Underground artist 4cf has been making waves since early 2021 with the release of his debut project POPSTAR, produced by KBL. The EP boosted the young artist into the spotlight with standout tracks like “Run” and “Jump” masterfully showcasing 4cf’s ability to effortlessly convey serious subject matter in a catchy enough way you’ll somehow end up finding yourself singing a verse in your day-to-day.

However, the track that truly put 4cf in the limelight was his final effort on POPSTAR, “Jade”. Some stars must have aligned to pair KBL’s production on this song with 4cf’s lyricism and vocals, but the song is a match made in heaven and deserves the over 1,000,000 streams it’s gained, and the numerous remixes.

4cf’s biggest quality is the replay value of his tracks. Since the release of POPSTAR, the artist has been a tear with his single releases. From the in-your-face “WTF” with a beautifully fitting funeral feature, to his newest efforts with frequent collaborator, anem0s.

After their new addition, “losemymind” with Austyn With a Y* there was no other person more fitting for March’s Artist of the Month.

What does the name 4cf originate from?

4cf comes from my previous artist’s moniker. I used to go by a.c.f. and then, around December 2020, I decided that I wanted to restart and see if I could make it as an artist from scratch without any of the support of people that knew me IRL. 

Who is 4CF as an artist? What concepts and themes do you want to convey with your music and creativity?

I think 4cf as an artist is really just me. My goal under this name is to try and stay as true to myself and my emotions as possible while making the best-sounding music I can.

I think the themes that come up most in my music have to do with whatever way I’m feeling about myself or a relationship I have with someone else at the time. Through my creativity, I hope to convey, honesty. I know that sometimes the way that I write or the way I introspect about certain topics can be immature or childish but if that’s how I’m feeling I feel like it’s important to convey that.

What cultures and experiences cultivate this persona or identity of yours?

Black American culture 100%. I grew up homeschooled for a while as well so I think that kind of isolation that I was feeling also has a lot to do with the way I present myself and aspects of the music I make.

I grew up listening to a lot of 90s, 2000s-2010s music, whether that be the RnB and rap that my family showed me like Ne-Yo, Nelly, and all those tracks produced by the Neptunes or the 2010s Electronic/Pop fusion just scrolling through YouTube in the middle of the day as a 9-year-old with unrestricted internet access (I was supposed to be doing my homework).

When I got to high school, I wasn’t being homeschooled anymore so I made a bunch of friends and they put me onto bands like My Chemical Romance and Panic! At the Disco and I realized that I really liked their energy and lyrics. Somehow I eventually found my way to Frank Ocean who became my musical idol when I was 16-17.

How has your experience in the music industry been thus far?

I wouldn’t say I’ve had a lot of industry experience so far, I’ve met with an A&R or two and they were super nice about my stuff so all in all, I’d say it’s been pretty positive. I like when people say my music is good!

Do you have an outstanding moment since you got into the music industry that makes you realize how important it is to make music like this? If so what would that be?

I think it’s always crazy to me when people tell me that a song I’ve written has gotten them through a hard time or that they relate to my lyrics in any way. Whenever I write I feel like people won’t end up paying attention but it always means the world to me when they do, and it means even more if they relate. 

What do you think personally sets you apart from the rest of your peers in the scene? What do you bring to music that you believe no one else has the ability to bring? 

I think maybe one thing that sets me apart from my peers is how slowly I work. I used to get really obsessed with finishing songs super quickly and having a frequent amount of drops but ever since “Jade”, I’ve been really conscious of the fact that I wanna make great music that pushes me and takes effort. As I work now it takes, like, 3-4 months for tracks to get past the demo stage and I try to get a lot of feedback. IDK if that is necessarily anything too unique but I’ve noticed that people in the scene work so fast and I feel insecure that I can’t necessarily keep up sometimes 

Is there any one song that you’ve made that stands out from the rest? Released or unreleased.

I just dropped a song the other week called “losemymind” which I’m using to kickstart a series of singles for the year. For me, it’s a real standout because I feel like it really shows that I don’t suck! In the past, I’ve felt super held back by my mixing and lack of production skills but growing and working with my friends over the course of 2022 enabled us to come together and make a song that I feel truly showcases the beginnings of what we have to offer as apart of the community. So, go stream that.

What people should listen to that will get them hooked?

I love listening to artists in chronological order but for the love of god I’m begging you not to listen to all of my old music, some of it really sucks.  To get HOOKED, I would recommend listening to my first EP POPSTAR that’s entirely produced by one of my best friends, KBL.

What do you believe keeps your current audience listening and why should people start listening?

I truly have no idea. I’d like to think that people start to see more of the potential that I have with every release so maybe that’s what keeps people interested. “Jade” is also pretty catchy so I know that people are definitely sticking around to hear that one at the VERY LEAST. I also wouldn’t say that people SHOULD listen to me but, I don’t know, I be making some fire sometimes so if you wanna hear some fire you know where to find it.

Who do you listen to on a regular basis?

At the moment I’ve been listening to a lot of underground rap so that’s artists like Tana, Jaydes, BK the Rula, etc. No matter how many months it’s been though I always go back and listen to Coldplay and it feels like brand new every time, I love their first album so mother***** much it’s, like, actually crazy.

I mentioned Frank Ocean before and he’ll always be one of my favorite artists but I don’t listen to him as much these days (I’ve listened to blonde probably over 200+ times in full). For me, whatever music I’m listening to at the time I take as a challenge, so then I go try and see if I can make something in the style for fun. I also listen to a lot of my friends’ music all the time, but I got like a million people that I’m friends with who also inspire me to make more music.

Are these the same people who encourage your sound? Or are there other factors that come into play?

Definitely! I see Music as a learning experience every time I listen. Anytime I hear something that I like, I try to break down how it sounds within the song, or if I like the way a certain lyric is formatted I think about how I can incorporate that into my writing style to become a more rounded and skilled artist.

What do you think is the most important aspect of music as a concept, personally and objectively?

Personally, I think the most important aspect of music for me is its execution. The way in which the message, sound, emotion, or whatever is conveyed is extremely important to me because there are so many ways to get the point across, but if it’s not interesting, no one is going to connect with it.

I don’t think anything can be objective when talking about the concept of an art form, but I think the expression is also very important. Being able to get the release of channeling your emotions into something beyond just saying it is why music feels so good.

Lastly, what advice or experiences would you like to share with your peers or anyone else who is up and coming in this industry?

The one piece of advice I can give is, to let yourself feel your emotions as they are sometimes. I think sometimes we have a tendency to try and rationalize or downplay how we’re feeling because we don’t feel like it’s valid but being honest with yourself about how you feel really makes things so much easier in the long run.

Also, is there anything you'd like for us to promote with our audience?

STREAM LOSEMYMIND BY 4CF PROD AUSTYN WITH A Y AND ANEM0S ON ALL PLATFORMS (please)