Noozi - Losing

Noozi welcome to Nefarious Supply, to get this interview started tell us about your self. Who is Noozi, how long have you been an artist and how has your experience been so far?

Thank you so much! I’m so happy we get to do this. So, a little about me… I’m an R&B singer-songwriter, born and raised in Florida. I’m from Jacksonville, Florida and moved to Nashville, Tennessee about 2 years ago. I have been singing my whole life, but really I say I’ve been an artist for 2 years now. That is when I put everything else aside and started to pursue music as a career.

My artist experience so far, truthfully, has been a challenging but beautiful one. There are two sides to being an artist. I have felt a lot of frustration. I have had to do a lot of inner work and grow a ton in order to get to this current release. I can be super hard on myself, and as an artist there is a lot of pain that comes along with creating. However, it has been so fulfilling and enjoyable at the same time. I have learned so much about music and about myself. Seeing all the hard work pay off is always worth it. I am getting to work with so many talented people and experience so much because of it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

How’d you come up with the name Noozi?

Noozi comes from my last name. My friend came up with it when we were in highschool and since then it has just stuck. The name just feels like me. Before I started using it as my artist name it was a nickname my closest friends used for me, and I thought that was really cool. It was like the people that knew me the best would call me Noozi and the rest would call me by my government. With music being the most authentic version of myself, it only felt right to use that as my artist name.

Where are you based out of and how’s the underground music scene in the area?

I’m currently based out of Nashville, TN. The underground music scene here is so rich. The reason I moved here is because of all the talent I saw developing here, especially in the Hip-Hop and R&B scene. It’s crazy. It is definitely beginning to gain some attention, and it is well-deserved. I have met some of my best friends here and am amongst the most talented creatives, musicians, artists, photographers, all that. I feel really blessed to be a part of it at this moment in time. It feels like we’re making history.

What’s your favorite aspect of being an artist?

The therapeutic role it plays in my life. I have a real tough time feeling centered sometimes and music can really get me there. When I am writing and creating, often alone, is when I feel most connected to life and the universe and myself. It’s healing. Then, taking that and being able to do that with people is even crazier. Creating with people in the studio or connecting to people on stage can be one of the most energizing experiences for me. It is two very different feelings, but they both feel like they just give me life.

Which artists would you say have had the biggest influence on you and your music, and if you could name three must listen albums what would they be?

Some of the artists that have had the biggest influence on me and my music, in no particular order, are Erykah Badu, India Arie, Frank Ocean, Lauryn Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Jazmine Sullivan, Rihanna, Aaliyah, Otis Redding, Sza, Solange, and J. Cole. The main thing I love about all of these artists is how soulful they are. They have developed the skill of telling a story and really making you feel it. 

Ooo, three must-listen albums is a tough question for me… I’ll say Channel Orange, Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and A Seat at the Table.

Tell us about your new song “Losing”, what inspired it, who helped you with production, and more on the creative process around it.

“Losing” is my first release ever. It’s crazy to say. I didn’t plan on waiting this long, but I’m glad I took my time and love how it’s all playing out. “Losing” was in the works for a while. I wrote it about a year after I moved to Nashville. Just me in my little bedroom studio, in my feels. The song is about a toxic relationship and how difficult it can be to let go. It encapsulates the frustration, pain, and epiphany moment that comes along with a toxic heartbreak. Trying to get through to someone and wishing they would change, but then finally realizing it isn’t on them to change, it’s on you to stop putting up with it. That is what “Losing” is. It is that realization that the relationship you're in is just “L” after “L” after “L” and you deserve better. It hurts, but it’s just as freeing as it is painful, deciding to finally let go.

At the time of writing “Losing”, I still didn’t know anyone in Nashville, especially in music. So I was stuck with this really rough demo and had no idea of how to get it to a final product. It wasn’t until I started meeting people at Jack Vinoy’s first writing camp (shoutout Jack!) in February of 2022 that I finally started to be able to get it into the proper hands. I ended up working with SCiFY and Pete Eddins on it, who are now two of my favorite people to work with. SCiFY produced the track and Pete mixed and mastered it. My next couple releases are with them. I feel so grateful to have found such a great team to work with.

I wanted to do a visual along with the release. It being my first release, this was also my first music video. I was mad nervous because it was totally new territory for me and way out of my comfort zone, but it ended up being such a dope experience. BlackStarVisions produced the video and it was really just me and him the whole way through. Thank goodness for his patience with me, because it definitely took me a second to get comfortable in front of the camera. I am so glad I did it, though. I love the way it turned out, and I really enjoyed the experience. Definitely check out the video if you haven’t!

Tell us about your overall creative process from beginning to end, what steps do you take to get you in the zone, and how do you know when you have a song you really like?

My favorite way to write my music is alone in my studio with a lot of time to kill. It takes me a few minutes to get into a flow, but once I do I’m in there for hours. It’s the best. Oftentimes, it can be hard for me to open up or sort out my thoughts and feelings. When I hear certain chords or tracks, it’s like a key that unlocks all of that and allows my emotions to just pour out into these lyrics and melodies. It’s so therapeutic for me. To find the right track to write to, I like to just take a couple splice loops and make a really quick beat from there. That will be the foundation for the song. It’s almost always the beat or a nice chord progression first, then I freestyle melodies and lyrics over it. From there, I’ll just keep building on it. Then, once I have recorded the vocals and decided I like the song enough, I’ll take it to a producer to help me pull it all together.

I usually know right away if it is a song I like based on the feeling I get. It’s tough to explain. It’s just a vibe, really. If I am not overthinking and I am just letting the music pour out of me without trying to control it too much, those are almost always the best songs. The feeling is there the whole time, so I don’t have to really think about it or question anything.

So what’s next for you in 2023, what are some big goals you hope to accomplish before the end of the year?

This year feels like the very beginning. This is all new territory for me, so I don’t exactly know what to expect from 2023 yet. My goal is to stay locked in and be in a position to seize every opportunity as it comes. I have a ton to learn, so my main intentions for this year are to really focus on refining my skills musically and artistically and continue to write and create. I would really like to release a few more songs before the year ends. I have two in particular I am currently really excited about. That, and my focus is on performing a lot more. Live shows, 2023!!

For brand new singers looking to get started in 2023 what’s some advice you would give?

Hmm… I guess I would say to trust your gut, because that will guide you in the right direction. If you’re ever confused or not sure of what to do next, you always have that internal compass you can turn to that’ll never steer you wrong. That, and know why you are creating and why you want to sing, and remind yourself of that “why” each day. Create for that reason. It is easy to get swept up in everything else, so try to stay rooted in that. That way you’ll be able to keep pushing through all the tough shit that comes along with being an artist. Your “why” will also allow you to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, which is a huge key to seizing opportunity and your growth as a singer/artist. So, trust your gut and remember your “why.”

Any last words?

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me a bit. “Losing” is out everywhere now!! Go stream it and watch the music video! & More music is on the way. ;)

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Scotty Apex - Data Bend

Scotty, welcome back to Nefarious Supply to date this is our third time featuring you and we couldn't be more excited to have you on again. To get this interview started give us an update on what’s been going on with you, how was 2022, and how is the new year so far? 

Wait, 2022 is over already? Haha. I feel like 2022 went by so fast for me. These last few years honestly have zoomed by, but this was another year I found a lot of growth, creatively, spiritually, internally, experienced a lot and learned more. Very thankful I was able to release my album DATA BEND towards the end of the year, been releasing videos from the project each week carrying into 2023. So this new year has been off to a good start, already been able to connect with more people, releasing work that i feel very proud of, and I'm thankful for the people in my life. I’m ready to approach this year with a positive perspective and hopefully reach the goals I've set out for myself.

Since we last featured you, what are some things  you’ve learned on your artistic journey, what has the overall experience been like in the industry, and what are you most looking forward to? 

Over time, I think I’ve always found new ground as an artist, new landscapes to explore and experiment with. I listen to a lot of music, and incorporate influence from many places, even visually from film. So I’ve thankfully been able to keep myself from feeling stagnant and it always feels like there is evolution occurring whenever I begin my next creative venture. Some things I’ve learned as of recently are the power of confidence in yourself, and how that can push you so much further into the light you want to shine with. Second guessing your instinct will deter you from the authentic reflection of what you know you can do within. Trust that feeling inside more, follow your intuitive creative nature, and let it guide you like an internal compass. Trust yourself more as an artist, know your ideas are great, and stand on them proudly. 

I’m most looking forward to continuing to grow with good people around me. I also have some more videos I am working on that I am extremely excited about and proud of, so just can’t wait for people to continue to be able to see the worlds I want to create. I love when people finally have access to these ideas of mine because then I get the sense of fulfillment knowing that people can enjoy the escapism that comes from the work that goes out.

Let’s get into your new project Data Bend, break it down for us what inspired it, what your overall creative process was like putting this together, and what are your favorite songs on the album? 

DATA BEND to me is the representation of a shift in understanding, perspective, and approach. That’s why the sonics have a theme of genre bending elements, because I wanted to infuse as many of my influences as possible to show the art of everything creative that I love being able to exist cohesively. The fusion of both earth’s nature or natural state merging with technology and the advancements we see as a species was a big inspiration while creating this, how the old can feel new and modernized, and how the new can reflect the positive nostalgic bits that we cherish. Fitting to that theme, the process of putting this album together utilized the technology we have at our hands right now.

For the majority of what made the album, VVD SOUND and I locked in through countless virtual discord sessions, where he would share his screen, we would go back and forth on ideas, influence, and construct these sonic worlds fitting the vision we both had in mind. A few records off of the album started out in other ways though, which is also fitting to the theme of merging different techniques together to find something great. I can remember one of the initial songs we made was “I Don’t Belong Here”. VVD was visiting my house in Los Angeles, his first time on the west coast, and I had Sammy the Producer over as well, we pulled the recording equipment into the living room. We began messing around with ideas over a loop Sam put together, VVD started adding the original drum structure, and I started blurting out melody ideas to which would later be finalized into “SO MUCH OUT MY CONTROL I CAN’T BREATH, SINCE I CAME HERE NO I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE” (the hook of IDBH). We knew this felt special, and what validated even more that this was meant to be was an accidental bottle flip that landed inside of a spare pair of shoes we had on the ground haha.

We even took a picture with the bottle in the shoe to go back and remember that moment as we all agreed in that moment, this was the start of something special, and that was our sign that we were on the right path. “Heart Shaped Bullets” came together from a fun session as well where PnkBlnkt came over to my place in the valley at the time, we setup in my room, Pnk had a mutual friend from back home in Indiana with him as well, so the vibes were there, we started toying with a few initial ideas, and then I remember Pnk started going through skeletons of ideas he had already put mostly together, and he hit play on the beat that was the idea that would become HSB, and I knew immediately that I wanted to do something crazy for it. I locked myself in a spare room for about 15 minutes, came back in the room and told everyone I had something that I thought felt really special and sentimental, recorded the vocals, and we were all loving it, it was an incredible experience and moment. Later on VVD and I added some additional things to it through discord sessions.

My personal favorite songs off of the album would have to be either “Heart Shaped Bullets”, “Girls Like You Never Light Their Own Cigarettes”, “Down Under”, or “I Don’t Belong Here”, which is a lot to list, but honestly the whole album is just so good, and I’m so proud of it and everyone who added their touch to it, this album as a whole is my favorite piece of work to date. It feels like the most authentic reflection so far of what I have always intended to create and represent.

Scotty Apex · DATA BEND

“Since LoveSick 2” you’ve consistently had amazing album covers and Data bend is no different who helped put together the cover art for this album? 

Thank you! That means a lot, I am very passionate about the visual aspects of any of my work, so to hear a compliment like this is very valued. There’s actually a continuous story throughout each cover where you can see the timeline continue to play out as each album is released, and that’s something I plan to continue to do. The DATA BEND cover was done by Jay Gonzalez, who also did the cover for STARLIGHT. He is so creative, so talented, and it’s always a blessing as well as pleasure working with him. The LOVESICK 1 & 2 covers were done by Tyshon Rosewood, so shout out to bro too!

STARLIGHT and DATABEND have two different vibes to them. How did your creative process change from STARLIGHT to  DATABEND? 

When I begin the process for an album, it always starts with a general guideline in mind of an overall feeling that I want to execute, visual components that I can envision, and direction of sound. STARLIGHT had more producers involved, it was mostly made when I first moved to Los Angeles, which was early 2020, and then polished throughout the main moments of the pandemic. So there was a lot of chaos in the world, and I was hibernating in my room just working on the album, trying to make it feel atmospheric and otherworldly, pulling in ideas from a range of my producer friends. That album leaned mostly into R&B, hip hop at the core, and I think that’s one of the main differences of STARLIGHT vs. DATA BEND.

DATA BEND was a smaller creative circle, a more understood pinpoint of direction I had in mind, and I also experimented with other influences of mine, so you hear more influence of alternative rock, pop, mixed in with the R&B, some hip hop moments still, but just has more guitar, piano, and acoustic sounds incorporated. Elements that I think previous work hadn’t yet highlighted or showcased this side of me.

In terms of production, who did you work with to put DATABEND together? 

VVD SOUND did the majority of production on DATA BEND, he was the executive producer, and had his touch on every single song. That’s a reflection of the creative trust I have for him. He is able to bring what I envision to life so well, and I am beyond thankful for the countless hours he put in with me to create something as special as this project is. He sat with me day after day, night after night, hour after hour, helping me bring what I wanted to create into full fruition.

There’s a few records that began with other producers, PnkBlknt for “Heart Shaped Bullets”, bended on the guitar for that as well, and VVD added some additional layers once we had the main structure. Sammy the Producer on “Down Under” as well as “GIRLS LIKE YOU NEVER LIGHT THEIR OWN CIGARETTES”, which VVD again added additional productional layers after we had the main structure. Kami Osha did some additional Guitar on “Down Under”, and Ack had his hand in “Any Other World” with VVD polishing the rest of the record.

One of the things we really like about you is your ability to push boundaries and consistently grow as an artist. How do you push yourself to new heights, and for new artists that are afraid to go against the grain what is some advice you would give them? 

Well thank you! It is deeply appreciated that you give me that credit and acknowledge what I intend to do, which is that push of boundary, so thank you! Truly. I think for me, I am always reminded of why I do what I do. I deeply love music. I am so passionate about my art, it’s a direct reflection of my actual life, trials, and stories. Joe Talbot from the band IDLES had a quote in an interview that stuck with me, it was along the lines of “if you are interested, you will be interesting. If you are bored, you will be boring.” which to me, means if you have something you are truly passionate about, truly love, the greatest gift that you can give back to yourself and to the people who support you is to be so dedicated to your craft, so thankful for the people who enjoy your craft, your way of repayment to the audience and yourself is to continue to push yourself to those next advancements, to evolve, and to keep things refreshing and enjoyable. You as the artist find growth through that approach, not only creatively, but spiritually with yourself, and your audience gets to benefit from that by getting to now visually see the growth, hear it, and pull inspiration for themselves to evolve in their own life. 

Going against the grain can be scary and I see how it causes fear in an artist, it is not meant to be comfortable though, that is where true growth comes from, putting yourself into something that is out of routine, it may initially feel unnatural, but eventually you will find that there’s a whole new realm of capabilities you have within yourself that would have not ever had the chance to shine if you hadn’t at least given it a try. The key here too is to remove the fear of failure or judgment. There is no room for judgment in the process of creating something that is truly unique, new, and boundary pushing. You have to have an open mind to trial and error, try seven ideas, and then choose what you like, and learn from what you don’t like. I think what would help more artists is to consume more pieces of art outside of your typical consumption. Listen to genres that you wouldn’t typically listen to, go to a museum and look at art that you don’t know how to make, watch films that are respected as boundary pushing films, pull influence from the entire spectrum of art. Art is the only thing in this world that is forever. Learn from the work that we have at our display, and turn that inspiration into a special curation of work that is authentic to you. 

It’s been about four years since  you’ve released LOVESICK, since that time what’s the most important thing you’ve learned? 

Wow, it’s crazy to think it’s been four years since then. In that time span, I feel like I have learned so much about myself, the world, just everything in my life has found new perspectives over and over again. So I think with me even reflecting upon that, there is an important lesson there that I have learned. We truly have the power within all of us, to create the impact that we want to make. We all have purpose, and an internal compass reminding us of the direction we need to go. Trust that feeling, choose a positive goal of action, and go do it. Remove those self doubts within, and dedicate yourself to achieving whatever it is that you have in mind to go do, because it is very possible. The point is, through all of that effort, you will find growth. Continue to grow, evolve, and that to me is what life is about. Evolving, becoming better, and leaving behind a positive impact inside of a legacy that you can be proud of.

So what’s next in 2023 and beyond? 

More music is on the way, very excited to showcase that. More videos are on the way, already filmed a very special video that you will see surface in the upcoming span of this early section of the year. I want to do more clothes, and lifestyle items like furniture, or small appliances that make your daily life better. Hopefully in the bigger picture, I can also act in more movies, finish writing the scripts of the movie ideas I have, and can leave an impact in that space of creation as well. I really love film and want to have a few respected roles under my belt

Any last words?

To close off this moment of time, I would like to say thank you from the core of my soul to anyone out there that even acknowledges my existence, listens to my work, and gives attention to my art. To have your support for my art means the world to me, and makes me feel like my sacrifices are worth it, and it gives me that reassurance that I truly need to keep going and feeling like I am valued. So thank you to those who make me feel cared about.  Love more. Try more, and don’t be afraid of failure. Moving on, becoming better, and learning is the art of life. Believe in yourself, trust your intuitive feelings, and let it guide you to where you are meant to go. Anything that you want to achieve can be achieved, it will not always be easy, but that is the beauty of trying and failing, you can always try again. 

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Jackson Grey

Jackson thanks for coming on and interviewing with Nefarious Supply, to get this interview started, tell us about yourself, who is Jack$on Grey? 

First Off I’m Excited to Have this opportunity I would like to thank everyone at Nefarious that’s putting this in motion my name is Jack$on Grey I’m 22 yrs old & I’m from Central, Florida. I started off producing/engineering & which soon turned into me dedicating countless hours to actually creating songs and from that point, I haven’t looked back!

What made you get into music? What did you listen to growing up that inspired you / inspires you to make music today?

Growing up I have always been around music and always liked the idea of creating it. My mom loved to listen to 80s music and my dad was a mix between country, hip hop, & rock so I listened to a whole spectrum of music. I think I express a lot of different types of influences I've heard growing up into the music I make today! To date, I still listen to throwback 80s, Country, and Rock, and of course, I listen to Rap all the way from up-and-coming artists to mainstream artists.

If you had to pick one artist to collaborate with, alive or dead, who would you pick and why?

If I had to Pick an Artist that I could collaborate with. I would probably say, Drake. I know he appreciates the craft as much as I do. I also believe he’s one of the most versatile artists in the game!

For you, how does the musical process flow? Are you constantly thinking about new lyrics and sounds or do you have dedicated time to do your work? and how does that translate into the music you put out?

The creating process for me is simple I catch inspiration from something, establish some sort of flow, and then I add lyrics through the next few months, I make sure the mix is right and fix anything that I think needs fixing and then put it out. That’s all there is to it!

With your first release being only back in 2020, how do you plan to really break into the scene post-pandemic? Additionally, what do you look forward to with the possibilities of live shows now?

So when I came into the scene during the pandemic everything was shut down. I knew that all I could do was just keep working and create the best music I possibly could and hope something stuck. As of now post pandemic I’m super excited to drop some of the music I’ve been sitting on and start to do some live shows.

“Round 4 Round” is credited as being your first single released to the public, and features fellow artist Tsuname on it. While having collaborated with artists like Tsuname and Koi, how have you found the creative process when making a song solo as opposed to having a feature?

Tsuname & Koi are both great artists and I appreciate the opportunity I had to work with them. As far as if a song has a different appeal when there’s a featured artist, I would say yes! It provides a space where you bounce ideas off each other as well as the anticipation of creating something that people can relate to.

All of your music has a very light and lively feel to it, which gives it a very unique sound. This I feel is much needed in the industry. How did you develop your sound?

Developing my sound has taken years to get to where I am today. Just like anything it takes practice, and that is what I’ve been doing every day since I started. I’m still developing my sound! I feel that once u stop developing that sound u lose that IT factor about you. So In my opinion Im nowhere close to where I want to be but I’m just glad people enjoy it right now for what it’s worth!

Your newest release “Gravity” is a fantastic track that displays your sound and great lyricism. Is this the type of sound we can expect from you for upcoming projects and singles for the rest of the year?

Gravity is one of my all-time favorites produced by a good friend of mine “Trap$upafly” I feel like it’s a great stepping stone track to some of the even better stuff I have planned to drop this year!

Are there any plans in the works for a project like an EP or other single releases set to come out soon? Anything we can get a small sneak peek into?

So I have some plans to drop lots of music in 2023, starting off with my recently released Ep “Back To Where We Started” and a single that I just put out called “Taking Half” which is one of my favorites.

Is there anything you would like to say in closing? Anything you would like to say to your fans and fans to come?

Just want to say to the readers that I feel extremely blessed to be able to create and bring an idea to reality through music. To anyone that’s ever supported me, Just know that it means more to me than you will ever know, and to any new fans as well I appreciated every single one of you & Big thanks again to Nefarious Supply for having me! Jack$on Grey

SoundCloud Gems - January 18, 2023

Soundcloud has bloomed over the past few years with a new generation of artists taking the world by storm and lighting a path for young creators of all backgrounds to make a start. In this episode, we’ll highlight new releases from newcomers to the scene, such as reef and JSSR with their anthemic ballad, “austin.”. Reef’s creative lyricism and addictive flow allow listeners to melt into the song and ride along to the electric JSSR feature. The composition is also amazing, even more so with the knowledge that reef produced it himself.

Next, we have kuriosity with “xin fu.”, a large and in-your-face tune that leaves your face scrunched up and ear’s wanting more. From kuriosity’s insane wordplay to his energized adlibs, the young artist will keep you on your feet till the beat ends. Xin Fu is also an Earth Bender from Avatar: The Last Airbender, so extra points across the board!

Aftrr’s “toxic” is an amazing synth-heavy, high-spirited track that makes you feel like you’re simultaneously in 1st Place in the Grand Prix and somehow on a beach, waves crashing against your feet while the sun sets and you reminisce. Toxic is a perfect example of aftrr’s ability to mesh genres and find a suitable sound that balances satisfaction with deprivation.

Rans0m’s track “advantage”, features both kuriosity and aftrr and as soon as we reached the 30-second mark we knew we needed to hear more from these three. The one thing that sets rans0m apart from most others is his creativity with his production. A self-producing artist himself, rans0m will somehow find a way to create the perfect beat for whatever topic he’s trying to convey and/or feature he wants on. His verses are also incredibly infectious.

”in my head” by etterna1 is a song that turned our heads immediately. From xaev’s amazing production to etterna1 incredibly smooth tone and bouncy flow, the song only needed aftrr’s amazing feature for it to be complete. I do wish we could hear aftrr’s vocals a bit more, however, I myself cannot wait to hear more collabs between these two, the song is amazing.

oncite is a new favorite of ours! His voice has a dusty sound to it that adds to the versatility of his lyrics and flow. His track “back in a month” is a beautiful example of the type of music he makes, heavy 808s, an amazing bassline, and finally a melody you can’t get out of your head. oncite is one to look out for in 2023.

DPF’s “target” hits with intensity off the first lyric and doesn’t let its foot off the gas till it's finished with the listener. Produced by ransom, DPF’s skill level with his ability to switch flows and make the production truly his is unmatched. The young artist brings main character energy to whatever track he’s on.

Next we have Staggy with “dirty”, produced by jxyln, and from previous Staggy entries, you’ll know this is a different vibe for the Connecticut-based artist. Over a bouncy, dark, and atmospheric track, with funky kicks and hi-hats that accentuate the incredibly fun hooks and verses Staggy presents.

Mina, also known by his more popular alias, 4cf, came out with a three-song EP, and “ur dumb” in particular stood out to us, simply due to how in-your-face the production is. The track grabs you from the start and your head starts bobbing immediately thanks to feardorian and mental’s collaboration, allowing the effortless flows of 4cf to fit right in.

Funeral and mental came together for a mini EP as well, one that gifted us with the beautiful entry, “one day, someday” in which funeral pines for the moment he will be able to get the girl of his dreams. Mental’s smooth and bouncy production style allows Funeral to get straight into his bag flow-wise. And the lyricism? Well, if you’ve heard his previous albums, you’ll easily pick up the lethality of some of his verses mixed in, funeral’s great of that.

Helper’s track “note to self” showcases his rapping ability which funnily enough he thinks isn’t the best, because we think it’s probably one of the freshest flows and introspective lyrics we’ve heard in a while. Helper has been in his own lane since he first started.

Ryen is an artist we hadn’t listened to before this song, but after hearing “MIA” for the first time, we knew we had to check out the rest of his discography. Ryen is one of the most expressive artists we’ve ever had the opportunity of covering in the Soundcloud scene, and his storytelling abilities as well as his way of capturing a topic and making it his own is a big strength of his. Also thank you typhoon for the amazing production.

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Simon M

Give us a general description of you as an artist. What cultures and experiences cultivate this persona or identity of yours?

Hello! I’m Simon, I’m a music producer/composer/songwriter from Canada. I work on my own music as a creative director and producer, and on other artists’ records as just a producer. The main artists I currently work with are Babebee, DPF, and Kurtis, but I’ve also got some really interesting placements coming up. I released an album called “poisonedcheeto.com” late last year, which I directed, produced, mixed, and got some of my amazing artist friends to do vocals on.

I’ve been told by Jerome (my manager and good friend that has supervised my creative decisions since we were in high school) that my music is ‘eclectic’ and I feel like that’s a good descriptor. I was raised on the internet, as a lot of us were, my attention span isn’t the greatest, and my goal is always to make something I would enjoy listening to, so I often revel in excess.

Frequently adding elements, changing progressions, and structuring beats in an off-kilter way. In composition and texture, I’m definitely inspired by the 2010s electro-pop/EDM I grew up on, especially old deadmau5, everything he tapped into melodically I see as super influential. Also, JC Foster’s music was a really big influence on the album specifically. He released a tape called 109 900 earlier last year and it really opened my brain to how to make an album live inside its own world diegetically.

How has your experience in the industry been thus far?

Very mixed, to say the least. I wouldn’t say I’m in the music industry cause I haven’t interacted with labels or distributors that much, but the one time I was in talks with one was very strange. A lot of label execs and non-musical creatives in the scene spend more time romanticizing their own success and what it means for their self-image than actually working and I think that’s an extremely toxic and narcissistic mindset.

Underground labels are cool, though. I’ve worked with Lauren Records on a project, and they’ve been fantastic and extremely considerate. Also, let’s be real here, the SoundCloud scene is a really scary place to be a part of a lot of the time. I’ve met some truly amazing people like Keelan, Kurtis, Cricket, Branden, and Alisynn but it’s always a gamble associating with people cause you never know who’s morally bankrupt. I had to cut some musician friends off recently because they were being really weird to my manager on Instagram.

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 dropped a song called “settle” on SoundCloud last summer. It was a song I wrote as part of an album I scrapped, and I didn’t realize it when dropping it but it was the first time I had released a solo song that was entirely written by me, as everything else I had on my page was remixes. And I was scared to release it both because I personally don’t like my own vocals and because it’s a pretty ugly and toxic song, and it also happened to be insanely personal.

I wanted to release it just to put it out there, I didn’t even make a post about it. But it did better than anything I had done before and I got a lot of new listeners because of it. I played it in a set I did for Goop House last year and people were saying in the chat that they loved the song and especially the lyrics, which was really cool to me. I just hope the people who like the song recognize that it was born out of obtuse pessimism and that you really shouldn’t think like this.

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

I think I’m more songwriting-focused than other producers in the scene. I’ve been told by producers I work with that the way I structure my beats is dynamic and that I know how to really flesh out a song, and that’s really cool to hear cause one of the main things I stress about is constantly giving the listener stimuli so that they never get bored.

I’m not super good at sound design or mixing, my priority in music is to compose a track that is solid at its core, and then add some quirk to it. I record all my instruments, I don’t use loops, and I try to have as much control over the finished product as possible. No disrespect to more sound design-based producers, as I believe it’s a much more skillful art and I really admire them, I just prioritize composition in my own creative work.

Is there any one song that you’ve made that stands out from the rest? Any songs that people should listen to that will get people hooked?

It’s definitely “LET THE SPEAKERS BLOW”. I love that one so much. And I was really happy to finally get a song out with IKTL and alt and IAMDEAD, we’ve been friends for a while and we’re all really happy with how insane the song turned out. Other than that, I’d say marionette by miind, SOS by cybertrash and reef, and NAUSEOUS with liza, blaise, kurtis, and aftrr from my album. Also stranded by babebee, which also has an incredible music video.

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

I don’t have a super large audience but a lot of people keep coming back to my album, which is really cool. I guess there aren’t a lot of concept albums in the scene. Also not to toot my own horn but I think it’s paced really intensely and doesn’t waste much time, so it’s probably a fun listen for people every once in a while. And people should start listening cause I’m just a silly little guy who loves to have a little bit of fun.

Who do you listen to on a regular basis?

Jane Remover is an inspiration for most people in the scene but her music is extremely close to me personally and she’s made like 5 of my favorite songs ever. Quadeca, Brakence, The Weeknd, and Quinn have also had amazing records this year, especially Quinn, I love how she structures and conceptualizes her projects.

Other than that, a ton of Bladee, I think he’s one of the most satisfying vocalists ever and his songwriting is just so goofily charming and has a real optimistic beauty to it. If we’re talking about the scene, Viizzi is probably my favorite artist ever. He’s made some of the most amazing bangers I’ve ever heard: suicidefreestyle, Murder For Hire, Monster, Faker, Save Me, all incredible songs, and I’m blessed to have him as a friend. Reef is also extremely promising and already has a great EP under his belt.

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

These people all influence my sound and my creative process.

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

Personally, I feel like the emotion displayed by a song is its most defining aspect. More than any skill displayed or compositional prowess, what’s going to stick with you after a song is done playing is the feeling it left you with. I try to go into every track I work on with a feeling or general vibe I wanna capture, over any tangible melody or progression. And a lot of the time an artist I’m working with will let me know the emotion they want to capture and I have to make sure I’m on target when I compose and record.

What was the main inspiration for poisonedcheeto.com?

When I decided I wanted to make an album, I had a lot of demos of songs I made with artists that they didn’t want to upload. The songs make me bleed, darkness, one dance, and undead were basically done and just needed features (in the case of undead, it was originally a remix of zombie by rouri404 and Vaeo so I needed new vocals altogether).

I was working at a grocery store at the time, just pushing shopping carts and tasks of the like, so I had a lot of time to think about a way to get these songs out. I always loved album titles with digital handles or domain names on them, just cause I thought they looked cool. From there I decided I wanted a really over-the-top announcer voice like there would be on sites like audiojungle and traktrain but way more ridiculous, and creepypasta-adjacent implied lore about the artist who made the website.

After that, I worked out that I wanted the record to have a breakneck pace, and for the announcer tags to represent the producer basically venting through his work, while still being majoritarily comedic. I then started working on new songs for the album, starting with Let The Speakers Blow, then Nauseous, then 2nd Place, then For Your Mind. True Religion was added at the last minute because I bought one of Viizzi’s opens on impulse one day and ended up making something way better than I expected.

Getting everyone’s vocals on time was really tough because I set myself a deadline for the record (I have a bad habit of letting records stay on the back burner until I stop caring about them) but I really didn’t want to rush anyone. I really loved working with everyone on this record, all of the vocalists on here are amazing artists and people in their own right and I’m super grateful to have crossed paths with them.

My manager Jerome helped me a lot with the visual identity of the record. All the pictures I had up on social media in the lead-up for the record were taken by him. We have a very similar sense of humor, and we both understood what type of character we wanted to create. He and his friends helped set up fake poisonedcheeto missing posters around a local college, which was hilarious, and ended up returning a decent amount of pre-saves since we had the domain name printed on all of them. Speaking of the website, it was something I wanted to do in the lead-up to the album but I hadn’t coded html/css in years. Still, I was able to make the website, and I’m pretty proud of how it turned out, even if leastfavorite did the website promo thing way better than I ever could.

Also, massive props to Don Sharpe for the voice acting on the tags, he did an incredible job and followed my vision perfectly, and was overall really nice to work with. You can find him on fiverr here: Sharpvoiceovers | Fiverr

So yeah, it was basically just a recontextualized collection of unreleased songs that I overcomplicated and built on and somehow turned into a concept album.

What are your top 3 favorite songs from the album?

Number one would be Let The Speakers Blow, next would be Make Me Bleed, and then Nauseous. I mean it’s been months but I still can’t get over Grayson’s hook on Let The Speakers Blow, I definitely need to work with all of these guys a lot more in the future.

How long did this album take you to make?

I came up with the concept around July 2022 and finished it in October, one week before release. I can’t lie, it was a lot of effort, especially since I was in school at the same time. I would spend more hours on the album than on my schoolwork most weeks.

And trying to handle promo, the website, publishing, looking for features, mixing everything consistently track to track, and freelancing at the same time to cover expenses was pretty crazy. But I’m super proud of how it turned out and the wonderful people I’ve met through this project.

JC Foster’s interpretation of what he believes is a “poisoned cheeto” is probably the best explanation I’ve ever heard for such an eye-catching name. Do you believe this album will help those listening to try and question the difference in importance between commodity and reality?

Before I get into the explanation thing I just wanna say JC Foster is one of the coolest and most creative people working today and you owe it to yourself to check out his youtube channel, his work is hilarious, ambitious and deeply human. Both his sketches and music have been a huge inspiration in both my personal sense of humor and in the way I conceptualize projects. Here’s his channel, he did fantastic voicework on this album: JC Foster Takes It To The Moon - YouTube

Now I’m going to be completely honest. I wrote all of the skits, interludes and tags on the album, and the intermission was the very last thing I added, and it was basically only for one reason. Since the word “cheeto” is in the album title, I can technically get sued for misleading labeling if the work doesn’t reference the product. So I wrote this whole huge paragraph, bringing up modern politics and philosophy and the horrors of neo-liberal capitalism basically just as a bit to set up how the name means nothing and I just came up with it when I was 17 and really dumb.

Now I still agree with everything said in the interlude, rampant consumerism is ruining our ability to feel empathy and I really tried to hammer that point home in a more empathetic way in the outro. I just find it insanely funny how a ton of people reached out to me saying they found real insight on society at that point on the album when I just wanted to do some trolling. Also, one dude texted me saying he listened to the album on acid and that interlude made him start bad tripping. And I think that’s really funny but I still feel bad for the guy.

What features would like to see on your next project?

Definitely babebee. I didn’t know them when I started work on the record but I love everything we’ve worked on together and hope I can get them on a project soon. Also definitely Vaeo, she’s absolutely amazing in everything she makes. One of the best and most expressive vocalists working today. I’ve also been in contact with Glitch Gum and Jahhlu recently, really hoping to get a song out with both of them sometime.

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

Be humble. Put a priority on the finished product you make instead of indulging in the mentality of being an artist. Talk to as many people as possible and try to make a legitimate connection with them. Treat fellow artists like friends instead of seeing them as ways to grow your own success. Most of all, have fun. It’s important to remember most of us won’t make it or become super successful. If you’re in it for the money, you will realize you’re in the wrong business when you get your first Distrokid cheque. Make sure you’re doing music out of love for the art form and a fondness for the creative process. Thanks for interviewing me, sheku.

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KON

Trey welcome to Nefarious Supply, and thank you for agreeing to interview with us. To get this interview started tell us about yourself who is Trey and how did you get started in the music industry?

My real name is Trey Gibson but in the music world I go by the name K.O.N. I was born & raised in Nashville. I came up with the name when I was in high school but never actually planned on being a rapper at the time. I rapped a little bit in high school under the name T.Gibbs but It wasn’t anything serious. Music had been something that seemed unrealistic when I was younger. I started making music with one my childhood friends Jyou after our Sophomore year of college. It was honestly a big turning point because we had both been looking for people to take that next step into making music with and until then had been unsuccessful. After that we dropped a couple EPs. The rest is history.

So we’ve interviewed a bunch of artists from NASHVILLE already, and we love this area. Tell us about your experience in NASHVILLE so far, I was this area influence you in your music, what artist have you worked with from the area, and what’s the scene like here for underground artists?

I feel like a majority of my career so far in Nashville has been trying to make a name for myself. There’s so much noise going on in the music industry here that It can be hard to find a consistent footing especially when you’re starting from scratch, which most of us are. It’s inspiring though being around so many creatives because it makes me want to stay consistent and work through the noise. As a HipHop/ RnB artist it can be tough in this city because you really have to earn every opportunity. The beautiful thing about the Nashville Hip Hop Scene is that it’s so diverse and unique. Everyone has a unique way of approaching music composition. It’s hard not to wake up thinking about music because you know someone else in the city is. I’ve been blessed to work with some of the amazing artists in the city. Jyou , Ron Obasi , Yours Truly Jai, Demo, Jordan Xx , $hrames , Dimestate Don, Lina the list goes on. Extremely blessed.

In addition to your location what artists would you say have influenced you and your music and who are you currently listening to right now?

If you looked at my Spotify right now you would find a lot of Isaiah Rashad, Drake, Kanye, Smino, Deangelo, Mac Miller , and MF Doom. As a kid I listened to a lot of Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Lil Wayne, and Big Sean though. Out of all those names I would probably say one of my biggest inspirations is Isaiah Rashad. It’s something about making “music for the vibers” that relates to me heavy. A long with that I’m highly inspired by the lyricism and flows of the likes of Andre 3000 & Kendrick Lamar. I always like to study their decisions when approaching composition.

So let’s talk about your music, what would you say is the most challenging thing about being an artist, what is your creative process like, and if you could give any new artist some advice what would it be?

One of the hardest things about being an artist is consistently believing in your art regardless of how the public responds to it especially when you’re first starting off. I find trying to be consistent as a big remedy for that because it’s something about knowing you’re always getting better that helps you remain confident. My creative process consists of finding or creating composition that I feel is moving and then laying down lyrics & Melodies that match the vibe. Writing a song can take anywhere from a hour to a week or two. I find letting ideas sit and coming back to them is what’s most efficient for me. I can usually tell within the first 20 seconds of a beat if I’m motivated to write to it.

Sometimes a beat will hit you differently depending on what you’re going through at the time. It can be a pretty emotional process. If I could give advice to new artist I would say simply find what you like, figure out why you like it, and apply it to your music to create your sound. Be kind to everyone and move with genuine intention. How people interpret you and your intentions are out of your control. Most importantly if you really love what you do practice it everyday.

Not too long ago you released Your new album Kids being Kids! So just tell us about this new album including what’s The meaning behind the title, how long have you been working on this project, and what was it like working with WowJus7in?

Kids Being Kids is a tape for all the groovy kids who love themselves and want to move their feet around . I feel like Kids being Kids was me taking a detour from my typical lyrically driven route and trying to just make fun music. I started working with WowJus7in last summer and it was one of those things where we kind of just clicked as far as music we liked and what we were aiming for. It only took the first few beats he showed me for me to know that our sounds would mesh. What was crazier was he’d only been making beats for about a year.

It wasn’t until October after a lot of crazy shit had happened in my life that we decided it was time to make a tape together. But by that time we already had chemistry and it was just a matter of making the music. His girlfriend Teresa, owner of No Use Market, played a huge role in putting everything together as far as visuals and everything that went with the music such as cover art and tracklist. I could go on a whole rant about everyone involved but just know it was a team effort. Starting and finishing things with people has a way of bringing everyone involved closer.

On your new album you got some amazing features from some Nashville natives including: Jyou, Demo, Dimestatedon, and Lina. how did you get them as features on your project, what was it like working with them, and who is your favorite artist to collab with on this project?

The main goal for Kids Being Kids was to have everyone on it Nashville based. Me and the team brainstormed who would sound good on what and hit up people to see if they’d be down. Amazing that folks came out to support me & the project. I honestly can’t pick a favorite. If I had to it would of course be jyou cause that’s my brother. But working with all of them was definitely an experience. Everyone was so extremely talented and you could tell from the energy that everyone came in with that they wanted to put their best foot forward which is ultimately reflected on the project. I don’t think anyone really knew off bat what they were signing up for.

So what’s next for you in 2022, where do you want to be by the end of this year, as well as the end of the decade. And what’s the biggest goal you have for your career?

By the end of the year by the grace off god I want to further increase my presence within the Nashville community and the surrounding areas and extend to other major cities while continuing to perfect my craft. What all we have in store I can’t tell you or it’d ruin the surprise. But if this was a book Kids being Kids is the prelude. Me & the team are aiming to crush all expectations, break all boundaries , and prove all doubters wrong in these next 10 years. The goal will always be to try and make timeless music and be expressive based on who we are.

And addition to New Goals are you planning on dropping any new music this year?

There is a great possibility that there will be more music dropping 2022. Just sit back relax and enjoy the show.

Who should we interview next on Nefarious Supply? Drop some friends below!

You all should definitely interview WowJus7in.

Any last words?

Thank you all for the interview. I very much enjoyed the intriguing questions you all presented. Go stream Kids being Kids its a great listen and follow me on Instagram.

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Join The Nefarious Supply Discord

At Nefarious Supply, we pride ourselves on our motto “For the Underground, By the Underground”. We take that mantra seriously and make sure that we put forth a platform for underground creatives in every aspect, so they have a voice to shine just as bright as others who may have a bit more help.

For this reason, and this reason alone is why we have decided to venture out into the realms of Discord. During this pandemic especially, Nefarious Supply has been ardently looking for different ways to become closer to the audience that we’ve acquired over the past few years within the community. What better way than directly, we asked? Enter, Discord!

Playlist Submissions

We would like to extend our hand to individual artists who would like to be featured on our Demon Discography playlist monthly. We will choose a winner to headline the monthly list based off community response,

Live Playlist Reactions

When these playlists are up we’ll start up live reactions to each submission that made it, as well as the many others who we thought, were amazing.

Community Topic Discussions

At some point, we will put up topics for discussion relating to the underground creative scene, whether it be talks on how we can make it better or the things we already love. Also things Nefarious Supply can do or introduce into the community to help in these endeavors.We also want to foster a tighter-knit community between creatives themselves, which leads to our last point.

Collaborations

Whether with us or other creatives, the sole and true purpose of this Discord community is to garner a symbiotic relationship between underground artists of all works and cultures. A healthy and steadily rising platform for those with incredible art, that just needs a little light shined on it. We hope you guys are in tune with this decision and will help support us through this journey, as our true goal is to do the exact same for you all, no matter what it may be! Join the Nefarious Supply Discord here.

24.

24 welcome back to Nefarious Supply and Happy New Year! To get the interview started give us an update from your self last year give up an update on what has changed from last year?

First and foremost, yo! Great to be back. Man last year was a year to discover myself truly and understand who I am, not only as an artist, but as a human overall. Took down time to endure life, lessons, etc. It’s now 2022 and despite the slow start, I’m blooming and understanding who I am, where I want to be. Lots of new music has been created, beautiful plans have been curated, and also life is beginning to get sunny again. So it’s overall been a huge change, but enjoying every bits of it all no matter what you know.

In the last year what has changed about Nashville regarding the underground scene in the area and what new artists or established artists have been coming out of the area?

I think it has bloomed bigger than ever, honestly. An eye is on us lowkey. With the continuous growth of long time artists like Ron Obasi, Brian Brown, Chuck Indigo, and the growth of “new coming” artists like $avvy, A.G. Sully, dmndstr, myself though I don't want to casually throw my name into the mix haha but you know... I think Nashville is in good hands. From artists to producers to songwriters, everything. 615 is becoming a beautiful mecca and it’s so lovely to not only witness but be apart of.

From last year to now what are some lessons you’ve learned about your self, being an underground artists, and if you could go back and give your self some advice what would it be?

I think as the artist I am now and the person I’m becoming, I’d let myself know to not only trust but remember that the sun shines in the end. What I deserve is coming, I just need to remain doing my part in the lovely becoming. Keep myself here, like within myself, and just keep at this shit.

For new artists looking to get started what advice would you give them about their starting their career?

Leave the doubt at the door. The thoughts come but remember your worth and who you are, for you are meant for this. You're meant to take this journey, you’re meant to touch past limits. So cred yourself at all costs.

What artists are you currently listening to right now and what are your favorite albums and songs from 2021?

Currently have been spinning a lot of Ambré, Lucky Daye, Orion Sun, older Brent Faiyaz, The Internet… Outkast and Raphael Saadiq has been heavily in rotation. As well as some Jimi Hendrix, Omar Apollo, some Mick Jenkins, Isaiah Rashad, some Pharcyde. I’ve been dabbling throughout the personal palette heavily. I think my personal favorite projects from 2021 were “THIB” by Isaiah Rashad, “Elephant In The Room” by Mick Jenkins, “Minus The B******t Life’s Great” by Nascent, “Lately I Feel Everything” by WILLOW, and “Mood Valiant” by Hiatus Kaiyote. Honestly have way more projects but those are the ones off the top of my head I could name. Singles, a lot of R&B artists, alternative artists, and rap artists were on crazy single runs last year so it’s really hard to choose my favorites but I can speak on “Over” by Lucky Daye. Was discussing with a friend about how that song holds longevity, could never get tired of it. One of my favorite single drops of 2021 for sure.

Let’s talk music, last year you released a double single titled “black notebook”, and followed up with “Can’t Stop” featuring Lina. Tell us about this new song including what inspired it, who helped on production, and how was your experience working with LINA?

What once began as a joke in the midst of studio chatting, goofing around about toxic relationships and lust, became me channeling in what was heard, what situations I may have endured, and just all tied. This is a story surrounded by lust, temptation, and emotional chaos. But it is being communicated in relatable ways for people to grasp and say “Hell yeah, it be like that.” yanno. The lyrics channel something fun yet serious, showing what goes through the head of one involved in a lustful situation with someone they shouldn’t be involved with despite what may be going on within other said relationship. I feel like the song just brings relation and felt by many.

To be transparent about something like this is something that touches. I appreciate having that goofy conversation with the producers and engineers that day, because this song probably wouldn’t have been created truthfully. That all lead to what “SO WHAT” is today. Shoutout to dmndstr, NOBODY’S HOME, and Enxgma on the production help, the most amazing set of guys ever. They are going to bloom and I’m always blessed to work with them, be in a room together per usual. Something beautiful always brews. My experience working with LINA was top tier. LINA is one of the most underrated, hardworking people I know within the Nashville music scene and beyond. Beautifully spirited and heavily talented. It was so amazing to work with them, the process was just so fun and pure. The 24./LINA link is something that’ll always turn into something memorable. Blessed to have them around for sure.

What artists should we interview next on Nefarious Supply?

NicholasLamar + Yung Steezee are one of the most fun artists I’ve truly came across. They both deserve to finally be talked about. LONÉ (Carlon A.) is another good artist, truly someone who loves the art and works hard behind the scenes. He also has music that deserves to be heard by many, the guy is talented. My guy Qualls, lastly, is one truly deserving. Was blessed to be on a song for his upcoming project, he’s truly full of potential and deserves the recognition.

Any last words?

“SO WHAT” is out now on all platforms, stream it. Dig it. This is the last, so much more in store going forward. More music, new project, new fest… Too much to say. Looking forward to the journey and bringing everyone along with me. Let’s swim… Love. 🤞🏾

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Our Favorite Albums Right Now - March 22, 2022

Duality - Luna Li

Luna Li brings a fresh take to alternative music with Duality. The Toronto artist creates atmospheric tracks that draw you into the universes your ears never knew they could envision. On songs such as Cherry Pit, Luna incorporates an incredible guitar solo after a mesmerizing hook and verse combination up until it’s halfway point. Luna’s voice is soothing yet her message is strong.

“You said you’d be my trust, but you didn’t even bother.” ; “And you planted all these roots, just to sit and watch them wither.” she sings on Flower, featuring Dreamer Isioma (with a lovely verse of their own). Luna is a beautiful vocalist and an even better songwriter, and Duality has proved that to us thirteen times over!

Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN - Cruel Santino

Cruel Santino is one of our favorite artists, since Mandy & the Jungle. In this new world Santi brings us into Subaru Boys takes on a psychedelic, afro-powered, braggadocio-ridden sound that invigorates the listener with ever track.The whole 21-track album doesn't even truly feel its actual length due to Santi’s effortless flows, incredible production, and beautiful storytelling. Cannot wait to hear more from the Subaru Boys, and it would be a great idea to keep him on your radar all year!

To Whom Much Is Given - StashtheWave

Massachusetts has been absolutely on fire the past couple of years, with new artists emerging such as BIA and Van Buren Records, as well as amazing producers such as AziztheShake and others beginning to take the helm, it was only a matter of time before StashtheWave made his presence known. To Whom Much Is Given is a sobering, hard-hitting, trap-embed, journey into the mind of the upcoming MA artist, and on the three-track EP, featuring fellow upcoming artists Jiles, Donald Grunge, Clyde Black, Notebook P, and a few more! Go check it out, the man’s been heat since he arrived.

Goodnight Dreamer - Dreamer Isioma

Goodnight Dreamer is the first full-length LP from singer-songwriter Dreamer Isioma. The project consisted of four different chapters he’d put up prior to the release, featuring fellow Chicago artist, Hatesonny. The chapters in order: “who are you?” ; “what time is it?” ; “what do you choose?” ; and “always.” set us up for the world Dreamer wanted to bring us into, a groovy, introspective, and intricately woven introduction into who he who was, and who he has become, and who he will be.

Exquisite Pain - Convict Julie

Convict Julie is able to merge elements of the Weekend’s haunting vocals with the dark, melancholy, and extremely sobering production. Her lyrics are cold as ice, and yet yearning for the warmth that seems to be just out of her reach.On Exquisite Pain this side of her shines. On Dark Matter, she sings: “Let the lord be my witness, that I’ll make it out the storm.” showing the hope peaking through the dark, deep thunderclouds where her beautiful art exists. Exquisite Pain is an absolute gem and must be admired as such, please go stream today if possible!

Artist of The Month February 2022 - Convict Julie

Artist of the month is a title that is given out to underground artists who we feel are making career strides for themselves, consistently raise the bar for themselves, and released the best project of the month. For January 2022 our last artist of the month was the talented Baton Rouge-based artist Lango. This month we focus on a talented artist who is brand new to us but already has a solid buzz around her, Athens Georgia-based artist Convict Julie. Following the release of her new project, “Exquisite Pain” Convict Julie has quickly elevated to one of our favorite underground artists and is a force to be reckoned with. Releasing her debut project back in 2019 “Let's Swim”. Featuring 8 songs and a guest feature from MMC Gue$$, Let's Swim first song opens up on a high note with each song the project gets better and better. From the production to the lyrics, and even the choice of topics Convict chooses to tackle on this project you can hear the authenticity in each song. That authenticity culminates into a solid project that can go to toe with some mainstream artists. Following up on "Let's Swim" she also released a small EP titled "Wynter" similar to "Let's Swim", "Wynter" was another showcase of her talent. Half the length of "Let's Swim", "Wynter" was a small project to hold fans over while she gathered all her resources and put together what is going down as a stand-out underground project for 2022 her new album "Exquisite Pain".

If "Let's Swim", and "Wynter" was Convicts Julie's warm-up "Exquisite Pain" is her showing up to the game and blowing past whatever expectations were expected from her. From beginning to end this new project is not only a great listen, but the project also is a listening experience and is a perfect example of the quality of work underground artists can pump out with a little time, consistent solid effort, and maximizing whatever resources that are available to them. Similar to her debut "Exquisite Pain" may only be eight songs in length which may be short but this project is the perfect example of quality work over quantity content. What is even more amazing about this new project is that not only was Convict Julie able to put this solid body of work together. She is also able to hold her on with no guest features. From beginning to end this project is nothing but her and her authenticity over some of the best production coming from an underground artist's team. She also put together a visual project with the help of black22productions that fits so well visually with the sounds of this album.

"Exquisite Pain" stands out to us because on this project Convict Julie takes a lot of risks with not only the sounds but also the subject matter. On this album, you'll hear similar sounds to the current vibe The Weeknd was going for when he was first getting started, but she adds her own style and somehow reclaims it for herself. In addition, making a solid breakthrough with the sounds she also tackles uncomfortable subject matters like experiencing mental health crises, the loss of one's self-identity, the double-edged sword of community activism, and rising up from a low point to be the best person she can be. With this new project, Convict opens up herself up to her fans and has not only given them what is arguably her best project she has also raised the bar for herself musically and we are more than excited to see what she has in store for future releases.

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Convict Julie, welcome to Nefarious Supply, and thank you for interviewing with us to get this interview started, tell us about your self who is Convict Julie, and what has driven you to choose a music career?

I started making music when I was six to cope with the environment around me. Originally from Bankhead, I witnessed and experienced things that impacted the way I currently view and exist in the world. Where I’m from, tears weren’t safe, so where couldn’t cry, I made music to heal. Convict Julie is a little fish in a big pond. Music is what I know. It chose me and I chose it back. It’s the ultimate love story. A career in music isn’t secure or stable, but this is what I love so I’ll keep doing it, carving out my own doors when there aren’t any doors open for me.

Where are you based out of and how has this area influenced you, your music, and what is the area like for underground and emerging artists?

I grew up in Atlanta on the west and east sides of Atlanta. The streets and my experiences in the city formed a lot of my views. I wasn’t doing any gangster shit, but a lot of my friends did and passed away too young, sadly. Those experiences never left me and they never will. Currently based in Athens, I’m in an interesting position where there isn’t an Alternative R&B/Neo Soul scene so I have a lot of room to do me, but I love coming back to my city and giving Atlanta my most authentic self. Atlanta made me.

What artists would you say have been your biggest source of inspiration since your start, and who are you currently listening to in your day-to-day?

I was heavily influenced by Jazz music, Lauryn Hill, Red Hot Chili Peppers, OutKast and Tracy Chapman. Future and Young Thug shaped my adolescence. Those artists introduced me to a vulnerability that I struggled to give myself and share with others, which is why music has been so impactful for me. I’m behind on listening to newer music at the moment because I’ve been writing so much of my own music. I listen to a lot of classical music for inspiration.

Let’s talk music recently you released your new project Exquisite Pain, tell us about this project including the meaning behind the title, what inspired the overall project and what was it like putting it together?

The meaning behind the project is experiencing the beauty behind the sadness. What inspired my project were my real life experiences in suffering a decline in my mental health after my time in activism. To put this project together gave me a sense of closure and helped me heal. Therapy couldn’t do what making this album did for me.

The production on this project is AMAZING from the hard-hitting synths, the drums, and your voice everything fits so well together! What was it like producing this masterpiece of a project?

Thank you so much. Making this project felt like answering my soul’s cry for resolve. I wanted to share my feelings through lyrics, performance, and lyrics. I have to thank my co-producers who helped complete my vision. To make a project like this required intention and my intention was to be vulnerable with my story. I had to open myself up to be embraced, rejected, judged, and accepted. This project flowed. I wrote the song lyrics in 10-20 minutes each. I knew exactly what I wanted to say and said it. It was simple.

Walk us through each song on the project including the meaning behind the title, what inspired them, and what are some of your favorite songs on this project?

The whole album is a story of experiencing a mental health crisis after I organized and led 4 months of peaceful protest against police brutality and racial inequity in Athens, Georgia. Nobody talks about the mental/emotional sacrifice and loss of self in becoming an activist. Despite the success I and my community experienced as a result of the activism, I completely fell apart. That was the price I was willing to pay to fight for my rights and the rights of those who would not fight for themselves. Each song speaks on the process of losing myself, the old me dying, grieving, coping, and becoming new. “Surrender” is about letting go of who I used to be to make room for my evolution as a person. I had to surrender the idea of who I was to simply be as I am. “Convict” is the inner conflict between who people think I am “convict” (a criminal) versus who I really am, “Convict Julie ” a little fish in a big pond.

Most people don’t know that Convict Julie is a type of fish. “X” speaks on coping with my inner turmoil through vices: love, drugs, parties, and isolation. “Battle Cry” is about the old me dying and facing my demons boldly. This is also my favorite song on the project. “Light It Up” is about the phases of grief I experienced in dying inside. “Dark Matter” is the conversation I have with myself about choosing myself and embracing my shadow as one with my light. “Ashes” tells the story about my resilience and rising from the ashes of my past to become new. “Legend” is a victory song that captures my survival of the triumph I experienced. I’ll be remembered for overcoming what I almost didn’t survive. It’s is exquisitely expressed visually and sonically, but it’s painful to witness and to have experienced.

In addition to producing one of our favorite albums this year, you also put out an amazing visual album for your project. What is it like putting this project together, who was the production team, and what was your favorite part about putting it together?

To put that project together required about a year of planning. I’ve seen this vision since 2020. As an independent artist, it’s not feasible to do a visual album without a big budget or label support, but I come from a family of hustlers and I learned how to make something incredible out of nothing. That’s what I did. I reached out to local cinematographers with this ambitious plan of creating a visual album and everyone rejected me. Then, through an obscure relationship, I met Tim Hardiman, an incredible director and senior producer for CMT. He heard my album and wanted to help make a music video for the project. I told him my vision of a visual album and he was skeptical. For months I drafted treatments and storyboards. I knew my vision and stuck to it. A week before shooting, he told me it wasn’t possible to accomplish the visual album in one day and I asked him to trust me. He did. We shot the entire visual album in one 10-hour day with a zero dollar production budget. James Corn executive produced the project, Ben Sherrill did the cinematography, Tim directed/edited/produced, and I wrote and co-produced the project. I owe those guys so much gratitude. The best part of doing this project was the execution. I never doubted we could do it. We had a solid plan and made it work. The visual album turned out beautifully and exquisitely. It is exquisite pain.

What is your favorite thing about being an artist, and for new artists that are getting started what is some advice you would give them?

I like that I can express myself authentically. I’m not the best singer or the best producer or writer, but nobody can express me and my experiences better than me. For any artist starting out, I’d tell them to make a formula tailored specifically to them and stick to it. Don’t adjust your formula based on what other people are doing. Asses YOUR skills, weaknesses, goals, resources, accomplishments, and opportunities. Then create your formula. Stick to it. Upon facing setbacks or reaching new goals, adjust. Adapt. Do you consistently. Forever.

With you 2022 already at a high note, what are some goals you hope to accomplish by the end of this year and where would you like your career too by the end of this decade?

My new standard is visual albums. I’m already working on my next visual album. I don’t know where I’ll be by the end of the year or decade. If I’m still on this earth, I want to continue evolving as a human and as an artist, making timeless art. I have big ideas and I will continue trusting my vision and executing until those ideas manifest into tangible form. My generation doesn’t have a Purple Rain. That’s my goal.

What artists do you think we should interview on Nefarious Supply next?

Ben Reilly!

Any last words?

Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” is the greatest visual album of all time. From narrative to vision, her excellence is unmatched. That is something I admire deeply and chose to channel. I’ve accomplished an incredible feat as an independent artist in making this visual album. I didn’t have a budget of over a million dollars, months to film, or an expansive production team. What I had was a belief in my work when everyone around me thought I was aiming too high and a damn good team. I did my project in one day with a non-existent budget and a production team of four people, myself included. There was no fundraiser, sponsor, label, or investor. This project is a direct result of passion, vision, teamwork, and focus. I hope Beyoncé sees my project one day. I want people to experience my album and for it to reach the masses. I also want other artists to know that it is possible to make high caliber art independently.

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SoundCloud Gems - March 14, 2022

When it comes to finding music by underground artists SoundCloud continues to be one of the best platforms to do so. Month over month during our search we are able to find a ton of talented artists and this month is no different. With our update to the SoundCloud Gems playlist we took the focus off flips, and spent more time trying to find underground artists who are creating small waves for them selves with each release of a new song. Putting together a list of 27 songs this SoundCloud Gems update features entries from Sowell, Benjy Ali, Thriii, J. Robb, Amaria, Tay Hundreds, Variete, Kickback, AHMIR, dj blackpower, Forrest Ripperton, Luke Bar$, Blvck Svm, Xavier Scott, LOS, CARRTOONS, D.K. THE PUNISHER, M1RZA, NoFancyName, Remsen, Thrice Groove, The Set, 5AM, WLLFLXX, QAPT, and StashTheWave.

In addition to looking for some of the best underground music on SoundCloud right now we are also extremely dedicated to building a platform purely dedicated to underground artists by providing valuable content and promotion, sharing great music, and building up a community. Our blog and social media presence has done a great job at doing the first two but to grow our community we’ve opened up a Discord. On this Discord you can network and connect with other underground artists, and pitch your music directly to us if you’re looking for coverage or just want feed back, and most importantly you have a place that is dedicated to you. If you have any questions feel free to DM US or shoot us in our submission box, and enjoy the update to SoundCloud Gems below!

4 Things Every Underground Artists Should Remember

As an artist, you’re to strive to be the main attraction but it isn’t something you should do on your own. As you gain momentum, think about bringing together a group of individuals that align with your wants and needs to further your career. Building a central team around you will help you maximize your career, make informed business choices, and build on your net worth. In the early stages, a lot of the tasks associated with building your career will be taken on by you. Including your management, reviewing of any small legal agreements, your business affairs, your marketing/social media presence. But the more you grow and garner more widespread attention, your time will become thinner as you spend more time focusing on your music and less time focusing on the day-to-day of your career. Here’s somethings for you to consider:

• You are a business

• Most artists avoid business

• What you do with your success can make you or break you

• Your career run will not last forever

You Are A Business

One of the most memorable lines in music comes from Ye’s ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ remix with Jay - Z in which Jay says "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man,”. Most people in and outside of the music industry understand what this line means but applying it to your careers is what can set you apart. Often times, when an underground artists hears the calling, there is no doubt that a big appeal for most is the ability to be yourself creatively and build an empire for you and your family. Another appeal for many is the fact that as an artist you are essentially your boss and can choose when and how you want to work, but that ability comes with a huge responsibility; having a clear understanding that with enough time you’re creativity is capable of generating millions of dollars for you. This requires you to be disciplined in your creativity, maximize your time and the business side of your career also has to be maintained just as well. As an underground artist, you’re entering the music industry and the music industry like every other industry is a business. And in the world of business, those that are not organized and consistent are quickly going nowhere very fast.

Most artists don’t like business.

Now, this doesn’t apply to all (some artists are extremely talented when it comes to business) but for some, avoiding the business side of their careers seems to be why the get stuck. Using this knowledge is key because where some artists lack organization you can use that to further your career ahead.

What you do with your success can make you or break you.

After gaining some success and a stable/consistent income, most artists make the mistake of building up sloppy operations and looking for short-term pleasure rather than figuring out what’s the best way to continue building on that success. These choices can include things like: purchasing non-income-producing assets (cars, homes, boats, clothes) or losing focus on the initial reasons why they had succeeded, to begin with.

Your career run will not last forever

Most artists don’t like to hear this but the reality is that whatever success you have will be limited. While most other careers have a professional runway of 30-40 years. The music industry is a constantly changing and evolving industry and one thing you’ll quickly realize is that the concentrated earnings of today may not be there tomorrow. So figuring out how to effectively use that income in the short term and set yourself for long-term success once your career is over is imperative.

StashtheWave

Stash thank you for agreeing to interview with Nefarious Supply to get to get this interview started tell us about your self who is Stash, what got you started as a musician, how long have you been making music, and what is your experience so far as an underground artist.

I wanna start off by saying thank you for having me, and giving me the opportunity to talk a little about myself on your platform. The name StashtheWave is a moniker I created a little bit after high school, around 2016. I’m a Boston-based music producer from Randolph, MA. My musical journey started at a young age, listening to the music my father would play around the house. Everything from classic Spanish music to Marvin Gaye or Lionel Richie, and the soft rock and R&B of the 90s/early 2000s. Around 9 years old I started taking piano lessons for several years and going into middle school I started listening to more music that I discovered on my own. By the time I was a senior in high school in 2015, I started experimenting with FL Studio trying to teach myself how to make my own beats with the dreams of one day being the one behind many future hit records. Since then, I’ve been able to work with some of the best artists from around my state and have gotten some pretty dope opportunities along the way.

I would describe my experience of being an underground artist from Massachusetts as community driven. I feel like everyone from around here really supports one another, especially the people I keep around. My career thus far has been short, but I’ve learned so much along the way and have been blessed with opportunities that most people don’t get. My first big break in Boston’s music scene was in 2018 when I produced the music on a Celtics’ commercial that also included Cousin Stizz’s narration. Since then, I’ve been working with a lot artists from around the city and from neighboring states including artists from Van Buren Records, Notebook P, Lonny X from CT and Hennessy from Providence. This journey has been a rollercoaster ride so far but I know I have so much more in store.

Being based out of Massachusetts how has this area influenced you as a producer , in addition to Van Buren having a big presence in the area what other artists are prevalent in the area, and in terms of talent who do you think is the best underground artist or artists to come out of your state right now/?

I think I’ve been extremely blessed by being around so many great artists from my area, and everyone around me keeps pushing me to be greater. Having that level of talent around really does wonders for my own creativity. In addition to what Van Buren has been doing, artists like Notebook P, Donald Grunge, BoriRock, REDLINE Agency, Latrell James, my guy ROHO who’s a fire, multi-faceted producer, my guys from Rebel Mafia and my own collective Dienue have proven that there is great talent here in Massachusetts as well as many others. My personal favorite in terms of talent is Notebook P. We’ve been working together for years and seeing his development in real-time has been beautiful to witness. My guys over at Van Buren Records really been doing their thing too.

In addition to your location what artists would you say have had the biggest influence on you, why, and which artists are you currently listening to right now?

My biggest inspirations have mostly came from Pharrell, Kanye West, 9th Wonder, KAYTRANADA, Metro Boomin and many many more. Definitely everyone in Dienue and VB, Latrell too. All of them have been pivotal in my growth as a producer and artist in general. And since ROHO and I started making beats together he’s also helped me apply a whole different approach to my own beat-making as well. Currently I’ve been listening to Babyface Ray’s new album, Saba’s new project, this dude BashfortheWorld from Texas, and Curren$y and Alchemist’s new album too.

So the journey as an underground producer is never easy and is filled with all of ups and downs if you could go back in time and give your younger self advice about your career what would you say, and for new producers that are just now getting started what advice would you give them.

I would probably tell my younger self and to producers who are just starting to keep working as hard as possible on your craft, and that you might not like everything you make all the time but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t. Keep drawing inspiration from all avenues of life and that it’s also okay to just live life for a while until that inspiration comes back.

What is your favorite thing about being an underground producer, and what would you say is the most challenging thing?

I think my favorite thing about being an underground producer is also the most challenging thing; I love being a versatile producer who can create with almost any artist and I feel like that makes me one of the state’s best kept secrets. With that being said, that feeling of being “slept on” comes with some negative baggage sometimes but you always have to overcome those emotions of self-doubt.

So talk to us about your creative process what platform do you use to produce from start to finish how do you get inspired, what’s it like when you get in the studio, and how do you know you have something you are ready to share with the world?

I’ve been making beat on FL Studio since the start and I honestly don’t plan on moving to a different DAW. The first thing I think of when I’m starting a beat is whatever emotions I’m feeling at that moment. I try my best to translate my feelings into the music I make and I heavily incorporate that into the sessions I’m in. The studio is like my sanctuary, it’s my place to relax and wind down, and to open my mind to any and all kinds of possibilities. Having that level of comfort in a room really gets me in a position to be as creative as I can be. I usually know I have a record that I want to put out when I’ve been sitting on it for a bit but I can’t stop playing it. I might not like it for like a few days or a week but I always end up going back to it like “nah, this is hard.” That’s when I know I’m ready to release something or send it out.

StashtheWave · Cruise Control

So back in 2020 you released a small single featuring three songs titled Cruise Control walk us through this project including what inspired it, the meaning behind the title, and the making or inspiration behind each of the songs?

The COVID pandemic left us all stuck in our cribs for good amount of 2020, so I had the idea of releasing a small beat tape with an independent label called Dust Collectors. Some things happened and I ended up not releasing with that label and decided to put it out on my own. I handled almost everything about that project from production and art direction with additional help from my fellow Dienue member Clyde Black.

The main reason why I wanted to release Cruise Control was to showcase a certain vibe from my beats that most people didn’t know me for at the time. Until then, I felt like most artists expected trap beats from me so I just wanted to show that I can be very versatile as well. The creation of the beat tape came from the last track, ‘Otw Home.’ It’s the most recent beat on there and my personal favorite, and that beat was what drove the inspiration of the entire project. ‘Noir’ was an old beat from like 2017 that I touched up with some new drums and ‘October’ is actually the oldest beat on there.

This year you entered into the new year on a high note and followed up with Cruise Control with your new release To Whom Much Is Given tell us about this new single and the three tracks?

To Whom Much is Given is 3-track EP that I released to further showcase my production and curation capabilities, and to also showcase the talent of some of my closest friends and collaborators. Everything was made over that past year or so and everything was made organically. I’ve been sitting on a lot of records with various artists so I really wanted to just put out a few of them that I loved and was ready for the world to hear.

On cruise control you really show cased your production but with this project you decided to feature artists over your beats including: Donald Grunge, Jiles, Arold, Clyde Black, and Notebook. What made you feature each of them, and how was the experience working with them for this new project?

I’ll start with Grunge. Grunge is an amazingly versatile artist that can hop on almost any beat imaginable. I sent him the beat for ‘BORDERLINE’ while he was in LA and he sent back a record like the next day. From the moment I listened to it I knew that we had one. Most people know him for his autotune but he’s not rapping with autotune on this one and that alone also really made want to release the record. Jiles and I have more than a few records together and he really just be snapping on all of them. ‘I.D.FW.N.’ was a record made so organically one night and once I heard the freestyling from everyone while I was making the beat I knew it was going to be a special one. That track so raw, man. ‘FEBRUARY’ came from one of the darkest times for me in recent memory. It was a record that originally me and Clyde were just working on together before I sought the help of ROHO and Notebook P to complete the song.

So 2022 is just started what are your goals this year including where do you want to be by the end to his year, and where do you want your career by the end of this decade?

My goals for the year is to keep my foot on the gas with my music. I have so much music in the vault and I’m honestly more ready than ever to release it. I have a lot of great ideas I wanna share with everyone once they’re fully realized and I can’t wait for what’s next. By the end of the year I want everyone from around here that I’m one of the best out. I’ve always believed in myself and knew that I could do anything that I applied my mind to. By the end of the decade, I just hope I could leave my mark on my community, inspire the next generation of dreamers and help my team achieve great success.

Who should we feature next?

I’m going to be biased and say that I think you should feature either someone from Dienue or my boy Notebook P (LOL). Everyone one of those guys are immensely talented and have done so much for my own creativity. Clyde is an amazing rapper/singer/stylist/graphic designer. Man’s really a jack of all trades. Qwan? is a the only rapper-producer in Dienue and he’s got some crazy records in the vault that I know he’s ready to release. Demaris is one of the best producers and sample-choppers I know and is also multi-talented. And Notebook P got the voice of an angel. That man can sing his heart out and can write songs like nobody else that I know.

Any last words?

I just want to say thank you again for featuring me on your platform. I love the way you guys highlight underground artists and also give a lot of free game to up and coming artist who might not have this information at their disposal. I hope you all liked my project and be on the lookout for more releases from me this year!

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Raemi

Raemi thank you for taking the time to interview with Nefarious Supply! To get the interview started tell us about your self who is Raemi, where are you from, and what got you started making music?

Thank you guys for having me! I can’t for people to get to know me a little more. So I’m originally from Ontario, Toronto. I moved to Memphis when I was like 5-6 years old and basically grew up there. Moving to a new country at such a young age was definitely a big life change & culture shock for me and my family at the time, so I kinda dove right into being actively involved. I grew up singing in a lot of multi-genre’d choirs. Gospel, choral, opera, a cappella. You name it, I did it. I also did a lot of theatre and just about anything that had music involved in it. Over the years, I’ve always known I was extremely musically inclined. So my background in it has everything to do with why I started making my own.

Raemi is the girl who I’ve dreamt of becoming. If my 10 year old self could meet me now, she’d definitely think I’m the coolest person ever. I actually used to go by “Chelle” and the homies still me that. Around the time of figuring out an artist name for myself, I was also in a season of learning more about me. So I asked my fam to kinda help me find a name no one else would have. I wanted to keep my roots in there, and “Ray” is my family nickname. The “mi” comes from the first two letters of my last name, Mitchell! We were just yelling out names and my brother goes “Raemi!” & I was like, I love that. It’s so unique and it’s a funny coincidence that it sounds like the first 3 notes on the solfège scale.  Do re mi :) I love saying that when people ask me how to pronounce my name. 

So I see from your profile your based out of Nashville and we’ve actually interviewed a bunch of artist from the area including $avvy, Sully, and Georgie Zaven. What is your experience with the area, hows the underground scene, and how has this area influenced you?

Yeah so I actually just moved to Nashville last year around the end of April! I’m not new to seeing Nashville, but I’m definitely new to living here and adapting to the city’s culture. I’m a very outgoing and all around people person, so my experience making friends and networking out here has been pretty great. The underground scene is very unique to say the least. I haven’t been a part of it that long, but Nashville definitely has that star quality coming out of a lot of artists. Friends included. Living in a city where music is so valued and being around people who appreciate and love it as much as I do have only influenced me to do more with my artistry. The creative atmosphere is dope, and I’m lucky I get to be in spaces that allow me to explore that. 

In addition to you location what artists have been a big influence on you, and what songs and albums are currently in your rotation?

Brandy, Bob Marley, and Lauryn Hill have had a big influence on me growing up. I’m also Jamaican, so my dad would just blast reggae throughout the house everyday. Over the last year or so, I’ve become such a big fan of H.E.R. I absolutely love the way she writes and arranges her music. I love that she’s multitalented and keeps a strong family based team around her. I feel like I resonate because I kinda see a little bit of myself in her, so she’s always in the rotation. Lately I’ve been bumping a lot of Tems, Vince Staples, rum.gold, and Madison Ryan Ward. All amazing artists.

What’s your favorite thing about being an artist, and for some newer artists looking to get started what’s the biggest piece of advice you would give them?

My favorite thing about being an artist is that I have the freedom to unapologetically be myself and do whatever I want creatively. I cherish that there’s so much room to improve in this industry. I learn something new everyday! For the people just getting started, all I’d say is be willing to learn. Stay patient and genuine, support your friends, and remember why you started. It’s so crucial to believe in yourself and your abilities, but also keep the people who believe in you just as much around. Encouragement really goes a long way. 

You have two songs out right now “Don’t Know Her,” and “Darlin” tell us about both including what inspired each, how the production came together, what was your favorite part of making both?

So “Don’t Know Her” was the first single I out put out last year and I actually wrote it as a poem at first. It was a few weeks after I moved, and I was out by myself exploring. Sat outside somewhere downtown, and journaled for a long time. It was so pretty outside and I probably stared at the clouds for a good 10 minutes and that’s when the words hit me. At the time, a lot of changes were happening in my life. I was evolving into this new and better version of myself, so I poured all of those emotions into a poem. Melodies just kinda come to me in my head, and somehow the next day I’m re-writing the whole thing into a song. My friend Reese produces and I had sent him a demo of me singing a little bit of it, and he was like “This is amazing. We gotta track this” so he came into town for a session I had and magic was made. 

“Darlin” happened by fluke. I had a session with a Reese, and I walked into him and my other homie who does Afro beats making this super dope track. I look at Reese and go “I have a song for this beat. Let’s record it” I had written a hook with my friend a few months back and didn’t have any production to it so I just left it alone. After hearing what they made, I whipped out my notes and started singing different melodies I thought would work with the hook. Wrote the whole thing and finished it that night, then a few months later I released it! It’s definitely my favorite song of mine so far. I wanted to branch out and do something that reflected my culture, so releasing a song under Afropop R&B was really cool. I plan to do a lot more with that sound. My favorite part about making both was seeing the vision really come to life.

It’s a new year what are your top three goals for 2022, and what are your long term goals for your career?

My top 3 goals for this year are to get a major songwriting placement, release and album, and have my music played on TV. I know all of those things are attainable, so I’m just excited to see how it all plays out! Long term dream goals would definitely be to get signed as a songwriter for a major publishing company and tour with a major artist as their background vocalist. I love the idea of support someone’s vocals with pretty harmonies. I also just really wanna travel and get the full the tour experience.

Any last words?

Thanks for taking the time out to get to know me. You’ll be seeing a lot more of Raemi, so buckle up 🤎 

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Artist of The Month Jan 2022: Lango

One of the few artists we had on our radar when we first came out, Baton Rouge-based artist Lango has been making waves for himself and has slowly been building his career by releasing nonstop heat. A musician that is no stranger to taking risks, all while pushing the boundaries of his sound. Since 2018, with every new release, Lango looks to set himself apart from his peers by creating a sound you’ll find yourself constantly going back because one listen just isn’t enough! One of the first projects we listened to was 2018’s ‘Melting Point’. At that time Lango was still cutting his teeth as an underground artist but this project was the perfect introduction for him and his sound. Featuring productions from LUKRATIVE, ILLUD, Worldwidetak, and even doing some himself. Even in our infancy, ‘Melting Point’ stood out to us as such a high-quality project from a novice in this big industry.

Following that project, Lango really locked in. From 2019 to now it seems as though he’s been on a nonstop run to see how far he can not only push himself creatively, but see where he can take his career and further his reach to new audiences. After ‘Melting Point’, Lango released two projects, ‘Gameroom’ and ‘Warthog’. Fast forward to 2021, he really took things up a notch with ‘Wikk Tapes’. If all his other projects were just practice, then ‘Wikk Tapes’ truly raised the bar for himself as an artist! With experimental sounds it worked out for the best with stand-out songs like: ‘Obvious’ featuring Three65, ‘Back Outside’, ‘Call Byron’ , ‘Russia’, and all of the new songs added to the deluxe edition of the project.

With his new project ‘Speedin’ Through Life’, Lango has once again solidified himself as a powerhouse artist that should be on your radar. Featuring guest appearances from XABIEL LUCIA, BLÜ, Michael Armstead, Three65, and Matt Hue. ‘Speedin’ Through Life’ is Lango’s best project to date! Each song fits in perfectly with the overall sound of the project, each guest feature feels hand-picked, and the production is what really makes this project stand out as a whole. Lango is our pick as ‘ARTIST OF THE MONTH’ for January 2022. He continuously pushes himself to new heights by never remaining comfortable, taking risks, and always looking to see elevating how he can elevate to new levels with each release. The year just started, but ‘Speedin’ Through Life’ as an early contender for best underground project of the year and Lango is on the trajectory of establishing himself as the next big artists to command media attention. Check out our feature with him below and be sure to listen to his new album ‘Speedin’ Through Life’

Lango congratulations on releasing one of the best albums of 2022 so far with your new project ‘Speedin’ Through Life’ give us an update on what’s been going on with you?

Thanks and I think I’ve been mostly good lately. I just moved out to Atlanta and I’ve just been trying to find a way to leave a mark out here.

Since your 2019 project ‘Gameroom’ you’ve been releasing all heat including “Warthog”, and “Wikk Tapes’. With “Speedin’ Through Life” you’ve raised the bar for yourself, so just talk us through this new project. What inspired the name of the project, when did you start working on it, and what was your favorite aspect of putting your album together.

I started working on this project around September of 2021. After the summer ended the year was kinda tough for me. So much was going on to the point I felt super numb. So days were just flying by, I just felt like I was speeding through life. And all my songs during that time were slower more emotional tunes. Coincidentally it resembles speeding bullet to heaven which I promise was not on purpose. My favorite part was just being able to pick songs that were different than what I usually put out. The more emotional, meaningful messages.

The cover goes CRAZY! How did it come together?

My younger brother had just launched his film production company Mondo Digital, and I was like shoot some stuff for me so you can have some content to start with. He ended up shooting a clip of me acting crazy in the woods with my face painted and clipped that image. So we just thought it was tight and went with it.

So from front to back every song feels hand-picked and perfectly placed on the project even the features (which include XABIEL LUCIA, BLÜ, MICHEAL ARMSTEAD, Slimm, THREE65, and MATT HUE) complement the overall project. So just break down the production for us who did you tap in for that, how did you pick your features for this project, and what’s it like working with everybody?

For this album I kinda kept it down to my day one main producer camp buddies. Worlwidetak, Patty Mills, Arixs, Grant $aint, DJ bean, W8up and Matt Hue. Dumpy mastered most of it and Chad Roby mastered a couple, they came in last minute clutch. These guys kinda know me pretty well and know exactly what variety I like and they also all love my music. I also worked with my friends from college his name is Khari, he sent me a beat on some random. I kinda use Matt Hue in a Mike Dean sense, he adds finishing touches to certain songs. Like the outro on world is mine, or the bridge on release it, and the outro on always early. He’s good at being the glue for stuff I can’t finish.

Also Michael Armstead produced the intro track, and did some vocals on Bentley Baton Rouge and the bridge in Release it. He was last minute all over the damn tape. But dude is incredible. He’s an artists out of Baton Rouge as well as Slimm who I newly got to work with. She also did some amazing vocals on Bentley Baton Rouge. Blü is an artist from Nola. After Matt sent me the always early outro I tried to sing on it but I was like this needs to be for her. Her voice is perfect for that shit idk. I think that’s one of the best songs I’ve ever made. Xabiel is on the intro track and is this amazing alternative artist and man his voice is incredible to me. This guy sang his whole verse in Spanish, I almost wreck my car and shit on myself when I heard it. Very slept on dude and very high ceiling for potential. Last but not least my boy Three65. You already know what it is with him.

Bro you and THREE65 go crazy together you guys really blew our minds with “Obvious” back in 2021, and “WORLD IS MINE” is even better. So what’s it like working with him, how long have you guys been working together, and would you guys ever do a collab EP or album together?

I’ve been workin with him for years, since he was like 16. We been locked in for a very long time and he hit a point where he just went full singer out of this world. Nobody sounds like him. I see him as my only contemporary just cause we came up together. And I think we work better when we just got a song or two floating around. I don’t like collab records.

So on our end our favorite songs off your project are ‘ALWAYS EARLY’, ‘BENTLEY BATON’ ‘ROUGE’, ‘WORLD IS MINE,’ ‘Lighten Up’, and ‘Speedin Through Life’. Tell us about each of these songs, and what are your favorite songs?

Always early was produced by Patty Mills. Just a track about how I value being on time for shit lmao. Bentley Baton Rouge was a song I actually slept on produced by Arixs and W8up. World is mine another one by Arixs, Lighten up by Arix and Tak, and speeding through life by Tak. My favorite song is Thank God produced by my friends from college, Khari, or the outro to lighten up which I produced.

So what’s next for you in 2022 where do you want to be by the end of the year any new music on the way?

By the end of the year I want to have increased my net worth, done a tour or two, Dropped a song that has surpassed my biggest song in streams. Stay in the gym, just have a bunch of stuff to say in December that I’m proud of, cause at the end of 2021 I didn’t have much to say. And yes I’m gonna drop so much music and content I can’t wait.

Any last words?

Thank you Nefarious Supply for sticking with me all this time. Thanks to Byron Ju Jax and all the other boys. Ion wanna say too much cause I’m still tryna take my own advice but one thing I never did was stop being myself so just keep doing that and you’ll be fine.

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Sunny Addams

Sunny thank you for interviewing with Nefarious Supply, to get this interview started tell about your self who is Sunny Adams and how did you get started as a musician?

Short answer, Sunny Addams is a storyteller. Long answer, Sunny Addams is the device I created to share and explore the narratives, ideas and reflections that I had seen in this world. Music has always been an incredible important aspect of my life, as a kid I was an avid music listener. I remember the first album I ever listened to was probably the Space Jam Soundtrack but between then and now, I’ve listened to a lot of everything. I didn’t always want to be a musician. When I got to high school, a friend of mine was showing me a song of his and I offered to help and sing on it. I showed people at school and they really fucked with it, so I was oh shit, am I actually good at this? Then it slowly started from there. I started writing songs by myself but never releasing them, until about late 2020. In 2021, I linked with my engineer Lil E$$o, and that’s when it really began to move forward.

Where are you based out of, how has this area influenced you and your sound and what is the scene like for underground artists?

I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada but I’m based out of Pickering, Ontario, Canada. The burbs. I would definitely say this had a huge influence on me and my sound. Many of the people I create and work with I’ve met living here, and they been essential to my growth as an artist. I went to high school in Pickering and that provided me a really unique experience. Pickering felt like the exact point where the city became the suburbs and therefore, a lot of the music, culture and style of the city was infused into the music and culture of the burbs. It’s quite unique in that way and specific as well. I think a lot of the people I met all brought their unique experiences and as a result, I was exposed to a lot of different music, film and art.

The underground scene for the Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area in general, I think is the best it’s ever been. Especially amongst a lot of the musicians and creatives I know (Remsen, Jetlag, Sara Sidheri, Cantkilldyl, Lil E$$o, Antwunn, Nolan Balance to name a few) it feels like we’re on the cusp of a new dawn. Our sounds, visuals and art is nothing really like what’s come before. I feel like we’re elevating the taste level of the city.

In addition to your location what artists have had a big influenced on you, and as your career grows what artists do you eventually want to work with?

It is probably very derivative to say Drake, but he is one of the biggest artists in the world. More than they music he makes, I think Drake inspires a lot of us from Canada by just showing us its possible to blow up being from here. Musically I would have to say Kid Cudi, Andre 3000 and Frank Ocean. Sonically I really enjoy all of those artists but its the unique song writing that always resonates with me the most. Andre’s introspection, Cudi’s honesty and vulnerability and Frank’s imagery and world building are all things I pull from and influence my songwriting process. Oh, and Young Thug too. Lately though, I’ve been a big fan of Pierre Bourne, Sofaygo, Baby Keem and Yeat. They all bring something vastly different to the hip hop game. I’m honestly more excited to work with producers than artists in the future. There’s so many incredible producers in the game right now, Pierre, Kenny Beats, Take a Day Trip, Wondagurl. Local producers I wanna work with too, Toronto has some of the best.

Tell us about your experience as an underground artists what are somethings you’ve learned on your journey?

I’ve been seriously pursuing music from about a year and half now. Before that I spent a lot of time in my head, trying to decipher the perfect time to jump in. And though I’m happy with where I’m at now, the biggest thing I’ve learned is there is no right time to start. You’ll never “be ready”, you just gotta start one day. Over these past few years I’ve made some public and private mistakes as an artist, but that’s all apart the journey. When you learn to take things in stride, you really just become grateful for all the experiences you have. One thing I struggled with a lot at the beginning of making music was patience. There’s a saying, “the fastest way to get to where you wanna be, is slowly”.

You can’t let anyone, including yourself, speed up your creative process. Ride it out and you’ll see the fruits of your labour eventually. Finally, I think the most important lesson I’ve learned is you must become friends with failure. In order to experience success, you have to take chances and with that you open the door for more failures. If you run from that, you’ll miss opportunities. If you embrace the reality that you will fail, eventually you’ll hit when it counts.

In addition to things you’ve learned if you could give any one that is starting out right now what would it be?

Ask Questions. Better to be a fool for a moment than a fool for life. Even if you think you’re being annoying or bothering someone, or whatever, It’s always best to ask questions for what you don’t know. Always being curious and willing to learn is invaluable in any career I feel.

So let’s get into your music you have a couple of singles our right now including PERC BABY, SOLJAH, and BEDSTUY. Tell us about these songs including what inspired them, who helped you with production, and out of all your songs right now which one is your favorite?

I really love all my songs honestly. On my end of the year list for 2021 all my songs were like top 50 or above. They’re snapshots of important moments for me and every time I listen to them I am brought back to where I was writing them and how I was feeling during that time. Perc baby was indirectly inspired by the show Euphoria funny enough. I don’t always write from a really personal lens, sometimes I like to imagine myself in the situations I write about, how I would feel, what I would be experiencing. Perc baby was like that for me. It was produced by whitemayo, a producer I found off of YouTube, where I find almost all of my beats. It just spoke to me and that song flowed out of me within like 45 minutes. Bedstuy was produced by $IRWAVE, and it was created as a fun anthem I knew my friends would fuck with. I feel like its really special and it came together nicely. Soljah, produced by Wick is easily my favorite. That song is like my personal anthem and I use it re-center myself every time I feel discouraged about my creative process. It really exemplifies who I am and how I carry myself, you know? Never say die, Soljah mentality.

So what’s next for you in 2022 where do you want to be by the end of the year, and what are your long term goals?

I love performing, so I want to have done as many shows as possible before the years done. I have a plan for my first EP that will drop this year as well. It will be a slight sonic shift from what I have been putting out and will be more RnB focused. I’m excited for that. By the end of year, I definitely want to release some merch for my fans to cop and do some acting hopefully as well. Along with the obvious, like getting my music out to even more people and just creating even better art. My long term goals, are definitely focused on growing my brand, ETS, bigger and better. Partnering with more artists and creatives, and getting to the point where I can do this fulltime as a career. If possible, I also want to remain an Independent artist as long as possible. Having my own label in the future is something that really excites me.

Who should we interview next on Nefarious Supply?

Lil E$$o, he is the definition of self-made.

Any last words?

You’ll be seeing more of me for a long time.

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jev

Jev Happy New Year, and thank you for interviewing with Nefarious Supply. To get the interview started tell us about your self who is jev.

Well I'm a 21 year old rap artist based in Ontario, Canada. I started making music at the age of 9 and fell in love with the process of creating something beautiful and sharing that with the world. I was always in search of something that allowed to me fully express myself and I found that with Rapping. I am a creative at heart so my love for the arts does not stop at Rap, in my downtime I write scripts for tv and movie shows that I will hopefully produce in the near future. My creativity stems from my diverse background and a big goal of mine is to carve my own lane within the Rap genre.

Where are you based out of and how has this area influenced you and your sound?

Currently, I’m based out of Ontario, Canada. I was born in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) and I spent the majority of my adolescent years in South Africa before settling in Canada. Living in all 3 of these countries shaped how I create and digest music. These 3 countries all have their own genre and taste when it comes to music. This was very beneficial for me because it opened my eyes to new experiences and sounds. Most importantly it showed me that music is a universal language and I was able to witness how music is able to transcend language barriers and cultures. Not only did that motivate me to keep creating, it also gave me the confidence to think outside the box and incorporate different styles, sounds and rhythms in my music, which have helped me grow as an artists.

In addition to your location what artists have heavily influenced you, what are your top 5 album , and who is currently in your rotation?

There is a vast majority of artist that have influenced me and shaped who I am as an artist today. With regards to my location, artist like Drake have been a major influence, I always respected how he has been able to cross genres. Other artist like J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Kanye West have always been major influences in the music I make. I am not afraid to look outside of the rap genre for influence to, I listen to a lot of R&B and 80s Soul, which have helped a lot in terms of improving my melodies and even subject matter.

My top 5 albums!, that's a tough question because it constantly changes but as of right now, in no particular order my top 5 albums are, J Cole “Forest Hills Drive”, Lauryn Hill ”The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill”, Kendrick Lamar “GKMC”, Bryson Tiller “TRAPSOUL”, SZA “Ctrl”, and if I had to sneak one in there it would be August Alsina “TESTIFY” or DRAKE ”NWTS”. Right now I’m listening to a lot of Neo-soul, so anything Erykah Badu, Jill Scott or Rapheal Saadiq is in my rotation, there is so much good music out there and I intend to listen to as much of it as possible.

How did you get started as a musician and how has your experience been so far?

I started creating music at the age of 9 but at the time it was just for fun and as a side hobby, I started of as a singer, all I remember at the time is Usher was a big inspiration and as time went on I noticed a pattern in music, it was a formula most musicians were using at that time, having a singer do the hook and the rappers would do the verses, I saw this with Soulja Boy & Sammie ”Kiss me Thru the Phone” and Jay-Z & Alicia Keys ”Empire State Of Mind”. At the time this was a winning formula and I decided to do something similar I would sing the hooks and the plan was to find someone that could rap and do the verses, I wasn't able to find someone to rap and do the verses so I decided to do it myself and as time went on I became better and better with rapping until I eventually decided to leave singing and pursue rapping.

It was around the Young Money era where I really fell in love with it and decided to pursue it as a career, I released my first song at 13 it was a song called “They Know” and I was just rapping over the “5am in Toronto” instrumental, my friends, family and even people at school all seem to enjoy it so I decided to make more music and more music, and that’s what I’ve been doing since. My experience so far has been great, I love creating there’s no question about it. There is a lot of work that comes with being an artist especially from the business side but despite that I have had a positive experience and plan on continuing to have a positive experience.

What are somethings you’ve learned since your start, and if you could go back in time and give your younger self some advice what would it be?

The major thing I’ve learned since I started is that creating music is just 50% of being a artist, the other 50% is the business side, which a lot of artist including myself have neglected in the past. The two work hand in hand, you have to understand that you as an artist are a business and you should pay attention to your branding, marketing etc. just as much as you pay attention to your creativity and music. I don’t have a mentor or anybody to guide me, so most of the time I'm learning on the go but I'm thankful for platforms like Nefarious Supply, various channels on YouTube and all the people in the industry who release a lot of gems for upcoming artist like myself.

I also learned how important it is to diversify that’s why I started my own collective “LONER inc” and it’s a collective that specializes in music, film, tv, and fashion, with this collective I’m hoping to explore every thing my creative brain thinks of. If I had to go back and give my younger self advice it would be to be present, most artist chase result and when they don’t see those results they get discouraged, I was once like that when I was younger but changing your mindset is key in this industry, this is a marathon not a race, so be present in the moment, remove yourself from the end goal and enjoy the process.

jev. · Untitled 01

About two years ago you released your project “Untitled 01,” tell us more about this project including what inspired it, the process of making it, and what some of your favorite songs are?

I recorded that project when I was 16-17, it was some of the best fun I’ve had creating, it was never intended to be a project, I was just creating music and then the end of the year came and I had a bunch of songs laying around, so I put some of the best songs together and created “Untitled 01” releasing that was very therapeutic.

I released it in 2019 that's 2 years after majority of the songs on the project were recorded, I had a lot of doubts because I wasn't sure what sound I was aiming for. If you listen to that project it has a variety of different genres and I experimented a lot with disco, rap and pop on that album. But like I said it was therapeutic, the songs were written during my high school years, and looking back it is almost like a diary for me, like a peak inside my mind and mindset at that particular time. Inspiration came from everywhere and I didn't shy away from that, I embraced it and created. I’m constantly growing as an artist and my sound now is very different from what it was when I released that project. All the songs on that project were recorded in my bedroom and the vocals were recorded on my phone and I had the cracked version of FL studio on my computer and I would spend all night mixing and mastering these songs, I spent a lot of time on YouTube watching tutorials on how to mix, my goal was not perfection, I mixed it until it was decent enough and that was good enough for me.

I learned a lot from creating that project from how to mix, how to structure a song, how to create visuals, how to create album art and even how to promote your releases. Everything I didn't know I googled and it was the most frustrating, fun process because it forced me to learn about the industry. Some of my favourite songs on that project are “Jays”, “Diamond Rose”, “Revelations” and “Conversation”.

What's next for you in 2022 where do you want to be by the end of the year, and what's the long term goal of your career?

I’m scared to answer this question because I don't know what the future holds, but I see myself releasing way more music, a goal for me is to be more consistent than I was in previous years. The main thing I want to do this year is release my project “when angles cry” it has been something I've been working on and I'm hoping to release it this year. I want to connect with more people in the industry it would be amazing to have friendships with people that are in the same industry as me. The long term goal for me is really to have longevity, I also don't want to limit myself to just Rap/Hip-Hop, I see myself exploring other industries whether that’s Hollywood or Fashion. I honestly just want to look back on my career one day and be proud that I did everything I wanted to.

Any last words?

Thanks for having me on your platform, I’ve been watching you guys for awhile now and you guys are amazing. We need more platforms like yours. I also wanna thank all the people that have been supporting me thus far, I appreciate all the love and I can't wait for you guys to hear the new music.

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UpNext 2022 - January 30, 2022

Now it hasn’t been that long since 2022 started (though it feels like forever, looking at you January!) however the music that has come out in the past few weeks has been phenomenal and these new artists coming up need to be on your radar this year! What we’ve learned as members of the underground and growing alongside this community is that it is ALWAYS buzzing, and there is always new talent to be found.

From the subcultures of hyperpop where EDM, Rap, and Pop come together for a beautiful aesthetic, new champions of the sound for example digicore and dariacore, are becoming more prevalent in the community. With artists coming together to create super groups dedicated to furthering their sound.

Among them is the talented GORESET with standout acts this year Rouri404, Vaeo, and Tsuyunoshi dropping absolute heat the past week with their new projects “GORE” and “2004”. Other great upcoming performers in the genre are artists such as weial (representing gunrange), often forgotten (representing m1thril), and kiryuu.A light glance elsewhere and we’re suddenly met with sweeping trap beats, flourishing boombap and old hip-hop samples, and deep, introspective lyricism. In the form of Van Buren Records, hip hop has reached different heights.

In the same vein upcoming gems, new acts such as Sincere Hunte and upcoming rap group JOCLYNBURBANK are giving the scene a fresh take on conscious rap. Other class acts with a beautiful repertoire of sounds include Bryan Cheru, mowop, ILY Truly, Jack$on Grey, and YGTUT. These standout stars are ones you all need to have your radar on this year.2022 is the year for the underground, and we’ll here with you every step of the way.

Brooce

Brooce first things first thank you for interviewing with Nefarious Supply, to get the interview started tell us about your self, who is Brooce, where are you from, and how did you come a musician?

First of all, thanks for allowing me to be interviewed by you guys. I enjoy your page, and what you do for music, local and mainstream! I’m a music producer, student, and barista. I was born in Washington D.C and raised between Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County. Besides my daily responsibilities, I turn to music and skateboarding to separate from everything. Brooce is my artist name, which is just an alternate spelling of my actual name, Bruce. I would say Brooce is cool and collected, someone who seems to keep the same energy every time you see him, which is something I want to remain consistent in what I create. I became a musician maybe around 7 years ago, and I have always enjoyed music in all forms. Whether it be Hip-Hop/Rap, Rock, R&B, or House, I never stop looking for new artists to discover. However, I wanted to take my desire a step further, I wanted to create the music that I love.

Who or what has influenced your sound, in what ways have they done so?

I would say my family has inspired me a lot. The radio always stayed on in my house as a kid. From 96.3WHUR on the weekdays to 89.3WPFW on weekends, I experienced endless Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, and R&B, which expanded my love for music. My grandmother would also take me down the street to the record store and give me money to buy CDs! As I got older, my love for music never stopped. My family had tons of CDs, vinyl, cassettes, and 8-tracks. Which allowed me to just go and listen to different music in many ways. As I got older, my love for music never stopped. I had the opportunity to go to concerts and experience music live, which was eye-opening! I was able to meet other creatives and friends as well, that introduced me to new artist. My best friend and local DJ Flotussin always send music to one another daily. Some music I know, while some I'm discovering for the first time. How blessed am I to have a great DJ give me the sauce that I been missing out on haha.

What are your current favorite albums and artists right now and who is currently in your rotation?

My favorite producers are Sango and Evil Needle, as they inspire me the most! Especially during the beginning of the Soulection era. Their sound was chill but hype as well, very unmatched. Sango uses a blend of Brazilian and South American influence and combines it with trap. Evil Needle is just an overall vibe and can't be put in a box. Bringing chillhop, lofi, dance, and electronic. He is one artist that inspires me the most. I never stopped bumping Curren$y, and after him, I’d say Floetry. Favorite albums right now, I am revisiting Danny Brown’s “XXX”. If anybody says, “Danny Brown isn’t good”. Listen to that entire project and tell me different. Also, “Night Creature” by Maya Jane Coles. It is an experimental house project with crazy vocals and tons of ambiance!

From the beginning of the pandemic till now what are some things you’ve done to build on your career

This year I decided to drop a single once a month, and if I missed dropping a single, I gotta drop two the next month. This helped my consistency entirely! This allowed me to drop four projects this year alone, so a little under 20 tracks! Also, submitting to Spotify playlist! Finding playlists with similar themes that match my music helped me a ton!

How has your career been unfolding so far what are some of your favorite things about being a musician and what are some things you don’t like so much?

Musically, my career has been improving! I have definitely grown as an artist and made so many connections. The fact that I remained confident in myself and hit 3.3K streams from 64 countries this year is a blessing. My favorite part of producing is the freedom to create whatever I desire or am in the mood for. I am in charge of the music I make, which makes me feel accomplished when listeners enjoy my sound. A big con is how hard it can be to work and collaborate with other artists sometimes. Unless you find genuine connections, it can be like pulling teeth. And money isn't everything in a partnership.

As a producer how do you find inspiration and what are your go to production tools?

I mainly use Logic Pro for my production! You can create, mix/master, sample, and everything from one program. I use a standard MPK Mini as well, but I plan on investing in some higher quality equipment in the future! I find my inspiration through daily experiences and other music. If I had a great day, my music might be chill and be very upbeat, with bright vocals. While if I had a bad day, I might end up creating something darker but still mellow. I honestly never know how my music will turn out. I sit down and create, and whatever happens, was meant to happen.

On September 9, 2021 you released your new project Just In Sight - EP. Tell us more about this project including what inspired it, your creative process, and your favorite songs on the project?

Yes! This was my first ever strictly house project. I listen to a lot of house, trance, etc., so I always wanted to make a project dedicated to nothing but house. Around my mid-teens, I had a big house/trance phase that just stuck with me. DC also has a pretty thriving house/electronic scene as well. So why not make the music that could be played at these venues by DJs? I wanted a nice blend of lofi house, chill house, and even some hardcore. My favorite tracks from the project are probably Claims and Bad Boy Radio! I love the jazzy vibe to both tracks, I wanted a lofi sound that included some real instrument chops, with loads of vocal samples. They're both a major vibe that starts and ends the project!

You also released another album titled Home on January of that year as well titled “Home”. Tell us more about this project as well and how was it working with Henny Lee?

Home was the first lengthy project I have made, and it's not perfect by a long shot. However, I proved to myself that I could do and that this was the beginning of so much more. Creating this off and on during one of the roughest times of my life created a strong bond with “Home”. This project was a piece of everything I love, hip-hop, dance, electronic, trap, and lofi. It was a chance to show how versatile I am as a producer. Henny Lee is a great friend of mine, so it was definitely a great time working together! It wasn't too long before working with him that I found out he created music too. He's innovative on the keys, sort of like a mad scientist when it comes to synths. I was just very appreciative of him even wanting to work with me, he's a solid dude and you should check out his work!

What’s next for you in 2021 where do you want to be by the end of the year, and what are your long term goals?

By the end of the year, I want to have doubled everything I did last year, streams, listeners, followers, and hopefully, touch even more countries. I want to graduate, get my own spot, and travel even more! I will be releasing a new album this year as well! I want to have grown as an artist and a person. And overall just want to connect more with my fan base!

Any recommended artist we should feature on our platform drop their @’s?

Henny Lee and Tre Five! Those are the two artists that I feel are very talented and that have always been genuine and supportive of everything I create!

Any last words?

I just want to say thanks to everybody that rocks with my music, and that even gave it a chance. We as artists always want to make it big and of course, become noticed. However, we can't forget about those who made this possible and that's our listeners. To even be able to create music and be interviewed is a blessing on its own. But, to have individuals hit me up and tell me how much they enjoy my music is something that I've dreamt of. It gives me the confidence to continue to do this and stay true to myself, so shout out to all my listeners and friends! And shout out to Alex she always holds me down when it comes to my dreams and goals. We can all be great; every day you wake up is a level up, so just keep pushing!

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Demon Discography (Jan 21, 20220) - Hosted by Apollo1027

Apollo it’s been a while since we’ve featured you on Nefarious Supply, what’s new with you, how was your 2021?

My 2021 was a bit quiet. I had gone through some things in my personal life, good and bad, which slowed things down. In terms of my career as an artist though I made a ton of key connections and a few valuable additions to my team. Spent the latter half of the year setting things up for 2022. It feels good to be back.

What are some of your goals going into 2022?

My main goals are to stay consistent and to continue growing, both as a person and as an artist. I’m dropping a lot more music and a lot more content this year in order to expand my fanbase, so it’s important for me to stay hungry. More performances, more content, more engagement, etc. I had two choices coming into this year; it’s either all or nothing. I chose all.

Word is you have a new song dropping January 26th tell us more about it including what inspired it, who helped with production, and are you dropping a project soon?

I wrote “Under Pressure” because I felt (and still feel) like there’s a ton of pressure on me, both internal and external. I have a ton of goals and aspirations when it comes to my career. So if I want to attain them, I have to break old habits and wake up. There’s a line in the song that says “To survive I had to change me”. That’s what inspired this release.

In terms of overall sound, the track was heavily inspired by Don Toliver. When I wrote the song, I had Life of a Don on repeat so I searched for Don Toliver type beats on YouTube, stumbled across the beat which is produced by theskybeats and purchased the license for it. Am I dropping a project soon? Maybe.

So tell us about this playlist you put together why did you choose these specific songs, what are some of your favorites, and did any them inspire the your new song dropping soon?

The playlist is an assortment of songs that I’ve been listening to lately. The Don Toliver tracks are the ones that helped inspire “Under Pressure”. The rest of them are just vibes that I play when I’m in the car.

Who should we tap in to host next?

My boy 4TUNAT. He’s truly an immense talent and listens to a lot of different types of music so I feel like his playlist would be crazy.