Does love make you wanna run in real life too? What advice would you give to your younger self?
It did at one point but I’ve learned that love is unavoidable. It always seems to find me. I’d tell my younger self to stop running. “Be who you are, learn how to feel”
Which track in the “The(Essense)tial” EP represents you the most?
My song La Da Di literally describes me in my element. Just in my house bumpin to some music, in my own zone. I’m an introvert. I like to be by myself. I can have my own private party.
What makes NYC one of the most influential places in the world? What do you love and what do you hate in the city?
We set trends. We create waves. It’s just a vibe. I love everything about my city. I hate when people try to act like it’s not the best city in the world!
How do you relate to the NYC music scene?
I’m a fan of this new NYC music scene. Especially the NY drill scene. Definitely a vibe.
What is your favorite album of the past decade?
It’s a tie between H.E.R’s first album and DVSN Sept. 5
As a bass player, would it be safe to assume that your tracks start always with the bass line? Tell us a few things about your creative process.
No, I unfortunately left my bass back home in Italy, therefore here in LA I can’t do that yet. Usually my tracks start more with keys, since that is my main instrument but it can also start with drums or with any exciting sample. “Peach Flavored Vodka” is actually the first song I started with a bassline but I’ll definitely do that more in the future.
Since I’m a producer, I love to start producing and writing at the same time. The distinction between the two often blurs for me, since production gives me endless possibilities of where a song can go. Other times I write piano songs and then turn those into hip hop beats. All the first songs I wrote were mainly piano songs.
Your video describes your 15-year-old past self. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Enjoy every moment while it lastsand embrace your age.
Favorite rapper, lyricist and producer?
Kanye West (both)
Moving from South Tyrol to Berlin and then to LA, which are the main differences between these places and what do they have in common?
South Tyrol stands basically for small town / countryside vibes. It is very quiet, peaceful, people are very friendly but there’s not really an artistic open-mindedness. The mountains, even though they’re beautiful, unfortunately block people’s horizon.Berlin and LA, on the other hand, are major cities where you can be whoever you want to be. Berlin just has the downside that its music business is still limited in its variety and you won’t find enough support to sustain your career in every genre you’d like to create.In LA you have the wholemusic business and that’s why it became my current home.Aside from artistic freedom, it is also the center of the music industry, which inspires you to keep pushing because you know there arepossibilities forsustaining your career.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
Audrey Nuna
Favorite music related film?
Inside Llewyn Davis
Any future plans?
Becoming successful in the industry, either as an artist or as a producer.
Platforms offering sound recordings in a netflix style subscription-for-access model changed the art of sampling in a drastic way. Do you think that having such an easy access to samples affects the quality of instrumental music today?
I used to use samples for all my work, but I felt there was a huge restriction in truly getting taste of my soul out on to a canvas. In other words, I couldn’t truly express what I was feeling and any deep rooted emotions I’m holding onto because I was unable to play the rhythms I wanted with the timing that matched my moods.
Your music could work perfectly as a soundtrack. If you were asked to rescore a film, which one would you choose?
Oh wow, maybe along the lines of The Matrix, Gladiator or Interstellar. I really like films that bend the mind, so creating music around that would be extremely fun.
If you had to choose one Synthesizer (analog or digital) which one would it be?
Given the choice, I would go definitely go analog just to get that constant smooth sound. I feel that it gives more presence of the soul in mixes and fills up so much space In those frequencies only the subconscious can pick up on which is so key in music because people do really pick up on harmony with an innate ear for them disregarding having a professional one.
What is the best instrumental album ever?
Ouf, I’m a huge fan of Thom Yorke’s Suspirium. It’s got a mix of some instrumentals as well as vocals. I feel those albums have the most dynamic because they serve you the best of both words in terms of vocalization and instrumental work. That album itself really taps into a mysterious dark world dwelling deep in my mind that feels very real and once experienced if that makes any sense.
What would you change in the music industry?
I’d make the producers take over, haha! Well, to be honest, I would like the algorithms on streaming platforms to become so advanced in music that it caters to even the small guys putting them in front of the listeners that matter most. I think a great idea would be to give free to bare minimum streaming music memberships to people who can’t afford it but limiting them to listen to only independent musicians with premium features rather than full scaled and/or signed artists. It’s definitely been implemented with some music platforms out there but it should be normalized on the big players. I think it will ultimately improve their algorithms analysis and allow room for independent musicians to reap more profitability and fanbase for an audience that is unchecked.
Any future plans?
I’m hoping to sign to an independent label in the near future that can scale my music to a much larger audience. Right now in the present, my focus is on improving my instrument playing skills on my guitar and keyboard. As for my craft, I’ll definitely be objectively chipping away at it until I have several compositions to call it an album!
Born in France and of Beninese and Cameroonian origin,, I’m a Producer, DJ, Rapper living in Paris. Playing all around the world in clubs and festivals, i regularly publish instrumental projects but also many titles with artists met during my travels or online notably Japanese, Brazilian or French
Describe your sound in three words
Passionate, Open minded, universal
In your music, there is a clear focus on the groove. Would it be safe to assume that your creative process usually starts with the beat?
In fact, i didn’t have any real process for making a music, i can start from the beat, a sample, a melodie or from a text. I let myself be carried away by the inspiration of the moment.
What is the main topic of your lyrics?
The main topics on this album are the party, the atmosphere in the favela and the stories that happen to the artists.
Is language a barrier in music?
Not at all, I don’t speak Portuguese, but many artists spoke English and otherwise we used translation software. when you’re looking to work with someone and especially in music, language is never a barrier.
Your album is dance oriented. Considering that during the covid area parties almost do not exist, in which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
It is true that the project came out in the midst of a pandemic. But you should know that in many countries and especially in Brazil it has not stopped people from continuing to party. So I bet on the fact that when the evenings resume my album will be part of the projects to play to the public! 😉
Do you have a favorite song from your album?
Not really because every song is a story to tell.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
All of them!! Go listen their songs, follow them on social medias and push them we are all independants so this help a lot!
Do you cook? If yes, which is your favorite dish?
My favorite meal is Plantain with rice and chicken and yes i cook 😉
Any future plans?
I’m working on new projects with Brazilian artists more Hiphop / Trap oriented. So stay tuned 😉
Hello my name is Albert Collins Williams IV so that’s where my stage name came from. shocking my list of bad rap names is only two I started 0ff as POETIClly inspired then I switched to collin_the inspiration so third time the charm I think I will stick with iv_collin. I started rapping my freshman year of high school but really started taking it serious my sophomore year after doing a poetry unit for my English class.
Describe your sound in three words
I would describe my sound as introspective, relatable & gritty I do my best to not sugarcoat anything with my music I want you to feel like you know me as if we been friends for years.
For which lyric you are most proud of?
If I can talk to younger me I’ll tell myself to never change be yourself everything will be okay. I chose this lyric because think of how much time we waste trying to seek validation from people who will never give it to you. Not to mention that most of them are trying to seek their validation from someone else.
Best Hip Hop album ever?
Alright not you tryna got me in trouble haha I know the typical answer is the blueprint by Jay Z or illmatoic by Nas. But this a hard question but ill give you a couple options I think are the best.
Good kid mad city by Kendrick Lamar My Beautiful dark twisted fantasy Kanye west 2014 forrest hill drive J Cole To Pimp a butterfly Kendrick Lamar
Why are misogyny and sexism so pervasive in Hip Hop culture?
You know at times it feels like we are stuck in the past but honestly I feel like the women in hip hop are breaking dow n barriers for years now look at Cardi b, Meg the stallion , Rapsody and the city girls.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
I think Jon Keith is an hidden gem I been listening to his album anti hero a lot this year .
Favorite music related film?
I would say 50 Cent get rich or die trying I grew up in the 50 cent era so that movie means a lot to me.
Any future plans?
My futures plans are investing more mercy for my label H.W.N.S (Hustlers With No Sympathy) I just made some new stickers that everyone should checkout at hustlerswithnosympathy.com. also I’m working on the sophomore album Last Call to Paradise the first single Seat at the table is available now.
Im a Music Producer from Fife, Scotland. born Scott Russell Wilson Jr. & Been operating musically under the Alias B O Ḵ Ë since late 2018. Music has been a beautiful way for me too convey my emotions over the years and I look too continue my work on into the foreseeable future & I have faith someday it will give me a big enough platform too really impact humanity in positive way and push us back in the right direction as a species.
Describe your sound in 3 words
Pushing The Boundaries.
Favourite rapper, lyricist and producer
Favourite Rapper right now has to be Slowthai. That man is seriously on a whole other level! Even though he’s only dropped one official album at this point I can feel the levels of evolution & introspection going on and I honestly live for that shit.
Favourite Lyricist right now has to be Shogun. The way he attacks a beat with his own unique approach will be remembered for years to come, especially up here in Scotland. Props to him for all he’s doing for the Scottish scene right now too. It’s been a blessings being a part of it & I look forward to the future endeavours with Sho.
Favourite Producer is Moby. These where all really tough to just pick one for each but I feel like Moby’s been there since the very start of my love for music & even still too this day his album releases never fail to leave me in awe. It’s honestly probably where my love for making full length albums rather than singles came from & his music also pushed me more in the direction of trying to portray some sort of emotion or deep routed message rather than just go with whatever’s currently poppin’ – so I’m forever in debt to Moby for that reason & many more.
Best Hip Hop album ever
Again, It’s hard to choose the best hip-hop album of all time really but for me personally the one I’m most attached to on a spiritual level would have to be ‘Ready To Die’ by The Notorious B.I.G – The whole album is just complete raw realness to it’s core right from the get go & I love that. All the beats are legendary, the hooks are timeless, all the menacing bars & flows throughout just take me to another realm and have done since a young age. I always looked up to the rappers like Pac, BIG & any other rapper coming with something uniquely theirs & real.
Top Hidden Gem Artist
Honestly any hidden gem Artists I come across I take down the names & add them to the bucket-list of talented artists I would love to work with in near the future and in recent times I’ve been fortunate enough to mark off some of them names.
I would say a definite Hidden Gem Artist to watch would be MONROE (MONRO£ on Spotify) from Telford, England (UK). Bubbling up a lot of hype round his ends & for good reason, he comes with it every time and his bars & melodies just seem to be getting better & better. 100% someone to watch in the UK scene and I look forward to sharing some of the music We’ve got coming.
Future plans
As far as the future goes, I’m not entirely sure even where to start. Basically I have an Album I’ve been working on all year & In the process of getting this as good as it deserves to be I’ve ended up with way more music than I can even release.
So for now let’s just keep it one big exciting moment in time then we’ll focus on what’s next when it gets here.
In my mind it’s the Biggest album coming out of Scotland in 2020 so I genuinely cannot wait too share it with you guys, then move forward onto the next one like it’s nothing.
Plenty more to come that’s for sure – I just need to Stay Ready & Trust the process.
HipHop Paranoia 