[Exclusive] Noah Haytin (NOH8TIN) 獨家訪談 2023

11月 23, 2023

[Exclusive] Noah Haytin (NOH8TIN) 獨家訪談 2023

這次要介紹的人物是Noah Haytin (綽號“NOH8TIN”)。他既不是饒舌歌手，也不是DJ或製作人，在過去三十年多的生涯中，Noah以藝術家的身分在西岸的嘻哈歷史上默默地發揮其獨特的影響力。

Noah的職業生涯始於奧克蘭的Phunky Phat Graph-X (現已停業)這間傳奇平面設計公司，是早期創始成員之一。Phunky Phat Graph-X自1990年起參與過許多Bay Area的經典專輯封面設計，幾乎所有北加州的饒舌歌手都是他們的客戶。儘管公司規模小，卻能以強大且獨特的藝術風格形塑早期灣區嘻哈音樂的視覺文化。Noah設計過的著名作品，包括No Limit Records最早期的坦克logo，以及Luniz的保險套人logo、Mac Dre的時鐘logo，其他參與過的還包括E-40、Too Short、Mac Dre、Dru-Down、MC Eiht、Infrared Music Group、In-A-Minute Records等等範圍橫跨北加州及南加州，在許多當時的嘻哈音樂雜誌(例如The Source、Rap Pages、4080)都能見到Noah的藝術作品。

為了慶祝WESTSIDE LOVE 西岸愛的十周年，這次特別請Noah幫忙設計了全新的logo作為紀念。並且也透過訪問的方式，希望更多台灣的西岸粉絲能一起認識這位大師!

1. Can you introduce yourself? Can you describe your artwork style?

請做個自我介紹

Noah (以下簡稱NH)：Some call me Noah and some know me as “noh8tin”; either way, I am just the same person in real life..Ha! But really, I am an artist who works primarily using pen & ink and I’m known for a strong line work style to my drawings; this actually originated from my love of scripture in different written languages. I also use photography as a medium and I actually like to combine it with my drawings & paintings to mix media in unique ways. Most of my art is influenced by music & travel...I make work to music so music is infused in the work...especially Hip-Hop culture which is probably what my work is most known for.
NH：我是Noah，也有些人稱我為"noh8tin"。我主要使用鋼筆和墨水來創作，以強烈的線條風格聞名，這源自於我喜愛用不同文字書寫進而精於此道。我也會使用攝影來作為媒介，實際上我喜歡將它與我的繪畫結合，以獨特的方式混合不同的媒介。我的大部分藝術靈感來自於音樂和旅行...音樂融入到我的作品中，尤其是嘻哈文化，這可能是我作品最為人知的部分。

2. You were an original member of Underwood Works/Phunky Phat Graph-X. How did you learn the skills and join them to start your career?

你是Phunky Phat的成員之一，你是如何加入他們並學習這些技能的?

NH：Yes, I worked at Phunky Phat Graph-X when they were still working out of the family house and just getting started really taking over the majority of graphic work in the Bay Area Hip-Hop scene. I had already been drawing basically my whole life and was hustling my artistic skills around the Bay Area Hip-Hop scene so it seemed pretty natural that we would eventually meet; I remember I got a flyer for something when I was a Senior in High School & I was checking out the design which featured a Hip-Hop style character; I thought it was dope & saw a design credit listed with a phone number so being a young creative hustler I just called to see what could happen.
I told them what I was already doing as a freelance artist & designer and asked if they ever needed someone to draw stuff; they said they did & invited me to come show them my portfolio. I met the two brothers who started it (Thomas & Tracey Underwood) & we all hit it off well so they offered me a job as basically an in-house illustrator since they were already equipped and trained in creative software. During this time I continued to hone my skills as an illustrator
NH：是的，我在Phunky Phat Graph-X工作的時候，他們還只是個居家的工作室，但已經剛開始嶄露頭角、在灣區嘻哈音樂場景中主導了絕大部分的平面設計工作。我基本上從小就一直在畫畫，在灣區嘻哈圈中四處兜售我的藝術作品，所以最終會與Phunky Phat Graph-X相遇似乎是相當順其自然的事情；我記得在高中畢業的那一年拿到一張宣傳單，我正在查看上面的設計，其中有一個嘻哈風格的角色，我覺得很酷，並看到上面的design credit以及其附帶的電話號碼，所以作為一個young creative hustler，我就打電話試試看會發生什麼。
我告訴他們我已經是一名自由職業藝術家和設計師，問他們是否需要有人為他們畫點東西；他們說是的，於是就邀請我來展示我的作品集。我見到了創辦人兩兄弟(Thomas和Tracey Underwood)，見面後一拍即合，所以他們隨即就提供給我一份正職工作，基本上就是in-house illustrator的工作，當時他們都已經安裝並接受過電腦繪圖軟體的培訓。於是在這段時間裡，我得以繼續磨練我的插畫技能。

3. You participated in west coast hip hop history and witnessed the rise of Master P in the Bay Area. Can you talk about the period when you worked with him?

NH：Yes, I was hustling my graphic art & photography as a young man growing up in the East Bay Area and got to know many local people participating in the local Hip-Hop scene (rapping, producing, Djing, dancing, graffiti, etc.) through word of mouth at the time as this was before the online thing was happening & being physically present was really needed to network. I often would go to local record stores and check out what the promotions were looking like and what acts were showing up for in-store visits to promote their latest project. I had an old used car, made some business cards and had got myself a pager so this was really how I got set up initially (this is why I often use the hashtag #pencilspagersandpayphones because that was really how I got started in the business).
One day, I was out in Vallejo at a local record shop that was active in pushing local hip-hop acts and was talking to the owner; a guy named Ron, as I remember. He said he wanted to introduce me to someone and he went in the back and came back out with a rapper who he said was based in Richmond & called himself Master P; I hadn’t heard of him to be honest but we shook hands and told each other a bit about what we were doing there and exchanged contact info. Master P reached out to me about helping with some graphic promotions and I was happy to put in work as I was pushing my network and hustle as an up and coming visual artist & photographer too.
So we would page (yes, as in Beepers lol) each other and meet up and talk art and promotions and became friendly; he introduced me to his family (who basically were all rapping too such as Sonya C (who was his wife at the time and mother of Lil Romeo) and The Real Untouchables which included his brothers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker as well as Cali-G, King George, Big Ed, & some others (the members changed over the years).
Master P eventually put me on the No Limit Records team and we would meet up all over the Bay for different events from concerts, conventions like the Gavin Sessions, to team meetings where we would strategize promotions and he gave me a real chance to sharpen my skills as a creative person. I learned a lot over those years & appreciate it all; these were priceless experiences & I talk a bit about them in episode 2 of the No Limit Chronicles which just dropped this summer on BET (2020).
NH：是的，我在成長的東灣地區努力推銷我的平面藝術和攝影作品。通過口耳相傳，認識了許多參與當地嘻哈音樂場景(饒舌、製作人、DJ、舞蹈、塗鴉等)的當地人。那時候是在網路興起之前，每件事情實際上都需要本人親自下去參與，以建立人際網絡。我經常會去當地的唱片店，查看促銷活動和看看哪些藝人會來店裡進行宣傳他們的最新作品。我有一輛舊的二手車，做了一些名片，還買了一個傳呼機，這實際上是我最初入行的方式(這就是為什麼我經常使用#pencilspagersandpayphones的標籤，因為那確實是我在業界入門的方式)。
有一天，我在Vallejo的一家當地唱片店裡，這家店活躍於推動當地的嘻哈音樂活動，當時我正在和店長談話；在我的記憶中，他的名字叫做Ron。他說他想介紹我給一個人認識，於是他進了後面，帶著一位自稱Master P、在Richmond活動的饒舌歌手出來；老實說我那時根本沒聽過這號人物，但我們握了握手，互相談了一點我們在做的事情，並交換了聯繫方式。Master P找我幫忙做一些平面宣傳設計，我很樂意投入這些工作。因為我自己作為一位新興的視覺藝術家和攝影師，當時也是在積極爭取機會、努力拓展人脈。
所以，我們會用呼叫器(是的，哈哈)彼此聯繫，互相見面談論藝術和宣傳活動，變得很友好；他介紹我給他的家人認識，基本上他們都是饒舌歌手，例如Sonya C - 當時是他的妻子、也是Lil Romeo的母親，The Real Untouchables - 包括他的兄弟C-Murder和Silkk the Shocker，還有Cali-G、King George、Big Ed等人(成員隨著時間而變化)。
Master P最終讓我加入了No Limit Records團隊，我們會在灣區的不同活動中見面，從演唱會到團隊會議，我們會一起制定宣傳策略，他給了我一個真正的機會，讓我得以提升自我、成為創意人才。在那些年裡，我學到了很多，感激不盡；這些是無價的經歷，我在No Limit Chronicles的第二集中談到了一些，這個紀錄片於2020年夏季在BET播出。

Sonya C "Married to the Mob" album cover shoot (Richmond, CA; 1993)

除了插畫，早期No Limit許多的宣傳照promo press、專輯封面等等都是由Noah所拍攝

4. There’s a documentary about No Limit Records on BET. Can you talk about it? In your opinion, why No Limit Records is important to hip hop?

BET製作了一部關於No Limit Records的紀錄片。你覺得No Limit對嘻哈圈的影響多大?

NH：Yes, the No Limit Chronicles is a 5 part docuseries that dropped on BET this summer and illustrates the rise of Master P and his No Limit Records independent label and artists. No Limit records is one of the most impactful dynasties of any label in Hip Hop history because it changed the game from the inside out; meaning it wasn’t just about putting out new artists to the public but it was about flipping the script behind the scenes on how the business of independent record labels worked with their artists and major labels; Master P has a truly influential “rags to riches” story that has inspired millions of people & this docuseries speaks to that independent hustle that he really got going in the Bay Area where the local vibe was all about that.
NH："No Limit Chronicles"是於2020年在BET播出的五集紀錄片，講述了Master P及其獨立廠牌No Limit Records的崛起故事。No Limit Records是嘻哈歷史上最有影響力的唱片公司之一，因為它徹底改變了遊戲規則；這不僅僅是將新的歌手推向市場，而是在幕後改變了獨立唱片公司如何與藝術家和大型唱片公司合作的模式；Master P貨真價實地代表“從無到有”的成功故事，啟發了數百萬人，而這部紀錄片系列講述了他早期在灣區開始分獨立奮鬥的過程。(完整記錄片可由此觀看)

5. Not only Master P, you also worked with Mac Dre in early days. How was the experience? I hear that you were a high school student at that time?

不只Master P，早期你也與Mac Dre合作密切。這段經歷是如何的? 當時你還只是高中生?

NH：Yes, as I mentioned, I was in high school (shout out to Berkeley High School class of 1993!) when I started to take my talent seriously and knew I wanted to make a career for myself in the arts...I wasn’t really that good at anything else lol! One of the local rap acts making a lot of noise in the scene was Mac Dre outta Vallejo up in the north Bay Area; Being active in the scene myself, I met his manager Stan and told him what I do; they wanted to create stickers to promote his new project called California Livin but he happen to only be able to meet me at a time that I was in school; I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t miss out on so I skipped class and went off campus to meet him at a local copy shop in downtown Berkeley (even though I was nervous the school was going to call my mom and tell her I wasn’t in school lol)
I just had my sketchbook, pens, pencils, a pager, and my backpack on. We sat down and kicked around some ideas; he said well, show me what you can do so I just sketched out my best design in the time I had and it went on to be reproduced as a promotional image used around the Bay as a sticker and T-shirt you can see in the California Livin video; that’s actually how my name ended up in the liner notes of the California Livin album. RIP to Mac Dre...one of the best to do it!
NH：是的，正如我提到的，我在高中時(向1993年的伯克利高中致敬！)開始認真對待我的才華，並知道我想在藝術領域打造自己的事業...其他方面我實在不太擅長，哈哈！當時在嘻哈圈中名聲非常響亮的一個歌手就是來自北灣區Vallejo的Mac Dre；我自己也活躍於嘻哈圈中，某次遇到了他的經紀人Stan (Stan X，又名"DX")並向其毛遂自薦；他們想要製作貼紙來宣傳他的新專輯《California Livin》，但碰巧他只能在我上學的時候見我；我知道這是一個我不能錯過的機會，所以我逃課去了柏克萊市中心的一家當地影印店與他見面(盡管我很擔心學校會給我媽打電話告訴她我不在學校哈哈)
我只帶著我的素描本，筆，鉛筆，一個呼叫器，和我的背包。我們坐下來討論了一些想法；他說好吧，給我看看你能做什麼，所以我只是在有限的時間內草擬了我的最佳設計，結果它被採納了，然後就被印製成貼紙和T恤作為宣傳使用，你可以在《California Livin》音樂錄影帶中看到Mac Dre及Coolio Da UndaDogg等人都身穿這件T恤；這實際上就是為什麼我的名字會出現在專輯的封套註釋中。願Mac Dre安息，他是我參與的所有作品中最棒的之一！

6. What are your favorite and the most memorable artworks from your own categories? and Why?

在所有過去的作品中，你自己最喜歡那些? 為什麼?

NH：It’s a hard choice actually but if I had to pick three: Luniz logo because it’s become so iconic and controversial (the nastiest logo I’ve done lol), the No Limit Records logo because it also has become so world renowned and synonymous with the hip-hop industry, the Mac Dre All Damn Day clock artwork I created because of the backstory I told you and because Dre is such an iconic Bay Area rapper, and my photos of E-40 in K-Lou studios when it was in Richmond, CA because it is from such an important time and place in Bay Area Hip-Hop history & because E-40 & K-Lou are such fixtures in the culture.
NH：這實在是個很困難的選擇。但如果我必須挑選三個的話：首先是Luniz的標誌，因為它已經變得如此具有代表性和爭議性 (是我做過最骯髒的標誌哈哈)，其次是No Limit Records的標誌，因為它也已經成為了世界知名並與嘻哈行業同義，最後是我創作的Mac Dre的"All Damn Day"時鐘藝術品，因為Dre是灣區嘻哈中如此具指標意義的饒舌歌手。此外，還有我在K-Lou Studios拍攝的E-40的照片，位於加州Richmond市，拍攝的時間點正好就是在灣區嘻哈即將起飛的重要時刻，E-40和K-Lou在文化中是如此的重要。

7. You also work with Yukmouth closely. Can you let us know what Smoke-A-Lot Radio is all about?

你與Yukmouth合作密切，能否介紹Smoke-A-Lot Radio是什麼?

NH：Yes, I had the honor to work with the legendary Yukmouth back in the 90's in the Bay Area, when we are younger and just starting out in our respective careers, to reconnecting in the LA area in recent years. It's been a trip! And a damn good one, my G! We are all grown family men now continuing to build positively in a variety of ways. I currently do BTS (or behind the scenes) photography for the Smoke-a-Lot podcast, which currently is hosted by Yukmouth (of the Luniz), Network Goder (GODER magazine CEO, etc.), & Lady Divinity (Big Indy TV/Full service media). The podcast hosts all the "who's who" in Hip-Hop culture and beyond to discuss the latest trends of Hip-Hop, Sports, News, & Cannabis culture.
NH：是的，我有幸在90年代與傳奇的Yukmouth合作，當時我們都還年輕，剛開始各自的事業，後來在近年又在洛杉磯地區重新聯繫。這真是一段旅程！而且是一段很棒的旅程！我們現在都是成熟的男人、有各自的家庭，在各種方面持續積極地打造事業。目前我為Smoke-A-Lot podcast進行幕後攝影的工作，這個節目目前由Yukmouth (Luniz的成員)、Network Goder (GODER雜誌的CEO)和Lady Divinity (Big Indy TV/全方位媒體)共同主持。這個播客邀請了嘻哈文化及其他領域的"大人物"，討論最新的嘻哈、體育、新聞和大麻文化趨勢。

8. Hip Hop is celebrating 50 years in 2023. In your opinion, how did visual art influence hip hop music & culture?

嘻哈歡慶五十周年，以你的看法，視覺藝術對嘻哈音樂及文化的影響是如何的?

NH：Well, as you know, for example, the visual art of graffiti, has always been a pillar of Hip-Hop culture, & just like the music and fashion aspects of Hip-Hop, the visual aspects of Hip-shop culture have always morphed & grown in different ways as the culture did; my work in graphic design, drawing, and photography has been influenced by others, as have others been influenced by mine - this synergy is what is so inspiring to me - it's like a dance or a game with many participants contributing & passing the torch.
Visual art has always played a key role in the culture - especially through promotion - posters, album covers, stickers, merch, etc. You can see that influence, for example, with how now 90s style is "retro" and people like bringing back the whole swag of that era - in fashion, merch, and album art. People want the 90s look to look OG authentic - because that's when things really took off; it's a nod to the roots. It's amazing to live to see it all come back around...I wonder where it will go next and I'm proud to be here to keep it pushing forward.
NH：嗯，就像你知道的那樣，塗鴉 - 這種視覺藝術一直以來都是嘻哈文化的支柱之一，就像嘻哈的音樂和時尚一樣，嘻哈的視覺方面一直在文化的演變中以不同的方式發展和成長；我的平面設計、繪畫和攝影工作受到了他人的影響，同樣，他人也受到了我的影響，這種協同作用對我來說是如此的鼓舞人心，就像一場舞蹈或一場有很多參賽者共同參與的比賽，持續著傳遞火炬。
視覺藝術一直在文化中發揮著關鍵作用，尤其是通過宣傳手段 - 海報、專輯封面、貼紙、商品等。你可以看到這種影響力如此巨大，如今90年代的風格已被視為"復古"，人們喜歡將那個時代的整個時尚、商品和專輯藝術風格重新帶回來。人們想要90年代的外觀看起來原汁原味 - 因為那正是嘻哈真正起飛的時候；這是對根源的致敬。能夠親身見證一切都再次回歸真是令人驚嘆...我想知道它將來會走向何方，我很自豪能夠在這裡繼續向前推動。

9. What is your definition of “Westside Love”? Can you talk about the ideas and concepts of the logos you created for WESTSIDE LOVE?

你是如何詮釋"西岸愛"? 在設計過程中的靈感來自於何處?

NH：Westside Love to me is a shared appreciation for the West Coast itself and especially its unique forms of hip-hop/rap culture (music, art, fashion, lifestyle, etc.). The ideas I had came from our conversations regarding what your blog is about and from checking out the content online; of course, it is also influenced by all the work I’ve done and seen in West Coast hip-hop culture...I’m here in Cali so I just feel it in my life.
NH：「WESTSIDE LOVE 西岸愛」就是對西岸本身 - 特別是其獨特的嘻哈文化(音樂、藝術、時尚、生活方式等)的熱愛。我的靈感來自我們之間的對話，以及從線上得到有關部落格的其他資訊；當然，它也受到我過去在西岸嘻哈文化中所做和所見的所有工作的影響...我就在加州，所以我在我的生活中就能感受到這種氛圍。

10. If you want to give the WESTSIDE LOVE characters' names. What would that be?

你替西岸愛設計了兩幅作品，如果能幫這二位角色命名的話會是什麼?

NH：Ha! Hmmm…that’s a good question because I don’t usually do that but for the Heart Shaped one I would name him “G-Love” & for the bald guy I would call him “Mr. Dubb Love”. Thank you, Johnny! Much love from Calif...the real life Westsiiiiide!
NH：哈哈！嗯...這是一個好問題，因為我通常不這樣做，但對於那個心形的角色，我會取名為"G-Love"，對於那個禿頭的，我會叫他"Mr. Dubb Love"。謝謝，Johnny！來自加利福尼亞的愛...the real life Westsiiiiide!