Burgeoning Hip-Hop artist and producer Master Style opens up about his battle with mental illness, finding inspiration, and continuing to pursue musical dreams despite the odds.

Coyote Music: Master Style blew me away once I dived into his music, his story, and what he's managed to create despite dealing with some challenges that most artists might not even think about. So let's get right to our Q&A with the one, the only, Master Style! Let's start at the beginning: what inspired you to start recording when you were 17?

Master Style: I've always wrote music since a small child but never could afford or had opportunities to actually go to a recording studio or buying my own equipment until I was around 17 and my mom purchased me a laptop. I saved up for a couple months and bought a Blue Yeti USB microphone.

CM: Your mental disabilities and illnesses have undoubtedly been huge hurdles for you to deal with, but you're "doing the damn thing" now. Awesome! How have you been able to deal with your personal challenges, and get your music created & site launched?

MS: My mental illnesses are very severe, and I spent the majority of my teen and early adult years in psych wards, so I didn't have the chance to go to school or hold down a job. I'm now doing a lot better thanks to coping skills and medication and I'm working a simple job now as a janitor. I'm interested in the cleaning and janitorial field of work; I want to eventually start my own carpet cleaning specialist business in South Korea. Dealing with severe mental illness does make making music and completing tasks difficult since I can be bed rotten for months during manic and depressive episodes, but I still manage to pull through.

CM: What is your inspiration for writing your lyrics?

MS: My lyrics varies wild from project to project; from heartfelt to chaotic and extreme but I'd say there's a philosophy to even my most graphic and seemingly nonsensical work. For example, my project Sex Machine; arguably my most controversial release may seem like pure hedonism on the surface, but it's painted as art and a social critique on norms and taboos in a way that challenges those ideas. It's all deliberate, a method to the madness. Overall, artists like The Notorious B.I.G and Lil' Wayne are my biggest influences when I'm whipping up a new piece, but I like to stay as original as possible and create my own legacy.

CM: Can you talk about your music production setup? Your "DAW"? What are some of your favorite/go-to tools and software that you use to make music?

MS: I've experimented with Fruityloop Producer Edition, Mixcraft Studio, Audacity and even video editors with audio editing features like Sony Vegas 14 and Movavi Video Editor Plus but my favorite and go to is Audacity. Now that I'm learning how to make my own beats, I like Rytmik Studio for its simplicity but robust features. I record with a cheap USB microphone and gaming headset due to not being able to afford a high end set up but it gets the job done thanks to my gifted audio engineering skills. Some of my songs were even recorded using a cheap desktop webcam but I managed to recover the audio quality using freelance sound engineers on Fiverr. My set up may sound bleak but I make it all work at the end, I've had my music rated radio quality by expert DJ's and producers. Thanks to the opportunity of my new job, I plan on upgrading my hardware and buying a legit set up very soon!

CM: I love the fact that you work a very demanding hands-on job, then come home to pursue your art. Does anyone where you work know about your artistic side?

MS: I've had one or two people comment on it but nothing much more than an acknowledgement of my passion and artistry. I'm a pretty quiet person and don't socialize much.

CM: What keeps you going with your music? You have a lot in your way that could serve as an excuse not to create music--but you don't let any of that stop you. Congratulations!!!

MS: I honestly do it for the art! I'm a big Hip-Hop head; I listen to every genre, but Hip-Hop is my favorite by far! I grew up listening to Lil Wayne's mixtapes and Tha Carter series, this almost defined by entire life outlook from there on out; it left that much of an impression. The Notorious B.I.G, Evil Pimp, Necro, Three 6 Mafia and Tyler The Creator all solidified me as a Hip-Hop fan for life! I just want to do what they all did in my own distinct way, leave my own imprint in not just Hip-Hop but music in it's entirety.