Will Clark a new age

Houma has a new rap phenomenon, Will Clark aka Sa.c, who’s releasing his self-titled album “Sa.c” in late May.

The 27-year-old rapper has been hustling to complete the album since November at Houma’s Mainwave Media, a state-of-the-art commercial recording studio. The tentative date for the 15-track CD is May 23.

“Lately people have been asking me where have I been or what have I been doing, and most of the time I just laugh and smile, thinking to myself ‘When you do something, it’s just that, you do it,'” he said.

Clark considers himself to be much more than a rapper; he believes he is an informer. Rapping is not a hobby or way to pass time to the young hopeful – it’s his life. Equipped with his urban flow and ill beats, he wants to take the rap industry by storm.

To see Clark, he doesn’t fit the build of a typical rapper. He’s not flashy or boisterous. He doesn’t wear heavy gold chains around his neck nor is mouth “grilled out.” He’s a mild and meek individual.

By day, Clark is a senior recreational therapy major at Southern University in New Orleans, and he cuts hair at Clippa’s, a local barbershop in downtown Houma.

However, the rapper’s hardcore “take no prisoners” persona is unleashed when he is spitting his lyrical rhythms in the studio or on stage.

“I am real passionate about my music and about making it in the rap industry,” Clark said. “Lyrics and beats are the first thing that come to mind when I wake up in the morning and they put me to sleep at night.”

In the studio, Jace Crosby, owner of Mainwave Media, said Clark is all work and no play.

“Will is an excellent person to work with, he’s a professional,” Crosby said. “When he comes into the studio we get a lot of work done. It’s all about business with us.”

Crosby co-wrote several of the songs on the album. He also serves as the project’s producer and engineer.

“Will and I are bringing a lot to the table, and we are ready to see the finish product,” the producer/engineer said.

Manager Earl Ross has watched Clark’s music mature over the past two years as well.

“With the music Will is making now, it doesn’t sound like he just started out in the industry. Every time he goes into the studio he tries to reach new heights,” Ross said.

The rapper’s interest in music can be traced back to his younger days when he attended devotion at the Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Houma. The congregation was lead by Clark’s late grandfather, the Rev. Willie Ruffin Sr.

As an adult, his transition from gospel to hardcore rap can be attributed to his rearing at the Smith Lane Housing Division in Houma.

Clark said he uses his music as a way to escape from the harsh realities of his community.

“Music is my therapy when I need to get things off my chest,” he said. The CD is about life on his side of the tracks, his world or hood, so to speak. “Everything that surrounds me has an impact on my life.”

In his music, Clark combines old school flavor with new school hype to form what he calls a new and unique genre of hip-hop.

“I want to make music that will last, and appeal to everyone,” he said. “What I am doing now is making music that fits this day and age.”

His manager agrees that people can relate to his music on a much larger scale. Ross said, “He tackles issues like poverty, troublesome times and heartache, and everyone can relate to that.”

The growing concern about community issues can be heard in Clark’s track “Mutual Feelings,” on which he collaborates with Crosby and poet Justin Smith of Houma. The high-energy track is a controversial mix of rap and poetry. It takes a stand against the government’s attempt to overlook the urban community.

“This track is much more than just rapping. I wanted to touch on some of the political issues that are facing the community,” Clark said. “A lot of people feel the same way I do. And that’s where I got the name for the track ‘mutual feelings’.”

His passion and drive are revealed in the single “Rock Harder,” which also includes Crosby. The single is a far cry from Clark’s block. It’s a mix of head-banging, heavy metal and hardcore rap put together create a pop/rock, urban hit.

“With this cut, me and Jace wanted to do something different something appealing,” the rapper said. “I aim to reach everyone.”

He stays true to his Louisiana roots with track “Do You.” The song basically tells listeners to do whatever makes them who they are, and not to worry about the next man.

“If you spend your life worried about what someone else is doing, then you are not doing what you’re suppose to do,” Clark said.

Together, the album is an all round mix of genres that are popular today. Crosby said he’s heard a broad spectrum of music in his line of work, and the biggest task is to keep an open-mind.

“Will’s album is not the typical Louisiana dance hall sound you hear at parties. His music can be played anywhere and will stand against any of the legendary hip-hop pioneers,” the producer said.

Ross and Crosby say what sets Clark apart from the rest is his ability to explore different genres of music.

“I like everything from Jay-Z to Maroon Five. I don’t turn anything down. I listen to everything because I truly love music,” he said.

His ultimate goal is to be noticed by more than “the people who know him the best.”

He said, “It feels good to see your friends and family grooving to your music. Sometimes it feels great. But I want more. I want to deliver my music on a broader spectrum.”

To show that Clark is on his way to bigger and better things, he and Crosby made a tribute track to the New Orleans Hornets professional basketball team in April, right in time for the playoff season. The single, “Buzz ’08,” can be heard throughout the New Orleans Arena during Hornets’ home games.

Copies of Sa.c’s single “Rock Harder” and the New Orleans Hornet’s theme song “Buzz ’08” can be purchased locally at Clippa’s on West Main Street and Mainwave Media on West Park Street. or, online, at Digstation at www.digstation.com/sac or on CD Baby at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mainmave.

‘I am real passionate about my music and about making it in the rap industry’ Will Clark releases his album May 23.