Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with IMAAI.
Tell us about your music.
My music is a mix of different genres and styles but closely represented by what I like to call Electronic R&B. I grew up listening to so many different styles of music such as disco, house, jazz (especially since my father was a jazz musician), new wave, pop, hip hop, etc. Every song I write has a message in it, and my goal usually is to take the listener into a unique and other-worldly audio experience.
When did you start performing?
I started performing when I was really young! I grew up doing Film/TV and then pivoted to doing off-broadway. I went down a more drama/theater path and when I realized that was not actually what I wanted to do, I remembered how big of a role music played in my life. I started following music professionally at the end of 2019 and released my first song on streaming platforms, Slow, in April 2020. Ever since then, I’ve been going full steam ahead. I’ve been blessed to have been able to make so many new musical and professional connections since, and it feels like I’ve got a ton of wonderful support.
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
My hometown is definitely New York City, specifically Harlem. I have a song called Talking My Shit where I mention that too. Uptown was very integral to my life, and so is New York City as a whole. I don’t know who I’d be had I not grown up here, I think so much of that has shaped who I am and definitely reflects in my music. From musical inspirations that were birthed out of NYC, to people blasting music out loud on the streets, to the landscaping and architecture, it all shapes so much of my experiences, which I tend to create into music.
What performers have been your inspiration?
I have so many! This has always been a hard question because I think so many artists inspire me and so many of us. Michael & Janet Jackson are highly up there, Beyonce – I went to see the Renaissance Tour and it was more than just an experience, SZA is especially wonderful live. I also really enjoy seeing DJs and DJ sets — Kaytranada, Diplo, Oliver Heldens, Zedd are some of the few I’ve seen. I hope to see more (would love to see FKJ and Kendrick Lamar at some point too.) There are so many other performers that inspire me as well — I think these that I mentioned are very exceptional with their work in terms of artistry. I do not necessarily aspire to be like them but rather I respect their music and think they put a lot of time and effort into creating wonderful performances. Another artist I’d love to see live is Tom Misch — his sound is so so good and feels similar to what gets me going musically.
What do you base your success on?
Happiness! As long as I am happy doing what I am doing then I’m successful. I’m redefining what I used to think was more important (making sure to bring a huge audience, having to be the best performer, etc.) and although those are still important and do add to success — I think as long as I’m happy, then I’m doing what’s right. Performing, making music, doing these interviews, people listening to what I’ve created… all of that makes me happy and makes me feel successful.
What was your latest musical release?
My latest release is a project called Odyssey. I was inspired to create a project that transported the listener to another audio universe. I often times feel like I’m in space, so that inspired it too. I created it to mark a very significant time in my life, the beginning of my artistic and musical journey – hence why it’s called Odyssey. I was learning so much more of myself not just as an artist but also as a person, what makes me happy, sad, what triggers me, the cycles that I repeat and how can I break them. Each song on the project represents something I feel or think, and it excites me to be able to have other people hear it and, hopefully, can relate to it.
Do you have any news to share?
I have a fragrance out also called Odyssey! I partnered with Scentcraft to get it going. You can check it out on my website, reubenreuel.com
How can fans find you?
You can find me at…
My website: reubenreuel.com
Instagram: instagram.com/itsreubenreuel
Tiktok: tiktok.com/itsreubenreuel
Twitter: twitter.com/itsreubenreuel
I also have a mailing list on my website that you can subscribe to to get updates on what’s going on, but I also tend to post a lot about that on my Instagram too!
Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
Thanks so much for having me and I really hope you enjoy Odyssey just as much as I did creating it.