Part of being an artist today is being open with your life. Create music that opens your soul and allow the listeners to connect with what they connect with. When you are free, you will find your audience. Our recent discovery Vincent knows this all too well.
We had the chance to chat with the rising star about his innovative sound and how he allows the music to speak for itself.
With all the creative monikers in hip-hop nowadays, what prompted the decision to stick with Vincent?
Honestly, the moniker has been the hardest thing for me. I’ve gone through a slew of them trying to find the one that seems to encompass who I am musically and none of them seem to stick… everything from juice relating to a quick style that use to be my staple to midget man that started from a joke about my height. I’ve tried to appear more urban due to the fact that I went to a pretty suburban high school and I spent a lot of time reading and doing drama club, French club, playing d&d and working instead of idk cool guy stuff.
And through it all the changes in life and the music the one name that I kept getting called was the one that my father gave me that me and my mother both hated. Vincent.
When my manger asked me and it was time to release the songs I had been working on for my first-ish solo project what would be my moniker I told her “Idgaf, pick something… the name doesn’t really matter anyway right. If the powers that be don’t like it I’m going have to change it.”
She said ok Vincent… using my full government which she rarely used and Rob, the other guy in the studio with me at the time said why no go with that soooo. Vincent.
Since then I’m actually proud of the name, it show a lot of history. My history, my family’s history. It will be regardless of where the music goes so Why not carry it.
What drives you to create music
As generic as this statement sounds I want to say my music is driven by what’s real to me. I’m a creative person that likes to go to the studio. I have one in my living room, not tucked off in some corner to but taking up half of the space in my living room.
And I want to express that, I want to tell the adventures of a guy who works, has responsibilities attempts to abide by the law and still goes in like a crack addict on music.
I use it as everything my counselor when I need to talk, my punching bag when I’m angry, a way to piss off my neighbors when they piss me off, a vehicle to express my feeling to women who are interested or not, a way to cheer up friends or myself.
How would you describe your sound?
Of all the questions in the world I hate this one the most, not because it isn’t important or I don’t know but it’s hard for me to verbalize so here is attempt 5000 <>
My sound is freedom… Its genre blending from the music that makes up the album of my life, it’s experiments into the unknown, it’s me attempting to be as true to myself as I know how considering the limitations society and the world places on who and what we are supposed to be.
I attempt to capture the moment, in whatever way I feel that moment should be captured whatever quirky Vincent way of seeing things have to offer, then I listen back to see if I feel like I take myself there.
I’m trying to offer a part of myself on everything and as easy as that sounds it’s hard, offering your view
to a group that you fear may not agree or see it your way… It’s like presenting a audible paper of why
coolin’ or changing who you are (switch the vibe) is a good idea for the moment…. why you should go to party that you know you’ll be the outcast in (better) or acknowledging that you struggle trying to decide if the pursuit of money or a happy relationship is more important to you (chicks n checks).
Its about the decisions you are forced to make… or avoid making.
Which artists have had the biggest influence on you?
Is too many to count a fair answer? Honestly Idk… I’ll focus on the big ones and I’d say, Childish Gambinio and XXXTention are big cuz they did/do seems like whatever they want to creatively and people love it.
Kanye because he is just adventurous… I don’t know him personally but sometimes I feel that he holds back a little…. Oh but I love the way he vibes to his own music like nothing exist but his music.
Definitely Kendrick… He is wild, his story telling and word play, song structure….
Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Sherryl Crow and the Zac Brown Brand…. Hell a lot of country. I know they are completely artist but again its the story telling and how he will hop from subjects like being a kid not wanting his father to taking a girl with him on a fishing trip to risking his life to saving the same girl from a mugger in the same song. How Blake Sheldon could make a song about a dog with the moral of the song being “love got me in here and love got me out” (ole red).
Uh N.E.R.D, old maroon 5, lil tecca, Terra Whack, friends like General Heat, Crazyogi Neno… did I say too many? Andre Segoiva
Idk I feel like every work of art has something to offer, I try to find what it overs me and bring it out where it feels like it belongs. Honestly if you give me a piece of music I’ll give it a listen, probably multiple times and if something speaks to me in it I’ll add it to my iTunes right away.
How does a song come together for you? What is your songwriting process?
Well I song write, engineer and produce a decent amount of my own stuff… not saying I don’t work with others for all of that but the base of the song normally starts from something I am going through or have be going through, or a little melody that popped in my head.
I’ll record rough vocals wherever I’m at on my phone or in the studio if I’m there and I normally come up with some cadence for drums.
After that I just experiment with how I want to tell the story.
What do you hope the listener takes away from a song by Vincent?
You are cool. When I was growing up, like most people I think, I spent a lot of time trying to make myself fit into a box, that was predetermined by society and to the group around me that meant abandoning or hiding parts of myself.
With every step towards being accepted I felt less like me and more like I guess a robot would be the best discription; but not the rosie from the jetsons robot but one from Detroit: Become Human- or the show Being Human. Where it seems revealing yourself with just turn majority of society away from you.
And I hope that as people listen to the music they become more comfortable expressing who they are… What they go through regardless of where they come from. Because although having a gun pointed to you head may feel like the end of the word, for some so does failing a finial exam or getting fired from a job or crashing a car or filing for bankruptcy and there a little to no songs that people can play when they go through those emotions so… are you saying that those moment don’t deserve a little theme music to let them know someone else survived it and came out ok… at least okay enough to make a song about it.
Share some advice for other artists creating original music?
ok so 3 main things that hindered me
1. Everyone who says they want to do music isn’t worth your time and effort; if they aren’t putting in the same work then don’t over exert yourself to help lift them up with you. “You can’t feed a hungry person if you can’t feed yourself” <<< success isn’t the food… think on it.
2. Being yourself may not make u popular quicker, but you will enjoy “the climb” more… and remember it “Ain’t about how fast I get there, Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side”
3. Don’t be impulsive but also don’t take to long to make a decision. You miss opportunities if you take you long and get rejected from opportunities if you don’t ensure you’ve thought out and at least considered what the opportunity entails.
I’m lying there is a lot more I talk about in my podcast “the indie adventures of an artist”… it’s kinda my lessons learned podcast. Shameless plug listen HERE
What does the future hold for Vincent?
I’m hoping that it holds more amazing music, people digging or at least relating who I am… I have a comic series I want really get jumping but also turn into an anime-ish.
I’m an official EP of sorts, I have the topic and a few songs ready for it, but Idk if I want to make albums in the traditional sense if the songs all favor the same moment or emotion then that will be the collection if not I’m going to try to release it alone. That’s the goal anyway…. Plus I love getting creative with cover art so I want to do a lot of that with the music as well.
Keep up with Vincent on INSTAGRAM.
