Ty James

This time, Ty James (@tyjames), an artist and producer from Indiana, talks getting girls numbers while working at Starbucks, how he keeps his confidence, and the effect his Dad has had on his music. Ty is an exciting young talent whose Instagram bio says “destined for greatness.” Without further ado, here is off the record with Ty James.

SLANG

Welcome to our latest installment of our 'Off The Record' series where the artists themselves tell stories, share experience, and answer questions about the moments that matter. In this episode, SLANG, a rapper/songwriter/producer from the outskirts of London, opens up about some of the darkest times he's been through, the anger that built up inside, and a conversation in a cafe that changed his life.

Justin Fleischer (Documentarian for Logic, Creative Director of Elysium)

This time, we sat down with the man, the myth, the legend Justin Fleischer (@jflei). He is the documentarian for Logic and the creative director of Logic’s label Elysium, and he has done a lot. Justin has been a public school teacher, he’s shot videos for Iron Solomon, including some in the abandoned tunnels in the Westside highway, he was the director of visual production at hot new hip hop, and now he works with Logic to create some of the most eye-catching, dynamic, and honest content in the game. On this episode, Justin talks about his decision to leave teaching, shooting the Everybody documentary with Logic, what makes a good director, and more. Even if you aren’t a director or content creator, I encourage you to listen to this episode. I believe everyone should have a creative outlet, whether they make a living off of it or not, and Justin takes us through what it’s like to be in those beginning stages when you’re experimenting, failing, making adjustments, and trying to find your lane. And Justin would tell you that he still endures those same cycles even today. So without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with Justin Fleischer.

Sol

This week, we sat down with the Seattle-based rapper Sol. During his time at the University of Washington, he was awarded the Bonderman Scholarship which allowed Sol to travel to 10 countries in 10 months. One of the requirements of this trip was that he had to go alone. At the time, Sol sat at #1 on the iTunes Hip Hop charts and #4 globally after the release of Yours Truly, then decided to drop off the map. When most would look to do anything to capitalize financially and socially on an album’s success, Sol saw it more important to find himself.

In this episode, Sol talks about the impact of this ten-month journey, how he actually started as a painter before music, his relationship with Macklemore, a pivotal conversation with his Aunt, studying under Seattle Legend Isaac Meek, and the creative process behind his most recent album that just dropped March 1st, Soon Enough. Even if you aren’t an avid listener to Sol or music in general, I highly recommend you listen through this conversation. This talk was more than music. Sol drops some unique insight on crafting the vision of an independent artist, understanding different cultures, and why your definition of success should not be defined by the mainstream. Without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with Sol.

Wyclef Jean →

We sat down with Wyclef Jean in the dressing room of the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ before the first show of the Carnival III tour. The room gave off a simple vibe with white walls, and we set up close around a small table. Wyclef spoke passionately about his background in battle rap, walking with legends like Biggie and Tupac, connecting to the younger generation, composing with the late Tim Berling (Avicii), and much more. Wyclef has adopted music as a way to survive and carries himself like it could be stripped away from him at any moment. This conversation left me with a deeper understanding of Wyclef's creative process and perspective. I hope you can also explore a different perspective within this episode.