We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sean Iz316 Gates . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sean Iz316 below.
Sean Iz316 , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I first knew that I wanted to be a rapper when I seen the impact that rapper’s had on pop culture. To me it was beautiful that they were able to articulate their thoughts on some of the most taboo topics of society in such an elegant way.
Sean Iz316 , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My first musical experiences were in the youth church choir. However I I learned very early that I wasn’t going to be the next luther vandross. Hip hop was very influential my youth with artist like Dr. Dre snoop dogg and tupac. By happen stance I was able to meet several influential artist and was able to play music for them. Each time I got good feedback which gave me incredibl encouragement to keep going. I released my first solo album and through a huge album release party. I spent all of my promotion budget on this party hoping to make some money back. I invited local artist and media. I even paid the radio station to broadcast live from the event. However it was not a success and I lost a lot of money. The week following the album release party, I read an article in the XXL magazine about a classic Hip-Hop label in New York having a relaunch. I decided to submit some music to them. I did some research and found a phone number. When I called me and the guy who answered had a great conversation and instantly connected. That guy happened to be legendary music producer/artist Warren Schatz. After meeting with Warren I decided to visit NYC to do a showcase. At the showcase in New York that was hosted at Sean “P-diddy combs studio, I connected with my now manager and friend June Balloon formerly of Bad Boy and Cash Money records. June’s industry knowledge and connections gave my career a huge boost and my last album ” Melanin Sons” was a huge success gaining over 700k streams and the radio friendly hit “Top down”. Then success of “Melanin Son” help me spread my brand on a national and international level. In addition to creating a huge demand for my next project that is untitled as of yet but near completion of production.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
First of all my hometown is not known for hip hop and doesn’t have a well developed music scene generally speaking. This created a lot of barriers to connecting with certified industry professionals. I had to travel to places like LA and New York to basically cold call people in order to make meaningful connections. That costs a lot of money and is risky for a already starving artist. In addition to the previous mentioned barriers, my style of hip hop is not the predominant style of hip hop in my city or region. Inspite of those things I learned to find my target audience and have thrived and became a trailblazer for similar artists that have come on the scene after me. I try to mentor them where I can and share my industry connections.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My main mission is to share a uplifting message in general. Not every rapper is a “gangster rapper”. Much of the content of my songs talk about love, spirituality, positive thinking, and mental health. I also touch on many hot button issues like politics and race. However I try to do it in a thought provoking way that challenges the listener to think outside of the box regardless of thier upbringing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iz316.com
- Instagram: @iz_316
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/316IZ?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Twitter: @iz_316
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheIzreal316
- Other: Iz316 https://g.co/kgs/2YvF79
Image Credits
Young markie