made the day better was the absence of the rain god, who had fortuitously discovered that he had other plans for the day.
  A complimentary harbour cruise seemed to be the cherry on the cake. Well it was, right until loud Malayali songs blared over the speakers ruining the peaceful atmosphere of the evening. It was quite interesting though to watch cranes load and unload cargo vessels at lightening pace. Such a sight left me in awe.
  Though the excursion seemed to be the highlight of the day it wasn't. Fish ruled the day, rather seafood ruled the day. Each dish that I sampled was better than the previous one, each bite tasted different, like a mini parade on my palate. Perfect sumptuous food, Thank you God for seafood. 

Trip to Kerala: Day 9 (3rd June)

St. Alphonsa's Tomb, Bharananganam, Kerala

Good Times

  It was time to leave Thekkady. Four peaceful, rainy days has elapsed and it was time to hit the roads again, time to head to the plains, to Cochin. Leaving at around nine seemed to be ideal. Well, it was considering the fact that Angamaly was at least four hours away and Cochin an hour further. Owing to the large amour of precipitation, even the dry waterfalls were moist, some even looked like large permanent ones.
  Having come from Calcutta, I've visited the tomb of Blessed Mother Teresa and since I was in Kerala, it seemed fair to visit the tomb of St. Alphonsa at Bharananganam. This visit turned out to be a pitstop as well, for it was the midway point in our journey. The next stop, Angamaly, was more than two hours away. Ultimately, with all the driving and stopping and still more driving, destination was in sight- Vivanta by Taj Malabar. It was a Taj hotel and it did remind of a friend of mine, whom I won't name, but who told me about the various memories they at the Taj Bengal.
  Moving on, we headed to Paravoor, about twenty kilometres away. On to a friends place for dinner, rather a small get together. Fort Cochin, was a place filled with attractions for tourists as well as interesting hotels and restaurants. The nearby ferry terminal did prove that life still tended to follow age old ways. Of course with age old ways come age old lifestyles and this was seen in the evening with a truck, almost as wide as the road itself , came barging through pushing vehicles and pedestrians backwards. What seemed to be a fifteen minute journey to the ferry took close to an hour and a half leaving us weary and exhausted. You can picture a day, with nearly ten hours driving. Calling it a tiring day is a gross understatement. Ten hours on the road, I know for sure I wasn't going to sake up early the next day.

Trip to Kerala: Day 8 (2nd June)

Cross On A Hill

High Winds

 It was our last day here in Thekkady and there wasn't much to see. Or so we thought. The weather was so perfect it couldn't get any better. Air conditioners and fans were white elephants during the previous night. To all my friends in Calcutta reading this, don't feel jealous.
  Anyway, after breakfast we did venture out, apprehensively at first after the previous days weather. Fortunately, it stayed dry. Dry enough to make a short trip to twice; once to a viewpoint and the second time to a watchtower. Actually two watchtowers, one in a jungle, the other one at such a height, I felt like I'd be blown off by the strong wind. Maybe all that fattening up of a couple days back kept me on my feet. Well, whatever it was, it was fun. Cool mountain breeze feels so much better than polluted city breeze and the walk uphill was all the exercise I so badly needed.
 We followed the double trip with a very simple lunch was just what the doctor ordered. I will say it again, the food here is amazing. I'm sorry I'm getting a bit repetitive. To make the day slightly better, we tossed in a bit of shopping. Okay, I didn't shop my parents did. Still...

Trip to Kerala: Day 7 (1st June)

Bird Watching At Periyar Rainforest

Cooking Classes

 Long drives through the hills are fun. Lots of fun. Unless of course the drive ends with a rain shower. Yes, that was the scenario here. After several wrong turns here and there as well as bad directions, we finally made it to our destination, Ramakalmedu. This place has some importance with regard to the Ramayana but I know I'm not one to know. And yes, it rained. The view was stunning, the weather was windy. So wet and windy that even umbrellas were useless.
  The Periyar Tiger Reserve, the highlight of the trip, was sort of washed out. Well, we did make the boat ride, somehow. I have no clue as to how my dad got tickets but he did and I'm not going to complain. The rain, well it played spoilsport again. There were hardly any animals out in the open, just a couple of deer and random birds. But I'll say this much, the thought of being inside a protected reserve was amazing. The hotel I'm at has the slogan "Preserve Our Reserves" and that should be everyones priority if you ask me.
 We ended the day with yet another cooking class, this time avial and fish moilee, cooked by yours truly. Now I don't want to gloat, but I'd say the the fish moilee cooked by me tasted better than the one I had the night before. To sum up the day? One word: wow!

Trip to Kerala: Day 6 (31st May)

Bee Hive

Chef Me...

  What a day! Nature is awesome. Period. It sure did leave me awestruck, which is a good thing I know. Green Park was the place which left me in awe, not the cricket stadium but the spice garden which was a few kilometres from my hotel. Five acres of land, with plants of all shapes, sizes and varieties. It was a practical EVE class which beats the theoretical one any day. I'll say it again, nature is awesome.
  Sport. One word, many interpretations. It was a lot of fun, and playing basketball, badminton and then going for a swim, well it couldn't get much better than that. Okay, I'll contradict myself and say it could but still it was fun.
  Cooking is always fun and believe me, cooking classes are too. Kerala chicken curry and a pineapple pachady.It was yet another plus point about the hotel I'm staying at. Immediately after the class, a classical dance performance by a thirteen year old. Entreating it sure was, though I didn't really follow much of Bharatnatyam or Kuchipudi, but yes, it was a nice experience.
  Hotel Greenwoods? I'm loving it.

Trip to Kerala: Day 5 (30th May)

Greenwood Resort Welcome

Rope Bridge

  It felt odd waking up on a house boat at 6am. But that was nothing. Experiencing the morning in the backwaters of Kerala was a serene moment. Peaceful and brilliant. We followed that up with a long drive of around a hundred kilometres through the mountains and you'll know what you guys missed.
  I'm even more convinced now that the best food in the world is served in the shabbiest establishments. Yet again, I was proved right. Surely some of you'll are bored of me praising the food here but believe me it is nothing short of awesome. The weather was fluctuating between humid and cool but then again that's the tropical type of climate.
  Thekkady, near the Tamil Nadu border was where we were headed. The hotel, Greenwoods, was nothing short of amazing. All that Eco-tourism I've studied about is something I'm going to experience over the next four days. And yes, I can't wait...

Trip to Kerala: Day 4 (29th May)

House Boat In Kerala Backwaters

True Love

Malyali masses are weird. And long. Period. Naturally, I followed nothing which made the whole experience all the more excruciating. Fast forward ninety minutes and it was a huge relief.
 Now I'm a veteran of Kashmir houseboats and the ones in Kerala was something that I was yet to experience. Movable houseboats with air conditioners- it seemed too good to be true. And there I was, shocked and surprised. The beds? They were comfortable! Air conditioner? Present and functioning. The food? Awesome as usual, except lunch which was as bland as boiled potatoes. Huge prawns and fish, every seafood lovers paradise was dinner. I will brag here and make you all jealous with the menu for the evening, but I do believe that I'm entitled to do so.

 The TV didn't work, mobile coverage was sporadic so it felt weird to be detached from civilisation but then again that's what I needed. Summing up the whole experience is easy. Very easy. Bliss. One word, that described the whole evening to a T. 

Trip to Kerala: Day 3 (28th May)

Malyali Wedding

 Malyali weddings can be quite interesting. Women dressed in their finest silk whilst the men wearing the most casual attire. Strangely enough, my dad looked like a relative of the groom; both looked similar. Fortunately, there were no mix ups. I used to think Bengali weddings were the only ones that involved the "kha pi ke bhaag" style. Turns out, I was wrong. True, we attended only the engagement, but even before the ceremony ended people were done eating. Having lived in Bengal for all my life, this didn't surprise me. The advantage of Kerala over Bengal? The food. Simple and brilliant food wherever you look.
 Kerala reminds me a lot about Goa, the similar lifestyles, the large number of churches and chapels all over the place, narrow winding roads and amazing food, like I've already mentioned before. It turns out, I missed the rains in Calcutta but the Rain Gods did make up for that by sending loads of rain here, so by some divine intervention, I missed nothing.
 The only downside of the otherwise interesting day? FC Barcelona...

Trip to Kerala: Day 2 (27th May)

One Small Step...

Mar Thoma Gate, St. Thomas' First Steps In India

 Dosas and Juice. The perfect start to a hot, sultry day? I think so. That's how the first day in Kerala started, simple and tasty food. Now I'm sure everyone believes that technology is a brilliant thing. Google maps was the only reason why we didn't get lost on our way to Athirapally water falls. People here seem to not know English or even Hindi for some strange reason. Communicating with a large majority of people was becoming tough. If you throw in a long walk and topography that reminded me of Takeshi's Castle and I'd say the experience was good. Tiring yes, but good and terribly sweaty.
 I've been raised a Catholic all my life and having studied about the history of Catholicism in India, visiting the place where St.Thomas entered India was quite the learning experience. It was holy, perhaps a tad too much bit still peaceful, pleasant and worth every second spent there. It was sad though that the boatman who used to take people, both pilgrims and tourists, on a cruise around the area had left an hour early so that was a bummer. We were looking forward to a relaxing boat cruise. Even the person who operated the light and sound show had vanished which left us disappointed.
 In short, the day was good and tiring. Nothing beat retiring to the hotel after a day well spent..

Trip to Kerala: Day 1 (26th May)

Cochin Airport

 Flying can be one heck of a way to travel. It can also be very boring. Especially of you have to wait for ages because your destination airport is closed for maintenance. Of course, such a delay did allow me to take a peek at uncharted territories on a flight. I'm talking about the cockpit of a Boeing 737. To describe the experience in one word, awesome.
 Cochin airport is idyllic to say the least, small, compact and traditional. The weather, cool and hot. Confusing I know, but still very pleasant. I don't know whether it's normal when people you meet in Calcutta, come to receive you at the airport in a totally different state, but that's about the gist of what took place upon my arrival.
  Having lived all my life in Calcutta, I used to think that Karunamoyee bus stand was a great place; that until I saw Angamaly bus stand. It puts Karunamoyee to shame. Throw in two traditional meals, a brunch and a dinner, and a simple yet great hotel located quite a distance away from the airport but well connected by road and you have the perfect day. Tiring but still perfect..