When I AM PR Agency approached me for an interview, I jumped at the chance! Check out what inspired me to start NEW LEASE MUSIC – click on the picture and happy reading!
Tag: interview
Exclusive Interview with: Nino Wes
This time it’s R&B singer/songwriter/producer NINO WES‘s turn to be in the interview seat. The co-founder of the now-defunct hip-hop group, The Breakfast Club, has been making waves here on NEW LEASE MUSIC with his super slick song, You & Only You (the third most popular track on this blog). Now it’s time to read about the man behind that sweet, sweet music.
NLM: First of all, I would like to say congratulations on new partnership with Ingroove Music Group. So tell us what to expect from this beautiful relationship ?
NW: Thank you. It’s a new opportunity to distribute my music digitally worldwide. The group breakfast club is now an independent record label. “Breakfast Club entertainment”
NLM: So what other projects do you have in the pipeline?
NW: I have the breakfast club album consisting with original members and I’m planning a solo EP as well.
NLM: Let’s go waaaayyyy back to the beginning: at what point did you say: ‘Yep I wanna be a R&B artist?’
NW: I’ve always known I wanted to do R&B, so I can’t really say there was a day I decided to pursue it. I’ve been singing since I was a child.
NLM: What’s the reception been like on your music so far?
NW: I’ve been getting good feedback from what I can see. I’m in California and I reside in the San Fernando Valley. Last year the city put on an award show “the 818 awards(area code for my city) and I was fortunate enough to receive the “best male” R&B” award. That was cool because receiving the local acknowledgement lets me know that I’m on the right track.
NLM: You have a real slick discography. Tell me, what’s your proudest work and why?
NW: So far…ummm I have this song that me and my guys from breakfast club did. It’s called “Bite me”. I’ve been talking and ranting about this song for a while now lol but I’d have to say that one.
NLM: How would you describe your music? Would you compare yourself to any of your music influences?
NW: My music is honest. At the end of the day I want to give you a feeling to remember. I can’t compare myself to my musical influences just yet cause I haven’t put in half of the work they have put in. I’m barely getting started.
NLM: You co-founded and also a member of the group, The Breakfast Club which is completely different to your sound as a solo artist. How did this venture came about?
NW: I started the group with my partner Kid Soul. And at the time the whole dance craze called “jerkin” was happening in Los Angeles (still world wide too) he was working with the new boys at the time(hit single “you’re a jerk”) once we met, at first he was going to help me as far as pursuing my solo career but he presented me with the idea for the group because the demand for that type of music(jerkin) was high at the time.
NLM: You also produced out-of -sight tracks for a string of artists. Who are they?
NW: I’ve worked with “Mann”(buzzin ft 50 cent) hip hop duo “Kids in the Hall”. Me and breakfast club producer “Vegas Blake” produced a record for Ciara ft rick Ross last year “Boy Outta Here”. I’ve had a chance to work with LA-based artists: Eatbeeff, The Fly Guys, Khleo Thomas, Shawn Chrystopher, and many others out of Los Angeles
NLM: If you had a chance to collaborate with a mainstream artist, who would it be and why?
NW: There’s so many but one person I’d collab with now? I like BJ the Chicago kid. His stuff is dope, he keepin’ that soulful r&b alive and he does hip hop. Soul of a Woman is the album.
NLM: How can potential fans make contact with you?
NW: You can connect with me on Twitter IG FB @ninowes everything. Check my site out on ninowes.bandcamp.com
NLM: finally, if you were given three wishes, what would they be?
NW: First wish: is to wish member of breakfast club “skoo boii” and his family peace.
Wish two: is to one day be in a position to help people.
Wish three. End all police brutality and racism.
FIRST EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH: Rob Forte
If you’re a regular NEW LEASE MUSIC visitor, you may have checked out ROB FORTE’s music, including his debut mixtape, S.O.UL. Now it’s time to find out a little more about The Academy emcee and his reason behind his latest project. Remember, you heard it first on NEW LEASE MUSIC!
NLM: You recently release your debut mixtape, S.O.UL. Describe the story behind the project?
RF: When I first came up with the project idea, I was originally going to create another EP. But I had so much going on in my life that I decided to release a full project. Funny thing is I wasn’t going to name it S.O.U.L., I was going to name it “Forte Thoughts” because it was going to be a project of straight venting (which it kinda still is), but I really just wanted to be honest. Everything in the project that I said is honesty, whether it’s my thoughts or current situations. I started listening to different types of artists like Kevin Gates and I started to relate to the honesty. So that’s why I called it S.O.U.L. Simply Outta Utter Love. The love for the art as well as soul music in general.
NLM: What has the reception been like towards your new mixtape?
RF: I’ve been getting all types of texts and phone calls and whatnot from people pouring out their love for it. Before I released it, I told the rest of the members of The Academy that this project was going to be one of those projects that people will gravitate towards. And I was right.
NLM: What’s your favourite track on the mixtape and why?
RF: Honestly I have several. But if I had to pick one then it would probably beeeeeee……..SOLO. Reason why is because it literally illustrates a session with me and the homies. The conversation at the end of the song was me and homie Rod Markie. Funny thing about it is we’ve had that conversation SO MANY TIMES. So when he came through to record the skit, it was organic because it’s literally real life conversations that we have.
NLM: Let’s take a look into your early life…what did you do before getting involved with the music industry?
RF: I did a lot of things. Some negative and some positive. But I try to keep straight positivity in my life. But if you mean totally getting involved with music, I was in school. I started taking rap music seriously in high school when I met my homie and The Academy emcee Bonz. He invited me to his crib where he had a studio and from then it was just progression. I made music before, here and there, but that was when we were lil jits running up and down the streets doing what we were doing.
NLM: At what point did you want to become a hip-hop artist?
RF: I would say probably in my senior year of high school when I rapped in my first cypher. This producer I knew invited me to a cypher but we had different lunches. So I skipped class and went there and rapped. From then on my notoriety built and I started getting all types of love. That’s when I started noticing that people actually saw something in me. So I kept going hard.
NLM: Who are your musical influences?
RF: I have three main musical influences: Common, Mos Def, and Kanye. Common, who is my favourite artist, because of his content and lyricist, Mos Def because of his versatility in rap styles, and Kanye because of his general artistry and confidence. But I look a lot into different artists and distinguish whether or not I like them if I can feel them. If I can’t feel the music a certain way then I don’t pay too much attention to them.
NLM: Would you compare your sound to these musical influences?
RF: I don’t think I can compare my sound to anybody at this moment. I made sure that I couldn’t. In high school I was compared to people like Jay Electronica, Andre 3K, Common, J. Cole, etc… But now that I’ve grown, I told myself that I can’t try to sound like anybody else. So that’s why I choose totally different production than what you normally hear, I do different things on a track, etc….
NLM: So how would you describe your music to someone who has never heard your tracks?
RF: I really don’t know (laughs). I’ve been in situations where people would ask me who I would compare myself to and I would just tell them no one. Then I would play a track and let them decide. By the time they’re finished, they wouldn’t know either (laughs). But if anybody finds out, please let me know!
NLM: If you were to collaborate with a chart-topping artist of today, who would it be?
RF: That’s a tough one. Ummmm….I think I probably would want to collab with Ross. We from the same city so I think we would be able to relate on certain things that go on throughout the city and put together a real soulful joint.
NLM: What are your plans for 2014 and beyond? Do you have any upcoming gigs? Please spill!
RF: Right now I’m just focusing on continuing to promote S.O.U.L. Bonz and I are currently working with my manager with the set-up of the Numb The Pain for Your S.O.U.L. tour for the fall. We started the summer locally. So by the fall we should be all over Florida and probably hit Georgia and the tri-state area.
NLM: When can we expect another project from you?
RF: I don’t know. That’s a good question. I am in discussion with my homie Sway (producer of Turnt Up) about making a joint mixtape but I don’t know what’s going to come out of that. So we’re going to talk more and see.
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