Meet AlmightyHeezy — February Issue

By Whitney Richardson

As February comes to a close, its time to introduce our artist for this month to the world. This time around, we focused on who our audience thought deserved the spotlight the most and you guys introduced us to him, AlmightyHeezy. And yes, we definitely agree with your choice.

The Experience: Where are you from?

AlmightyHeezy: I’m Nigerian. I was born in DC but I grew up in the Lanham, Bowie area.

TE: When did you first start rapping?

AH: In 5th grade, I and a friend did a remix to “The Motto” for an MSA Pep Rally and while performing he froze and forgot his verse so I had to take the mic and finish it for him. Even before then I would always be writing verses trying to learn how to rap because we used to have rap groups come to church for events and I thought it was dope. I even first started recording with an iPhone earphone and taped a paper over it for a pop filter in my dad’s office.

With this in mind, AlmightyHeezy’s budding career doesn’t come as a surprise. He’s been around music since day one and has held a drive to become a rapper since he was little. He holds a level of confidence in himself and his music that only someone with a well-set plan could muster. His determination and focus are what led him to where he is now, and he’s not far from breaking the glass ceiling.

TE: How did you come up with the stage name “AlmightHeezy”?

AH: Couple years ago everybody had their squad groups and some were named off real artists. For example, there was a squad called “Guwop” based off Gucci, so I and my friends made our group almighty from chief keef, in the chat everybody’s name was Almighty with their nickname at the end. This girl gave me the nickname Heezy when we met each other in a group chat and found out both our names started with H’s so that’s what we called each other and I stuck with it.

TE: Do you feel your family has influenced your taste in music?

AH: Yeah, in a way. My brother is a producer in California he produced the beat for Nike Boots by Wale and has come up and worked with numerous big-name artist over the years and he’s really one of the people I look up to and he motivates me to do what I do and basically coaches me about the music industry so I don’t make the same mistakes he did as a young producer coming up in the game. I wanna be able to relieve my mom of financial stress so I do this for her because she’s been through so much like losing my father to cancer but she stays strong for all of us so it’s only right that she deserves the best. Even losing my father took a big toll on my life because that was the first close death I experienced, so yeah, everything with my family and my life, in general, has made what my music is today.

TE: When did you start taking your music seriously and knew you wanted to make it a career?

AH: I started taking music seriously around freshman year in high school, a lot of people I started making music with from middle school don’t make music now and I just held on to it and kept pushing getting better by the project song after song.

His solid support system from his family surely gives him an advantage that most up-and-coming artists may not receive. But who Heezy is an individual and an artist is completely organic and molded by himself. He takes his work seriously, and his passion for quality and consistency is all found in his songs. None of them are throwaways and some are even produced by him. The advice from brother over the years seems to be paying off. AlmightyHeezy essentially runs a miniature label for himself: he’s his own manager, producer, and publisher, another aspect of the game that many can relate to. Heezy is the boss regarding his career. He pushes his own music and doesn’t wait for anyone to do it for him. His music is available on iTunes, the big step for any independent artists wanting to turn their musical talent into a lifelong career.

TE: How did you find your sound and style? Your flow is distinct and refreshing, what was the process of finding who you are as an artist?
AH: It took a long process to get the sound I have today. I used to get critiqued for sounding like my bro “BetSheWillz” for a time period because he was another influence on me when I first started using auto-tune but he would just get on me about it. And it got me to the point where I branched out completely to find my sound and style that people can identify with ease when they hear me on a track. Now that I produce I can literally make the song in my head as I create the beat and it’s easy because I know the sound that I want.

TE: A lot of people say that the DMV has a hard time showing each other love when it comes to the rap game. What’s your experience regarding that statement?

AH: It’s true, even till this day I still find it hard to find support from my own friends, and other artists in the area are too stuck up to work together. I also feel like artists that come up from the DMV aren’t doing enough to put people on in the area. There are people that really got talent and are working hard out here but just don’t get the attention they need because the DMV music scene is a clout thing and a lot of people only flock to what they see everybody else listening to. I’m going to change that when I get up if nobody else wants to. I’ll be more focused on bringing people up then actually putting music out after a while, I already got plans for my brothers I make music with and I plan to bring others along with me.

TE: You’ve produced some of your own released music, how did you start producing?

AH: I picked up producing a couple years ago, but never took it as serious as I do now. I lost a close friend last year, December, and it really motivated me to take it seriously, so I made a beat and did a song with him on the cover. After that, I knew I could do it full fledge. Then, I produced the beat for slime and from there I took off.

AlmightyHeezy is a soon-to-be star in his own right. The potential he sees for our area and its sound is inspiring, to say the least. He’s an artist with integrity and a great head on his shoulders. His humility and promise to help the community, in the long run, are admirable. It’s obvious that he truly cares about the love and support he receives from his music and not simply the fame that comes with it. We’ve seen greedy and egotistical artists before, and we all know how they usually turn out. Thankfully, Heezy doesn’t seem to be that type.

TE: What are your top 3 favorite artists, of any genre?

AH: Lil Uzi Vert is my favorite artist right now. Drake is another one, he’s a legend he knows how to keep his name relevant. Quavo got the smoothest voice and can lay any hook flawlessly and is crazy versatile.

TE: Your song “Too Late” takes a different approach musically from the rest of your Numb EP, as an RnB song. Will we see more of this in the future?

AH: My brother actually produced that one. Summer is coming around so the rap side is going to be coming out of me. Numb was an r&b project more so for the female crowd and I dropped it right before it started getting warm outside so it’ll carry on to the next season plus I made some upbeat songs that could be also translated to summer tracks as well. You’ll definitely hear more of that style down the line. Right now I’m sitting on multiple projects just waiting for the right time to drop them.

TE: Where do you want to be with your career in the next 5 years?
AH: In 5 years I want to be established to the point where I can put my friends on and help people who are in the position that I’m in now and give them the platform they need to show people what they really got. I want to be able to buy my mom whatever she wants and let her enjoy the rest of her life, make sure my siblings are good and just take care of all my loved ones.

TE: What message do you want to send out to your listeners?

AH: I got at least 2 projects that I’m dropping before the year ends. Keep believing in me all the way. I got a lot of music on the way, coming sooner than you know so just keep cheering me on and supporting me for better for worse.

We’ll definitely be on the lookout!

The Experience: Any shoutouts or extra comments you’d like me to mention?

AlmightyHeezy: Shoutout to Shifiano, BetSheWillz, Skinny, Lord Mikey, RapKenji, Lean, & Rapsvmm it’s a lot more but this is my music family and we’re gonna make a lot of noise this year so watch out for us!

---

AlmightyHeezy Links

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/almightyheezy/1336794433

Youtube: www.youtube.com/oCZQ00C0DC0

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/heezalmighty

The Experience Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/experiencecoll

Instagram: https://instagram.com/experience_coll

Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC2P-a1yBJYuBa08XlBaGglA

Meet YVE$AIN’TLAURENT — January Issue

By Whitney Richardson

Coming into 2018, we at The Experience wanted to highlight artists and creatives across D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Each month we plan on showcasing local artists with a variety of talents. From music, to clothing, design, sports, entrepreneurship- anything that displays the creative future of the DMV. Searching for the first artist of the year was difficult. After calling out to the community, getting a variety of responses, and several days of looking through portfolios and profiles, we thought of no one better to be our January feature than YVE$AIN’TLAURENT.

A couple weeks ago I got to talk with YVE$, a young, talented artist from Silver Spring, Maryland, over the phone. I got to ask him all of the questions I had after going through his musical arhive. His lyrics are the first thing that stood out to me. YVE$AIN’TLAURENT’s lyricism is definitely above par. His vocabulary is broad and he uses it to his advantage. His capability of switching tempos and evolving his flow along with the fact that he doesn’t use the popular triplet rhythm that’s making its way through today’s rap music. He’s creating his own wave. All of this puts him in the top ranks of up-and-coming artist, without even mentioning the fact that he’s only seventeen. YVE$ shouts out the DMV in his music and collaborates frequently with his equally talented and unique friends. I also noticed his style and the 80’s, 90’s hip hop influences within his production. With all this in mind, I knew our conversation was going to be interesting, to say the least.

YVE$AIN’TLAURENT and I introduced ourselves and we dove into the interview. First, I wanted to know the origin of the artist. YVE$ described where he was from and gave me insight into his background. He’s a mix of West and Central African. He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and moved to Burtonsville when he was in elementary school. While in Silver Spring, he grew up in 16th Street Summit Hills Apartments with his parents and older brothers. This is where his early musical influences were developed. He notes his brothers listening to Go Go and Rock in his early life, before he really got into hip hop. It wouldn’t be until a few years later, in 2007, that he would start listening to rappers like Lil Wayne and Nas.

From there, YVE$AIN’TLAURENT says his taste for music evolved. In his early high school years he mostly listened to New York and southern hip hop artists. He frequently listened to artists like the Underachievers, Joey Bada$$ as well as DMV artists Fat Trel, Oochie and Young Gleesh. Now, he listen to his favorite Go Go bands, hip hop legends such as Pac and Nas, and a number of DMV artists. His ear for older rap resonates in his music. His freestyle, One Time 4 Ya Mind, and song, Don’t Sleep, display this the best. The flow is cocky but smooth, similar to most 90’s rap music. His delivery is phenomenal and way above his age bracket. YVE$ likes to incorporate sounds from the music he personally likes. He told me, he tends to merge the sound behind the culture, from places such as Houston and Louissiana, into his music. In the outro of his collaborative project with his friends, Yams World 2, that southern vibe is present and makes it an instant hit.

YVE$AIN’TLAURENT went on to tell me about the beginning of his features with his friends. He teamed up with his friends in early 2015 to establish their rap brotherhood called Yams. They are a collective of versatile, driven young artists with a passion for hip hop, and each has their own solo rap career. YVE$ broke down the members of the group to me: CMack, Dazz , Hughe$, Lil Kenny and his brother 1Z Ka$hh. They have one mixtape named after their brotherhood, Yams World 2, out now. Their friends created No Limit, which the group wears and represents heavily. Brothers Bobby, Isaiah and Jafari, from NoLimit (a crew heavily associated with Yams), are the masterminds behind the brand NoLimit247 Clothing. Each artist has their own style and brings something refreshing to the table and they all benefit from each collaboration the do. The mixtapes are filled with underground hits and the variety of sounds it utilizes are bound to resonate with a listener on at least one track.

To finish the over-the-phone interview, I asked YVE$ about the message he wants to send out via his music. With lyricism as promising as his, he’s capable of packing a message into two and a half minutes of an entertaining and socially conscious song. He says he does keep it in mind. He’s aware of the “mumble rap” title that has been going around over the last couple of years. YVE$ told me that he plans to slip in commentary and knowledge while putting his lifestyle into his music, the good and the bad. He invites his listeners to experience life and grow with him.

Before signing off, YVE$AIN’TLAURENT gave us the exclusive on what he and his group have coming up in the next couple of months. He revealed that he has his own tape Mr Indecisive rolling out, along with visuals and the second installment to the Yams World mixtapes with his brotherhood. At seventeen, and college in the near future, YVE$ is putting everything he has into his music. His versatility and awareness of the game make him a strong competitor for who’s truly up next from the DMV.

Links

• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mbkyves/tracks
• One Time 4 Ya Mind: https://soundcloud.com/mbkyves/one-time-4-ya-mind-freestyle
• Don’t Sleep: https://soundcloud.com/mbkyves/dont-sleep-prod-by-max-freetown
• Outro: https://soundcloud.com/mbkyves/outroSpinrilla: https://www.spinrilla.com/YVESAINTLAURENT
• Twitter: @Illmaticyves
• Yams Members:

@FoolAssCmack_
@DazzTheGoon
@YeahhLang
@CaptainIz_
@dopetawfik
@Strip4Kenny
@NoLimit247

The Experience X Tyler the Producer & Dreamstate

Meet QUEZCUSTOMZ

By Whitney Richardson


TE: When did you start designing your own shoes?

QC: In July 2015. I saw another artist doing his thing on Twitter and he inspired me to try, then I fell in love with it.

This is the beginning of QuezCustomz. You’ve probably seen his work on twitter. His pinned tweet, posted in mid July of this year, features several of his custom shoe designs. It currently has over twenty thousand retweets. At this point, his talent and popularity is undeniable. I was able to talk to him about his work, where his ideas stem from and what he has planned for his future in fashion and customization.

TE: Who are your fashion inspirations?

QC: I don’t really have any tbh. I go by what I think goes.

His shoes are definitely unique. He starts off with a fresh pair of shoes, whether they are Nike, Adidas, New Balance etc. Then, he adds his own touch to it. Quez creates his own color ways and designs. A few of his shoes even feature floral embroidery and his own unique take on what a high street wear brands collaboration should look like. One of his most popular custom shoes are Yeezy Boost 350s with a Louis Vuitton x Supreme design.

TE: Favorite shoe brand and why?

QC: I never really thought about it before, but if I had to choose, I’d say Nike because they have the best selection in my opinion.

TE: What would you like to see change in the shoe industry?

QC: I would like to be the one to start the change I want to see in the industry. People should be able to have their sneakers look unique and be unique just like them. That’s what I want to create, freedom of expression in sneaker fashion and fashion in general.

Quez puts his money where his mouth is. Scrolling through his social media, one can find a variety of custom made shoes. Each color way and design is unique and different from the next. The shoes he uses fit different styles and needs. Whether one is a shoe head or not, he or she will be able to find a shoe perfect for that specific fashion sense. His passion doesn’t stop there. Quez is on a mission to change the fashion industry through his passion for quality and distinct style.

TE: Tips for anyone who wants to start customizing their own shoes?

QC: Do research. Educate yourself as much as possible. Consistency is key. Try and try and try over and over again. Never give up and remember to be original. You can admire someone’s work but never copy it.

His confidence in his work and future is remarkable for any eighteen year old. While his shoes speaks for himself, his grind behind the scenes is nothing to overlook. He creates each shoe design himself and completes personal orders for anyone who’s looking for a shoe that will fit their personality. Living in the DMV, the variety of styles is endless.

TE: Favorite shoe you’ve customized so far and why?

QC: I don’t have a favorite custom I’ve done so far. I fall in love with every new shoe I do because I see myself getting better and better.

Quez is passionate about each project that he starts. Each pair is hand painted. He doesn’t send them out without ensuring that everything is perfect and goes beyond his client’s expectations. With two years of experience and nearly twenty thousand people looking forward to his next post on twitter alone, his future in the fashion industry is bright.

TE: Do you plan on turning this into your own legitimate business?

QC: Yes. Let’s just say I’ve got huge plans for this. The sky is the limit.

After speaking with Quez, it’s obvious that he is a mogul in the making. He takes his craft seriously, presenting his artistry and creating his own small business while still in his high school years. His platform only continues to grow with each shoe he drops. Although he’s still young, his following is strong and his instincts for business and marketing will launch his customizations to the next level. With skills so mature and advanced for his age, his response to our final question brought him back down to earth.

TE: What do you do to stop and smell the roses?

QC: Go outside and see the world. I really just like to paint in my free time. Ya know, watch some old school cartoons or some anime, chilling, relaxinnn.

🌹🌹🌹

Meet Jonathan Melton of Ransom Clothing

By Whitney Richardson

TE: A trend you hate or wish you would have started?

JM: A trend that I hate is Thrasher being uncool. Thrasher is literally the coolest brand doing it and everyone hates on them heavy for being a poser brand. fuck all of u Thrasher is sick.

If there’s anything I learned from engaging in my interview debut, through DMs but there’s still pride, it’s that Jonathan Melton of Ransom Clothing and a member of the booming youtube channel CUFBOYS knows there’s no reason to stride for the norm. Greatness comes from hard work, trust in the ones you love most and a personality that is no one else’s but your own. I messaged him for fifteen minutes and I already know there’s greatest coming from this young designer and entrepreneur. There’s no reign to a legend if there isn't an introductory.

TE: When did you start designing clothes?

JM: The first time I designed something was when I was a freshman. It was complete shit, but it was my first time dabbling with design.

TE: Who's your fashion inspiration?

JM: I have a massive variety of fashion inspiration. Tyler Grosso, Zac from FTP, Kevin Thatcher, and James Jebbia. but i also have a shitload of unlikely candidates. Kurt Cobain, Johnny Depp, Christofer Drew, Rivers Cuomo, and shoutout to Frankie Serka from Gunk. He's influenced me heavy and Gunk is doing big things... I could go on forever lol.

TE: One person you'd want to wear your clothing?

JM: One person I'd want to wear my clothing, 1000000% could never happen, but Kurt Cobain. if they could somehow find a way for Kurt to wear a Ransom shirt, I could then die happy.

TE: We looked back through your designs, what do you think has influenced these changes? From the hot pink ransom tee to the Ransom x Dickies and Devil button up.

JM: When Cameron, Landon and i first started the brand we kinda just made shit we thought would be cool, ya know. But after 2 drops, the pink logo tee and the Sopranos inspired tee, I just started doing whatever i wanted, and Ransom is just gonna start getting more and more weird :)

It wasn’t hard to tell that Jonathan is a man of many influences and passions. His fusion of Rock and Hip Hop influences melted and molded into Ransom Clothing, bringing his creativity to life. Then trickled into another one of his passions which he and his trendsetting peer and creator of CUFBOYS, Cameron Haller were able to venture out on, standing tall at over two hundred and forty thousand subscribers.

TE: We watched a few CUFBOYS videos, what's behind its creation and what would you like to see the channel become in the next three years?

JM: CUFBOYS IS THE GREATEST CHANNEL ON EARTH. I LOVE CAMERON AND LANDON. Whats behind it’s creation is the genius Cameron Haller. He made something out of nothing and I admire him so much for that. I wanna see him reach a million subs within the next 3 years.

TE: What kind of message do you want to send with the platform you've created?

JM: I want to send the message that you can wear whatever you want whenever you want.

Jonathan sets out to spread positivity and and advocates for expressing yourself and being open to any form of creativity. Music seems to be CUFBOYS' and Jonathan’s form of choice. Artists from XXXTENTACION to Kurt Cobain have been mentioned and featured on their popular Youtube channel, opening themselves and their audience to a variety of lyrical and musical influences. The group’s passions grew into Beitz Fest, a music festival in Southern Maryland featuring a number of local artists of multiple genres and creeds. Ransom Clothing cohosted the event spotlighting some of the budding talent of the area and the growing brand.

TE: With Beitzfest being a success and just recently being featured on No Jumper’s Streetwear Review, what’s next for you and similar forms of creative collaborations?

JM: Not entirely sure what’s next for Ransom as a brand. Always opportunities coming in, and I’m just going with the flow. It’s easier and much more enjoyable that way. Beitzfest was insane. shoutout to Billy and Checkmate. I love you. And being on the streetwear review was one thing, Adam wearing it in his vlog the next day was fucking sick. hahaha.

TE: Top 5 underrated artists from the DMV?

JM: Top 5 Underrated DMV artists:
-Landon Cube
-Savage Hands
-Dreemy LJ
-Joe Stewart

-Christopher Sean

The cup for hot DMV artists is running over with untapped, original talent.

TE: You rep Maryland pretty heavily. What importance do you think supporting the locals has on future creatives?

JM: supporting locals is very important. without supporting local artists, there will be no artistic scene, without an artistic scene, you’re fucked. I also love Maryland for being so boring. If MD wasnt such a boring shithole of a place, I wouldnt be so motivated to make it out.

It’s true, Maryland can be pretty boring nine times out of ten, but that one time that it’s not boring is usually do to people like Jonathan Melton and his trendsetting friends. All great creations have stemmed from need and Maryland has been overdue for quiet some time now. A new wave of rappers, stylists and influencers is nothing short of nurturing for the state. A visionary mindset is definitely necessary to push our area forward and make a mark in the industry. The Experience wants to showcase these visionaries, and we’re happy to have Jonathan as the first of many featured.

I closed off our virtual interview with a question we plan on asking all of our featured artists and influencers. You can probably see it coming.

TE: Finally, what do you do in your day to day life to "stop and smell the roses"?

JM: While stopping and smelling the roses, you can typically find me at band practice, skateboard with Cam and Landon (or doing some other dumb shit with them), and last but not least, hanging out with my beautiful girlfriend. Being with her takes all of my stress and pain away! LOVE U PAYTON :)

You gotta love the youth.