Welcome to #WeNeedToTalk, where host
#NylaSymone delves deep into conversations that matter. In this episode, join us as we sit down with the multi-talented #TheARTIST to discuss her latest album "ARchives The Gallery." From the inspiration behind her music to her journey from teaching to the music scene, expect candid insights and revelations. Tune in as we explore "Is This About Me?" calls and much more.
Talk Soon! ✌🏾
Stay connected! Follow @wnttlk on all platforms.
Welcome to #WeNeedToTalk, where host
#NylaSymone delves deep into conversations that matter. In this episode, join us as we sit down with the multi-talented #TheARTIST to discuss her latest album "ARchives The Gallery." From the inspiration behind her music to her journey from teaching to the music scene, expect candid insights and revelations. Tune in as we explore "Is This About Me?" calls and much more.
Talk Soon! ✌🏾
Stay connected! Follow @wnttlk on all platforms.
I can't believe I actually blinked when I was younger. What type of kid were you? Were you always artsy or did you like I?
Speaker 2:was wild. I was oh, I can't believe. I used to jump off the roof of buildings when I was younger. Like me and my friends had to wait to the top, we'd go. Like it was a building I used to live in in East Orange. We'd go across the street to that building because it wasn't that high, it was low. We'd go to the top and we would jump, we would jump, yup. And one time we jumped down on top of a car and broke the windshield. It was crazy, I ain't gonna lie.
Speaker 1:Please forgive me, god. Jersey niggas.
Speaker 2:What's going on? You guys? It's the artists here Art Cos. The Gallery is out now. Nyla, we need to talk.
Speaker 1:What's going on, guys? Nyla Simone here with another episode of we Need to Talk, and today I got a very special guest from Jersey. We got the artist in the building.
Speaker 2:How are you? Yes?
Speaker 1:I'm good. Thank you for having me. I'm good. How are you? Thanks for coming. No, of course You're having a crazy, crazy Q1, I should say for the year. Yeah, we're going gallery. I want to get into some of the records on the project, but before I do that, I just want to do a little backtrack for those who aren't familiar with the artists who's the artist? How long you've been in music? What is your, your, why?
Speaker 2:I'm an r b artist from jersey, or I've been doing this for a solid like four years now, since 2020. I'm just motivated by you. Know the things I've seen change since I've started. I'm motivated by you, my supporters, letting me know what my music means to them and yeah, I just you know plan on being around for a long time.
Speaker 1:All right, pandemic. What was the push in pandemic? That was like you know what, fuck it I can do this.
Speaker 2:Ain't had nothing else to do. I'm not going to the studio that. I was a school teacher and I was a school teacher up until last year. Wow, I love the kids, I love the youth.
Speaker 1:That's dope. I love that. Oh my God, how were the kids feeling when you started putting out music?
Speaker 2:I had younger kids, but I would play the clean songs in class and they would still love them, that's fire yeah they used to be wild I love that.
Speaker 1:That's kind of cute. I think it's dope to see school teachers break into other things. I feel like school teachers be having crazy second lives, cause Jadena was a school teacher, there's somebody else who was a school teacher and then this guy, the guy who owns Cafe Irizuli.
Speaker 1:He just got it during the pandemic cause like now it's like the most popping bar in Brooklyn, so that's fire shout out chasing dreams man yeah, for real, but okay, so uh, music when you growing up, I feel like jersey, similar to new york, is a big uh milton pot sound wise, john ryan, you guys have a lot, a little bit of everything. So who were some of the people that you gravitated towards?
Speaker 2:um, honestly, I feel like, feel like Lauryn Hill the most, the most, like the most, the most.
Speaker 1:Wait, where in Jersey are you from?
Speaker 2:I'm from Newark but she from EO, but like she was on South Orange Ave a lot that's Newark, you know what I'm saying Like she even got a song about South Orange Ave. So yeah, lauryn Hill was definitely like someone.
Speaker 1:I listened to a lot from Jersey yeah, love Lauren. And Newark has Queen yeah, 100%. One of my favorites. No, for real. Okay, that being said, let's get into the project, the archives. So the record that stood out to me the most was Love Out Loud. Okay, I was like talk to me about Love Out Loud. Was this written to somebody or is this just in general?
Speaker 2:It was general. It was my first time working with Troy Taylor. I had a studio session with him in Atlanta and that was the first beat he played and we just locked in and Love Out Loud came about, along with Deja Shit's songwriter too, but that songwriter, I feel like that's a song that's gonna last a while. You know it's a wedding song, it's a first, first date night song.
Speaker 1:I'm saying you know it's secret, safe for me, baby. Yeah, no, literally I love the record. I think it's beautiful. Talk to me, I guess. Um, I feel like when artists drop projects, it's like an era for them. So what era is this? Like? The?
Speaker 2:archives. This is like you know. This is who I am and I'm stepping into the industry as myself and ready for whatever's to come Really like. This is like my entryway. This is my introduction to those that may not know me, that I look up to and you know, hopefully can eventually start working with them kind of people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, I think it's a good introduction, Thank you. I guess what would you say is like the takeaway you want people to get from that project.
Speaker 2:Well, a lot of my songs well all of the songs are from personal experiences, so I just want Definitely sounds personal.
Speaker 2:So I just want everybody to be able to talk about their stories with whoever, no matter what it's about, and I want them to listen to my music as a form of safe space, because music we go to music for different things, but it just means something different when you go to music because you're going through something or Healing, you're trying to heal, you know. So I just want my music to play that part in people's lives, for sure.
Speaker 1:Have you personally because you are super transparent with the music. Has anybody called you and been like, hey, this about me 100% For real Yep and I was like absolutely With some bogey people no it wasn't bogey.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, how'd you handle that? You ain't done with that. I just started laughing. No, because you need to know what happened. Because, like I'm not the type, like you know, for I don't be- like when I go through breakups, sign I'm a libra. Okay, okay you know we're the best okay, okay, I mean, I like libras.
Speaker 1:I can't, I can't even do it. I like libras. I'm a leo, I'm a libra rising. All right, I feel like you're in a family. Yeah, I like libras. But, um, that makes sense, okay. Yeah, you know, I have a lot of leave.
Speaker 2:Love us. We love us at the end of the day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, y'all are, but once y'all not happy, y'all petty, y'all some petty niggas, which is why that explains to me Enjoy love, you just put people out there. All right, let's talk about Sober, which is the one that's actually going crazy right now.
Speaker 2:Talk to me behind that. So Sober came from a place like I think that was definitely my first big heartbreak and I went to the studio in 2022. I recorded the song like September. Sober was actually not even supposed to be the song I was gonna drop. I was supposed to drop another one but, you know, had some miscommunications so I had to keep going. So we dropped Sober December. I did a major stage video in January and it like blew up from there and like the song literally changed my life that's fire.
Speaker 1:Yeah, damn. So before the major stage it was moving slower, but then, once you did that, it picked up yeah, like, yeah, like it was just like.
Speaker 2:You know, we just doing it, we just we just working, like we ain't even thinking what can happen. We just know that we got a job to do and that's to be in a studio working content. Whatever we got to do, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, damn wait. So you made this record two years ago.
Speaker 2:Yup in 2022. So how?
Speaker 1:long did it take to put the full project together?
Speaker 2:So the whole 2023, I was just doing a bunch of music and we dropped Art Cobbs, and then in 2024, we dropped the Deluxe after just continuously working. So it took I don't want to say it took long because we just make so much music but it took preparation, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you're an independent artist, correct?
Speaker 2:No, I signed in November. Oh, I'm over in the Sony building.
Speaker 1:Ooh, good for you. Yes, yes, Fire. Amen, okay, so, since being signed because I was going to ask I feel like being from Jersey, being from Jersey, what the hell was I going to ask, just got signed. I wasn't expecting you to say you were signed. I didn't know you were signed because I was going to say I see you everywhere, like traveling different cities, working with different people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but like that's like doing that even, yeah, before I saw that.
Speaker 1:So could you be outside? You pulled up on me. I'm like damn you know what. I respect it, like I really respect that. But what is I? What is driving the hustle?
Speaker 2:I'm just nowhere near where I want to be.
Speaker 1:Oh, that was my question. What's driving the hustle? Because you go viral a lot To be outside.
Speaker 2:Is that what it is, though I don't even think it's because you be outside, I think it's just because I'm just like consistent, you know, like I don't take no breaks, I don't think I could just post and then everybody just going to love it. You got to keep drilling it in their heads, especially R&B. It's not something that it's going crazy now, but it's not something that sticks right away, Unless you really into music, unless you really into your emotions, it don't stick like how a rap song will stick.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, so talk to me. Are we getting a tour off this project?
Speaker 2:Yes, we are. I'm going on my first headlining tour this May Five cities I'm going to be in Dallas, may 10th. La, may 13th. Atlanta, may 15th. Brooklyn, may 19th. Chicago May 23rd.
Speaker 1:Damn, that's fire.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm excited. I'm not going to lie, I'm excited.
Speaker 1:How are you prepping for this? What can we expect at the artist show?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can just expect to have fun, to cry, to probably meet the love of your life that night, to make friends, make family. I'm just looking forward to bringing everybody together in a room, because that's what it's all about. That's how you stick.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tell me, yeah, tell me, um, musically, when you're going into this, because thankfully yours isn't really toxic r&b like it's vulnerable, but it's not that tough, it's a. You know, it's a war outside right now, so it's crazy out there. I'm not going. It's refreshing that you don't go. I guess that dark.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can't. I feel like I got a few of those in the vault, but, like you know, she said I ain't really though Time, minutes, everything, no, but no, you know, just, I don't think it's like crazy, it ain't crazy, but it's just my story.
Speaker 1:Understood, understood. Well, if this is what like, three to four years old now when you start working on the next project.
Speaker 2:I guess, what space are you entering? Um, I'm honestly just letting it all come to me as I go. Um, I feel like it would definitely be a space of like just talking about what thing, like where things work, where they are now and where they can be. Um, and just the journey through it all, the process through it all, like it's, it's really beautiful, like watching it all unfold, it's like wow yeah can't believe it's me that's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 1:Uh, talk to me about how do I want to word this. I think the climate right now is like we're seeing a change musically, sonically, what's cool, what people are liking. Um, how are you, I guess, cutting through that and kind of blocking out the noise? Because I do feel like we have like an old regime of artists who are like relevant, but for sure there's a whole new class of people. I guess you guys are considered underground. You guys are who I listen to, but it's like you know, yeah, just breaking through to mainstream. So like, does that bother you guys or does that bother you at all?
Speaker 2:No, no, I just like try to focus just on remaining myself and being authentic, because I feel like that's like how I'm going to get far you know, yeah, like all I got to do is be myself man, because once you start being something, you're not trying to sound like somebody, you're not. You got to keep doing that.
Speaker 1:And it's like no, I don't know. Alright.
Speaker 2:Questions that Need Answers hmm, oh, all right.
Speaker 1:The first one is the older I get, the less I blink feeling older.
Speaker 2:I get, the less I care.
Speaker 1:Man, I don't want to hear that isn't the heartbreak that's making you not care? What is? It potentially potentially plays a part having to the best of us. I get it. Um, all right. You would never believe me if I told you blink the best of us, I get it, um, all right.
Speaker 2:You would never believe me if I told you blank. You would never believe me if I told you I used to have a mohawk and I used to get designs on the side all the time. I used to think I was a little twist from um, not a little twist.
Speaker 1:Uh, shout out, little twist. You know what it was. A moment, it was a moment. I can't a little twist. Man, he inspired me at the time. Yo, oh, all right, I'll get to this question actually after the game, never mind. But okay, I can't believe I actually blinked when I was younger. Yeah, what type of kid were you? Were you always artsy, or did you like?
Speaker 2:I was wild. Oh, I can't believe. I used to jump off the roof of buildings when I was younger. Why? Because this was like. Why not, no reason?
Speaker 2:girl Like me and my friends had to wait to the top, we'd go. Like I said, it was a building I used to live in in East Orange. We'd go across the street to that building because it wasn't that high, it was low. We'd go to the top and we'd jump. We'd jump, yup, and one time we jumped down on top of a car. It was crazy. I ain't going to lie, please forgive me.
Speaker 1:God, jersey niggas? No, because they be trying to talk about New York. Niggas, jersey niggas is crazy. What.
Speaker 2:New York is your own country.
Speaker 1:No, you're right, they really are, but damn the things you can do when you're young. That hurt my knees just hearing it. Nah, for real. All right, I'm a little embarrassed by the fact that I know so little about blank.
Speaker 2:I'm a little embarrassed at the fact I know so little about the government. For real, I don't really know Like I know like it's like the legislative, yeah, legislative, yeah branch, because I need to learn about that, yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 1:It's giving. I'm a little embarrassed by that. Even when I start learning about it, I be feel like we're so far behind. It's too late.
Speaker 2:I'm just like scared. I'm gonna go on a date and somebody asked me a political question. That's like the make or break. I'm like she's baby, I gotta go.
Speaker 1:Understood right now. Definitely stay away from the I word T word yeah words, a couple yeah. Sometimes I look back at my life and blink.
Speaker 2:Sometimes I look back at my life and I just like, I just like nod my head. It's like damn, are you really doing it, man? Like came from you know, came, been through a lot, still going through a lot, but been through a lot. You really, you hear, man, you ain't let where you from define what you was going to be in life.
Speaker 1:That's real is um the the been through a lot part elaborate on that. Like this a lot as a kid.
Speaker 2:Like you know, just going through the motions like having to be adult and not really being able to really be a kid for real, you know, because of my circumstances at the time and just having to go through so many loopholes to just do what I'm doing now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know it's not the traditional you know like and you got to believe in yourself more than anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, A hundred percent, man Like, because if you don't believe you might as well just kiss it goodbye.
Speaker 1:What would you say has been like something to keep you pushing.
Speaker 2:My family is like the top. Like I just want to do so much for my family. I don't want my siblings to have to worry when they come to college. I want to buy my mom her first house like a real house. My mother never had a house before. Like I want to do stuff like that and I know that I could do it through music.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, that's true. From time to time it's good to do blank From time to time it's good to do blank Um.
Speaker 2:From time to time it's good to call and check on your loved ones, man, check on your folks, man.
Speaker 1:I made a complete fool Of myself when I blanked.
Speaker 2:When I fell in love With the girl I made, so bub out Can't believe that girl. To this day, to this day, you're done Yo.
Speaker 1:how many records On a project Is about this girl? A couple man, Damn.
Speaker 2:She had me hot.
Speaker 1:But we're healing. That's good. That's good. What is the healing process like for you? Is it dating other people? Is it me time? Is it the music?
Speaker 2:I feel like at a point in time I would just move on, and that wasn't healthy. So as I started to become vulnerable in my music, it became the music like you know. I'm saying when I'm angry I won't go to the studio. I feel like I'm heartbroken. I'm gonna go to the studio like I don't even want to be doing all that extra stuff good for you.
Speaker 1:Hey, that's, that's maturing. I gotta give it to you. Yes, yes, um, okay, my personality trait is blank.
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 1:I don't know what did you say your personality trait is Nobody?
Speaker 2:Goofy, okay, goofy Wild, no I second that. Wild.
Speaker 1:Oh Lord, Wait. You said this is your first headlining tour. Mm-hmm, Are you bringing people with you?
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, I got a few stars with me. I got Amari Noel, I got Remy D Gotti and my dog Chosen. I'm going to bring out a few people in the different states. Oh, you got Chosen too. Yeah, my dog man, that's fire, yeah that's a good Luana.
Speaker 1:I like that Same. I was gonna say. If you're goofy, I'm curious to see what your vlogs are gonna look like while you're on tour.
Speaker 2:Oh my god. You're gonna be laughing from the time it starts to the time it ends. You might cry a little bit. No, no more crying. No more crying, just happy to be here. Sometimes you get emotional.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I feel it, I feel it Well.
Speaker 2:Alright, New project out Deluxe out now Yep Archives, the Gallery out now all platforms. Tour starts May. Tour in May this May. Tickets available now on my Instagram and my bio Fire.
Speaker 1:And then what else Are we getting? More music videos 100%.
Speaker 2:I'm looking to drop another song soon, hopefully before tour. I think it's going to be a crazy record and then after that, hopefully you can drop some collabs I've been doing.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm excited. I heard rave reviews about your South by performance.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 1:Thank you. I can't wait to see you in New York City.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're going to have a time man.
Speaker 1:Especially, this is home. It's going to be hit different.
Speaker 2:Texas niggas is picking your phrases, your praises. I'm excited to see what it's like here.
Speaker 1:Thank you, so um shout out your grandma everybody know where they can follow you, yo y'all can follow me on all social media platforms at t-h-e-f-c-k-n. Artist, the fucking artist, the fucking artist. Until next time, guys talk soon. Peace.