WHAT IS YOUR SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM GOAL?
My short term goals are essentially all networking at this point. I'm a bit of an introvert so I gotta go out of my way to get connected. As far as long term goals go, I really just want to get my music in as many people's ears as possible and influence people in a positive way. Obviously I need to make enough money to survive, and it would be awesome to be able to quit my day job, but I'm not expecting to get rich off of rapping. Realistically, if I can break even and gain listeners and improve people's lives through music, that's a win in my book.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS/PRODUCERS?
Oh man, I could go on for hours about my favorite artists. As far as hip hop goes, my earliest influences were pretty standard for my age group: Tech N9ne, Drake, Eminem, Tyler The Creator, Kendrick. Later I started to evolve into more of a songwriter than a rapper and my focus shifted towards texture and melody, which opened up a lot of doors musically for me. I used to be really anti-mumble rap and anti-trap, but a lot of the songs on my new album are heavily influenced by people like Desiigner, Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott, Post Malone, and those guys. And of course the hometown heroes from my city or close by, like Obvi, LBZ (who I did a few songs with on the record), Singular, Emoney, and Nemz. My whole area is full of raw talent so there's never a shortage of inspiration.
As far as producers go, I'm really partial to everything that's going on in and around Atlanta right now. Sometime around 2011, the “in” sound started to switch from these loud, bombastic beats with all these strings and horns and gunshot sounds and all that, to this creepy-quiet, low-key, dark underground sound. It's still loud as hell with the bass and drums, but there's so much more space for the listener to sit in the mix and vibe to the rhythm. I'm super influenced by Metro Boomin, Southside, TM88, London On Da Track, etc. I've got love for the Toronto sound too, Noah '40' Shebib kinda took the trope of hip hop being loud and in-your-face and turned it on its head with his “underwater” sound, downsampling, and sparse arrangements. It really created a defined space for the vocal to sit and for the listener to fit in the mix.
WHAT TYPES OF ADVERSITY HAVE YOU HAD TO FACE?
Adversity...... Well, as of October 1st this year I'm officially two years alcohol free. Alcoholism and the cycle of self-sabotage that comes with it was probably the biggest roadblock to my creative process. I still struggle with depression and anxiety but it's just a part of life. I feel like we can all help each other live healthier lives by opening up to each other and being supportive and understanding, although with how divided our world is it's going to take some focus and determination.
THUS FAR WHAT HAS BEEN THE STAND OUT MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER?
At the beginning of this year I met one of my biggest musical influences at a show. I gave him a copy of my first album (Against All Odds) and we chopped it up about music for a bit and I let him know he was a significant influence on my sound at the time. I won't say who it was because I'm not really the type to brag or try to jack credibility from another artist, but he told me he appreciated the love, but that I also had my own signature sound I brought to the table and that I should pursue that. I definitely took that to heart, and that motivated me to keep finding my voice when I was in a bit of a creative rut. So that was definitely a highlight.
HOW DO YOU STAND OUT AMONG OTHER ARTISTS?
The first thing that springs to mind when I think of how I stand out among artists is that I produce all my own music, record myself, and mix and master everything. I'm an audio engineer by trade, and my progression as an artist and as a producer are pretty intertwined at this point. For me, the tracking, mixing, and mastering process is just as much a part of the songwriting experience as writing the lyrics. It's all a cohesive chain of events to me. And don't get me wrong, I know the internet has created all these new avenues for producers to make money and have their music heard, but there's no denying that it's easier now than it ever has been for someone who's never rapped before to go online, buy music from someone they've never met, spend 50 bucks on a USB mic, record whatever comes to mind, and send the tracks off to an engineer to mix. And that can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you want to look at it, but it definitely introduces a lot of variables for the artist as far as their sound goes. I can 100 percent guarantee that everything about my music, from the lyrics to the drums to the melody to the way the vocals sit in the mix, is painstakingly intentional.
Also I don't curse in my music anymore. It started to feel like a crutch, so I took the challenge as a songwriter to write a whole album with no cursing.
WHATS A FACT ABOUT YOU?
Fact about me: I love playing basketball but I'm terrible at it.
B.O.S.S CODE STANDS FOR BUSINESS OVER SOCIAL STRESS, HOW CAN YOU RELATE WITH THAT IN YOUR LIFE?
The idea of “Business Over Social Stress” is interesting to me. I spent a long time in my younger years making generally poor decisions and ignoring my responsibilities in favor of social activities that were, quite frankly, unhealthy. These days I rarely go out or do anything social unless I have a positive reason for doing so. Money isn't the most important thing in the world to me, but if I'm not doing something creative or constructive, I feel like I'm wasting my time. I keep my circle small and make moves that will benefit me in the long run, not others' perceptions of me.