West Coast rapper Warren G recently spilled the beans about his history with Death Row Records in an exclusive interview with radio host Big Boy. Warren G shared his untold story, revealing why he never got that coveted Death Row signing, despite having family ties to the iconic Dr. Dre. It’s a mystery that’s been on Big Boy’s mind too. Why, oh why, did Death Row pass up on Warren G’s undeniable talent?
As the interview unfolded, Warren G opened up and confessed that he didn’t have a definitive answer to that burning question. But hey, he’s got some juicy speculations up his sleeves! It seems like Warren G and the infamous Suge Knight may have bumped heads back in the day. Unfortunately, the twists and turns of the music industry can be overwhelming.
The West Coast Artist’s Candid Confessions: Clashes With Knight And The Drama Unveiled
Luckily, Warren didn’t stop there! He went on to spill some more tea about his past clashes with Knight. Talk about drama! It’s like a real-life soap opera unfolding before our eyes. Furthermore, the West Coast artist fearlessly shared the ups and downs of his journey, giving us a glimpse into the gritty reality of the music industry.
And let’s not forget that iconic moment when Warren G had that epiphany, the realization that his dreams of being part of Death Row were slipping away. Imagine the emotions running through his mind as he worked alongside his stepbrother, Dr. Dre, on the groundbreaking album, The Chronic. It’s a rollercoaster ride of hope, disappointment, and resilience.
Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut studio album “The Chronic.” Credit: Amazon
“When I knew I wasn’t a part of it is when we were supposed to go out for the first tour and everybody had everything in order and I didn’t have nothing,” Warren told Big Boy. “I didn’t have no ticket, no information, no nothing. So, I packed like I’mgoing. I’m like, ‘S### I guess they gonna get my s### when I get to the airport.’ Got to the airport, wasn’t nothing happening. They had went and did they thing and I was pretty butthurt.”
At A Crossroads: Warren G’s Uncertainty And Confusion
At one point in his life, Warren G had a heart-to-heart conversation with Dr. Dre himself. As Dre returned from his tour, Warren couldn’t contain his curiosity. He had burning questions and needed answers!
With a determined voice, Warren G recalls having a golden opportunity, seizing the moment, and asking Dre the million-dollar question: “Man, what’s up? What’s going on?” Can you feel the suspense building? But then, the response from Dr. Dre left Warren G confused. It was a simple yet profound statement: “You gotta be your own man.” Warren G found himself at a crossroads, unsure of what steps to take next.
Life took an unexpected turn for Warren G, and he found himself crashing at his sister’s place, sleeping on the floor. Can you imagine the rollercoaster of emotions he must have experienced? But fear not because destiny had something extraordinary in store for our warrior.
Against all odds, Warren G’s talent caught the attention of the music gods. He featured on a track by Mista Grimm and Nate Dogg called “Indo Smoke,” from the Poetic Justice soundtrack, and even inked a deal with the legendary Def Jam Recordings. Talk about a comeback!
Unpredictable Twists And Turns: Navigating Life’s Challenges With Warren G As Our Guide
Warren G’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the unpredictable nature of life’s twists and turns. From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of success, he defied the odds and forged his own path in the music industry.
The tale of Warren G teaches us that even when life knocks us down, we can rise again, stronger and more determined than ever. By being open to new possibilities, we can find our own paths to success. It won’t be easy, but with the right attitude and hard work, we can achieve our dreams. We need to have faith in ourselves and never give up. So, let’s take a moment to reflect on our own journeys. When faced with uncertainty, are we willing to embrace the unknown? Can we summon the courage to become the architects of our own destiny, just like Warren G did?
Rican Da Menace first came out swinging releasing several snippets of her rapping on social media throughout 2020 and 2021. Like many artists who found themselves during the pandemic, she quickly mastered the art of utilizing social media as a marketing tool. Rican strategically used Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to develop her sound and further attract an audience she already amassed during her time as a nail tech.
“We all know the truth ’bout you
Don’t gotta lie to kick it (don’t lie)
Please stop calling me a female rapper
Bitch, im comin different ”
– ‘I Admit It’ by Rican Da Mencae (2022)
In February 2022 she secured a multi-million dollar record deal with BuVision Entertainment/Out The Jungle and Columbia Records. This is a massive feat for a rapper still in the infancy of their career.
Since then the model and social media personality has released two official singles on streaming services, ‘I Admit It’ and ‘Ain’t Going Back’. With the local support backing her up, and female rap’s recent boom in popularity, it seems like only a matter of time until this East Coast MC is on national stages.
As her other singles ‘Bus Fare’, ‘Youngest And Richest’, ‘Greenlight Gang’, and ‘Everything Fast’ continue to rack up views by the day, Rican Da Menace is proving she has something to say.
This stellar 21-year-old artist is combining that signature Baltimore sound with her own distinct flow and confident personality to bring something fresh to the table. Find out how Rican Da Menace came to be, and what projects she has coming up in our exclusive interview below!
FMHipHop recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ghanaian-based Afro-rap phenomenon Korsah about his most recent music video, origins, and more.
On April 12, 1995, Korsah was born in Atonsu, a suburb in the Kumasi Ashanti Region of Ghana, to his parents, Atta Korsah and Lydia Kunadu. After the loss of his mother in 2015, the artist was inspired to become a musician.
The struggles Korsah experienced as a child led him to seek methods of motivating and expressing himself. Due to his upbringing in a musical household, pursuing music as a career was a natural progression for him. Growing up, he grew to appreciate Ghanaian music. However, when he was given the opportunity, he decided to add a fresh perspective. Following Korsah’s decision to enter the music industry, he studied music and then determined his genre of interest. In the intervening years, he has been a figure of admiration for many people.
The Meaning Behind ‘Hater’ and Receiving Acknowledgement From Thousands
With his debut music video for his single “Hater,” the rapper broke into the U.S. hip-hop scene in November. After announcing his record deal with 610Music, Korsah released a music video depicting life’s joys while demonstrating his smooth flow, which sheds light on his thoughts regarding deceit.
According to the hip-hop blog The Word Is Bond, “As the title suggests, it is a middle finger anthem to the naysayers and detractors, and Korsah has no qualms about letting them know his candid thoughts.”
While retaining Korsah’s Ghanaian roots, the video is infused with a distinctive style that has helped him achieve more than 128,000 YouTube views. Korsah’s diverse sound blends Afrobeat, Afropop, and American hip-hop music, making him a global phenomenon with a following of more than 103,000 on Instagram. Moreover, the captivating presentation and the lyrical reflection in “Hater” demonstrate Korsah’s skill as a storyteller.
Check out the music video below:
As part of the interview, the “Show Something” rapper was asked if he would be willing to share who specifically he refers to in “Hater.”
“As I said, music is how I express myself, so the song is about people that used to be a part of my life. There was a time when I felt hopeless and relied on certain friendships to lift my spirits. “Hater” is a byproduct of experiencing betrayal at the hands of so-called friends,” Korsah replied.
Initial Reaction
Each public figure reacts differently when their content receives excellent attention. According to Korsah, he was surprised when he observed the number of views on his music video “Hater” had increased significantly.
“It was surprising but we put a lot of work into this music video. Deep down I felt people could relate to the theme of the song,” the Ghanaian rapper said. “It’s been fun watching the views grow as I strive to connect with people worldwide.”
Furthermore, an influx of attention and money accompanies popularity, but it is not without its disadvantages. Korsah, however, is one of the few rappers who has not experienced many negative aspects of his profession. “Honestly, there are no downsides. Creatively, I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so it might take longer to finish some songs. That’s about it,” Korsah explained.
Where Does Korsah Stand in the Future?
A question like “Over the next five years, where do you see yourself?” requires deep thought on the part of any individual. Korsah’s goal is to reach a wider audience. He is devoted to music and longs for it with all his heart. His music is the proper remedy for those in need of such a remedy, as he believes music has the power to heal.
Furthering his vision for the future, the rapper hopes to perform at Rolling Loud one day. However, he has performed with a few artists thus far, like Kofi Mole.
Other Artists Influence Korsah
In most cases, their origins strongly influence how an artist chooses to compose music. Korsah agrees that the circumstances of his upbringing played a significant role in making him who he is today. “Oh yeah, origins play a huge role. It made me who I am,” he says. “This is MY STORY. I think it’ll resonate with people everywhere.”
As well as his origins, his music is influenced by such artists as Michael Jackson, 50 Cent, Prince, Lil Wayne, Nas, Daddy Lumba, and Amakye Dede.
Korsah plans to release his first full-length album in 2023. Due to the rapper’s desire to keep the project a surprise, he did not reveal it’s name or concept. “Oh yeah, I’ll be dropping a few,” he said. “When everything is ready y’all will be the first to know [laughs].”
Nikiya Biggs brought the interview.
Stay up-to-date with Korsah on all music and social media platforms.
The popular, comedic, and sensational hit series of the 90s, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” featured Will Smith who claims to have once begged Michael Jorden to allow his character to wear his shoes.
Smith always aimed for the “Fresh Prince” to have the best kicks on the show, especially because culture and style became vastly ideal as a part of the 90s and the series. A memorable moment that fans and sneakerheads reflect back on is Will either wearing the most popular or newest Jordans.
Connecting with Michael Jordan
Smith grew fond of always wearing the latest shoe and decided to reach out to none other than Michael Jordan himself, according to Basketball Network. Unfortunately, MJ said no.
Featured in an interview from ShowTime’s, All The Smoke, Smith says, “I was living the culture. I was literally calling Jordan like ‘Mike, please, please don’t give them to nobody. Let me be the first person, I gotta be the first person to wear it’. And he was like ‘Man, I don’t run that’.”
To show how adamite Smith has become to be a part of Jordan’s brand he showcases not one pair of Jordan’s but two!
In the pilot episode, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is wearing Air Jorden 5 Metallic Retro and in the season finale, he is wearing the Air Jordan 11 Columbia.
The “Fresh Prince” Collaboration
Seeing how inflexible Smith is set off to be a part of Jordan’s brand exemplifies his dedication and they bring him on board. Smith previously said during this time he was unaware of Nike releasing a variety of colorways solely under his character name; “Fresh Prince.”
In 2013, the spotlight focuses on the “Grape” colorway without laces following a second pair dropping, and lastly, a final pair dropped in 2020.
Throughout the memorable series, the “Fresh Prince” celebrated the collaboration by wearing over thirty pairs of Air Jordan’s.
Written by: Abbi-Rae De La Rosa| Twitter @justabbi_
A$AP Rocky has recently done a phone interview with Complex. The interview covers a bunch of topics ranging from his upcoming album, fatherhood, his new design studio, and his newest single, “Shittin’ Me”.
According to the interview, “Shittin’ Me” was sitting on Rocky’s shelf for years. In 2020, when EA came to him for a song to use in their videogame, Need for Speed: Unbound, he gave it to them, thinking it compliments the gameplay. Deciding to take things one step further, the song is also being used as part of the lead-up to the new album. While there is still no official date yet, he did confirm that an album will be coming soon.
The interview also touched on Rocky’s unique music videos. ASAP Rocky says he uses these visuals to create worlds and scenarios in a chaotic way, and to display his ADHD.
A$AP Rocky’s design studio, Hommemade, is going to start dropping innovative decor soon as well. He wants it to be like any other home decor brand out there.
He also talks about how much of a shame it is that the Raf Simons brand is ending. According to him, it was the pinnacle of the fusion between streetwear, hip hop culture, and high-end fashion. However, the brand’s articles are going to be worth a lot of money in a year or two.
Becoming a father has helped Rocky prioritize his life. It gives him time to do what he wants to do in life. He loves being a father and family man.
Rocky ends the phone interview by talking about how he is only interested in the art of his career. He only cares about his art, his craft, and his family. Instead of focusing on the politics, he just wants creativity to surge.
Musicians whose songs express their feelings are destined to be heard by listeners. Storytelling is an art that everyone enjoys. In a recent interview with FMHipHop, Los Angeles rapper Ryan Oakes discussed his new forthcoming album, his popular singles, his rap career, and much more.
Oakes was born in Fairfax County, Virginia. After moving to Leesburg, Virginia, he remained there for five years before moving to Los Angeles. Recently, Ryan was signed by an independent music label based in Los Angeles called “Position Music.”
As a youngster, the “2 am” rapper faced several challenges. One of those challenges was finding the appropriate outlet. Thus, at twelve years old, he began “lifting weights,” which helped. However, there were some aspects he could not overcome.
Significantly, taking part in physical activity can help reduce stress. Nevertheless, more must be done if the desired results are to be achieved.
The Beginning of Ryan Oakes’s Rap Career
Aside from that, Oakes vividly recalls his childhood days of “being bored on YouTube” and discovering Eminem’s “Till I Collapse” video. As the Virginia native was experiencing a bad day, he reflected on how it must feel good to get on a track and let stuff off your chest. That led him to try the method and never look back.
Furthermore, the 27-year-old began producing beats on Garageband (a music production program) with friends. They started making parodies similar to those of Weird Al. With maturation and a commitment to his art, Ryan developed into a better artist over time.
Singles of Popularity
Oakes has built a remarkable career in less than a decade. His resume includes 300 million total streams, one million+ monthly Spotify listeners, and 20 million+ song impressions on TikTok. With his sleeper hit “Drinking About You,” the LA-based rapper has accumulated more than 40.4 million Spotify streams.
Additionally, Oakes has earned a substantial following with releases such as “NUMB” and “HELLBOY.” Radio One and SiriusXM have praised his fusion of hip-hop and pop-punk. However, his passion for being revered as a full-fledged MC is evident in his single “WAKE UP.”
‘Wake Up’ Music Video Details
A music video for “Wake Up” depicts Oakes in a full-blown Hannibal Lecter avatar while living in a psychiatric hospital. Throughout the track, the rapper bodies the beat with cuckoo flows slapped with power while a thumping bass line rocks it like a hard blow to your face.
Essentially, the song serves as a visual alarm to indicate that Ryan Oakes will not be going anywhere anytime soon. As shady businessmen and evil surgeons torture Oakes, the powerful narrative follows Oakes’s long, torturous journey in a straight jacket.
In addition, the rapper used a conceptual approach behind the single “Wake Up.”
“Feeling like the industry’s best-kept secret. As an independent artist prior to inking my new deal with Position Music, I self-released nearly 250 songs and pulled in roughly 300 million streams.”
Despite receiving recognition for his music, Ryan stated that most people are unaware of his work. “So I wrote that song inspired to really give them something to talk about so they’d “Wake Up,” said Ryan.
“WAKE UP” came out on Friday, October 7.
His Upcoming Album: What You Can Expect
Currently, Oakes states that “WAKE UP” serves not only as the name of his first single but also as the name of his first full-length album. The album will supposedly come out in May 2023. “It’s the perfect fit. There’s a song for everyone. It blends so many genres together. I’d say pretty much all genres besides country,” Oakes said.
There will be a variety of styles available on the upcoming album. “There’s hardcore rap for the OG Ryan Oakes fans, hard-hitting rock and punk tracks for the newer fans that found me through that stuff, and a little taste of pop in there as well,” said the rapper. “Big shout out to my producers on this one. No one is mixing genres as well as we are, and most of that credit goes to their immense talent and patience when trying to craft a new sound.”
Effortless Songs Receive Applause
Moreover, artists often do not know which songs will be viral hits before they create them. However, in Ryan’s case, “it always seems to be the songs that come together effortlessly and very quickly. Even when I try to go back and rewrite that quick verse, the original verses still sound the best, so I keep them,” Oakes explained.” It’s either the ones like that or, honestly, the ones that you think will kind of just be a niche fan favorite that may not be something everyone likes and tends to absolutely rip. It’s pretty funny.”
Sometimes things happen when you least expect them. It took the LA-based rapper no more than ten minutes to compose his most popular streaming song on Spotify, which has 42 million streams. As successful as Ryan has been throughout his career, he had to overcome several obstacles to reach the level of success he has achieved today.
Many Challenges Have Characterized the Rap Career Of Ryan Oakes
Throughout his journey, he has maintained a mindset of “never giving up.” “On average, it takes about 32 songs (or so I’ve heard) to break an artist. And, like I said, I’ve put out about 250 songs,” said Oakes.
Throughout the first six years of his career, the rapper faced many issues in remaining motivated and convincing himself that there was something special about him. In addition to being “treated as a laughing stock,” those closest to him did not recognize his potential or take it seriously.
“It’s all part of the journey, though; without all that stuff happening, I’m not sure I’d be nearly as good of an artist as I am today,” Ryan asserted. Rather than being discouraged or giving up, Ryan remained committed to his craft and proved everyone else wrong.
Regardless of the challenges, artists encounter throughout their careers, collaboration with prominent artists will enhance their status and possibly lead to an end to their struggles. During the interview, Oakes said he would “love to do a track with NF.” Fans have begged Oakes to collaborate with the “Time” rapper for years. “I honestly really love his music. We would do a track together in a dream scenario and run up a tour,” he said.
Valuable Advice From Ryan Oakes
Toward the end of the interview, Ryan provided some essential advice for emerging artists wishing to make their mark. “You’re not crazy. If you’re willing to really give this your all and immerse yourself and go through this journey, it will always reward you,” said Oakes.
There was a sense of passion and seriousness to the rapper’s message. “I’m not joking; everyone I know who never gave up has made it. And it’s at least a dozen people,” he continued.
“Whether their music projects blew up or they landed a life-changing song they wrote for someone else, everybody made it. None of these people got lucky. They just really made it their life and lifestyle,” said Oakes. “I think that anyone that is really willing to spend every minute trying to become a better artist is going to make it one way or another.”
Nicki discusses what it’s like to be a mother to Papa Bear.
Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty gave birth to their son in September of 2020. Referring to her journey through motherhood, the queen of rap talks about her “biggest freaking blessing.” She say’s, “I’m so happy that god allowed me to experience this.” The “Do We Have A Problem” artist continued to add that she’s always loved children and been great with them. However, in the past few years, she’s been thinking it’s going to be a huge shift for her. She was used to going wherever she wants whenever she wanted, and felt that having a baby was going to change everything. The artist describes her love as so deep that she doesn’t think its normal. She also revealed the difficulties she faced getting back to work after the birth as she’s experienced severe separation anxiety.
Nicki dives into “Super Freaky Girl” single and why she turned down a collab with Gunna.
The rapper revealed how her hit track “Super Freaky Girl” opened the opportunity to “tap back into” who she is. The star stated the song reminds her of her of the “funny, goofy and stupid” side of her earlier work. She also goes on to explain that many artists don’t “really understand” who she is. She mentioned declining a Gunna collab as she felt the song wouldn’t work for her.
“I don’t think the new female rappers really understand who I am.” Describing how many of the ladies that came before her were of sexual nature, she states how she was inspired but is not exactly like that. She say’s, “I’m more the goofy girl.” She even stated some of the new male rappers don’t understand her either” The Mama Bear said, “I turned down a Gunna song because it was just moaning and groaning on the track, but Drake ended up doing it and it worked great for them. And free Gunna by the way, I have to make sure I say that!”
It is pleasing to find that others acknowledge the importance of ensuring the safety of civilians. FMHipHop was granted the opportunity to interview the co-founder of Iterate.ai, Brian Sathianathan, on their artificial intelligence Threat Awareness and License Plate Recognition technology used to keep businesses and schools safe all year round.
Q&A With Brian Sathianathan
Co-Founder of Iterate.ai Brian Sathianathan. Credit: unite.ai
“Over 3,500 locations have been equipped with Iterate.ai’s Threat Awareness technology. Do you receive regular updates regarding the impact of technology on those locations?”
Brian Sathianathan – “Yeah, so I think there’s a little bit of correction there. So it’s not our technology deployed at 3,500 locations, it’s 3,100 locations, but they’re not deployed with Threat Awareness technology.”
“It’s basically deployed with computer mission and license plate recognition, as well as other computer mission technologies. The company that I’m from, we provide an Al platform where you can build computer mission technologies a lot faster. The first application we bring to market was the license plate technology, and that technology is deployed around 3,100 locations.”
“The License Plate Recognition technology has the ability to look at vehicles automatically, unlock and provide the necessary business services based on the license plate. Now, what we’ve done in addition to that is we’ve also deployed one school with this technology.”
“If a threat is detected, the technology has the ability to create alerts into the school’s notification system. Because most of the schools that are in the U.S. have an inbuilt notification system, not primarily for threat detection, but for various purposes. Like simple things, like when you go and pick your kid up, you tell the attendant you’re here and then they call the teacher. So it takes notifications like that. So the schools that already have notifications built in, when a threat is detected, our technology will notify that system. Based on the business rule, how we see the threat is intellect various folks all the way from teachers to authorities.”
“Can you tell me how long it took to develop this technology?”
Brian Sathianathan – “Yeah, this technology, that’s a great question…the technology took quite a long time to develop because, you know, this is all based on a computer mission technology that is already a part of our AI platform. So, first, we developed during the pandemic time, we developed the License Plate technology that got deployed in several locations across a few customers. Then while we were looking at it, some of the customers basically, we had some customer problems where there were robberies in various stores and so on.”
“So, they wanted us to use the same technology to see if we can look at robberies, so that’s how the conversation started. We started looking at various situations where robbery and theft, and even armed robbery, can happen. Then we decided since we are able to do this, why don’t we take the technology and we propose it for schools.”
“Because one data point that’s very interesting is in the last six months, just in the year 2022 alone, There have been 314 mass shootings, right? And 27 school shootings in the last six months. There’s been 29 retail shootings as well. Because you hear about schools a lot, but similarly, retail and public spaces also have these incidents happening.”
“So, we’re like, why don’t we take this technology and bring it to schools? So we did a lot of things. One thing we did was to make the technology compatible with the existing cameras that I used in the schools because the schooling iteration would use 20 to 50 cameras. So, we wanted to bring the price point down so that it can work with existing cameras and so on. We also have a different pricing finally for schools, so it’s more affordable for schools compared to commercial.”
“Is this technology used on college campuses as well?”
Brian Sathianathan – “It hasn’t been used yet, but that is also definitely a market we are proposing as well.”
“Has Iterate.ai received any complaints regarding the use of this technology?”
Brian Sathianathan – “Not yet, not yet. In fact, we’ve got very positive thoughts because we collaborate, of course, with the school administrator, and at the same time, we also collaborate with the local security folks in there. So a lot of times, you know, people come in, and they test it out, they’ve got good results, and we got pretty good encouragement and the support from teens.”
“What is the maximum distance to which the technology can detect if a person has a weapon in their bag?”
Brian Sathianathan – “Yeah, so currently, the technology uses the camera. So anything that can be seen with a human eye or seen through a camera, the AI will determine that there is a weapon carried. This is a scenario where say somebody coming with a gun or a pointed gun or a weapon that is physically visible by a human eye, right through the camera. So, that typically will be up to 100 feet we could detect the weapons.”
“Now what happens is, the closer you are, the better accuracy you have. Because you can, you know, as the person approaches, the accuracy improves. But then, we are also working in partnership with another company who actually develops a piece of hardware that uses radar technology, not just cameras, but also millimeter radar technology. Think of like when you go to the TSA in the airport, you lift up your arms, and then the thing goes around you to see if there are objects on your body. Same type of technology, but in a smaller form factor. It’s a little device, it’s not a big thing like that.”
Al Image Recognition. Credit: Iterate.ai/solutions/threat-awareness
Continued response to the question: “What is the maximum distance to which the technology can detect if a person has a weapon in their bag?”
“So, they built the technology, these companies, and we partner with them to integrate that with our software. Based on this, what will also happen, in addition to things that we can visually see, we also have the ability to see things with aid of this technology, we can also see weapons inside bags. We can see hidden sharp objects inside bags and so on, right. The Iterate.ai threat detection system leverages AI-based image recognition to identify guns, knives, kevlar vests, and robbery masks.”
“So, that’s kind of the next level. We haven’t fully deployed that yet. We’re still testing it, but that’s also another thing we want to bring to market. Our goal is to do whatever we can to keep our kids safe.”
“Will Iterate.ai add any additional features to this technology in the near future?”
Brian Sathianathan – “Yeah, so one of them is this capability, right. The other, of course, we are also looking at; currently the system has been trained with about 25,000 images. In addition, we’ve actually have about another 40,000 images that is primarily like computer generated.”
“So it’s storing about 65,000 images. We are actually increasing the training set because the more data we add to it, the better things get. Another is we are also enhancing because these types of technologies are potentially tenser. We need something called a GPU, which is like, you know, more powerful sense systems to do it. So, what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to make it more and more efficient so that it could work on cheaper hardware so the cost for the schools will be lower.”
“What is the cost of purchasing this technology?”
Brian Sathianathan – “So, currently, for schools, we are looking at a one-time setup fee of $5,000 to $10,000 one-time. That’s just to set it up and make sure it all works. The other is ongoing every year. It’s a $1,000 annual cost.”
“You mentioned the License Plate Recognition technology earlier. Is scanning the license plate of a vehicle that picks up a student a reliable method of determining whether the person driving the vehicle is safe?”
Brian Sathianathan – “You know a number of things, that’s a great question! So, currently, when license plate is recognized, it’s not only purely the license plate. It’s also the presence of the app on the phone is also a part of it, right. The person who carries the phone also is recognized and authenticated. So, actually, there is two steps that happens.”
“So, it’s not just purely anybody driving or steering the car cannot pick up the child or cannot be a part of the ecosystem. They have to own the phone, and they also have to actually authenticate on the device as well. So there is a two-step process. There is an app on the phone that would actually prompt saying you’ve been recognized, can you authenticate it? One has to actually have the device as well as the vehicle.”
FrankHaveMercy and Brandon Nixon/ Credit- EmilyBlairMedia/ F. Mercy Studios
FMHipHop had the pleasure of interviewing FrankHaveMercy once again. This time Brandon Nixon joined in on the conversation. The interview gives us great insight into the friendship and business partnership they share. Brandon Nixon and FrankHaveMercy are a dynamic duo we need to have our eyes on.
Q&A With Brandon Nixon and FrankHaveMercy
How did you two meet each other?
FrankHaveMercy-Me and Brandon met in ninth grade. We went to high school together in North Carolina. Fayetteville. So, we grew up together. We were just in the same classes and we both took a liking to each other real early around the age of 14. We had a lot of similar interests. It was just a close bond really quick and we were best friends ever since then.
How would you two describe the friendship you guys share?
FrankHaveMercy– I think it’s definitely evolved over time. So like Frank mentioned, when we were younger, there were certain things that we aligned on initially, like sports. Growing up in North Carolina, sports were huge. Also, being in high school and listening to different music in the era of like downloading music versus streaming and mixtape era, things like that we aligned on. But as we’ve grown up and gotten older, we had like different journeys, but they kind of intertwine along the way.
When I went to college, Frank went to the military, so we were in different places, traveling, you know, visiting different places, not together but like separately. We’re able to talk about going to Paris for the first time or like going to New York for the first time, things that we weren’t used to as kids. We also went from 14 years old, living in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to now we live like down the street from each other in downtown L.A. So it’s like a cool full circle moment and evolution from being kids to being adults.
Brandon, what did you get your degree in? I know you went to Harvard.
Brandon– I graduated from UNC Charlotte, actually, with a philosophy degree but I did a program at Harvard Business School. And so not to get too much into it. I started school, I wanted to be a doctor. So I was pre med, majoring in philosophy. Midway through my college career, I had an internship at Google that changed kind of my mindset and my trajectory. And so, I still remained a philosophy major, but started doing business internships that allowed me to study at Harvard and that allowed me to get internships at Google. Which led to my full-time career from that point on.
It’s funny because a lot of the things that I’m learning in business have come from like just doing the work versus like anything that I learned in school. And that goes for the same thing with all the music and art things that Frank and I’ve been able to do. We’re learning as we go and trying to do it to the best of our ability and at the highest level, without any type of like formal education or degree.
Frank, how did you develop your sense of creativity?
FrankHaveMercy– I felt like my sense of creativity just came to me from wanting to express myself on a high level. And also like I said, I just feel like from a young age, I was really into aesthetic. What made people cool versus what didn’t. I feel like we grew up in a era and we seen so many style changes. We went from like, baggy clothes to like super tight clothes. Then watching these certain athletes have different styles like AI, MJ and LeBron. I feel like just through all that, it just helped me help me want to be creative. To be more specific, I feel like when I came back from Afghanistan, I got into photography as a as an outlet to like, you know, get over my depression and being detached.
FrankHaveMercy and Brandon Nixon/ Credit- EmilyBlairMedia/ F. Mercy Studios
How did the working relationship between the two of you begin?
FrankHaveMercy– So, like B said, he went to school, I went to the army. We kept in touch. I remember being in Afghanistan and hitting him and we were talking on Facebook. And I’m just like Bro like we were always into clothes and stuff and I’m like we should start a brand together. So, we started this brand together. I came back from Afghanistan, I was in Texas at the time and I told B, I’m like, man, we got to do like a pop up or something back home. Something where we showcase art and we also show our brand and stuff. So, I think this was back in, what year was that? B? 15?
Brandon– Yeah, December 2015.
FrankHaveMercy- So, December 2015 we did our first art show together. We sold art there, we sold clothing. We did it at a downtown store in Fayetteville, back in our hometown. And then after that, it just kind of blossomed. Once we did that and we saw that okay, we can bring people out. We had like, maybe 80 to 100 people come, we were like we could bring people out, we could sell things. And then we just started expanding from there. Every idea we ever had, we was like, let’s do it somewhere and include people that way we can reach out and touch them. From there it just blossomed into business. You know, we just started making money together.
Brandon– Frank, just hit me on both occasions to start the brand, but also to do the event. And I felt like that was kind of stuff that I always wanted to do, but I didn’t necessarily have the outlet to do it through school or like internships at the time. So, it provided me personally with a platform to do stuff that I always wanted to do as a kid. I feel like even though I wasn’t necessarily doing the pieces, the photography or those types of things that we’re showcasing but like the kind of activations themselves to me were like a piece of art. So doing things from like the first pop up and showing short films to we umm a couple years later, we rented out a entire movie theater in our hometown to showcase a film that we did. And then that evolved into like, installations at galleries that stood for like, you know, six months at a time we’ve done classes together where we taught people both the creative and business side, you know, help them along their creative journeys. So, it just kind of evolved and I feel like that starting place was such a like, modest and just simple place, but it’s really become something that still feels like that. We get excited when Frank performs, whether it be in New York or here in LA, it still gives that like original feeling that we were excited about, you know, to show something to our friends and family. Even though now it’s like more like strangers or people that we don’t necessarily know but it still has that unique or that familiar feeling that (we had) when we first started, even though it’s scaled much bigger.
FrankHaveMercy– Brandon just handles everything like business wise. I feel like as a creative for me, what separated me from our peers was having somebody that was thinking about things more on a business level and more on a corporate level, so that we can expand and scale so fast. So, it was just the right duo that happened. I was super creative doing my thing, super ambitious and then Brandon was super ambitious in the fact that he just wanted to like do activations and do real things in person. And then also find a way to mesh that with tech and business and things like that, and then all the way down to the music. I mean, he A&R’s all the projects, he handles all the bookings for the shows, he negotiates all the deals. You know these are things that people usually got to go to agencies for or hire people to do these things.
Exactly. So, does all of that fall under the F. Mercy Studios? Is that under one umbrella?
Brandon– So, F dot Mercy Studios is specifically like our clothing brand and more creative projects. Any like type of visuals or things like that that come out of it. And then the music side of things is housed under Frank’s artists name, FrankHaveMercy. So, we recently went to Chicago, he was booked to Chicago for a show. That’s all under his name. But all like the clothing and more like visuals, like films and things like that are under that specific brand.
So, you do say the dot in F. Mercy Studios?
Brandon– Yes sir. It’s F dot Mercy Studios
How do you come up with ideas for F. Mercy Studios? Is it a collaborative process between the two of you?
FrankHaveMercy– It’s super collaborative, probably the most collaborative out of anything we do, because we sit and we talk designs and we both design things for the brand. It’s just a ping pong thing. You know what I’m saying. These are things that we’re really into and even if we weren’t making money from it, we will still just be so immersed in it just because we always been like that since we were 14. So, it’s a passion first, you know what I’m saying and then on the backend, we make money from it just from the result of making a dope product. Our idea is always to make the dopest thing we can make together and then as a result, make money from it.
Brandon-Yeah, I think we think of ourselves as like, who people are familiar with like the Kanye’s and Virgil Abloh’s. There may be a face like the Kanye but then having someone like Virgil as like a creative mind and creative director, kind of in the mix and behind them. I think that’s our like relationship oftentimes, like, we have a lot of ideas that are like, you know, kind of built together, created together. But then you know, Frank with his platform, his following was able to push it to the to the masses, just a bit further. We’re both able to get in Photoshop, get in Illustrator and design and you know, sketch things out, and I think it’s cool to see something to come from that stage. And then we’re able to put it out and you know, see people wearing it, we wear it. We do everything from design, all the way to shooting the campaigns, to packing everything up and shipping it.
FrankHaveMercy and Brandon Nixon/ Credit- EmilyBlairMedia/ F. Mercy Studios
“Clothing made with sorrow” how did this tagline come into existence?
FrankHaveMercy– I feel like it was always a slogan I had, like “turning your pain into art” right? Just from when I was doing photography and stuff, and just how I was able to go to like that dark place and get to a place where I was able to share my art with people. And then I felt like we always channeled the same thing with the clothing and we took things that inspired us when we were younger. Or even things that might inspire our future and put that into clothing. At least that’s how I feel like it came. Brandon, you can speak to it if you want.
Brandon– Yeah, I think Frank kind of took the lead there as a creative. But yeah, I think, again, going back to the expressive piece. I think that’s essentially why we’re making clothes because we wanted to wear something or show something in public and everything that we actually had a hand in designing and creating. I mean, we love brands and we love to shop and do all these things, but I think it was important for us to get some pieces that had our DNA in it and our emotions and feelings and everything that kind of we liked and enjoyed. It was just kind of a canvas for us to do that with.
Ten years from now, where do you see this collaboration taking you two?
FrankHaveMercy– Man, that’s a good question. I mean, to like piggyback off what B was saying I really see us on a level of like, people like Kanye West and Virgil Abloh. People like Jay Z and Dame Dash. Like those dynamic duos that we know today, that just like branched off and did something that was so much bigger than whatever they were doing at the present time. I feel like right now, we reach so many people through the music and it’s just starting to translate well. From the art direction that we do, to the merch that we do, from how the shows look and feel, to even our personal relationships with people. How we approach that and the genuine relationships that we create. And then just attacking things from a corporate standpoint and things like that. I just see us really building everything equal to like a Fortune 500 company.
Brandon– I agree 100%. I think right now we’re laser focused on music and developing fans and the audience there. But in 10 years from now, I think we want to either have our hands in our own or be a part of the biggest companies like the Googles, the Apples, the Meta’s but always remain kind of grounded in a sense that we still remember where we grew up. We still give back to the community that raised us, those types of things. So, I think scale wise, we want to be involved with tech. We want to be involved with real estate and development property and all these like big, big things, but also remembering where we came from and also having a hand back home. I think is important to us as well.
As prolific figures you have achieved a lot thus far. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement to date?
FrankHaveMercy– Now honestly, I feel like just everyday waking up and aspiring to do something better than we did the day before. Because people from where we from, I feel like by the time they turn 23/24 wherever they’re at that point, they kind of accept that and that’s what they live in every day. So, I feel like me and B waking up every day and wanting to impact millions of people wanting to be a part of these fortune 500 companies and build our own companies. And just create things that people can enjoy and do things like that to me is a achievement in itself.
Brandon– Yeah, yeah, not to sound cliché, but I yeah, I agree. I feel like each day is like my biggest accomplishment personally, like, trying to keep that mindset because I feel like Frank said, a lot of our peers that we grew up with, and we’re still friends with and keep in touch with every so often, they meet a ceiling and which is like totally fine. They’re like able to feel comfortable and at peace, but I feel like we consistently every single day we wake up and want to be better and want to strive for more. And so, I think as far as accomplishment go, like each thing that we accomplished is our biggest accomplishment along the way. I think we’re just so much in it, that there’s not even one that really sticks out. But I feel like you know, maybe 25 years down the road we’ll be able to pick one thing.
FrankHaveMercy- I mean, Xavier you know how it is bro, like journalism and stuff, people quit. You know what I’m saying, when they don’t see certain results and they don’t see certain things, they stop and they just go do something else in life and go work for somebody else.
Brandon– Or to start all the way back over in a space and then have to, you know, do some of the same things, so that the accomplishments never like, build upon each other. It’s like almost always like starting from ground zero.
FrankHaveMercy and Brandon Nixon/ Credit- EmilyBlairMedia/ F. Mercy Studios
What inspired you two to want to start creating speaking events?
FrankHaveMercy– Yeah, it’s interesting, almost like we were forced into it. You know what I’m saying. It was to the point where we were doing so many things that people had so many questions. We were like, “Alright, man, we got to go somewhere and figure out a way to put hands on these people and really look them in the face and speak to them.” Then we have people reaching out to us that wanted us to come to their spaces and speak. So, it was something that just kind of happened organically, you know. Then just having all the knowledge that we do have, we’re able to talk to different people.
And we see that, you know, this is knowledge that people aren’t really afforded the luxury to have because they don’t jump out on a whim and do certain things and these experiences man is so rich. And I feel like it’s priceless to be able to. We never really had nobody come talk to us from a perspective of this when we were kids. Were we grew up everybody was into sports, you know, they were athletes or they were going to the army. Yes, that’s kind of how we grew up. Or they were going to work a regular nine to five. I almost felt like we were just chosen to do it.
Brandon– I always think about like my 17-year-old self like what would I would have wanted to see. What could have helped me along my journey? I think that’s, you know, something that’s just important to us. Even when we were like, maybe it doesn’t make the most sense for us to go back home. Maybe prices or whatever is like kind of a stretch or time wise we might not have the most time to do it. I think we prioritize that because of the fact or the chance that whatever we might say or whatever we might do, might inspire somebody back home. They might just need that little spark to be well on their way in a certain space.
Is there anything you two want your followers to know that we haven’t discussed?
FrankHaveMercy– Yeah, I mean, I feel like you got a pretty good grasp on it. I just want people to know that what we’re doing is not something that is normal and not something we see often. Usually we see artists get big and they got to go seek out a manager that’s signed to label or it’s vice versa, where the big managers at these labels are seeking out the talent. It’s very rare that people come up together and when their young they decided they want to be doing what we’re doing. I mean, since we started this back in like 2014, when we really started formulating ideas, it’s almost been 10 years of us putting our all into this. So just like you were saying, man, we really like on some Dame dash and Jay Z shit and Kanye West and Virgil and just those powerhouses that were able to just affect everything. I feel like wherever we go, whatever we do, whatever company we rock with, we would just improve everything there. From the design, to the setting, to the products, to the output, to the revenue, to just everything. So, I just I just want people to understand that.
Brandon – No, I think that captures most of it. I just yeah, just stressing our emphasizing that. We really do like love all the things that we put our heart and soul into. Everything that we do, we wake up and try to get better at everything, every single day. And we want to continue to just tie everything back into our simple, modest, beginnings and just make all our people proud of everything that we do to.
Most people have a burning desire to accomplish a goal in their lives. Any individual who strives to make a difference in this world deserves to be heard. On August 9, FMHipHop interviewed up-and-coming artist, songwriter, and influencer Jules Liesl on her music career, goals, self-love, and modeling.
Liesl was born in Florida and raised by both of her parents. As an adopted child, she has six half-siblings, one biological sister, and one biological brother. The singer emigrated to California when she was 19 and has lived in LA for ten years. Additionally, Liesl loves the city’s great Hollywood history, which inspires her dream to become one of the biggest stars in the city someday.
Modeling Was Becoming An Increasingly Frustrating Experience For Jules Liesl
There has been a long journey for Jules to get to where she is today. She developed an eating disorder at 16 and continued suffering from it until 23. At the age of 20, she began a modeling career. Jules reevaluated her perception of beauty after living up to the standards of “beauty” imposed upon models for many years.
“I just wanna eat, I don’t care,” she said in the interview. “I just always had the mindset of, I’ll be wanted if I’m skinny, and then I was just like…no, someone will want me for who I am and what I bring and what I look like now naturally; and not 80 pounds.”
Jules Liesl models a red swimsuit. Shooting an advertisement for 138 Water in Malibu on March 27, 2019. Credit: celebmafia.com
As the 29-year-old continued, her increased confidence changed her perspective on modeling. No rule states that you cannot be beautiful if you enjoy great food.
Initial Discouragement About Singing
Moreover, Jules has always dreamed of becoming a singer. However, the difficulty of entering the music industry prevented her from considering that it was possible to achieve that goal in the past. Additionally, the artist asserted that pursuing music back then was not as straightforward as it is today.
“Now you can get noticed on TikTok. It’s different now, but back then, I just never thought that would happen for me,” Liesl said. “So I was like, I’ll just do modeling.”
After hearing the influencer sing for the first time, her male friend encouraged her to promote her singing abilities. As a result, Jules ceased modeling and changed her social media presence and self-image. Approximately four years ago, Jules and her friend began developing her career as an artist. In addition, it took her three years to develop her mental and physical strength, find inner peace, and improve her writing skills.
Jules Songs: What Is The Meaning Behind Them?
As of December 2021, Liesl began to release music to the general public. “Toxic Boy” was her very first composition. As Liesl tends to change her response a lot, the song tends to be her favorite at the moment. According to Jules, “Toxic Boy” transformed her into the artist she is today. The song’s message is to inform women not to associate with toxic men. Another piece of hers, “If I Were a Genie,” conveys that one should not depend on a man for happiness.
Furthermore, the artist’s single “Dangerous” is associated with the film Fifty Shades of Grey. The song is about being in love with a man who is dangerous and controlling. Here are some lyrics that correspond to her statement.
Devil inside that doesn’t seem so kind Suck out all the life, then leave me out to dry Signature on the contract, with dotted line My fear of rejection’s not what keeps me tied But I want him, he likes the mess in my mind There’s no other option, I am hypnotized
The Artist’s Most Requested Song At Her Shows
A significant part of Liesl’s vision is someday becoming a successful musician. If she had the opportunity to collab with one artist, her top choice would be Lil Nas X. However, collaborations with Cardi B and Colombian singer Maluma are also on her wish list, primarily since they both emit a Spanish persona in their music.
Furthermore, in her live performances, her audience looks forward to hearing her perform her single “Obsessed.” Jules has a routine that she adheres to when performing. During her shows, she’ll ask her audience to pull out their lighters or phone flashlights and wave them to the beat.
“Obsessed” is the song that I noticed that people sing mostly at a show,” Liesl said.
Do Artists Tend To Create Music From A Particular Mindset?
Many different mental states can lead to the creation of a song. Nevertheless, Jules believes that she does not need to be in a particular mood; she only needs to be high on marijuana. A significant portion of her songs is about men, which is also consistent with her attitude at times. However, regardless of Jules’ mood, the music is well received.
It has been revealed that some of the singer’s songs are based on her own experiences and those of her friends.
Appreciation From Fans
Due to her dedication to her work, the emerging artist records her songs the same day they are written. In addition, Jules co-wrote most of the 19 songs in her catalog. As a result of her inspirational music, she has also received recognition from her fans.
“I had this one girl message me when I first dropped Toxic Boy,” Liesl said. “She messaged me like, “‘this song is amazing. I was blasting it in the car with my mom today.'” “I love that! That’s women empowerment right there.”
An additional girl messaged the women inspirer via Instagram, thanking her for making the type of music she does because it had changed her life. Through her music, Jules hopes to evoke confidence in people. In the artist’s view, those who experience discouragement in their music career should surround themselves with those who believe in them.
“Do not give up because you can get it done,” the singer said. “You just need to have the right people around you to help you get it done because you can’t do it alone.”
New Music And Upcoming Shows?
In conclusion, Jules’s fans should prepare themselves as she and her team will release three songs soon. Moreover, she is scheduled to perform in West Hollywood on September 6. Keep an eye on her Instagram page @julesliesl to stay updated for more information. Nikiya Biggs brings the interview with Jules Liesl.
