Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Larenz Harris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Larenz thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned to be a creator/artist by becoming more confident in my talents day by day. From young, I was always drawn to the arts and crafts, and performing arts as well. From learning ballroom dancing to taking ceramics, I would say I have a diverse palette when it comes to my talent in the arts. The only thing holding me back from starting earlier in terms of perfecting and pursuing a career in the arts lane was both confidence and societal norms. I would sometimes lack the confidence needed to take certain classes or opportunities that I now wish I had taken advantage of no matter what others thought. I was never one to care what people thought about me. However, being that the arts can be a vulnerable place, I did not always feel comfortable being vulnerable around the people my age at the time. To me, most did not understand the arts in a more mature way like I did, which sometimes held me back from fully pursuing my passions. Along with confidence, hard work and dedication are two more skills that are essential for success. I find myself working even when I’m not working because I love what I do. “Work” while not working can be seen as hard work and I would agree because every experience adds just that to your arsenal. Dedication also plays a part in this because of the time put into the craft. I find myself often waking up dancing and/or singing first thing out of the bed. I do not know what I would do if I could not wake up and immediately express myself artistically.

Larenz, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Larenz Shakur Harris and I am an actor, singer-songwriter, photographer, model, etc. I love to create art in all its forms and appreciate it as well. I was born in Harlem, New York, went to high school in Amherst, Mass, graduated from The University of Tampa in Florida (with my BFA in theatre arts with a minor in film and media arts), and now reside in Raleigh, North Carolina. My whole life so far I have been drawn to the arts as a whole, and found myself exploring its many avenues. In New York I practiced many styles of dance including ballroom dancing, and modern hip-hop, along with also joining clubs that were catered to the arts. One was for learning to make scripts and direct short films which I really enjoyed and showed me that creation is in me and something I love. From there, in high school I focused more on acting as I auditioned for almost every play and musical that I could. This helped me become more diverse in my acting style and add material under my belt that I can later on use for auditions in real life. It also helped me discover my talent with singing and later on songwriting. By the time I got to college, I was a lot more confident in my singing, but focused more on my major which was theatre arts. I once again went through auditions and each one, whether picked for a role or not, gave me more experience as an actor and really helped to shape my craft. I also focused on photography and videography as it was my minor, and that helped me get in touch with the other side of acting and performing. Here I found my love for making videos, which led to music videos for my songs. My senior project was a short film that included three music videos with original music by me. Once I completed this project, it made me realize that singing, acting, making videos, etc. is all I want to do with my life. So from there I started to dedicate more time to my craft and getting my name out there. I came up with a stage name, Shakur Sounds, and started writing songs and eventually releasing them. For me its not so much about the fame. I want to connect with people through all the different avenues of art. I want to freely express myself and inspire others to do the same. My music is authentic either to me, people that listen to it, or both. It provokes feelings and shows expression in the rarest form which is what I also try to convey in my videos and photography. I would say I’m most proud of my first single “Gamble” that I released on streaming services. This was a big step for me as I was previously only using SoundCloud to release music. I also worked really hard on the song and was very nervous to release it. However, I knew once I got over the fear of releasing a song one time, it’ll get a little easier each time after.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I would say my main goal for creative freedom and stability drives me to create. Its sad to say but the world runs on money. I wish I could just wake up and only do what I love without having to worry about all the bills I have to pay. So stability in a financial sense to the degree where I would not have to worry about bills. When my craft has reached a point where it pays the bills and then some, I’ll have the creative freedom that I strive for. All my focus would be on my craft, and family of course. I would not have to work a job that might not necessarily line up with my career but pays the bills. Instead, I would be making new goals solely having to do with my craft, and not its monetary value.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is having people connect with you through your craft. I am confident in my skills, but who doesn’t like to hear that they did a great job? Sometimes I find myself being too humble or hard on myself to the point I don’t give myself the space and time to accept the positive compliments and comments on my craft. It comes from different points of views. Someone might say they loved my lyrics, and someone else might say they loved my melody. Someone might even compare me to an artist high up in the industry, which for me is always flattering but pushes me to work harder to actually be up there with them. These compliments are rewarding, but its not just the simple fact of a compliment. It’s the meaning behind it. My craft has spoken to someone in some way and it made them feel. Whether someone wants to comment on it or not, the effect is still there and sometimes still felt, which in itself is rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/shakursounds
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/shakur.sounds?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC4DDBIJ53tezq74xpK7dORg

Image Credits
Heaven Golden Luis Olivero Larenz Harris