Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with IMAAI.
Tell us about your music.
I create rap music and for those who do not know what rap music is, it’s music that represents the grey area between speech , prose, poetry, and singing. My rap addresses my views on any subject matter relevant to my occupation, environment, status and lifestyle. It’s more poetry based, with an array of instruments that blend into Hip-Hop.
When did you start performing?
I started performing back in my high school years, entertaining both public, and private events. It was fun, nerve-racking, and over all an educational experience. My name rang around town, and eventually, it began ringing at a global scale, from just being a neighbourhood rapper, to working with multi-platinum selling and Grammy nominated producers, shaking hands with radio hosts, to getting press released as a professional rapper.
Perseverance is the only practice that has pushed me so far into my career, without it, I would have given up years ago.
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
I consider my Hometown to be the holy mecca for my music, I grew up around the company of hip-hop heads in town that’s rich in tradition and culture. The primary school I went to lived, and breathed the Hip-Hop culture. From listening session with my eldest brother to listening, watching, and engaging in both dance and rap cyphers accompanied by all the other Hip-Hop elements through primary, and high school. I became one of the most respected Hip-Hop artists around town, and I only have my hometown to thank for that company they gave me.
What performers have been your inspiration?
There are a lot of performers I feel I shouldn’t shy out of my list, but just to name a few, there’s Nas, Lauryn Hill, Kanye West, Jay-Z, DMX, 2pac, the Notorious BIG, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Dr.Dre, all the way to Drake, J.Cole and Kendrick Lamar. The change these performers have brought into what we expect from music is immense, they have proven, time, and time again, that we are capable of being better than what we had perceived to our best version, and not only as performers, but also, as human beings.
What do you base your success on?
Mh!…I base my success on accomplished goals. Whether It’s me having a completed song, EP, Mixtape, LP, and/or album for distribution, and publishing by the end of the month, or getting home on time to catch up with family over a well prepared meal. Yet as an artist my success is based on my ability to constantly create, and so I ultimately base my success on that, consistency.
What was your latest musical release?
My latest music release is titled Poetry, It was composed by Wyshmaster, authored by Adam Cherrington, and yours truly. It is a collaboration of intricate, complacent, robust, and intrinsic poetic lyricism based on a man who is in love, and wants to spend and uncontested amount of time with the woman he loves.
Do you have any news to share?
I will be releasing an album that hasn’t been given a release date sometime this year, and with albums come tours. So, I advise for everyone to start budgeting, following my spotify, and social media profiles for updates, and bookings.
How can fans find you?
They can find me on;
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theerealempire
Email: Independentempire16@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083353857291
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/7ojivdbJT5Lqnn7wJ2rbBU?si=iFsAHgkyQNinOn8DdrS3Sw
Website: https:/www.independentempire1.wixsite.com/empire
Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
Do not allow opinions to define you, let it be your accomplishments speak volumes.