After the release of my tribulations video, I really did not have any other content to blog about since I could not do anything other than what I have done at my internship in Illinois. After a week of being back home, I have been pretty busy working trying to make sure everything is right for my release. I have not/will not say a release date to the public until I am positive that I have everything in order to release, BUT I am planning to release the album on the 15th of August which is on my 20th birthday. There are many updates that I have and want to discuss during the short week that I have been at home.
- Revised Tentative Tracklist
Being a huge musician who loves to listen to music, I have realized the pace of musical releases and the timing of projects shifting from a Tuesday to Friday release, it is really hard for me to keep up with everything. Because of this, I have just been focusing on my craft. Instead of listening to different types of music, I have been listening to my album day in and day out to see if I am able to do “normal” things while listening to it such as; driving a car, washing the plates, brushing your teeth, chilling with friends and etc. From listening to my project so much, I have revised my tracklist by shifting the order of the songs, removing songs and adding additional songs. Here is the revised tentative tracklist after approximately 30 listens (maybe more give or take). This project is now at an approximate time of 55 minutes.
- Smile (Freestyle)
- Hoping feat. Taylor Baum (prod. iamtheofficial)
- Influence feat. ReeLegendary (prod. Breezy)
- FREE (prod. Sanmi)
- Lobster Steak (prod. Remo)
- I Know (prod. Ignorvance)
- I’ve Been (prod. Bigboytracks)
- Soke / You Alright Yh? (Freestyle)
- Don’t Forget Us feat. Cooper
- Thank God (prod. Sanmi)
- Family (prod. Sanmi)
- Tribulations feat. Righteous Minds (prod. MjNichols)
- Remember My Name
- Money and Fame (prod. Young Taylor)
- [BONUS] Make It Rain prod. tunnA Beatz
- [BONUS] For The Kids – THON (Penn State Panhellenic Dance Marathon) prod. DeAndre Freeman
2. Media
Aside from promotion and word of mouth, another way that I plan to gain a bigger audience is through my interaction with media and showcasing who I am as a person. I know that I am a rapper but it’s crazy that I am actually doing things that rappers do!!! I feel that while people know me, they do not understand who I am. Because of this, I have already done one interview (that will be up soon) and I plan on doing many more so that people can understand what I am trying to do with my music and what the music is about. I will embed the video into this post when it finally goes live.
3. Photoshoot
Now, I understand that I have the talents as an artist but the other side of being talented and attracting people is your image and how you portray yourself to the people. While people can see that I can play the part very well, it’s all about me looking the part now. This weekend I went to various spots in Philadelphia to shoot photos (along with my sister). I will say these photos look amazing and I am glad to know that I can definitely back my talents up with my own “swag” or personal aesthetic. Photos are located below:
4. Conclusion
Making this project was a lot of work… like I mean a lot. Through this process I have realized why artists pay people to do things for them such as creative direction, tracklisting and sometimes writing songs. Even though this was a lot, since I am passionate about what I do, I had fun with every single part of this album’s rollout. I have learned how to do many things, become a better rapper and established myself as a creative. At the end of the day, I have created something that will be with me forever and it is something that noone can take away from me because it is already in my heart. Once the semester starts, i’ll try to do a few shows but I am definitely getting back to being on the academic grind (because junior year is going to be something, I will say that). I am also glad to say that I am a part of the Presidential Leadership Academy and I truly hope that with this rollout I have made the people around me proud and helped to promote the great name of this prestigious academy. I cannot wait till you hear the album!
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