Yaseen first things first I would like to thank you for agreeing to interview with Nefarious Supply as our artist of the week so just to get the interview started introduce yourself who is Yaseen and what experiences or influences led you to choosing the path of an artist?
Thank you guys for having me. I was always a big fan of Nefarious Supply so being here with you guys is a special moment for me.From a young age I’ve always found myself connecting more with artistic and creative outlets. I started painting and drawing from a very young age and then I slowly branched off into writing and other art mediums. I was very closed off so I used creative expression as my language and whenever I would be faced with adversity from life, friendships, loved ones etc, art was one of the things that helped me subsist what I was dealing with. Alongside practicing art, I was also a huge music fanatic and I drew inspiration from music and my personal life and tried to emulate it into a painting etc. Eventually the two worlds collided for me when I came across the album “Take Care” and I was really drawn into how well Drake put forth his emotions on a record and how beautifully he communicated his message. I saw myself doing the same thing. It wasn't until my last year of high school I started to get into recording and singing. I wanted YASEEN to become an artist who can share their heartache and melancholy with others so that they can better themselves, someone who’s ready to feed you from his truth hoping you’ll be able to find what you truly are.
As of now where are you located, did you grow up in this area, and if so how would you say this area has played an influence in your sound and image as an artist?
As of now I'm located in Calgary, Canada. I moved here when I was around 9-10 years old and I’ve been here ever since so I would definitely say I grew up here. I used to live in a really small town a few hours from here called Brooks. I’ve seen that place show up on “Worst Places To Live In Canada” lists so that can kind of give you an idea for what it’s like there. Moving to a bigger city at a young age definitely opens your eyes to a lot of new things and allows you to experience a bit more as well. The city I live in isn’t known for its music scene at all. There’s definitely a lot of talent coming out of Calgary but when you look at Calgary from an outside perspective you’ll see that it’s not well known for its music. Knowing this actually motivated me even further to pioneer my own sound in an attempt to give the city something that not only they would be proud of, but that I would be proud of as well. I want to inspire people to put out more meaningful art so that we can really put the city on the map and be proud of the city that we live in.
Who are your top 5 artists you currently have in your rotation and of these 5 which individual artist would you say has had the biggest impact on you?
Currently in my rotation I have Drake, Majid Jordan, Giveon, B Young, and Rema. The list always switches up after some time but as of lately those are probably my most played artists. There’s a lot of artists that have had a huge impact on my music but if I really had to pick one out I would have to go with Majid Jordan. I'm really drawn into their writing and production. They have been big inspirations for me for a long time and I’ve learned a lot just from studying their music. They definitely inspired a few songs off of “Summer Beach House”. The topics they choose to sing about and the way they can create the cohesiveness between the production and vocals is something I hope to achieve one day. One of my all time favourites from them is the song “A Place Like This”, even though it was released in 2014 I still play it like it just came out.
So let's get into the music you actually just released on your debut album “Summer Beach House” which is a solid body of work especially for a debut. Tell us about the album, what inspired it, the creative process behind it, and what your experience was putting this body of work together?
Thank you! “Summer Beach House” was almost like this “dreamplace” for me and someone who I was very close with. It was this fond hope that we had. “Don’t worry, one day we will live in a Summer Beach House”. It was a goal that I desperately wanted with this one person but unfortunately as time progressed I felt that dream slowly fade away. I’ve learned from my past situation and hopefully I'm able to grow from that.
The project is inspired by my old dreams of living in a Summer Beach House with this one person. The project is one long road trip into my past that ends at the last track titled “Summer Beach House”. Throughout the tape I revisit my past and reflect on things I've done and what I’ve felt throughout the experience. I want the listeners to see if they can piece together the events and most importantly I want the listeners to benefit from what i'm saying in some way, shape or form.
I gotta say for a debut project you also got some heavy hitting guest appearances including DazeOnEast, Moslikely, and HRTBRKFEVER. How did you collab with these artists and how did the creative experience vary as you worked with each one?
I had connected with them through social media. I ended up sending them some snippets of what I had going on and they were all down to be a part of it. I sent through tracks that I thought fit them best and they all responded with the perfect verses. These guys are all amazing people and artists and I was really happy that they were able to be a part of my project. As for the creative experience it was generally similar between them. After hearing what I sent through they each took their time to do what they do best and sent it back as soon as they could. These are all artists who I’ve been listening to for some time now. I remember showing my friends their music years ago and to have them be a part of my debut project was an special moment for me.
On the production end of things what producers did you tap in for the project and who helped you mix and master the project?
I connected with a lot of amazing producers for this project. The project had a mix of beats that I was sent and stumbled upon online. There's a full credit page on my instagram (@downtownscene) where it shows all the producers that were a part of the project. There's an artist named 40K who I met through social media who mixed/mastered and also executive produced the project. He also produced “Talk to You” and really manipulated every track on the tape until it was perfect. I’m truly thankful for everyone who helped put the project together, it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone's contribution. Big shoutout to my collective as well “Mazieme Muse” this project would never be what it is if it wasn’t for everyone's help.
So what’s next for you? Will you be dropping any visuals to accompany the album, and when can fans expect to hear some new music?
As of right now I am currently in the process of dropping some more visuals for the album. I think “Stargirl” and “Saturday Night” are definitely songs I want to make some visuals for in the future. I had released a short film on my page titled “Don’t Sleep When We Talk” on IGTV and YouTube prior to the release of the project. There was also a lookbook and instagram filters that can all be found on my instagram as well. As far as the music goes, I'm already back in the studio trying to create some new sounds and although there’s no date set for new music I would say that fans can definitely expect some more records before the year is done.
In addition to new music what are some of your goals you hope to accomplish before the end of 2020 and into 2021
Growth. The biggest thing for me is to see improvements in my mental health and become more knowledgeable. So before the end of 2020 I definitely want to finish a few books that I’ve been wanting to read and hopefully I can set myself up to go into 2021 more knowledgeable, healthier, and happier.
Who should we feature next on Nefarious Supply?
There’s this artist I would like to introduce to you guys. He goes by the name “TRUSEÉ”. He’s an artist that’s part of my collective “Mazieme Muse”. He’s someone that has amazing potential and I really believe he has big things coming for him if he can keep working on his craft. I highly recommend you guys check out his music.
Any last words?
I just want to thank you guys for this opportunity. I’m grateful to be given the opportunity to talk about my album and my personal life so i’m very appreciative of that. I really hope people can enjoy the album and find something that can help benefit them in any way. I look forward to continuing the story of YASEEN and I can’t wait to share the next chapter. Thank you!
Big shout out to Yaseen for interviewing with Nefarious Supply if you want to stay up to date with him you can find his music on Soundcloud as well as all DSP’s and you can follow him on Instagram.
If you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, and Twitter. We also recently opened the Nefarious Supply Store and we are doing a free giveaway so if you want to support you can show some love here and spend time with us while we count down to out next Season of Merch coming October 31, 2020!