On Penning Songs For Major Films Like Coming 2 America & What That Process Has Been Like:
Breaking into the TV, film, and video game world has been one of the most exciting parts of my career. I have had placements on video games such as Madden 20, Forza, and The Sims 4, and movies and shows like The Hate U Give, Into The Spiderverse, Yes Day, and All American. Each opportunity I approach differently! Sometimes I have a song already written and then I pitch it to the music supervisor or sync team. Usually if it fits the vibe of the scene they will accept it or have you make changes. Because we are working with film, usually you have to approach the song structure differently in some cases. I always try to think about how the viewer will feel when watching the scene coupled with my audio. Other opportunities have come through the pipeline with a prompt and the music supervisor knows exactly what type of song they are looking for and where it falls within the movie. In both cases I try to create music that draws emotion, has transitions, and diverse sounds.
On Being Inspired By His Hometown, DC:
Growing up in DC was special. We have our own genre of music here called “Go-Go.” Before you ever considered wanting to be a rapper in DC you wanted to be in a Go-Go band. So I also came up influenced by the sounds of the city with bands like Chuck Brown, Rare Essence, Experience Unlimited, Backyard Band, TOB, New Impressions, Reaction, and more. We also are the home of punk music so I kept Bad Brains and Fugazi in rotation. It’s funny because when you come to the city we have our own flavor. We have attitude. DC nature is very countercultural because we see it all up close. We rage at the shows. The politics, the riots, the demonstrations, the government…its all mixed up in a blender. This is what makes up my style. This is what makes up the BYP DNA — how I dress, how I chop, how I talk. it’s all influenced by DC and my experiences. You see the new balances, the Nike boots, the long locs, our beanies rolled. It’s a DC thing.
On Where He Sees Himself In Five Years:
In five years I’m still here. That means I won the grammy. That means I got another Oscar. Longevity. My goal is to continue to grow as an artist. I will grow my accolades, my catalogue, my reach and presence until I am acknowledged as one of the greats in this industry. If I can inspire other artists how some of my influences inspired me, then that’s a job well done.
