Your music has an experimental tone. Should music as a form of art always challenge the listener?
No, I don’t think that is always necessary. I believe just as long as the music makes you feel something. Music should be your comfort, your chill zone, your best friend in hard times and good times, to make you dance, or change your mood
Tell us a few things about your new song.
The story My grandfather was an Afro-American man who was an opera singer in the late 40 ties, who had fallen in love with a young Jewish girl my grandmother. They had a (secret) affair and then on top of it she became pregnant with my father, while jazz music was rising the song tells the story at the end of the 1940s in Harlem, NY,
What comes first, the music or the lyrics? Tell us a few things about your creative process
Either way can happen, sometimes melodies first and sometimes words first… interestingly the way you start has an impact on where the song is going!
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
I run my own music label so that would be many artists that we release music for the world should know about:-) please check mars-worldwide.com and check it out!!
What would you change in the music industry?
Streaming income for artists. It is really not enough
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
So much advice throughout my life, so much I haven’t listened to LOL……I guess my own life discovery that only with awareness you can change things around
i would say it’s a mixture of pop, hip-hop, and dance, but i never like to make labels with my music because i always like to expand my boundaries with genres and make something new everyday
How many beats do you listen to before you end up using one? Tell us a few things about your creative process.
i usually come up with an idea for a song in my head and then make the beat as i envision it to be, or if i don’t have an idea right off the bat, i play around with sounds for a bit and then usually i slowly start to envision soemthing out of the sounds i play around with and the beat ends up building itself slowly. that’s how i made this album as far as production-wise. i spent all of last year doing just that and i ended up making around 30 beats till november of 2020. in november of 2020, i started recording vocals for the album and from there on out till may of 2021, i hand-picked 13 beats that i wanted to create songs for on the album.
What is the main topic of your lyrics?
i would say collectively throughout my whole discography, it’s just self-confidence and being happy. in my new album ‘party’, i continued that, but i also wanted to touch on other topics, such as insecurities & strengths, reminiscence, resilience, and hope.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
the list is so long, but some notable people are definitely Selena Gomez, Doja Cat, blackbear, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding, and Charli XCX, especially for this album.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
the self-funding process i would say. i’m an independent artist and finding yourself and your art does get challenging at times and it sometimes even gets to the point of “is this even worth it?”, but then i realize that i create music because i want to do it and i am passionate about it, and people relating to it and making my music their own is success to me.
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
Shutter Island for sure. i might get called out for never watching it before, but it’s a must see for everyone. it really messes with your head, but in the best way possible.
One last thing we should know about you?
i wanna thank everyone so much and please have a listen to my new album ‘party’: i want everyone to make this album their own and feel free and celebrate life as we know it, even though it might be challenging to do so in this time. i love seeing people enjoying my music and relating to it in their own way, and that really gives me motivation to keep going. thank you so much!
All the beats on my new EP are made by an amazing boom bap hip-hop producer named K. Pizzle. The tracks on this album have a range of vibes, from grimy to uptempo, while having a common underlying gritty feel about them. I had fun experimenting a little more with some singing on this one, but I’ll always stay true to myself and make sure the bars are on point no matter what.
Which song of the EP is your favorite?
My favorite songs vary day to day, but I’d say at the moment Neutered In Neutral is my personal favorite.
Do you think there is a true underground hip hop sound today?
I think underground artists should always make music they want to make and develop their OWN sound without trying to sound likeother. So, I guess by that definition there can’t be one true underground hip hop sound. With that said though, I do believe the listeners can tell when someone is being authentic with their art, or just trying to bandwagon.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
Hip hop is a representation of the people. The good, bad, and the ugly.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to be more patient. Stick with things, sometimes the pay out takes time.
You’d give up making music for…
I have a beautiful wife and 4 kids, so if I ever had to give up making music it would be for them. In a heartbeat.
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?
“ Champagne Dreams” came about via instagram.
I connected with Sally on IG and we thought it would be cool to do a track together. It worked out well! We co-wrote the track flipping ideas back and forth on lyrics, melody and structure. Marcus Phillips handled music + production. Sally was on vocal production
I don’t know if we started out with a main idea behind it. The song just came together so naturally piece by piece and the end result was something funky, fresh, fun and fierce.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“Forget them haters, let them concentrate on everything we are and everything they ain’t !“
#truth
What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?
I go through phases. I did so much writing during the pandemic, it actually helped me level up creatively and concentrate on ideas I hadn’t been able to fully devote time to while being out and about doing live performances. A break from the stage had some positives but, I believe all artists need that energy jolt they get from their people up close and personal. It is good that the performances are starting up again. I missed that.
You also have lovely grooves. Tell us a song with a groove you wish you had composed yourself.
Marcus Phillips is thank for the groove on “Champagne Dreams” Fabulous Musician / Producer!
Hmmmm a track I wish I would of composed myself?
No Idea… there a lot of dope songs out there! Anything Prince or MJ lol 🙂
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
Open, Free, conscious , happy, depends on the song really. There is always a message so to listen with an open ear is a good start, some listen to music to get into the right state of mind.
One last thing we should know about you?
Creative wise? I have a few other original projects if you’d like to check them out, NOVI, The Electric Soul Syndicate, and Mion Nite to name some.They each have their own soul…
Personally? I drink coconut water like it is going out of style #loveit
I view my creative process as very natural and non forced when it comes to creative thinking. I go to a “creative” mode very easily, I think a part of this also has to do with my single-sided deafness. I hear things only from my right side which means that the sound that I hear hits the creative side of the brain. And when I immediately hear things I see pictures of scenarios and movies in my head.
What is the main topic of your lyrics?
The main topic of my lyrics varies from song to song, but I always write scenarios that have happened in my life. I like to keep things as authentic as possible and I believe that’s where people recognize themselves from when they hear my songs.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
There’s a lot of artists that have inspired me in many ways, especially when I was younger and was hearing Pop, Rap & R&B hits all the time. It would be a long list if I mentioned them all. Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown are a few of the list who have influenced and inspired me, however, I’ve listened to so many artists and have taken so much inspiration from every single one of them, which is why I believe many people like my music. They hear a lot of artists in my voice, yet it’s a totally new fresh voice that they didn’t know they were missing until now.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
I think the biggest challenge I’ve faced as an artist so far, is marketing. Marketing is not a cheap thing and you have to find ways to look for different solutions to market your music which is not an easy task.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
When I’m not writing music. I most of the time listen to music and imagine myself singing them myself on stage, in music videos, etc.
What is the most useless talent you have?
I don’t have any useless talents, every talent of mine if useful 🙂
Your music has an experimental tone. Should music as a form of art always challenge the listener?
In our opinion music doesn’t always have to challenge the listener. Often the exchange between a song and the listener can be purely a momentary pleasure. In terms of long lasting, impactful music that truly connects with its audience and keeps its cultural relevance over time, the answer would be, yes. In that case the art should challenge the listeners in some way. Evoque an emotion or incourage to stop and think for an instance. What music incorporates those attributes for each individual listener, who are we to say?
What is the story behind your name?
The idea behind it is that our names respectively begin with a “C” for Calvin and an “L” for Lawrence. In old roman numbers C and L stand for 100 and 50, you add those up and you get 150. Thats where ONE:FIFTY came from.
Favourite album of the past year?
Wasn’t released in 2020/21 but Mac Millers “Swimming” has been on heavy rotation ever since its release in 2018. Probably still the album that gets the most plays from us. There is something new to discover every time you listen.
Your also have very cool dark vibe. Tell us a song with an atmosphere, you wish you had composed yourself.
The atmosphere of “On My Shoulders” by Sabrina Claudio is something we would have loved to have come up with ourselves. Amazing song.
MAIJAH: My sound in three words would probably be dynamic, lyrical, and sparkly.
Mental health and overthinking. Tell us a few things about your new song MIND
LAURENTIS : I struggle with bad anxiety myself, which is what I had originally gotten into performing and music to help get over. We hadn’t really discussed themes for the song but when Maijah sent her hook and it had a similar vibe to talking about anxiety I knew we had something in common there. I think that negative self-talk is something a lot of us do and it can really bring you down, it always felt like there was almost another person doing that negative talking to me all the time and I think we thought this track was a good way to personify that struggle and tell that story.
MAIJAH: I’ve dealt with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember, so mental health is always something on my mind when I create. I think many artists are that way. When Laurentis first sent me the beat I felt this eerie depth to it and immediately connected to the complexity of the track. I was also going through a time in my life where I was having a lot of self doubt specifically toward my music career, and kept getting the message over and over again that the main block was the fact that I wasn’t believing in myself enough… that’s where the idea of being my own worst enemy came in, and the secondary layer of needing to keep myself even closer to watch and beware of those self destructive tendencies and mindsets.
Your pop vocals fit perfectly with Laurentis rap. How did that collaboration happen?
LAURENTIS : A friend of mine had Mentioned Maijah and sent me her Instagram, I was impressed by her stuff so I dm-ed her and whipped up a couple of super simple beats and we started working on them together. I don’t think either of us really expected the track to be this cinematic and intricate when I had originally sent her the base of the beat it was literally just the guitar, that vocal sample in the intro, and some drums that didn’t make it into the final cut. I was so impressed and inspired by the hook she sent back, and from that hook, the track just grew and grew. I rewrote and re-recorded my verse 3 different times trying to get that full cinematic feel we ended with. She re-recorded her hook a few times but to be honest we could have had something awesome with just that very first voice memo she sent, Maijah’s a really talented artist.
MAIJAH: A mutual friend saw that both of us were looking to collab with new musicians, and Laurentis ended up reaching out to see if I was still looking to work with someone who produced beats. I could tell by looking at his album “Liquor, Love & Lost Thoughts” that he was clearly multi-talented and had the ability to experiment with a wide variety of sounds. After he sent the first demo to me, though, I could tell that he not only had an understanding of my current sound but had some really fresh ideas for what we could make together. We sent recordings back and forth and I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting our two sounds blended together, because I feel like it’s not something that you hear too often.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
LAURENTIS : For me I wrote the first verse so it’s kind of the negative antagonist of the track and that second verse/bridge is really the more thoughtful person we all try to be. There’s this line in the bridge “I just need the 808s to drown em out” and I thought that was something that I feel all the time that music and especially hip-hop, RnB, heavy bass stuff was always there for me to try and forget about my worries for a while and just let the 808s drown the negativity out.
MAIJAH: I mean in this song I only wrote the hook, so for sure the standout lyric of mine is “I keep my enemies close so I keep myself the closest.” I mentioned it a bit before, but there’s a lot of different layers to that line, and it resonates with me to this day! When you get really into spirituality you’ll learn that the biggest block of manifesting your dreams is your own limiting beliefs…. To me, that self doubt is what I believe to be my greatest challenge, and, in a way, my biggest “enemy.” However, the way to fix self doubt is with confidence and self love, so I need to keep myself close. There’s double meaning there in the general phrase “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” and the fact that my biggest enemy is me, and the way to befriend my enemy is becoming closer to myself. I don’t even know if it makes sense all written out though!
Favourite album of the past year?
LAURENTIS : I’m going to say preemptively “Donda” (Kanye West) or “Silk sonic” (Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars), whenever those damn things drop. But of the albums that have dropped already this year, I was rockin with “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” (Tyler the Creator) and “Faith” (Pop Smoke) mostly.
MAIJAH: My favorite album of 2021 so far has definitely been “Be Right Back” by Jorja Smith! Honorable mention to Bia’s “For Certain” though, since it was technically dropped at the very end of 2020 and was all I was listening to at the beginning of this year.
What is the most useless talent you have?
LAURENTIS : The most useless talent I have is I’m double-jointed all over my body, it used to be a lot more drastic when I was a kid but I can pretty much touch the back of my hand with my pinky.
MAIJAH: Outside of music and art stuff I’m not really sure if I have anything I would consider a special “talent” but I do have a pretty good memory specifically in regards to people. Like I remember birthdays and random facts about acquaintances I had in elementary school and stuff (though that also might just be because I remember everyone’s astrological signs so who knows).
One last thing we should know about you?
LAURENTIS : The last thing you should know about me is I love to experiment, try out new music gear, new instruments, new sounds. I love trying on new genres and seeing what I can bring to my sound from them. Always excited to try out something I haven’t heard before
MAIJAH: I guess the last thing I’ll say is: I have a lot of big dreams and am definitely only getting started in this industry, but music has always been my life and I feel really dedicated to using any sort of platform I end up with to make the world a better place. I want anyone who listens to my music to know they’re not alone and their existence matters. Never give up!!!
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the story behind it?
Use 2 Love You is about reminiscing about a toxic relationship. The relationship finds itself ending with abuse. Verbal, physical, and emotional.
What is the main topic of your lyrics?
The lyrics describe how the toxic relationship was ending and how I “Use 2 Love You” but I’m living better without you now.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
Most definitely! An R&B artist named JayT. We actually went to the same college in NYC. His voice is phenomenal and he been working hard putting his music out there. If you’re an R&B lover definitely check him out.
What would you change in the music industry?
I would change how everything tends to be a popularity contest. There are many talented artists that do not get the shine they deserve due to not sounding a certain way or doing what is considered “cool” copying trends. It should go back originality and talent.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
The best advice I was ever given was that, don’t expect everyone to like your music. I think as I started making music, I expected everyone to love and appreciate what I create. As I learn more about it all, I realize not everyone will like a song or even how I sing. On the other hand, there are people who anticipate my next song and loves my voice. So I’ll continue to make music for those that do enjoy what I put out.
Should we expect an album in the near future?
I am considering creating an EP in the near future. My last few songs have strong r&b/pop elements to it. I want to become more experimental with my sound. I think I really want to tap more into my R&B bag.
I’d say my sound is Chill, Game-like, and 808-Bit. By 808-Bit I mean that I take 8-Bit / Chiptune synths and pair them with modern production, usually with 808s.
How many beats do you listen to before you end up using one? Tell us a few things about your creative process.
Zero, since I produce my own music. I guess technically the answer is one, since I do end up using a beat. It’s just that I don’t have to listen to more than one beat to get to one I want to use. I just make one and tweak it until it’s something that I like.
My creative process starts with the production. Usually I have an idea and I just take it into Reaper (my DAW) and start messing around — and I do literally mean messing around. I just play until I come across a sound that I know I can work with, or one that grabs my attention. From there, I keep playing until I have a few rhythmic or melodic ideas. They’re usually not together at this point, like they could be all over the session. I could have a melody sitting at 0:01 and then have a whole ‘nother idea sitting at 1:47 or just somewhere out of the way until I can piece all of them together into a cohesive melody or rhythm. I guess I work in a very piecewise manner.
After stitching together an instrumental, I’ll usually have one or two words or phrases that keep repeating in my head and I just keep those in mind and listen to the instrumental on repeat. As I’m listening, I write down my thoughts in a sort of stream-of-consciousness type manner…just writing the words whether full sentences or sentence fragments. From there I usually try to map those fragments onto melodic ideas and then keep slowly building until I get a phrase, a verse, a chorus, and eventually a song.
This process for me is NOT fast at all (funny enough my girlfriend, Tiqua, disagreed with this..maybe I work faster than I thought. I know I just summarized it, but it could take days to years depending on the song. Some songs you just get stuck on, and have to let sit before you come back to it. And I don’t mind that at all. I think it’s a good thing to let a song “marinate” before finishing it. I say that because it’s sort of like giving an idea the “test of time” before it’s released. So if I notice myself humming and thinking about that melody before it’s even a full song, then I know I might have something special to work with.
The other thing that’s important to my process is that I tend to keep my “mistakes” when producing. So if I accidentally drag a file over to the wrong track and it makes a new sound that’s interesting, I’ll generally try to keep it in the song, as long as it fits. My friend Deron used to call those “happy mistakes” and I have to agree with him. I mean think about it, I’m adding elements into my songs that I’m not even thinking of, they just happen. I believe keeping those things in my music has helped me vary my style a little more and make it more interesting.
For which lyric you are most proud of?
In all honesty, I don’t have a lyric that I am particularly proud of, but if I had to choose one, it would be:
“And I know it’s lame But I can explain Can’t deal with the same Damn thing all day”
This is from the chorus on a song I wrote called “Digital World”. I only chose it because it pretty accurately describes myself and my style, even though that’s not at all what I was trying to do while writing the song.
Favourite rapper, lyricist and producer?
Sheesh, this question. Don’t really have a favorite anything right now but I’ll go ahead anyways. Uh…rapper is probably Lil Uzi Vert. I just really like how he’s been flowing recently. Flo Milli too man, her flow is super dope. BUT, Lil Wayne will always be my GOAT. Lyricist is Lupe Fiasco. Producers…jeez. There’s so many dope producers I can’t even choose one, but I’ll list a few: Pharrell, DJ Dahi, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., P’ierre Bourne and a special shout out to Supah Mario for keeping video game sounds in hip-hop. He’s doing some really great work.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
Hip-Hop culture represents people who have to fight to succeed against the odds. People who are real, uncut, determined, youthful, and sometimes rebellious. So I would say that Hip-Hop symbolizes strength in the face of adversity.
Favorite music related film?
Don’t have one. I don’t watch movies that often.
Should we expect an album in the near future?
Not the near future, but not the distant future either. Non-committal answer I know, but that’s where I am. I do have an album that’s “outlined” right now, but I still gotta “color it in” if that makes sense. Not to mention planning the release and the marketing yadda yadda…The music itself is almost there, maybe 50-60% done. I’m just heading into the final lap now.
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?
Queen is a love song for those who have been hurt before, encouraging them to give love another chance. This song represents my thoughts and everything I’d like to say, personified by the confidence my music gives me.
What is the main topic of your lyrics?
My lyrics all come from a place of realness and relatability. Real life experiences, because you can’t sing about places you haven’t been. Things people are afraid to say out loud or can’t find the words to say. Deep down I’m a lover at heart, so most of my songs focus on the emotion of love.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
Besides myself? I’m going to shamelessly plug my cousin out in LA. Verskotzi is literally killing the game right now and his “ARC” series needs to be heard.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
Honestly, the most challenging thing for me is staying consistent. Obviously a huge part of growing a fanbase is providing regular content. Which is why I’m really excited about creating a new channel to consistently release covers and other musical ventures.
Favorite music related film?
I’m a huge fan of musicals and I really love the biopics that have been coming out recently. But three movies come to mind for me: Straight Outta Compton, Bohemian Rhapsody, and The Greatest Showman.
You’d give up making music for…
Nothing. Music changed my life for the better and I could never give up a passion like that.
HipHop Paranoia 