Was there a special moment when you decided to follow your path?
The first time I thought about making music was when I saw an artist from my school called “salute” performing on the Donauinselfest (One of the biggest Festivals in Austria). I thought to myself how it would feel like to be on this stage and how amazing it must be to have all these people coming out there for you and your art. The real pivotal moment though was when I stopped playing basketball. I spent my youth on the court and it kept me out of trouble and distracted me from the negative things that were going on in my life. When I stopped I needed something new. I needed something to express my emotions, my anger, my love, feelings that I used to supress and couldn’t really talk about with anyone. And this might sound a bit corny but after I watched the movie Straight Outta Compton, I gained the inspiration to grab a pen and write down what’s on my mind. From that moment on it became a passion and it didn’t take long until I found out that this is what I wanna do in life.
Can you tell us about the process of making your work?
It really varies. Most of the time I just follow my intuition. When I produce a beat, I mainly use some old samples (most of the time from the 70’s), chop them up and try to create a new rhythm. But sometimes I just come up with some melodies and see where the process takes me to.
When I feel pumped up and hyped, I try to manifest that energy in the mic and most likely come up with a powerful track. When I got something on my mind or something pulls me down, I try to write it down in order to reflect and to send out a message to someone who’s going through the same thing and sometimes even a message to myself. It’s all about expressing emotions and creating a vibe. Not everything I do is super lyrical or deep and I think it don’t need to be that way. At the end of the day it’s about what energy you want to put out and how you want the listener to feel like.
How do you know when a piece of work is accomplished? What’s your number 1 habit?
When I listen to the song a couple of days or even weeks after I’ve finished it and I still vibe with it, I know that there’s something about it. Then it’s just about the details and to see how the record could be improved.
What drives and inspires you?
Keeping my main goals such as taking care of my family, starting my own projects in Africa, performing infront of a huge crowd and manifesting my soul through my music are the things that drive me and that keep on pushing me. I’m inspired by a lot of things, listening to different genres, having deep and powerful conversations, watching videos of people I look up to, spending time in nature and just observing my surroundings are just a few of the things that inspire me.
What are you thankful for?
I’m grateful for everything this life has to offer. I’m grateful for all the experiences I’ve gained so far, negative and positive ones. The negative ones taught me lessons and made me stronger and the positive ones brought me joy and happiness. I’m thankful for all the great people I have in my life, my family, friends and all my supporters. I’m grateful that I’m healthy and that I live in a peaceful environment. I’m grateful that I am who I am and that I do what I do. I’m truly grateful for everyday I get to see.
Do you interact with the digital world/technology in your work?
Yes, I do. I try to spread positivity through my social media platforms because I feel like there’s too much negative energy out there. I really value my privacy though and on days where I don’t feel so good, I try to keep my distance from the virtual world and rather focus on my energy. For me personally it’s really important to take some off time and to spend some time in silence.
How does your daily routine look like?
Most of the time I start my day with some exercise, either running or a workout. Then I take a cold shower followed by breathing exercises and meditation. After that I take the time to reflect on my goals and my purpose and then I eat some good breakfast. When I’m done with that, I’m ready to start my day and to work on my craft.
What advice would you give to your younger self following your steps?
I’d tell my younger self that he got this. I’d tell him that he should keep on dreaming and keep on following his passion and his intuition and that he should always believe in himself. I’m still young but I don’t regret anything about my life. The things I made wrong and my failures taught me lessons and made me stronger and without them I wouldn’t be who I am today. So to my younger and to my future self: YOU GOT THIS.
Why do you love what you do? Where can people find you? What’s the plan for 2020?
I love what I do because it fulfills me. I love to connect with new creative people, I love when people feel my energy and get the message I’m trying to send out. I love to inspire and to be inspired. People can find my music on all streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music etc. and they can find me on social media, sometimes on the street and on the basketball court. The plan for 2020 is to release music consistently, to develop myself as an artist and to build up a community that goes beyond music.
How do you get in contact with the ROU / What does this movement mean to you?
In summer 2019 I’ve reached out to HKMK after I discovered his workout playlists and we started to have a conversation. I liked what he was doing and he was vibing with my music so we’ve instantly built up a connection. A couple months later he introduced me to Garey Godson and I had the honour to be featured on his album “Still I Rise”. When Garey came to my city, Vienna, we went to a friends studio and just exchanged some music and had some great talks. I feel like we’ve created a bond from that day on and I could tell that he’s a real, genuine, honest and creative artist. I really have a lot of respect and love for those guys and I love how the movement goes beyond music.
What should people be ready for in 2020?
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE HEATWAVE!
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