He smiles with a smirk both charming and skeptical.  He captures the bulk of attention in any room he walks into — especially that of the ladies, but fellas respect him upon introduction. 

His vocals capture the attention and inspire awe of the most critical ears. 

He survived the tumultuous ‘80s in the heart of Tacoma’s Hilltop and Eastside neighborhoods at the impetus of their gang and drug-drenched eras. 

He rhymes about revolution, conspiracy theories and the New World Order long beyond the era of militant hip-hop’s dominance. 

As a co-founder of Criminal Nation, he is a legendary pioneer of hip-hop in the Pacific Northwest if there ever was one. His name belongs in the same sentence as Nasty Nes and Sir Mix-A-Lot as it relates to the region’s hip-hop lore. 

He just completed two albums that will debut in September — I Am Mark Womack and War Music, his fifth and sixth respectively.  So why is it that you don’t know Mark Womack, aka Wojack? Or better yet, why do you still not know him?



The elusive Wojack is a figure of street lore.  From running with the nationally recognized, Tacoma-based Criminal Nation in the ‘90s to flourishing as a respected lyricists (where sales don’t always reflect as much), he has endured the often maze-like music industry and is still standing.  Having worked from Canada to California, Wojack has been mulling over the creation of his most recent masterworks for nearly two years — resulting in I Am Mark Womack and War Musik. 

I sat down with him to figure out what motivates him and why he thinks you should be listening… closely.



WEEKLY VOLCANO: How do War Music and I Am Mark Womack differ?



MARK WOMACK: I Am Mark Womack is an autobiographical sketch about me — more so than Wojack.  War Musik is a vision into survival as a human being in the American streets… How people feel about the war on terrorism, health care… Issues affecting us all.



WV: So who is Mark Womack in your words?



WOMACK: I am a middle-aged American, blue-collar hip-hop artist. …



WV: Is there space for a middle-aged hip-hop artist?  Rap is popularly thought to be a young man’s game.



WOMACK: That’s a misconception … Rap is my age.  The power of knowledge is what feeds hip-hop.  As long as you are saying something significant — you are significant.  Everybody wants to rap, but not everyone can rap.  I am a professional lyricist.



WV: In less than five words describe Tac-Town.



WOMACK: Tacoma doesn’t raise no punks.



WV: Describe your creative process in developing an album from concept to finish.


WOMACK: I record in studios from California to Canada.  I produce music, so I initiate the creative process.  After that I match lyrics and beats.  I get into a spiritual state of thinking and allow the music to come together — not forcing it.  It’s God’s blessing and I go hard!



WV: What have you seen change in hip-hop since the ‘80s?


WOMACK: Hip-hop has transformed into a commercial entity, where before it was a means of communication for black folks and the streets.  Now, you can get your hip-hop with a happy meal.



WV: Why is Northwest hip-hop still not on the national map?



WOMACK: We have bred some intelligent artists, even after Mix-A-Lot.  After Mix, our revolutionary/conscious artists were strong, but the unity and sense of a movement has disappeared … No connection to a movement between artists.  There are small pockets of artists in Seattle, Tacoma and beyond — but it’s disconnected … And we have no radio support on a mainstream level.



WV: Any last words?



WOMACK: I appreciate the respect that people have for my work.  One hundred percent! Whether I ‘made it’ or not… My career has been rewarding, because of the reaction and love that I received from people.



For more information check out www.myspace.com/guerillamusik.