The Wiz breaks down his artistry and what's next to come..
We love to discover new music and are so happy we had a chance to interview this artist. We asked The Wiz a few short questions about his artistry and what to expect next. Here's what he had to say..
Every artist has a unique story. Can you tell us a little about yours?
"I'm a millennial born to Haitian immigrants in the heart of Atlanta. Growing up, church and success in school were the most important things in our household. My parents always made sure my siblings and I were always in church and did well in school. I was the typical smart/nerdy/quiet kid in class, but I always had a creative side. As a kid my main passions were playing my Nintendo 64, drawing cartoon and anime characters, and creative writing. During high school, I started to fall in love with hip-hop, which for most of my upbringing I was led to believe was all bad and would pollute my mind. It the exact opposite. All these influences combined lead me to pursue my calling as an artist today."..
Please tell us about your art. What do you do / make / create? How? Why? What’s the message or inspiration, what do you hope people take away from it?
"I am a Christian Hip-Hop artist. My true gift is rapping/writing, but I also have experience with engineering, mixing, mastering and producing, visual design, photo and video editing, all from my at-home studio. I do it because creating is my passion and my outlet, starting with a simple idea and seeing it take shape in the physical world is a true joy for me. I always hope people leave my music (or anything I create for that matter) feeling more inspired and drawn more towards the Gospel no matter if that's an inch closer or a mile closer."..
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work? What's the best way to support you as an artist?
"You can find my work on all major streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music as "The Wiz". People can support me by not only listening to my music and buying my CDs or merch, by sharing it with others, using it as a launching pad for conversations, and using it as a creative backdrop for your own ideas. One example is a friend of mine using one of my songs in her dance video. I love to see things like that, because it encourages me to know that what I create resonates with people."..
When and why did you start playing/making music?
"I actually started writing raps and poetry in my sophomore year in high school. I didn't have access to a studio at that time so I could never record what I wrote, but that was fine with me. My enjoyment back then came from just putting rhymes together. When I finished college and started my professional career, that gave me enough money to finally put together my own home studio. But not necessarily for recording. I was actually set on becoming a producer and making beats. As destiny would have it, my cousin was visiting us at the time and showed me a rap song he made. Once he found out I had a studio, we made a song together for fun, with both of us rapping. Then another. And another. Eventually we released one on Soundcloud and it got great feedback from our family and friends. We even performed at a packed show a couple months later. From that point on I knew rapping was my passion."..
Tell us a little about your faith journey and how you came to give your life to Jesus?
"My faith journey began as a young kid being dragged to church every Sunday, sometimes against my will, haha. But what it instilled in me early on was how important a community is, and that's what my church really gave me. All of my closest friends were met through church or a ministry group. In terms of my personal journey, I was going through a really rough time early in High School, depression, low-self esteem, all of that. Even a bit of suicidal thoughts. But I will always remember the church service I attended one Sunday night around that dark time. There had to be like 5 people in the sanctuary, including me. But God used that night to speak directly to me and let me know that there was a way out of what I was going through and it was through Him. It was like a light bulb went off. I'm not alone. Soon after I gave my life to Christ."..
What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
"Other than being an artist, I work professionally as a Software Developer. I have worked at several companies creating apps, websites, engineering and designing systems. It's challenging but fulfilling at the same time. I have also served as a Youth Ministry Leader in the church. Dealing with youth gave me a lot of perspective on what they are going through and what themes resonate with them."..
What advice would you give up and coming independent artists?
"Have a strong WHY! Why do you want to be an artist? To get famous and live a comfortable lifestyle is cool and all, but is that enough to drive you and to write and record music for several hours a day, put in all the promo work that you'll have to do on your own initially, and bring the discipline needed? I've found that when I focus on my why, it's easier to stay disciplined and do the things required to move forward as an artist."..
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Are you planning on staying independent as an artist? What's the next move?
"The plan is to stay independent. I have a plan to one day own my own Christian entertainment company, which would include a record label among other things. But for now I am enjoying releasing music on my own terms, and having that control over the process. The next move is to finish writing my next album and start releasing new music, God willing very soon!!"..
What can we expect next from you?
"You can expect to hear a few singles from me during the remainder of the year. I am super excited about one of them, and it will tie in to my next album, which I plan to release next year, God willing. So stay tuned!"..
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