Music Blog – Reviews & More

What is your artist name? Sylvester Effiong 

What kind of music do you make? I do RnB, reggae, dance hall and afro pop. I make music from the happenings around me. For example, if I’m sad I’ll obviously create or jump into a catchy melody and I’ll as well express what I’m feeling at present; sometimes trying to relates it to what is happening around us.
My influences are artist like R. Kelly, Bob Marley, Maroon 5, Sam Smith and Heavy D.
My listeners should always expect a particular message from me in any song be it my songs or a collab. 

How old are you and when did you start creating music? I am 31 years old and I was 13 years old when I started creating music. Always with friends in my neighborhood freestyle challenge and all that 

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? My goals are to use the music as a medium to air out my feelings and as well communicate with my fans out there 

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music? I want my readers to know that I am a friend they could always turn to when it seems things don’t go their way. I’ll always be available to answer any questions about love, life and all that on my social media pages.

Twitter: @SylvesterEff IG: @IAmSylvesterEffiong

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Sylvestereff/about/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1uxWiv7L5wZLhPO2I0sjnR?si=zgXz6jwAR2Gx8cVtuFHGsQ

What is your artist name? My name is Goober

What kind of music do you make? I make a lot of different types of music, but I stay really close to rap in general. I mostly make darker underground rap. I have so many different influences, people like MF Doom, all the way to Korn. My main influences really root from older southern/crunk rap, such as Three 6, Lil Jon, Lil Wayne, Boosie, and way more. But the more recent artists I’ve been heavily influenced by are people like $uicideBoy$, X, Bones, Ski Mask, $not, GHOSTEMANE, NASCAR ALOE, and again, hella more I could list. What I listen to is hella mixed and I’m always switching from artist to artist, but right now, I’m heavily on the new west coast shit. People like Larry June, G Perico, Nipsey, YG, Mozzy, and of course, all up and coming Seattle rappers. My process for making music is really pretty simple. I believe in treating music like a job because that’s what it takes to succeed, so I try to put aside a few hours a day to get some shit recorded and mixed and shit. I got a couple producers I like to revisit and use their beats a lot, but I’ll usually sit on a few beats for a minute and figure out what I wanna write on, then I just let it flow from there. I’m also really heavily into being fairly independent, so I’ve always mixed and mastered my own shit. The only thing I don’t do is produce cause my beats ain’t it lmao. If I’m writing some hype shit, I like talking about bullshit I be experiencing and have been around. Anything from moving P’s to pimping, I know it’ll get people lit and so I stick to it. But sometimes I be getting in my feelings and thinking about the shit I don’t like talking about to anyone. I feel like I’ve had a lot of things happen to me in my life that hurt me a lot, but I never like bringing it up to anyone. It always feels forced and like they feel bad for me when they really shouldn’t. Since I’ve always felt this way, I started writing music about these things. Shit like dropping out of high school, failing college, addiction issues, relationship issues, or disappointment within myself and others. What I really want people to take away from my music is that you gotta apply yourself into every situation you believe in and keep hustling because if it makes you happy, it’s worth doing. And if you in a hard situation, you can make it through. Just keep your head up and take the punches. 

How old are you and when did you start creating music? I am currently 17 years old and I started recording music when I was 13 I think. My dad was in a punk band, T.S.O.L. In the 80’s, so I grew up around musicians and was always around music. When I was 5, I taught myself how to play guitar, then eventually started taking lessons for about a year. Between then and when I was 13, I kept learning more and more instruments and fell more and more in love with music. I had always listened to rock or punk music, but as I got into middle school and high school, I started listening to more rap and just fell in love with it. I was heavily listening to people like X, Ski, NF, and Chance. Then I started writing my own music because I loved expressing what I wanted without really telling people face to face. I started freestyling at school for people and would let people read shit I wrote, then my friend convinced me to finally record a song. We took all day producing this beat on our old ass MacBook, then wrote some shit for it. At the end of the night, we recorded and released it on SoundCloud. The track was called “Planned Parenthood” (find it and I’ll give you money lmao). But since then, my style and flows and shit have really evolved. I later met my bro 2FXCE, called D.A.Z.E at the time, through a mutual friend. We started fucking around and that’s when I really evolved my style and shit. He showed me I could do some hard shit with my voice. He then started NBK with our bro Will (XNBK) and told me I should be in it. Then I released “The Way That Shit Hit” with my bro Truth and 2FXCE said he should join NBK too. So that brings you to where we are now. 

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? Since I first started playing guitar, I always wanted to be a “rockstar” because I thought that shit was dope as hell. All through elementary, some teachers would say shit like “I know you’re gonna be a rockstar in the future, sign this paper for me” and shit. I know it was cause I was a kid and they wanted to encourage me, but it really pushed me to keep trying. That feeling stuck with me my whole life and it evolved into me wanting to encourage other people to do what I’m doing and follow what they want to follow. Don’t listen to your parents or your friends or your teachers if they’re telling you to do something you genuinely don’t want to do. So anyway, my goal is to be happy doing what I do everyday and knowing I encouraged people to do shit they felt was right. 

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music? All I want y’all to know is that if you don’t fuck with me, it’s all love. Imma keep hustling with or without you. And I’m working on an album rn called “23rd & Union” so peep that shit when it drops lmao. And thank y’all for taking the time to read this shit. All love 

IG and Twitter: @Goober_Official

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/musicofgoober

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/goober/1319870860

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUo-ZI4888Yx-KyvDvmk1pw

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3lK0KX1mTE8H6feYHhpk7k?si=UJ3Rr75NQ1uR-VkQVfu2ew

Where did the name of this song come from? “She Said,” is titled quite literally because it is the words, thoughts, and feelings of the young lady who dictated the events of this song to me. Additionally, it also acts as a voice to those who don’t have one and fights for the thousands of victims who’s stories are not told year after year. 

How long does it take for you to write a song and how long did this one take you write? Typically, it takes me a few hours to write a song. I wrote the original draft for this song in ten minutes — crying in the bathroom at work trying to process the emotion and pain that was relayed to me. 

What is your favorite part of this song? Why? Musically, my favorite part of the song is the breakdown after the second hook along with the words, “I’m so sick of breathing.” That resonates with me as I have had moments in my life as well where I didn’t want to breathe anymore. Emotionally, my favorite part is the hook. The words are powerful and succinct and hit straight to the heart. “She wasn’t strong enough to push you off now.”
I still tear up when I hear that part. 

When people listen to this song, what do you want them to take away as far as message? The girl whom this song is about — she’s a strong girl. She carries two guns in her car at all times. And she could probably beat me in a wrestling match. And she was still held down against her will and violated. This could happen to anyone. This problem is real. And there are real people feeling real emotions and legitimately hurting deeply. The take away is that I hope people get the help they need. I hope more men have their eyes opened to how horrific this is for so many, 1 out 6 women, and that they can use the resources that we’ve partnered with to get the help they need to move past this painful memories and blossom until they beautiful women they are meant, no, destined to be. 

Do you think this song represents who you are as a artist? As an artist, I have always stood with the broken. I have always pointed out the controversial issues and pointed to hope in the pain. If I go down known as anything, I hope it is as a message of hope to the hopeless and healing to the broken. 

End with a message for the reader – I hope you listen to this song. I hope it makes you feel. I hope it makes you angry. I hope it makes you hopeful. And I hope it drives you to take action to love the person next to you and to help other people get through their pain, and their suffering. If you are a victim, I pray that you find the help and hope you need to get through this. Nate and I are always here for anyone that needs help. NVision’s inbox is always open for love, support, healing and prayer. 

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW NEEDS HELP: RAINN Crisis Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
Center for Violence Prevention (Jackson, MS): 601-932-4198 or 1-800-266-4198
Zoe Healing Center: 405-640-5117
**20% of all proceeds from this song will go directly to organizations working the frontlines of all those affected by sexual assault. 
“She Said” will release Friday, April 10, 2020 on all streaming platforms. Follow us on Spotify! 

IG and Twitter: @Nvision228

“She Said” Link: https://open.spotify.com/album/4zy9ooEcLx9o9ahyY21RiM?si=yiCILBu5TYa4EminXqoMxQ

What is your artist name? King Simba

What kind of music do you make? I make Hip- Hop and R&B – I can give you something that can make you think, cry and get hype. I can encourage you to keep going no matter what is going on around you. I can created love making music as well. My creativity is endless. They say I’m crossed between Donnell Jones and Nas. I try and teach you something without you even knowing.

How old are you and when did you start creating music? I am 31 and I was 13 years old

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? Of course I want to be a successful artist and be able to take care of my family. But my ultimate goal is to have multiple businesses and put people to work that have been turned down. I want to create businesses that actually care about their employees and give them a chance at maybe being that manager or recieving classes on how to run a business. Give people that shot at bettering themselves so that way they can take that knowledge and put it towards their own goals. It’s all about self empowerment.

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music? I want them to understand that I write and do music based around what I went through. Or course I have a few songs that are extreme and never been done. Hence to Beast Mode. But I genuinely want them to know I have a passion for it. And you will learn something.

Twitter and IG: @IAmTheKingSimba

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/iamthekingsimba

Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/artist/king-simba/AR9c7Xwp6flnVjq

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/king-simba/1393215162

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7qkffuzT41RqkQzXSwLqeo?si=hUj5f2WRSaOQqTY98QWgSQ

What is your artist name? CJ Music

What kind of music do you make? Alternative HipHop, Emo Rap. My name is Chris Castellano but I go by CJ Music. I’m an alternative Hip-Hop artist, Producer, Beat-Maker and Composer. Born and raised in Palm Springs, CA. I grew up just a few short miles from the site of the popular music festival COACHELLA. I really rock my heart on my sleeve in my music and lyrics. My raw style of emotional lyrics match the raw style of beats that accompany my music. I like to use simple and literal lyrics that are dripping with genuine heartfelt emotion. Simply put, you can hear my pain, joy, sorrow and excitement in every word of my lyrics. 

How old are you and when did you start creating music? I was 10 when I started playing drums and eventually started creating music in a rock band called “Markt”. We toured the United States and Canada. However I had always been into hiphop music as an influence so once the band split it was a natural transition to start making beats as a drummer and composer. I originally just wanted to make beats only but because I didn’t know any rappers I had to start rapping on my own beats. Although I love being an artist my main industry goal is to make beats and produce music, all types and genres.

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? As I previously stated although I love being an artist my main industry goal is to make beats and produce music. I do that right now but I would like to do that on a bigger scale with bigger artists. I produce music under Desert Beats Music (DBM) but I’m an artist under CJ Music. One of my goals is to educate myself and grow in my process of learning the business side of the industry that way I can mentor or guide others in their journey and their career. Because a lot of artist can start and make a song and have a good song but then now what? What do I do with it? How do I copyright it? A music society? What’s the difference between an artist, a writer, composer publisher etc etc. How do I market it? Promote it? And it can be overwhelming. So I just want to hopefully build up a career for myself so that I can be able to help others achieve their dreams and goals.

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music? I feel like the vibe of me and my music are one in the same. And this might sound really weird but I feel like that vibe in words and colors is: emo-rap, Chucks, hoodies, snap backs, chucks hanging from a power line, heart on my sleeve, Cali boy, tattoos, bright orange, baby blue and grey, haha. I don’t know ….that just my vibe.

IG: @Official_CJ_Music Twitter: @TheRealCJMusic

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-real-cj-music

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cj-music/263126594

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4FMIbBMeObMMKS2bxVuMw

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Ic6cslwYzUPWBtE0A31Wt?si=dwPNALwdSd-HGEgp_SidLQ

What is your artist name? My artist name is Stacey James

What kind of music do you make?  I make many kinds of music as I am a multi genre songwriter. I write soul, pop, rock, r&b, blues, jazz , hip hop all the way to  theatrical type work. My influences vary as I have a huge love for all kinds of music.  I grew up listening to my Mothers Motown records and find those sounds are super close to my heart. My sister is 9 years older than me and she was ALWAYS playing Prince so he ended up being a huge influence of mine also. As a vocalist I was forever singing Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston,  Mary J Blige and Mariah Carey. My goal was to be able to nail all the notes from The Bodyguard soundtrack and it took me until age 19 to do it but I kept on trying until I did 🙂 but my musical influences range from Phantom Of The Opera to Red Hot Chili Peppers,  Jann Arden to Raphael Saadiq,  Erikah Badu, Alicia Keys , John Mayor, Neil Young to Marvin Gaye,  Diane Warren as a writer and so so so many more. My musical process involves being heavily soul inspired. I have a difficult time forcing music out of me and will search for a source of true inspiration before I will force a song out of me from nothing. I find most of it from my personal experiences- life, friendships , relationships,  heart breaks , loss , grief and self exploration. I look at the world around me and what others go through and try to capture emotions within the art. I often explain my writings being a slice of my soul. I put a piece of it in every piece I create of collaborate on.

How old are you and when did you start creating music? I started writing poetry around 7 or 8 and by the time I was 11 they had melodies. When I was 13 I got my first keyboard for Christmas from my Mom and my Dad after begging my mom for months… I needed a way to take the melodies out of my head. I remember over hearing her on the phone one night asking my Dad to go in on one for me (she was a single mother who couldnt pull it off on her own) To this day, I am so grateful she swallowed her pride to ask for help doing it. She was a very strong and proud woman who didnt like asking for things. When I got that Yamaha PSR260 I began taking the sounds out of my mind and the rest was history. I’ve written hundreds upon hundreds of songs since 🙂

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? I’d say my ultimate goal with my music is connection. Music had been a soundtrack to my life and has offered me so much comfort in so many different ways throughout my life. Whether it be finding comfort within lyrics knowing I wasn’t alone in an experience to lifting me from the ground up with inspiration or making me bust a boogie on a bad day. I hope to connect with people the same way so many artists have connected with me. Secondly, to write forever and others really. I hope to continue being able to flourish as a songwriter and have more opportunities to share my words through others and their talents. Songwriting is my baby 🙂

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music? I would say the one thing I would love others to know about me is where I came from. I grew up as an overweight girl who was broken down and made fun of constantly growing up. I was told I couldn’t do so many things by people around me and had very low self esteem, lacked confidence and had very little support.  I believe that’s one of the biggest reasons I went inside-out and found so much love within emotions and the words ,poems and music that could be formed from them. My passion and love for words and music is what kept me going until I ended up meeting people along my journey who would encourage me to pursue my passion, push me on a stage and drag me into a recording booth. I believe anything is possible when your heart is in something. Heart and love for what a person does can take them absolutely anywhere 🙂

IG: @StaceyJamesWriter Twitter: @StaceyJWriter

Website: http://www.staceyjames.ca/

ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/staceyjames

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/stacey-james/327419378

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/470HgSYcZWmaJGlD651tSp?nd=1

What is your artist name? MBB Dopeman

What kind of music do you make : Trap/Thief rap. I make music for youth finding themselves, trappers, thiefs, and thugs. My influence are G Herbo, Eminem, Mobb Deep, Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Playboi Carti etc

How old are you and when did you start creating music? I am 19 now and I was 17 when I started creating music.

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? My goal is to influence my generation to find themselves and work on themselves to their full potential.

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music: That my music is based on what i have done, seen, or what my homies done.

Follow him on IG and Twitter: @MBBDopeman

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mbbdopeman

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1z1yUhdThQZylUZQUDjw7v?si=qPLfUha_RMSyXNKjaQKiVw

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDJECaHuQ2us77c_r4gK6xA?app=desktop

What is your artist name? Rell G 

What kind of music do you make? Hip-Hop/ Rap – I  make music that people can feel. My influences are Jadakiss, Jay-Z, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Dave East, I love lyrics. I feel like lyrics last longer in the music industry, because trends come and go. I want people to take from my music that I’m real reliable and relatable. I’m real because it’s my story and it’s facts. I’m reliable because you can rely on me to give you great content. I’m relatable because my listeners will be able to relate to what I’m rapping about.

How old are you and when did you start creating music? 26

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? My goals are to reach those people that need a new sound in the music industry. Is to bring being real back to the fore front of the rap game. To provide for my sons and show them that you can be anything you want to be. This my dream I prayed for this and it’s that time with me.

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music? I want my readers to know that my music gives you inspirational great vibes throughout each listen.I want them to know I’m next up and that I’m going to continue to provide them with quality sounds through their speakers. Always Keep GOD 1st‼️

IG and Twitter: @ItsRellG

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-333607180

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/rell-g/1440698831

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5mKlS4TrVEbxghS5jUcFR8?si=dLNOSthkQYuHVMOSk3zRyg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrNl4x2sH5NhsNds8xA8JsQ

What is your artist name? Tiien

What kind of music do you make? I make Hip-Hop/rap music. Very lyrical music with a bouncy flow. I get compared to Big Sean very often. Not surprising because I came up listening to a lot of him, Lil Wayne, Eminem, T.I.. As far as the process, I love to just play beats until one kind of tells me what to say, once I feel that, I can finish a song in under 15 minutes. It all depends how I’m feeling at the time.  

How old are you and when did you start creating music? I am 21 and I played instruments (trumpet, violin, piano) all the way through elementary and middle school. I started writing and recording music when I was 19. 

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? I would like to grow as an artist, be able to tour, connect with music lovers, and expand into other avenues like film. Overall, I’d like to be a person who everyone can look up to regardless of your background. I want to be someone that can change the world, and the songs I’m making now is just the beginning of that.  

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music? That I write music about my life, if you don’t relate I hope you can appreciate it because I put a lot into this. I started doing this with no intentions of even letting people hear it, but I’m realizing that I have a story to tell, and I think this could help motivate others in similar situations

 

Twitter and IG: @MidTiien

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/midtiien

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/tiien/1462530134

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1uMxJJHhRv3TykPcfeyBgX?si=XsTHA0PLSh2b2n6m9cu03Q

What is your artist name? My artist name is Actopshotta (Ac-Top-Shotta) 

What kind of music do you make? I make music for the people that came up like me in the same environment which is where the pain come from… struggle, street gospel, drill music too when I’m on my young nigga sh*t – The Music I make is based on my lifestyle, I was always influenced in rapping. I’m from Houston, I grew up freestyling but far as rappers Z-RO, DonKe, Tupac, Boosie, Meek Mill, & a few more was rappers that always motivated me to not stop when I felt like giving up on making music. My process as an artist has been tough, I been through a lot… far as the system & being incarcerated in & out of jail so right now I’m more focus on not letting up & never not working, can’t cheat the grind ya!

How old are you and when did you start creating music? I was around 20… some like that I had lost a close patna of mines who was really was influenced as an artist but when he died it’s when I started taking it serious 

What are your goals when it comes to your music career? To do big numbers & remain humble! Work with the ones I was inspired & motived by as well

What do you want the reader to know about you and your music? I put a lot of thought into my music everything come from the heart So it’s all my story… 

IG and Twitter: @AcTopShotta

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/actopshotta30koe

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ZrznVj7u7O32HnY5opLsj?si=g9YFKbTYTQCaoY9uisy3cQ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQpLST4MJ-E&feature=youtu.be