Tell us a few things about your new song “Dance”. What is the story behind it?
I was working on tracks throughout 2020 and 2021 for an EP. My good friend and producer Jordan Marcotte brought me this really moody sounding vibe that I fell in love with. I wanted a song that celebrated both individuality and being in love. It may sound like a dichotomy but that’s how I view life. I see things through multiple lenses.
How would you describe your musical progress over the years?
I didn’t feel in control of my own artistry at first. I was afraid to speak up and change anything (i.e. production, direction, overall release). I didn’t really know how to be honest with you. The older I get the more I realize that each release is an extension of where I am, how I feel, and what I want to express. It has to meet my own standards before release day. I like that kind of creative control.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
. It’s actually in my song “All The Right Ways” but the lyric goes “so pathetic, that I’m forgetting, I feel my face turning red”. This actually happens to me more than I’d like to admit. I turn red – easily – for many reasons that I won’t discuss here.
Favourite album of the past year?
I’ve been listening to a lot of John Splithoff. His album “All In” is what I’ve been diving into. He’s clear and direct – lyrically, vocally, musically. It rolls together so easily. At least he’s makes it sound that way.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
My biggest challenge has been to stop caring what others think and just be the artist I want to be. Not who others want me to be. Not how they want me to sound. At the end of the day if I don’t believe or even like the art I present, I’ll resent it and eventually be consumed by the regret.
Favorite film ever?
Titanic. The stories and backstories the movie intertwines make the film more profound that one may realize upon first viewing. I could go on but I’ll leave that there.
When was the last time you danced?
I kinda dance all the time to be real with you. Daily.
Tell us a few things about your new song ‘More Than Friends’. What is the main idea behind it?
To take you back in time with a more raw material where we take in the sound from the 80’s where you do not overpower the song with effects. Same thing with the production which is oldschool with modern elements. The lyrics speaks for it self haha, I want to be more than just a BFF with my homeboy.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
It’s definitely Im Alive. I wrote this when I really dipped in the music. It is a constant struggle to fight your way forward and you fight because the passion is so big and deep in you heart. I can not bear to continue but without the footbridge I am not alive.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Whitney Houston, MJ, Mariah Carey, Brandy, Baby Face, Toni Braxton. They frame everything I love with soul and rnb from the past. Voices and styles I look up to today Eva Max, Rita Ora, Rihanna.
What would be your dream performance venue?
A packed Globen, home plan and that everyone sings along to my songs, what a dream. I sang there, it was packed with me singing behind an artist. I want to experience the same but as the main act
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
since I believe that I have circled many different styles, I hope that everyone finds something in me that they can resemble both in style and text. Without being scattered and still getting recognition, I do not want to commit to just one style.
What is the one habit/thing. you cannot live without?
Besides Singing I cannot live without swedish candy.. and then I’m a diabetic haha, and still cant live without it.. very hard this habit of mine.
Hmm… like the sound of my record? My production? Warm.Fat.Old.
Tell us a few things about your new work ‘The Angels Album’. What is the main idea behind it?
Well, it’s sort of the culmination… and the beginning. It’s the culmination of a life obsessed with music, all leading to the moment when you find the truest, highest expression of your art. And then, it’s the beginning, because once you find that, you just want to see how much of it the Muse will give you.
Which song (if any) of the album reflects you the most and why?
When you have children, they each reflect you in different ways. I’d like to just go with the proud parent response, I love all my kids equally. But in this moment… Angels.
Main influences?
Rugs. Tapestries. Birds. Teapots. People who pioneer things… expand things… stay true to something they love… detail oriented people. Flowers.
What would you change in the music industry?
What music industry… ? For me, that’s two things, music and industry. What would I change about industry? Hm. Support small businesses. And music… I like that question a lot, hmm. I could see peoples’ relationship to music being so much more satisfying if they were to practice the way I’ve been told it was… That our parents and their parents used to sit and listen to music and not do anything else… I like the idea of a resurgence of that, of more full focus listening.
Which book should we read while listening to your music?
Ha! Well like I was saying… but if I had to choose something, I’d say pick something heavily illustrated.
What is the one habit/thing you cannot live without?
Tell us a few things about your album Stevie Boi Jr. What is the story behind it?
Stevie Boi Jr. is a 9 song 29 minute visual album available on YouTube compiled of cartoon animation and real life imagery. From my childhood upbringing, to the relentless pursuit of my career you are able to hear, see, and feel all of the highs and lows of Stevie Boi Jr.’s journey. Find out how I power through the day on tracks like “Morning Routine” and watch as I reflect on my childhood while questioning the laws of human consciousness on “Decades.” Listen as ‘Stevie Boi Jr.’ calls out the mainstream media and their underlying agenda on the song “Same Old Sound” followed by metaphoric struggles through the valleys of the Utah Canyons on my song “Canyon Call.” Listen to the pain in Stevie Boi Jr.’s voice as I foreshadow a broken heart from a past lover on the closing track “Deja Vu.” Needless to say, my album “Stevie Boi Jr.” takes us on a rollercoaster of a journey through my mind and emotions as I rise to the top.
What first got you into music?
As a kid I loved to play the drums and sing. When I was younger I loved 70s music because of my father. Artists with wide vocal ranges such as Freddie Mercury of Queen, Stevie Wonder, and a Elvis Presley caught my attention. Newer soft rock such as John Mayer, Cold Play, and Dave Matthews band I appreciated also at a young age. It wasn’t until 7th/8th grade that I discovered my love for RnB and Hip Hop inspired by artists such as Usher, Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, Mac Miller, Childish Gambino, Joey Badass and all of Beast Coast, and others. Seeing artists like these form their own brands and independently make careers off of their own music/art put a fire in me to achieve this for myself.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
Current Joys and his album “Wild Heart”
What would you change in the music industry?
All the things that are glorified in the mainstream. Focusing on raw authentic music and art rather than the cheap sex/drugs/money propaganda. Also for labels to start giving full control and ownership to the artist and their work while not taking most of the money they earn.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
Listeners who like smooth melodic upbeat music that puts them in a mood of positivity. I touch upon relatable subjects such as experiences with romantic relationships along with our relationship to ourselves and well being. Also anyone looking to dive a little deep into spirituality and their own connection to the universe.
Tell us a few things about your new song “Nobody’s Coming”. What is the story behind it?
The song is an examination of society, what we have been taught to believe spiritually, mentally and also and examination of self, understanding our power lies with us. Freedom is within us. Olaf Blackwood’s vocal interpretation of that sentiment is beautiful.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
From Nobody’s Coming? Wow, the entire song is personal and an honest observation, from my view of our world. How one is treated because of color, gender, sexuality, economics. The line“…they’re giving us all of these things while they are taking our girls…” is how the dangling carrot (money, sex etc) distracts us, it places us on a hamster wheel so to speak and people will do anything to acquire the things we are told we must acquire to be recognized.
Favourite album of the past year?
Right now I’m bouncing between Jazmine Sullivans Heaux Tales and Adele’s 30.
Why is sexism, and even outright misogyny, so pervasive in Hip Hop culture?
The seed planted many moons ago that this is a mans world and women are just here to facilitate that journey carry’s on in every aspect of society, and of course, art is a reflection of the time and space we are in. I think its changing though…
Photo by @theartistcaps
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
When I’m not writing I’m listening to music, observing the world. I also love binge watching tv shows, when there is time.
Tell us a few things about your new song ‘New Heartache’. What is the main idea behind it?
It speaks to a situation most of us have been through, in that you meet someone and are excited for the future. You are certain this time it is forever! But when it falls apart and ends, those familiar feelings of disappointment and loss return. Brand new but also very much the same as before.
What first got you into music?
I began singing in the church with my grandfather at the age of After my first performance, I knew I wanted to sing for the rest of my life.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
Lol, other than me?! Ha, ha! There are so many amazing artists that have not been given their flowers yet. I live in Los Angeles so I am blessed with some of the greatest in the game in my backyard. Jennah Bell and Damon Turner are the first two that come to mind. Check them both out, their work will change you. For Real.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
Of course there are many challenges with being an Indie Artist. All of which are frustrating at different levels at different times. Currently, having to be a creator, and also a business mogul at the same time is very stressful. I am solely responsible for everything I’m doing and that can be a lot of pressure at times. But I love this work so much, and I won’t stop fighting for it to be shared with as many people as possible.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
Hmm, well, I would say any state where they are open and available to feel. Whether you are emotional or amorous or just trying to relax, I want you to be able to tap in and just enjoy the vibes. And if my music helps you process or feel something, even better.
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
Oh my God! I love this question! I’m not sure how to answer though. I am pretty boring when it comes to illegal adventures and whatnot. I was also a mostly good kid, but my mom had one reoccurring problem with me… We moved around a lot in rural Oklahoma when I was young. Back then cell service was very expensive and even if you called on a landline, it was long distance rates just about everywhere. I kept running up my mom’s phone bill and she would beat my ass! But I would miss my friends so much, I would sneak phone calls to them all the time. Every month when that bill came in I would be so scared! Lol, I learned to control myself eventually but damn! Being a preteen was a trip!
Tell us a few things about your new album ‘Alien Girl’. What is the story behind it?
The story behind it is the chronicles of my past three years living in London. It’s the story of so many people like me that moved to another country to follow their dreams and make a better life for themselves. People that didn’t belong in the place they were born in and that worked hard to create that sense of belonging in the place of their choice.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“… And I know that i like to sabotage things and this is why, I made him sabotage me”. I think this sentence encapsulates the first real struggle I always had in relationships and it acts as one of the starting points of my album.
What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?
This is a tough one! The making of this album in collaboration with Charles Bioul, Tom Gilbertson and Federico Marchi really changed my perspective! 3 years ago I would have said with no doubt the writing process was my favourite part of making music, now I just can’t wait to bring what I write to the band and see what arrangements we come up with for our live shows! So I would say, performing live is now the part I enjoy the most! The power of collaboration I guess!
What would you change in the music industry?
I would change the constant need to put artists in boxes. Music should educate people to recognise talent in the complexity of every human being rather than minimise human beings/artists to simple labels or categories. I think every artist has a world inside that is so different from everybody else and as controversial as it might sound, in my opinion it has nothing to do with their genre or music style.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Do what feels right and work with other people!! Don’t be scared of failing or showing yourself for who you really are!
What is the one habit/thing you cannot live without?
When it comes to my music, I am a massive control freak! I need to know everything is going the way I planned! I couldn’t live without my habit of organising weeks in advance on my calendar!
Tell us a few things about your new song ‘Good 4 You’. What is the main idea behind it?
Here’s the main idea behind the single “Good 4 You”: While creating this single, i went with a simple approach and tried to answer the most obvious question that we ask ourselves once We meet someone who’s maybe out of our league, or we’re interested in making the first move on. But before we do any of that, we ask (AM I GOOD FOR YOU). It’s a question that carries much weight if you think about it. Then i decided to tell a simple story that focuses on love, romance, and the importance of asking this question and what you can do to make the first move; this song also contains fresh ideas that i wanted to try out something that’ll make this single stand out among its peers. When it comes to the artwork, i went with a different approach. This time the painting is a storyteller; every detail hints towards something related to the song, from the colors to the heart waves drawn on the top and the bottom of the design, i don’t want to spoil this. It would help if you listened to understand what the art
How would you describe your musical progress over the years?
I’ve been releasing music for a year and two months so far, so good I still have a long way to go. I’m always looking to improve and develop my abilities as an artist and songwriter. I improve with each release that comes out. I’m always on the look-out for reviews, feedback, and support so that I can release and create more music my latest addition is a PayPal donation page for those who wish to support and keep me as an artist; the fact that PayPal is safe and secure I’m hoping that people will feel safer donating to help me out improve and keep going since I’m visually-impaired, and I can’t do everything alone.
Do you like the idea of collaborating? Is songwriting a lonely process?
Since starting out, I wasn’t presented with the opportunity to collab with anyone, but I’m not against it. Unfortunately, things aren’t that easy, and I’ll tell you why I’ve been approached by someone who wanted to collab but turned that he’s a scammer, so to all starting artists out there, be careful don’t trust anyone who offers a collab always do your research before signing or starting any new project. As for songwriting, songwriting is never a lonely process because once you start writing, you’re immediately taken to this amazing world where ideas are all around, bagging you to be heard are dive deeper and deeper into your creative mind this can take hours and the journey in your creative mind is always fruitful especially when your inspiration is acting as your guiding compass. Hence, I never considered songwriting to be lonely or a tedious process.
What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?
Hmm, this is a tough one, honestly. The entire music creation process is enjoyable, from the moment your inspiration hits you to the moment of lyrics writing. Next, you visualize how your recording will go trying different ideas (all in your mind, by the way) and then stepping behind the mic recording the hooks verses, background vocals, adlibs, and layers; then there is the time when you’ll need to sit down and conjure an idea for your single’s artwork thinking of details should you show within it and what will it be about. I love it all because I do it all, with exceptions. I’m proud and blessed to enjoy most of the steps the rest I leave to those I work with due to my poor sight; I’m unable to enjoy everything, but thanks to the outstanding beatmaker FlipTunesMusic, the phenomenal producer/mixing/master engineer Larry Ohh! And the talented designer/illustrator Beartrix, it’s been good, and I’m so thankful for all their efforts.
Is Spotify the music industry’s new Gatekeepers?
To be honest, streaming on Spotify is becoming more and more complicated. You need to reach many streams or get placements in a well-known playlist to get a decent income. So it’s becoming more and more difficult. For me, if you’re not willing to spend much money on campaigns with well-known companies so that they can push your song (Beware from scammers. There are many scammers), then the journey will become more complex and more challenging from here, and for me, that is not an option since my budget is minimal, and without other people’s support, I won’t be able to make such a move. Also, curators make it very difficult to be placed in playlists since they sometimes act as judge, jury, and executioner then you won’t make it, and most of the time they won’t give a reason for it so for starting artists, how are we going to improve if we’re not given the proper feedback or instructions on how to move forward so for me I do post my music on Spotify. However, I’m not getting much out of it due to the difficulties that I’m facing.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
The advice that I will give my younger self is to start early in your life. Then, once your dream is decided, don’t wait it out and don’t listen to the haters around you because that will come back and bite you in the end music industry is all about time and effort, and the earlier you start, the better and wiser you’ll become when it comes to music-making and business decisions.
What is the most useless talent you have?
An excellent question to ask. Do you know why because? I never considered thinking about it, but I’m sure that I will have an answer for it in the future.
Tell us a few things about your new song ‘Slow Connection/Censor’. What is the story behind it?
“Slow Connection” & “Censor” is the double side first single of my recently released EP, “22”. 2 sides released on 12-22… for “22” that was released 2-2-22 (as you can see I have a thing for the number “2”. lol) I really wanted to challenge my songwriting this past summer, so I locked myself in the studio and recorded a bunch of new songs exclusively with my brother in sound Rob Jeanyus & it was just vibes! When it was time for my team to hear the music, we just went with the vibes & thats how these two became the first single.
What first got you into music?
I’ve loved music for as long as I could remember. In middle school, seeing how big & diverse pop music was, I got hooked. I used to have a “calendar” of all the things I had to do aka things I recorded & would watch over & over again until I knew it word for word.
Favourite album of the past decade?
Thats a tough one. I’m just gonna go with what I’ve been playing nonstop since I’ve heard it & thats “Bubba” by Kaytranada. The music is a vibe…it takes you places. Then I saw him live, virtual show & in Atlanta, & it just makes the album that much greater to me.
What would you change in the music industry?
Oh man theres so much but I’d change the way Indie artist on the come up are treated. There are so many cash grab situations that you find yourself in bc ppl know they can make quick money off artists who are hungry & often desperate for a chance to make it. It’s already a tough process & most acts starting out DON’T have the capital for majority of opportunities. Promoters will have contests already knowing who the winner is, while still taking money from people who really want an opportunity. It’s pretty unfortunate.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
You gotta be in the mood for VIBES! A high vibrational mood, ready for something positive from the universe… whether it be getting ready to go hang w/ friends, a nice vacation, a night cap w/ your partner, etc.
What would you say is your biggest vice?
My biggest vice is FOOD! I am a foodie! I love all kinds of food, will try the “weirdest” foods, watch food shows, etc. I do a happy dance when I get good food or see good looking food coming my way. I also turn sour when I’m hungry or the food wasnt good lol Food is by far my biggest vice for sure. Papa gotta eat!
Tell us a few things about your new song “You’re Not Special”. What is the main idea behind it?
To be honest. I just got a little pissed off one day with a girl haha. I think it had just been building and I guess when I get angry, I always want to try and hit the person where it hurts which is why I try to avoid being angry. You’re Not Special is a raw reflection of how I was feeling at that time. It’s me honestly just trying to rationalise and get over someone who hurt me but also not pulling my punches. I’m not overly mean at all but I’m also not holding back.
What first got you into music?
I think I always thought the idea of music was cool but I was a painfully shy kid, so it wasn’t really a dream I had. I plated recorder like every other kid in the UK haha but then when I was 11/12, my grandad paid for piano lessons and then my music teacher told me I could sing… a little bit. Obviously, I ran with that and thought I was automatically Stevie Wonder or Nick Jonas. I think the seriousness of music intensified when I was 15/16 – I taught myself guitar, began to perform more and I wasn’t good at first, but I got a lot better by sheer practice. That’s where I say I fell in love with music.
Favourite album of the past year?
Absolutlely loved Dave’s album “We’re All Alone in this Together” and FINNEAS’ album “Optimist”.
What would you change in the music industry?
I just wish it was easier to get into. The amount of money you need to shell out to, how cutthroat it is and just how overly competitive it is. I also hate how as artists some of us tend to feel like we need to follow trends to be sustainable? In an ideal world it should always be about the essence of the art I guess but maybe that’s too idealistic haha.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
I’m a massive anime lover. I also try and catch up with some of my favourite games. Really excited to play the new Horizon game. It’s funny because these both along with other things inspire my music. Everything I love inspires me – I literally wrote a song about my favourite game Kingdom Hearts for my upcoming EP. Another thing is I currently work in mental health alongside being a musician, so I always try and read books and educate myself further on that aspect of things.
Who’s the most special someone in your life?
Haha I see what you did there! My friends are very important to me, idk where I’d be without them. Shoutout to the mandem man… and the gyaldem too! Family too, especially my sisters. I think I always want to be a much better person for them and I would do anything for them.
HipHop Paranoia 