Features

Feature: Is0kenny On His Comedic Genius, Music, Going Viral and Self Discovery

Is0kenny is a man of many talents. As a musician, he has found huge success from hits like “Intelligence” and stands at over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Recently, his track “Speak Up,” has gone viral and currently sits at No. 5 on TikTok’s top tracks in the United States. It’s hardly the New Jersey native’s first time going viral – with over 1.8 million followers on TikTok, 892k subscribers on Youtube and 614k followers on Instagram alone, the multi-hyphenate routinely experiences his going viral on numerous platforms. This is garnered primarily from his comedic skits, which ranges anywhere from impressions of rappers to different types of people in the studio.

Terzel Ron sat down with Is0kenny to speak about his start in music, comedic skits, college experience, and wisdom beyond his years.

You’re the most talented person I know. You can sing, rap, you do comedic skits, you do a lot of stuff. You’re a college grad. You have so many dimensions to you. So tell me about when did all this creativity begin?

Honestly, I feel like what was really the genesis that started all this was really back in 2018. Picture this – you’re a high school student, and you’ve got African parents, so you know that you have to complete school. That’s what you’re doing. So, like, you just graduated, and you tell yourself, ‘do I really want to go to college and really get a job and live to other people’s standards or whatever, and not really find my passion? Or, do I want to live the life actually doing the thing that is in the back of my mind? For me, that was being a content creator, making skits, and making music. So once I graduated college, I really just took that initiative to say, ‘I’m just going to make content. I’m going to post. I don’t care what anybody says about it.’ And it’s crazy enough later that year in 2018, around October, I’m just making funny skits or whatever, and then boom. When they say like, an overnight success, that’s literally what it was.

You went viral.

Yeah, I went viral. That was back when I started doing like, rap impersonations. And the ones that went crazy were the impressions of A Boogie and PNB Rock. That was really like the first stage of it. But now I feel like the Is0 verse, Is0Kenny has just dove into the unintended and took a different direction. Now I feel like my content is centered around me, just embodying different personalities. So that really was just the genesis of really just sparking that faith within myself to understand that, ‘yo, if I want to take it to the next level, I have to do it now.’ So, that’s really what it was.

So you just realized, ‘yo, I have this talent. I’m going to post it on social media.’ A lot of people get scared to get vulnerable and share their talents on social media, though. Did you ever have that kind of fear?

Definitely. I feel like that was probably what was holding me back. I probably could have been like, popping before because I’ve really been making content since 8th grade. But honestly, my pages were private because I was thinking, ‘if I make it public, what if it’s too cringe?’ You know, ‘what are people going to say?’ So I definitely have those fears. There’s always stages within yourself that you have to overcome. Definitely. 100%. And that’s so crazy because even to this day, you get content creators saying they were afraid because they want to put out the most perfect thing that they could put out.

But that’s the cycle of doubt, and sometimes they don’t end up putting it out. So how do you get past that?

I feel like the way I approach content is I start with an idea, and even before I make the video, I already know how I want it to look. So when I’m editing and all of that stuff, I have a vision. First, have fun and do it to your fullest ability. So I don’t have that point where I’m thinking, ‘oh, this could be better,’ unless it’s something that just pops up. But I really try to make all of my content the best that I can, so I don’t even have to question myself. So I just put it up.

I would imagine that some content creators may see other content creators and compare themselves. I feel that’s a big downside of social media.

There’s always that comparison trap for me. And when people think of feelings of envy and jealousy and all that, those are feelings that we never want to feel. And I’d be lying to you if I told you I never felt those feelings because I can see somebody who I know and I’m way more talented and creative than, you feel me. And it could easily just switch. Like, ‘damn, I should be that.’ But the thing is, whenever you feel those emotions, you just have to really understand that it’s a natural emotion. You literally have to make yourself embrace that success for yourself. And that’s what I do. If I ever feel that sense of envy, I tell myself, ‘yo, that’s not me right there. Let me switch that feeling to a positive and visualize it for myself.’ So if I see somebody, and they hit a crazy achievement, I just visualize myself hitting that crazy achievement too. That’s all it is. Those are feelings that just arise, but it’s really all about transforming it and just making it into emotions of appreciation and love. Because at the end of the day, you don’t know what anybody’s story is. You don’t know what they went through. But once you just put yourself in their shoes, that’s when you’re able to really retrieve that gratitude for yourself.

Oftentimes, when something works for one platform, it doesn’t necessarily work on another platform. But you have dominated every platform. It’s Instagram. It’s YouTube. Tell me about making the transition from one platform to another.

Yeah, so definitely. It was really me just going through so many cycles. There were periods of times, you know, where, you know, I stopped posting on the gram for so long. It’s crazy. When you blow up on social media, it affects your mind in a way. Like, there were times when it wasn’t going well on Instagram, it wasn’t going well on YouTube. But honestly, it was me studying the game, studying these different algorithms. I really wanted to make my mark on each of those things. So that’s really just what it took was really just me looking into each algorithm, each platform, and seeing how I could translate my content. And I’ve always worked smarter, not harder. Meaning that the same videos I post on TikTok are the same videos I post on YouTube shorts, which are the same videos I post on Instagram reels. So it all works and comes together as one.

How amazing did it feel to finally have all that hard work pay off and get a YouTube plaque?

That honesty was amazing because it really came at a time when it was least expected. Because 2020 was really a tough year for me. Of course, you know, you had the pandemic and everything going on, but that was really the year where I bounced back and said, you know what? I’m going to jump back on the comedy and bring it back. So it was really slow.

For like half of that year, I was stuck at like 50K subscribers. And then I didn’t know why. I just started posting again consistently, because that’s the one thing that saved me, was just consistency. People can get discouraged by the numbers and things not growing, but it’s about me just knowing I could just have that one thing, which is consistency. It was great. And then, boom, the subscribers started coming out of nowhere. And before you know it, it’s just like, ‘yo, I really just hit 100K subscribers.’

The thing for content creators is that monetization is very important. You could get a lot of followers, but monetization is what actually feeds you and gives you the ability to make better content. How did you feel when you first started to monetize your content?

You can have your craft, but you’ve got to be a businessman about it. I see my content as products, so I put it out there and people love it. So then it was really about understanding, okay, what’s the best way to monetize and tailor my content around that? So I really try to make sure that I’m getting the best out of what I could get from these platforms.

Have you been taken seriously by brands reaching out to you for partnerships and to promote products? Has being recognized by brands been an ongoing journey, or are they getting it and realizing ‘this is the guy that I need to partner with?’

I feel like, honestly, I had to spark that within myself. The mistake I really made early on was just thinking that I had to be in the hands of like, a manager or something, when it’s really moreso, ‘if I really want that brand placement, let me reach out to them myself.’ And I feel like it’s only the beginning because I’ve barely done any brands, like promos and all of that like doing that. And even when I do it, I really try to make it within my content. So I say now it’s definitely just been flooding in for us. And I feel like what separates me from other content creators in that aspect is because I can fit any brand, any promo within my page. So let’s say, oh, you’re selling some water. You told me I could really make a skit about water, how good that junk is. And I’ll go crazy for her. So that’s definitely what it was. And that versatility is something that 95% of people, specifically content creators, don’t necessarily have.

How important were your comedic skits in promoting your music?

Honestly, I see everything as one. So when I drop a song, I try to make it something where I can give it life by visuals, which is through my skits. The reason why my skits made it so easy for me to promote my music is because I’m music oriented. I realized I actually struggled by impersonating other rappers, because it felt like I was always hidden behind something. So when it actually came down at the time for me to actually put my real music out, it wasn’t really moving like that. So now I’ve made it a point where it’s just like they say, oh, let’s say literally every skit I drop is a new song for them. That’s the beautiful thing about it. It’s new music. That’s where their minds are and that’s where I bring them to in the long run. So, yeah, definitely. I feel like I treated them all the same. You are your own promotional vehicle.

Thing is, too, a lot of artists can’t necessarily market their social media. So the artists will contact an Instagram comedian or the artist will contact a YouTube influencer. You’re, all those things, all of the above. So you could just do it yourself, right?

100%. I could just do it myself and really just get stuff moving.

How does your family feel about you doing skits and making music and pursuing creativity?

That is a great question to ask because just like, you know, definitely within African culture, they’d be like, oh, be a lawyer. But it’s really about building that foundation, believing in yourself, and you just have to show them that you’re thrilled with it. She really started seeing the vision. My family started seeing the vision, and that’s what it is. And I was just really taking that vision all the way for me.

Tell me about your college experience.

I feel like the college experience was a great experience. It really just set a new blueprint in my mind because when I was in college, I had to deal with a lot of stuff. I am free now.

What kind of stuff?

Just balancing the content creation – making sure I maintained a good GPA, things like that. But it was cool blowing up in college. It’s kind of cool walking around sometimes. People like, ‘yo, bro, you’re on TikTok. Can I get a picture, bro?’ It was pretty cool. So it was a dope experience. I’m just happy to really just move on forward from it and just really continue to grow.

What major obstacles did you have to overcome to get here?

I feel like one thing that has kept me motivated was honestly fear of not reaching my true potential. You know. Because I was at a point last summer – I had just got out of a crazy relationship. I had toxic addictions. It was honestly me realizing if I really want to take this to the promised land. I gotta take it to the next level. What really honestly happened was me actually going on a semen retention journey.

Talk to me about the semen retention journey.

For me, I feel like it’s all about protecting your energy. And to really dive into the toxic addictions, it was really, I’m going to be 100% transparent. Be real. I had a crazy porn addiction back then. I was addicted to weed and all of that. And then I realized, ‘yo, that junk is not me.’ Because stuff like that holds you back. And I know for me, in the mainstream today, that journey gets marketed as it’s normal, it’s regular, but it’s not normal. It’s a regular. So I really had to just break away from those things and really just focus on myself and be at my peer state. So that really what drove me, is, like, I don’t want to fake it to make it. I don’t want to juggle doing these bad things and try to achieve these great things simultaneously. If I want something, I’ve got to embody it to the fullest extent. So I really just overcame it. And I’m still just grateful that I realized that. Because it could have been a point where it could have been too late, but it’s about really just breaking those chains. Breaking those negative habits. Because I know there’s a lot of things that we struggle with. It’s really about being 100% with yourself. And that’s what I had to do for myself. So, wow. I’m still on that journey. I feel like it has so many benefits.

What are the benefits of semen retention?

Mentally it gives you a clear path, clear mind, more confidence. That female attraction is crazy for me, so it just puts you on a different level. So that’s what it was. I guess you’re just closer to reaching your God given potential as a human. But, you know, a lot of people, they want to do that kind of stuff, and they find it hard to kind of break addiction.

What are a few things that you’ve done to actually break the addictions?

I really had to just understand, ‘yo, if I want to overcome this and I got to strengthen my faith in God.’ It really honestly took prayer. It took me journaling my thoughts and working out. Getting back to myself, getting back to who I truly am. Understanding that it just creates more mental battle for you when you just dive into those things.

When you just start to do those habits that are really great for you, it compounds over time. So now you have a whole different thinking process.

I’m now able to look at my old self and it’s like it’s so unfamiliar to me because now that’s what I want it, I don’t want to look at myself and say, ‘oh, wait, yo, you could have been doing better.’ I’m looking at yourself like,’ I’m not going to be you again. I’m going to shed that old skin.’ So now the new me does not indulge over indulge in sex and weed and all that. Not saying that it’s bad, but it’s just not me. And that’s all it’s about. People think that you have to mimic somebody else’s path. It’s really about hearing that true voice inside your mind and saying, ‘yo, you got to do this for yourself.’ Like, there’s no running away. Everybody’s got to face themselves at some point. And I just showed that at that moment. And I’m still doing it now. Every day is a battle, so we just have to win that battle every day.

I feel like you’re so far ahead of most men your age. What is some advice that you give to men out there that are your age that don’t necessarily have the wisdom to avoid certain vices?

I feel like the best advice is, honestly, you have to take that step of self introspection. I literally had to sit myself from time to time and really just question the thoughts in my mind, challenge my own beliefs, and really just understand, ‘okay, are there things that I’m doing that are holding me back or letting me grow?’ Because the thing is, too, don’t get it wrong, there’s always going to be those urges to do those things. But what stops me from those urges is, okay, let’s say if I want to get back on an addiction or whatever, or smoke, eat or whatever, I draw the path of it before me. I visualize the outcome. I visualize how I would feel if I succumb to those things. And then I visualize the path of greatness. So that’s what it is. It’s getting in your mind and asking, ‘which version of yourself do you want to be every day?’

What are some tips for self introspection?

Everytime you choose that better version, just know it’s never in vain, and that you’re getting 1% better every day. That’s really what it is. It’s taking that self introspection journal and actually journaling your thoughts, how you feel and all that. And always pray to God, keep that faith in God for me, because it’s closer to you than you know. So it’s really about locking in with yourself.

Tell me about your future, bro. Like, what do you see for yourself in your future?

The next five years, ten years? I feel truthfully, like, the future’s so bright. It’s honestly scary because of course, it will be censored around music. But I plan to do shows and have intros where I introduce my performances with a skit. I have different sets for my characters. Crazy different. Stuff like that. I’m really just being somebody different. Like, a lot of people would compare. So I’m grateful for the comparisons. Like, I could be like the new generation’s Jamie Foxx or Childish Gambino with how I’m moving. That’s really the plan. It’s really about just building the brand, building the iceberg, growing it for the fans and really just sharing my music, sharing my passion with you guys. And really just really all the people that you can believe in me being there with me for, because we all have stories to tell. And it’s just about if you believe in yourself and you really just look into yourself and the future is bright, it’s really about it’s such an infectious thing when you realize your true potential could spread to others. So the future for me is about building the ISO verse, going with the gang, going with the family and just taking things to the next level and never stopping. Only look back for inspiration.

Who is one person that you would like to work with on the comedic side if you can make the skit with them? And who’s one person that you would love to work on the music side to make a song with them?

On the music side, of course I gotta go with Aubrey Drake Graham. Drake would go crazy forreal. And on the skit side, I’d say Druski.

Tell me about any upcoming music projects that you have on the way.

I dropped my narrow path. EP, that’s going crazy for me. I did that to really just show that I can do anything. I could drop the music and skits because I see it as one. Honestly, really, the next step is really dropping music, doing more shows and just bringing these crazy ideas. I have so many ideas in my mind and I’m just going to bring them out. It’s going to the next level.

Related Topics:comedy Instagram Interviews Is0kenny Music social media TikTok YouTube

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Feature: Ray Garrison (Silos Band)

Ray Garrison is a writer, producer, and EDM DJ based in Los Angeles, CA. The multi-dimensional artist blends the genres of Pop, Heavy Metal, and Nu Metal. In 2022, the Garrison teamed up with David Rhemann, the drummer for Grandson, to create the Silos band.

The band includes members Philip “Proto” Nielsen (bass), Nick Dromin (guitar), and Ramon Blanco. They are currently signed to Judge & Jury Records and released their first single, “Flowers” – a new take on Miley Cyrus‘ acclaimed hit – on March 17, 2023.

Sound of U Live caught up with Silos frontman Ray Garrison to talk about his musical journey, upcoming projects, and more.

When did your music journey begin?

I wanted to be able to record myself playing guitar and uh like I was listening to Blink-182, and I wanted to like the guitar melodies that made me feel like I was high or something so I was like I wanted to be able to do that myself and make it home. Iit really just started with me wanting to be able to listen to myself and then later I was like, ‘oh it would be cool if other people listen too.’

Who are your top three inspirations?

Blink 182, Eminem and Bring Me The Horizon.

When did you begin taking it really seriously?

When I was 16. I would drive home from private school and there was this pro audio shop that was on the way home in downtown Atlanta. I knew that like all the big Atlanta producers got their gear from there, like Jermaine Dupree, Bush Walker, all these big time guys. I would just stop in there and look at stuff and then I would eventually show the guy at the front of my demos and he was like, ‘oh this is cool.’ That was where it started and then I learned a lot from them.

Were you self-taught from there?

Yeah, you know, I was a combination of self taught and then every time I went into the studio to record I like was a mutant fly on the wall. I was extra attentive and asked a lot of questions. Just like information.

When did you join Silos?

Silos was born in November of 2022. I was a solo artist, and then my friend David just parted ways with Grandson, and he wanted to be in a project that was more oriented around a band. And at the time, I needed a good drummer, and I really liked David.

I’d known him for years, and I always wanted to work with him. So we kind of had a meeting, a lunch, and then decided to start working on a new project. And almost instantly, I knew I was going to no longer do a solo artist thing.

And I was going to just mix. Just like natural chemistry.

Do you guys have any music coming out for the rest of the year?

We got a song coming out in June with DJ, with someone coming out in July with Escape the Fate. Nice. The title of the next one is ‘Hold Me Close.’ Right now, we’re putting out all singles from the album. So, I think that album is going to drop in the fall. It’s going to be on vinyl and CD.

Are there any dream collaborations that you have?

I’d love to do a song with Oli Sykes from Bring Me the Horizon. I’d say it’s a closer goal, within two years.

Is there anything that you think people should know about you?

Yeah, we have an awesome fan base emerging. We have a Discord where we’re in touch with our fans and kind of have a continuous conversation. So I’m going to plug that. “Silos Fandom.” There’s a link for it on our Instagram stories highlights.

Features

Feature: Devon Thompson

What are you looking forward to the most in 2024?

No bullshit. No bullshit 2024. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m gonna like leave all the negative stuff behind and like try and change my mindset about certain things. So I feel like that’s, and also work harder and practice more. Just be more disciplined within myself, I think.

Can we say what those certain things are?

Yeah, practice sitting down and practicing my guitar every single day more. Because, it gets hard like when you play shows it’s easy to just like only play when you’re at shows or during band practice for me I want to sit down and be disciplined also not beat myself up over stuff that I can’t control.

A lot of people are really upset with themselves when they like especially living here when you feel like and you’re an artist and you feel like, ‘God, I wish I was doing more. I wish I could. Why don’t I have this, why don’t I have this,’ like you can’t control that the only thing you can control is your personal growth and what you put into it and like you know if if you got something like it you’ll get it out if you really work hard. You can’t just sit around, you can’t expect it to come to you. You have to work for it. I think that’s a really good piece of advice to give artists in general because you know we’re in a new game social media, and a lot of it is like creating content yourself, and I know artists are making a lot more of their own music videos in a way that I’ve never seen before, have you noticed that? – I have noticed that because, you know, TikTok did that. TikTok made like making your own mini music video a thing. So I actually think it’s amazing because it allows artists to have more freedom with what you do.

I think that’s really special and it’s really, but it’s also really, really hard to do that, because this is what you have to do. Every day, I’ve struggled with that. I used to hate it and now I’ve like changed my mindset we’re like no I’m gonna like do this and embrace it and really show people like what I’m about.

I think everything is easier when you have a team of people and people who just really like add to your circle as time goes on. They see your mission and your vision.

Has it been easy for you to find your team?

It, surprisingly, has been easy. It’s because I’ve been putting myself out there. It’s been easier. And I have a wonderful team that I’m working with right now already.

But I’m always looking for, like, expansion. We need more people involved. We need all the people involved. You know, your fans are your team. You know, you are your team. Like, everyone a part of it is important.

So, like, that being said, I’m always looking for new kingdom. to work with and being over minded So like I feel like it’s easier now.

What other goals do you have for the year?

My goals are to be be more social. I can easily double down and just just be by myself and working on stuff, but my plan this year is to make more friends and to be more social with my family, friends and with new people. I push myself further this year. My music breaks down barriers and standards for female guitar players. It’s a big one, because we’re still it’s still really stigmatized.

Talk to me about that stigma that female guitar players face.

So many women are scared to play guitar, and a lot of them tell me they’re like I am too scared to get up there and play it or even if they do play if they’re like, um, ‘I’m the rhythm guitar player,’ or whatever. You don’t see a lot of female guitar players out there because it’s so stigmatized. If they’re not like an insane shredder people are like you got them stuck it happens so much and i’m a Gibson sponsored artist, so i they saw something in me that gave me hope to keep pushing myself so now i tend to only play in three pieces. I’m the lead guitar player and lead vocalist this year. That’s what I’m going to push on people because I have some really not that good like okay like that’s fine.

It used to get to me and now I’m like just use that to practice practice and be disciplined and safe off it just do it you know that’s what I’m doing.

Do you think that female artists in general also get that sort of stigma and is it coming from the butthurt men?
Absolutely. Yeah, no totally. It’s the main the main thing like I get comments online that are like, you know They can be really really derogatory and and it’s you know what it’s Generally men or very jealous women who don’t like themselves and hate their lives. And I’m like, ‘why do girls girls hate me? Why do certain men hate me?’

And it’s nothing that you’ve done. It’s just you have to remember that there are people that just love to hate you out there.

They love it, especially because you’re doing what they want to do. They want to do what you’re doing. And you just have to, like, you literally just have to understand and recognize the personality traits. They’re like, no, that is not a person who is cool or, like, wants to help or even knows what they’re talking about. about, you know what I mean? Tell us a bit about the music that you have dropping this year though. Do we have anything to look forward to in the first few months? Actually, I have a new single coming out in like a week and a half. And my goal for this year is to have a songwriter and I want to be a part of it. really, really creative with what I’m doing this year. All my music videos are like mini movies type situations, like the Twilight Zone kind of, and I like creating… I really just want to pay homage to the universe and a whole… I mean, to put it simply, a sort of vibe on everything.

Like with my branding, with my merch, like this is… is I don’t know if you can see it – oh I have a lot of teeth in in like my merch stuff like that and in my songs just like really Really visceral and really guttural, but also have been also with an imperial edge And I want my music videos to translate that it’s gonna mean soon So I want to be cohesive so new singles out and then we’re gonna have and I have a lot of music dropping this year. And I’m playing a lot of shows shows and that’s what’s been happening this year So yeah in January 17th.

What’s are you releasing?

It’s called I love you, but it hurts like hell.

Who are some of your favorite musical inspirations from Los Angeles?

Well, I don’t don’t sound anything like her, but I love Phoebe Bridger’s ability to be anti. So like what LA is not, and I think that’s really cool.

So I like that she can do that. How about some of your most influential artists that you listen to growing up that have really kicked yourself? Yeah, growing up. Blondie is a big one for me.

I have a lot of 80s music and 70s music. has really shaped what I do. So Blondie and then a big big goth like inspiration to me, Suzy and the band she’s really big and then some newer stuff like or kind of newer some like some deftome stuff some my bloody Valentine stuff and it’s harder for me to find newer inspirations just because like I don’t know it’s just it’s it’s hard it’s hard for me and then uh yeah so

those are some of my inspirations for sure. Dice was there anything else that you want to grab about before being grabbed? Yeah I think that a lot of people don’t talk about again what I said before about how disparaging this can be and how how much self -doubt can be involved with this um and I have been my worst enemy base in doing this and um you know my I think a lot of that has to do with people you surround yourself with. You can tell who really supports you and who doesn’t and who are out to get you, who poses your friends, but they’re not. Make sure you surround yourself with loving people and people who value you really.

Some talk about it enough here, especially with people who aren’t from here and who are from here. It’s just like both. So find the right people who lift you up. Both of you guys are in a relationship sort of thing. And also, just walk out of the bullshit. It’s what I’m going to do this year and I’m going to work on it.

So for everyone who’s struggling out there with, you know, artist identity, sort of the like, “What am I doing?” You’re here for a reason, you’re here for a reason. And just believe in yourself. Believe in yourself.

Don’t talk but thank you for your time. Thank you so much.

Features

Feature: Leonte

Leonte here! Tell us a little bit about the different things that you do.

Yeah, so I mean, first and foremost, I’m a person. And I like to be that way. I come with a lot of emotions and a lot of ideas and feelings that I bring into my art and my work. I’m a model. I love to create very vivid images and stuff with posing and stuff like that. I’m also a creative director for a magazine called Lex Style Mag. It’s about creating a vibe between fashion and music, and really creating a home for that to collaborate and become real is something important for us.

But I also make music. I’m a singer. I make like alternative R&B, pop and rock vibes. I’m really just taking all of those and really just adding my own spice into it, adding a little bit of me and really my goal with that music is to create an environment and create an environment where people can feel emotions that they may not you know be privy to or may not have understanding of but you know they can empathize with the pain, empathize with the joy, empathize with the yearning, love, right? I want to create an environment that you can experience those things safely amazing so how long have you been doing modeling yeah so I’ve been modeling for 10 years I’ve been singing all my life I started off in my church choir shout out yeah so for like most people that started off in the church like singing was a big part of my life it was a big part of my life I expressed myself. I started making my own music physically about a year and a half, two years ago, is when I actually started that.

How has your journey in fashion really impacted your journey into music?

Honestly, I think the fashion in the music industry is so interwoven that it was like a seamless transition. I went from, you know, trying to figure out how to… create very vivid pictures and, you know, how to do really crazy poses to, like, saying, “Well, how do I create a vivid sound with my voice?

If I do this type of movement while I’m singing, will the sound come out differently from this?” Right? So everything just kind of translated differently, right? Saying like, “Okay, well, when I do this performance, I want to wear this type of outfit so that it conveys this message while I’m performing this song.” Right? Really aligning the fashion with the music and the tone with the environment to create a full image and a full picture is kind of where that fashion piece really really locked me in.

As you said, you are now involved in the magazine. What has it been like going from being the model to being the subject and actually having that creative control?

Honestly, becoming the creative director of Lex Style magazine is one of my biggest accomplishments today. I think being in charge of the visual outlook of a project such as Lex Style Mag has put a huge weight on my shoulders that I’d love to take on. It’s really giving me the opportunity to take my wildest dreams and put it out into a visual medium and share it with the world is something that I don’t take lightly. I think it’s something that takes a lot of time and effort, it takes a lot of attention and I think because of that I’ve been able to take all of my years of modeling and understanding what poses look good and what poses don’t.

Kind of the energy behind the photo and what clothes will look good and what poses. I’ve been really able to create really detailed outlines of like this that I want to create and I think that’s something that you know I’m looking to bring out the best in myself for this magazine and for others. I also do freelance creative direction for other brands, so it’s like always fun to be able to express myself in this place.

All of the work that you do is truly so inspirational and incredible. What do you think is the hardest part about continuing that?

Thank you so much for joining me. Being a artist and how you feel. I think the hardest part about consistently releasing creative pieces is understanding your value but also understanding the value of the people around you.

I think as, when you’re the model, everything’s centered around you and how you’re feeling and what you’re getting paid, like you’re, you know, the experience. you’re getting, but when you’re really the creative director, when you’re really at the top of that situation, it’s more about, okay, how do I make sure these people that are helping me create this vision that I have feel valued and feel, you know, I see the best of our abilities and feel comforted in these aspects. I think that’s one of the hardest things because, you know, obviously in this world, you live in and you want to cut down on costs as much as possible, but also it’s like, you want to pay. people what they’re worth, so they pay for what they’re worth. I like saw that, it’s like trying to get people with disabilities.

What has been like your biggest inspiration, both in fashion and music?

I played football in college. And so a big inspiration in my fashion sense was Odell Beckham Jr. Like, he was getting big and popular in football. His outfits on and off the field were always the same. The field outfits were always icy and dripped out with the signed sneakers, the custom likeness, you know, how he used to do it.

But then off the field, it was also him showing up to events drippy, showing his style off. I think things like that really pushed me to actually work towards being more creative with my outfits on and off the field. In terms of music, I think somebody that really inspired me was Juice Wrld, I think I will say “Lucid Dreams” came at a time that I needed it.

And I think, you know, just that being his day… debut, like, hit that popped off for him and that was the one that caught me and then ever since, like, I listened to every single song that he put out like, that was someone that really inspired me to be more of a leader, but he also inspired me to just be creative, I don’t think you could ever say, “Oh, Juice Wrld’s gonna rap like this on this flow.” It was always something completely different than his last song, something completely, you know, new but it had the same feel, the same environment around him, right? And, you know, he had a way of talking about like really hard subjects with a light tone that made him want to party while you’re listening to it, right? Which is something that I want to create, but also different. So for mine, like, I definitely don’t take as much of the drug abuse and alcoholism into my music. It’s complex idealist, you know, abandonment. Heartfelt pain. The concept of, like, where you’re supposed to be and, you know, like flirting. I want to do, like, really, like, take those archetypes and really create stories in my music. I think that’s really what I’m focusing on right now.

I think that’s really the beauty of music. You’re able to take inspiration, and take ideas, while also interacting with your own personality, your own blood, which is so incredible and great to see from you.

And what are we?

So what I’ll say right now is there’s going to be an influx of art, an influx of modeling and an influx of music. Right now my goal is in this 2023. year are to get three good releases and build up a catalog behind them so that I have a lot to push out for everybody, as well as create four really good covers and magazines to release out to the public and to collaborate with as many talented artists as I can. Like my goal is not to get up there by myself, my goal is to bring everybody out here at 50 and I think that when we create a community of people that support each other and uplift each other in this fashion and music space, that’s when we really drive, right? Because you’re only as good as your network, and it’s only as good as how many people you have with you in your team, right? And, you know, what they like to say is network federally, don’t network forward.

Because you never know who in your circle is going to be the next one up, and you’re all riding together. So that’s going to be good. there. So, it just supports people around you, it supports the day one, it’s going to come the day zero, it’s going to rock. Well, I am so very excited to see what’s next for Beyonce. Everybody should be on the watch for what’s coming next. He’s going to be hitting us with new music, have sure new books, new shoots. So please be on the lookout for him!