Thinking of Tufts' music scene will typically bring to mind images of casual alt-rock bands, guitarists or the occasional party DJ. Most other genres, though present, may seem underrepresented on a campus in which few students aim to pursue their art as a full-time career. That's why senior Michael Maggiore stands out in the crowd, going where very few Jumbos have gone before: head first into the hip-hop game.
Maggiore, otherwise known as CheddaSK, is making a name for himself as a rapper both on and off campus. With his new album "Forever Changed" out this week and a tour lined up post-graduation, Maggiore hopes to carve a new path in the hip-hop industry as both a businessman and artist.
So, who is CheddaSK?
Maggiore wants to make one thing clear: He does not subscribe to a specific genre of music. For him, originality is paramount.
"I hate being stereotyped into one category, and I don't need a genre tag," he said. "I am interested in doing this for longevity, to make something new and do my own thing."
His influences are certainly in line with this mentality, spanning a broad, cross-genre spectrum that includes Drake, A Tribe Called Quest, Miles Davis and Dashboard Confessional, to name a few.
"I have a ton of jazz artists I look to for inspiration, and, believe it or not, I like hardcore rock, too - even on the verge of screamo," he explained. "Anything from African tribal music to Taylor Swift. I don't rule anything out."
His inspirations are not the only unique part of his creative process. The themes Maggiore explores in his own music set him apart from many peers in the hip-hop world.
"What I believe in above all else is putting out a vibe of positive energy and hopefulness," he said.
The fledgling artist formally started crafting his sound during his sophomore year, when he met his best friend, Brooklyn-based music producer Mike Irish. But music has been a passion for Maggiore since his high school days.
"I went to boarding school, and my roommate was a huge hip-hop head," he said. "That stayed with me through college, when I made mixtapes on GarageBand and started freestyling at parties. People kept saying, 'You should do this for real!' and that's when it just ... clicked."
Maggiore has been all in ever since, diving into the industry with unrelenting zeal.
Getting mixed up, for better or worse
Maggiore's experience at Tufts is certainly a unique one and is what he cites as the primary influence for his body of work. Stemming from a near-death incident that occurred while studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Maggiore's now-positive brand and outlook are products of a darker time in his life.
"I was walking home one night alone, [and] I got totally lost in a bad area," he said. "I was [attacked] by three guys with a very anti-American sentiment ... From that moment on, I had a changed perspective on everything."
Maggiore recalled being beaten, held up at gunpoint and robbed on the street as he struggled to escape to his host family's home. For the next year, his internalization of the resulting pervasive fear he felt took a toll on his friendships, relationships and schoolwork. With an unsatisfying stint coaching lacrosse and a sudden inability to express his emotional state, he found himself struggling to stay afloat.
"When I came back to school, everything and everyone was the same, but I was so different," Maggiore said, expressing his frustration with his lack of a fulfilling outlet. "It was all too raw and too real."
Light at the end of the tunnel
What ultimately helped Maggiore get back on his feet and develop his identity as a musician was a fresh start in a new place.
"I had taken a year off [from] making music, but over the next summer I went to Brooklyn for an internship and started working on my new CD," he said. "I was rediscovering myself in a place where no one knew me. I felt reborn, channeling my emotions through music, [both] sonically and lyrically."
Feeling inspired, Maggiore was able to shed his insecurity and share his story with producer and friend Irish.
"I broke down and told him everything that happened to me and where I was mentally," he said. "It was all way too much for me to handle on my own. I always wanted that support system, that rock. He was the one who gave me that through music." 12
