We were lucky to catch up with Isaac. recently and have shared our conversation below.
Isaac., appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I naturally had an ability to rap, but I didn’t naturally have the ability to stay on beat & flow how I needed to make things sound smooth. I learned the structure of rapping through talking to older & more experienced rappers. I was 13 talking to rappers ranging in ages from 17 to mid 30s to gain different perspectives. If those older rappers were my tutors, my self-assigned homework was writing songs or remixes & freestyling to different beats to craft a unique feeling in what would one day become my sound. Having consistent resources to record with would’ve definitely sped up my learning process. Having more recorded thoughts could’ve increased my musical output & given me more crafted out ideas to develop. I think the most essential skills to learn were songwriting & developing melodies. If you have those skills as an artist, you can get your thoughts out in one way or another that’ll sound & feel good. A large obstacle that stood in my way was myself & my own self doubts. Self doubt is a cancer to the creative mind. God given talent is a true blessing. Another large obstacle is comparison. I truly believe comparison is the thief of joy & that five minutes of comparison can lead to five years of a stagnant life. You were given a skill to use it in your own way, not overthink it & hold it locked away in your mind (to myself & the reader).
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 name is Isaac. & I’m a 23-year-old R&B rapper from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I make music that blends R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop & Jazz. My talent comes from my God in Heaven & I use it to create something that I feel is so much bigger than me. I come from a musical home, so music is something I’ve always done. My dad is from St. Louis, my mom is from Motown & they both can sing so I always heard amazing songs & beautiful harmonies. You pair that with 4 older siblings who have a love for music & you get sounds including Craig David, Earth Wind & Fire, Kid Cudi, Mary Mary, & My Chemical Romance to name a few. I drew Spider-Man & Static or wrote songs daily as a kid. By the time I was 13, I recorded my first verse in a real studio over a beat my brother Malcolm co-produced & my brother Jonah engineered. Months later I did two verses for my brother Tony’s project which led me to my first payment as a featured artist. Being in a studio to getting money from music showed me I started something I never wanted to stop. I dropped music on SoundCloud as a teen & by my 19th birthday I felt I was stepping into the rap game. I dropped a pack on streaming platforms & that lead to me getting paid from my own music. Making $1 off my music made me a professional rapper in my eyes. Things that set me apart from others include my love for God & my love for my girlfriend. My relationship with God has led me to grow as an artist & take my music places I didn’t see it going. I removed vulgar topics that weren’t glorifying God or portraying me correctly. I’m a nephew & an uncle who found himself having bars I didn’t want my aunties or nieces saying. My girlfriend of 9 years Amaya Gray has been my muse & my manager for years. She reminds me of my potential & inspires me daily. It’s easy to write love songs with her in my life. She proves real love makes R&B better. I’m most proud of my ability to express my feelings without sacrificing who I am or feeling a need to fit in. I want readers to know that they’re all loved & created with a unique purpose. It’s never too late to become who you see in your head if you’re walking with God. On my 24th birthday, December 13th, I’ll be dropping a 3 song EP titled Before I Say Too much.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist to me is seeing people resonate with the art in real time & make it a part of their lives. Knowing my auntie who inspires me has my songs in her playlist inspires me. Seeing my girlfriend’s mom vibe to my music in her free time inspires me. Seeing my Godson smile when he hears me rap inspires me. I think back to all the big moments in my life & how there’s songs I associate with those times. The thought that my music could be the soundtrack to a moment in someone’s life is a blessing to me.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think non-creatives may struggle to understand the confidence I have in my life path regardless of how things look. Between knowing that this is the path God has made for me & what I feel inside, no one’s words could ever make me second guess my journey as an artist. When you have a creative mind that constantly sees your art & the future it could bring you, it’s easy to come off as delusional to others because not everyone will understand what’s in your head & you may not always know how to verbally express it. If you have a creative in your life, offer them support. Ask them questions about their journey & pray for them. Offer them resources if you can. If you know a painter, you don’t have to buy them a studio, but a few fresh brushes could really be meaningful to them. I still think about the giant sketchbook my cousin got me when I was a kid. You never know what can leave a positive impact & give them that push to create a masterpiece.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linkbio.co/5073000KZ4J3V?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYqSFwh3r_BfNSiolYrfcUJNw8nrZ0mRcg3fsPkteLGxdrqiX3HBiVUzLE_aem_xQZ2Ar7C3XkJzdg1uzycPg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaacsmind/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Isaac.
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/isaac199x?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=99E7EE2D52474AF78755B92E88AA7395&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Image Credits
Amaya Gray
Lauren Thompson Pumphrey