Agent 23 on philosophy, friendships, collaborations and being positive

Posted on by Alli Marshall

Local hip-hop artist Agent 23 talks about his forthcoming album, Monkeywrench on this podcast. He also talks about some of its inspirations, his personal evolution as a hip-hop artist, the stories behind meeting his collaborators and why being positive isn’t always about being happy.

Monkeywrench comes out on Wednesday, March 23 and will available for sale at Harvest Records and on secretagent23skidoo.com.

Catch a preview at the Secret Agent 23 Skidoo kid-hop show on Saturday, March 19 at the Orange Peel. 2 p.m., $8/kids under 3 get in free.

Agent 23 will perform a live set with many of the artists on Monkeywrench at the Emerald Lounge on Saturday, March 26, 10 p.m. He’ll be followed a set from GFE — the group’s first performance in a year.

Listen to the podcast here:

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall
View all posts by Alli Marshall →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

10 thoughts on “Agent 23 on philosophy, friendships, collaborations and being positive”

  2. bill smith

    also, how do you get the share and embed and info tabs to work on the player, player?

  3. bill smith

    Oh. I get it now. Ali and Cactus were hitch-hiking.

    Did you ever get a ride?

  4. mat catastrophe

    It’s not terrible. Or have I not gotten that far yet?

    The transition from the intro to the track was jarring – whoops – as was the outro into the interview and WHAT???

    OMG – they are outside and I can hear the edits.

    Pet Peeves! Pet Peeves!

  5. ashevillain7

    The audio is not terrible. The editing could use some work…and quit playing with the mic! That is the most annoying part of it!

  7. betterworld

    I know cactus personally. Actually I know the whole family, and one thing you need to learn from them Mr Bill Smith whoever you are, is compassion, and yes, being possitive. They also share their knowledge with whoever asks. They coach children in their free time, AT NO COST, and are the first to volunteer when help is needed. WHY are you so envious of this guy? Or are you angry at this world. What kind of healing do you need, because as you know, Cactus’ wife is a magnificent healer. And since when hitch hiking is a sin or a negative thing to do?

  8. betterworld

    CORRECTION: They do NOT coach kids in their free time. They MAKE the time to give to other people.

  9. bill smith

    @And since when hitch hiking is a sin or a negative thing to do?

    I don’t know about sin, or how you even came to that conclusion, but my comment was more of a tongue-in-cheek reference to the portions of the audio garbled with traffic sounds. Perhaps your sense of humor needs some healing. It appears damaged.

  10. betterworld

    MMy humor is not damaged….anybody that knows me would tell you that I do NOT miss an opportunity to laugh.. and I do it loudly and freely. Know, being honest yes, there is a LOT in me that needs healing. I was raped several times as a child, then cheated by my husband while I was on labor…..etc etc….so yes, I need healing and I am FAR from being a perfect human being. A perfect mom, a perfect part of the community…… I didn’t get the hitch hiking part as English is not my native language. But al I read was negativity. I apologize if you didn’t meant it that way… it just seemed bitter

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.