We recently connected with Iismaill and have shared our conversation below.
Iismaill, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
To be completely honest, if somebody had told me 10 years ago that I’d have my music on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, etc, or that I blew up from my TikTok content, I would’ve outright said that they were crazy. The journey has been nothing short of both insane and remarkable. I’ve learned so much about not just the art/business behind it, but a lot about myself as well. As far as the question is concerned, I feel like I’ve always wanted to do something related to creativity. There’s no point in my life that I wasn’t utilizing my creativity to do something or get something done. Over time I had to hone my creativity to fit what I wanted to do, which is how I went from writing short stories to poems to eventually writing lyrics/songs. This also applied to when I became a content creator on TikTok under the name “Hydboii”. It’s been surreal, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hey there! My name’s iismaill (pronounced is-mile), and I’m a 28 year old Indian-American first-generation artist from the Inland Empire, CA, specifically from a city known as “Fontana”. Comin’ from a traditional Hyderabadi background, I’m the first in my family to pursue music. I started writin’ poetry at the ages of 13-14, which eventually evolved into me writin’ full-fledged songs. I was on “SoundCloud” for about 2 1/2 years before makin’ my jump to music streamin’ services such as “Spotify”, “Apple Music”, “Google Play”, etc.
I released my first official project titled “Marzi” in 2019, and since then I’ve released many singles as well.
My second and most recent project titled “Hydboii” was released in 2022, and it’s based off my TikTok persona with the same name. Ultimately, my goal is to break ground within the U.S. and internationally as both an artist and a content creator. I want to represent and be the first Hyderabadi artist to go mainstream globally, whether it be with music, comedy/acting, or both!
I truly believe that my identity, both as an individual and as a creative, is what really sets me apart from others. I often say that I’ve never met anybody who does what I do, while having the same cultural background as me. I like to think that I’ve motivated somebody around the world to take that leap and just go for their goal regardless of whatever they’re scared of, because if even one person has gained confidence while listenin’/watchin’ to what I’ve been doin’, then I feel like my purpose has been fulfilled.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Keepin’ it a hundred, the most rewardin’ aspect of bein’ an artist is havin’ the freedom to be different. When people see you as an artist, they tend to automatically have this idea in their head that you must be wild in all aspects of life, which to a degree is true. But I do know that bein’ a creative has given me an outlet to get whatever is goin’ on inside my head out and in the open, in an amazing way. I try to keep myself as down to the ground as possible, while aimin’ for the stars and the sky. For me, bein’ an artist isn’t just a lifestyle, it’s engrained in my existence.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
I really never got into them, and from what I’ve heard in recent news, they’re all pretty much useless now. I’m sure somethin’ else will come along to replace them in no time though.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/iilltivity
- Facebook: iismaill
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/iilltivity
- Youtube: iilltivity
- TikTok: Hydboii