We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Devron Barrett . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Devron below.

Alright, Devron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Funny thing is, I’ve been a writer since I could write. I always excelled at writing. Short stories, poetry and the like was were I stood out in elementary school. That was the genesis of my love for it. Not sure “how” I learned but I know I learned fast. After my mom brought me RUN DMC’s ‘Raising Hell” album I knew writing raps was my next endeavor, but it took a few years after to give it a shot.

Not so sure that speeding up the process would’ve been of benefit. I needed all of the time that it took to properly hone my craft.

The skills I found/find most essential are attention to detail & building vocabulary. The details allow you to draw listeners in & helps the words create vivid imagery. Vocabulary gives the work more depth & provides an opportunity to teach while entertaining.

It’s my belief that, barring learning disabilities, the only obstacle impeding one’s education is self. We learn the things we want/need to know based on interest and/or necessity. If it’s that important, you figure it out!

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

My foray into music began with a keyboard & learning to play songs by ear. That would lead me to band, where I learned to read music & play trumpet. Shortly after, I took piano & learned to play properly. This taught me the importance of timing & phrasing. Timing & phrasing are the basis of creating your own “signature” sound. This is the cornerstone of building one’s “musical identity.”

As a writer for others, what I provide are the words that properly convey their feelings, perspective, ideals, etc. in a way that feels authentic to that person. It’s my job to become them & speak in their voice from their view. As a producer, I’m charged with making a song the best of what it could and should be. Pairing this music, with these words, using this melody/pattern, with this voice, etc. As important as these elements are, as an artist, your focus may be solely on performance & not all of the other aspects. However, the songs that I create for myself as an artist may sound nothing like what I do for others. Most times it doesn’t. As an artist, my focus is always on quality & substance. I like to make music that entertains & informs the listener. My goal is to make music for people to live with, not disposable music that is easily forgotten as soon as the song is over. It makes me proud to have a positive impact on someone’s life because of something I said or wrote. A truly humbling experience.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey is powered by my desire to fulfill a promise. I’m part of a Hip Hop collective called the BINKIS RECS crew that was founded in Atlanta, G.a. in the late 90’s. We released two compilation albums, “How Many Lumps 1 & 2″, before I left in 2000 & returned to Baltimore.

The leader of the crew, JAX, was gearing up for a slew of solo releases. On a call one evening I said to him ” for every one you drop, I got one..” His response was “let’s go!” He went on to release 5 projects over the next few years, I managed 1 mixtape which I didn’t release at the time. In 2008, JAX collapsed on stage mid performance. He succumbed to his injuries later that evening. Two other members of the crew, Flux & Killa Kalm, continued the legacy to keep the name alive. When I returned to Atlanta in 2015 I made a pact with myself & my brothers that I would finally fulfill the promise I’d made to JAX, that I’d release a project for every one he did. So today, I am fueled by my desire to make good on my word to my brother and help restore the BINKIS name to prominence.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

This is a great question! I think a huge misconception that non creatives may have is that if they don’t see us actively engaged in our medium that we are not working on it. There are technical aspects but it’s not a technical endeavor. I don’t write lyrics on paper, I compose them in my mind. So, if I say I’m writing a song some may not believe that I am actively engaged in that process. Why? I may be doing something deemed “unrelated” to the process. I could be having a conversation, playing a game, cooking, driving, etc. Seemingly none of these things have anything to do with song writing. But, inspiration lives in all things! Sometimes the inspiration for the next word, line, or concept is rooted in the “unrelated” activities. Believe your creative friends when they tell you they’re working, even when it seems they’re doing everything else except that.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/aos_aostar
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCh7S2SaDjPTi-ewJ4-OvVvA
• Other: https://stepintothefog.bandcamp.com/ http://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1641062049 https://open.spotify.com/album/1WCNi2Cvx2BKdhf7Fkruv4

Image Credits
1st photo: Mike Moore