Every artist approaches music in a different way. For Razor Reese, the goal is to tell a story by making words come alive within the framework of his song.
The Innovative & Creative blog had the pleasure of interviewing this urban storyteller and learning more about who Razor Reese is.
In Part I of this interview, the artist describes why his sound is unique, the purpose in his music and discusses the "Turn Me Down" single and video.
Q: Who are your influences? When you were coming up which artists did you listen to?
A: Honestly, there are too many to name. I LOVE Hip-Hop! If I absolutely had to name a few legends I’d say Nas, Krs-One, BIG, Beans, Hov, Will Smith and PAC. I listened and respected many more growing up and each artist has touched me in some way.
Q: If you could compare yourself to an even more established artist than
yourself, who would that be and why? Who is your hip hop hero?
yourself, who would that be and why? Who is your hip hop hero?
A: Awh, you asked the million-dollar question. It’s difficult to gauge where I fit in comparison with legends since they have all influenced Hip-Hop in some way. If I had to relate my sound to other artists I would have to say I have a chill, laid back neo-soul vibe. Imma grown ass man…I’m too old to be all hype …Dancing and shit…lol…but at the end of the day Imma business man so my Hip-Hop hero would be Russell Simmons.
Q: What do you think your listeners will get out of your music?
A: I think listeners would feel a sense of revolution when they listen to my music. I’m a regular guy, I’ve been broke, and I’ve been paid. I can relate to the struggles, and I can relate to high life in a small form. Whether a person is rich or poor, the ultimate goal is to get to the next level. My music is a great mixture of life from both ends of the spectrum.
Q: What were you thinking about when your single was developed?
A: “Turn Me Down” feat Ryan Smooth is a true story. My mindset during the composition of the score was from a viewpoint of hurt. The single life is crazy. You come in contact with so many people and each person has their own story to tell. It’s fun, however it can become tiresome.
Q: What made you want to get into the business?
A: I’ve been writing music since I was 12, and I don’t mean just writing raps! I’ve been writing structured songs since the mid 90’s. I’m just really good at what I do, and I’m happy people finally have the capability to hear what I write. However, I am grown, so I must pay my own bills. Music is a very lucrative business; it would be foolish not to invest in what your good at. That’s like a mechanic opening a bakery…it just doesn’t make sense.
Q: What is the most difficult thing you had to endure in life?
A: The most difficult thing I had to endure in life was going through a Divorce with my ex-wife. The emotion a person goes through when faced with that scenario is indescribable. I was an emotional roller coaster during that period. One minute I was at the highest of highs, and the next I was at the lowest of lows. I’m thankful for going through that situation because like my father said, “you’ll never know you have a good woman until you’ve had a bad one” so everything happens for a reason I guess.
.
Q: What is the most difficult thing you have endured in the music industry?
Q: What is the most difficult thing you have endured in the music industry?
A: The most difficult thing I’ve endured in the music industry is obtaining sponsorship from local businesses. It takes a very active mind to put together the plan to show businessmen their return on investment. Businessmen count by the penny!!! There is no estimation. However, God will never put you in a position where he cannot protect you, so this may not be the most difficult thing I’ve been through.
Q: How did you come up with and what is the significance of your name?
A: I’m a Barber!! My clients know me as Reese, and my shop nickname is Razor. Being raised in Philly, I automatically picked up the razorblade and used it to fade/shape and cut my clients hair, so I guess it kinda grew on me. Q: What do you hope to do with your music?
A: Really, I just want to be heard. My music is a melting pot of true stories of my life, so for someone to listen to my struggles and actually feel it….that’s the greatest feeling I could ever possibly ask for.
Q: How do you plan to help impact the world with your music?
A: I intend to expose to the world the life of the have-not’s, or the less fortunate. My music speaks to the everyday worker. The kid who catches the bus at 6am just to be at work by 9. To the single parent, who catches two trains and three buses to pick her child up from a relative, because she cannot afford child care. I want to let my listeners know that there are others having the same troubles and with a little bit of perseverance they too can make a change.
No comments:
Post a Comment