We were lucky to catch up with Justin Fisher recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Justin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Eminem has always been my favorite rapper of all time, as he not only pushed racial and cultural barriers and helped propel hip-hop further into the mainstream, but has always considered himself a student of the game. I’ve taken on his approach of studying the artistic patterns of the greats that I looked up to over the years.
I started rapping consistently in 2002 and, after a hiatus from 2017-2020, came back with a bang and reinvented myself during COVID. Part of this included studying the delivery, cadence, rhyming patterns and work ethic of other artists to form my own style. This has involved not only studying emcees from my childhood like Eminem, Nas, Jay-Z, Big L, Big Pun, Tech N9ne, Slug from Atmosphere, but paying attention to recent trends as well. In a recent examples, I’ve followed the late Nipsey Hussle’s penchant for including multi-syllabic rhyme patterns in slower delivery with smaller word choice. Another recent choice was to emulate the flow pattern Drake and J. Cole used on “First Person Shooter” with my own content.
This approach has led me to consistently challenge myself as an artist, and always work to get better and better. At age 37, I still operate with the mentality that I haven’t fully reached my stride yet, as it keeps me from being complacent as an artist. This especially holds true as I finally took up making beats in the past 6-7 months.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I first got into hip-hop at age 12 and wrote my first raps at 13, inspired by Eminem. The first real rhyme I wrote was a reaction to being one of few people not invited to a birthday party of a popular classmate, in which I dissed the popular kids in class. This interest snowballed at age 15 when I got around a handful of high-school peers that started rapping as well, freestyling in the halls of our school.
Fast forward 24 years later, I provide both my own music and beats/instrumentals for other artists under the name “SAV.,” an acronym for “Strength And Victory” and also meaning Savant. What sets me apart is matching lyrical wit and dexterity with relatable content, and being able to successfully strike the balance between vocal content and top-tier ambient production.
I am the most proud of my upcoming album, “I Won,” set to hit all digital streaming platforms in May 2024. All of my projects leading up to this one were helping me process life, be vulnerable, find myself and “grow up” over music. This album is my most triumphant, fun and consistent yet, and it also happens to be my first entirely self-produced effort. I make all the beats, do all my own recording/mixing, and will have no guest features on this effort. I am beyond ecstatic for the world to hear this effort!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The tangible results. Having something to listen to which I built myself, from the ground up, which conveys exactly what was happening in my own mind. Additionally, I’ve created a legacy that I can be remembered by after I pass on, and there is music that could be remembered by my loved ones and supporters for, potentially, centuries. My father was a musician as well and, after he passed away, it gave me comfort and peace to hear some of his archived recordings from the 1990s.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I was born severely Autistic as a child and, at age 5, overcame the majority of my symptoms through a process called Auditory Integration Training, Furthermore, I overcame alcoholism and addiction and have been proudly, completely sober since October 7, 2012. For a child that wasn’t supposed to speak, and who overcame the trauma of the stigma of a learning disability, I’m now married with a daughter, a full-time project manager for a Fortune 500 corporation, a full-time Master’s student who balances a music, production and recording career!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamsavofficial/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SAVMusic444
- Other: beatstars.com/sav444 https://open.spotify.com/artist/1H85Ic61qXJ3S7xzZltHWr https://soundcloud.com/sav444
Image Credits
Noelle Williams Photography