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

Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I think the first time I knew I wanted to pursue music as a career was back in my sophomore year of high school when I put out a small project under a different name. This was a very difficult time for me as I was taking on a lot of family/financial struggles to keep things together for everyone while juggling school, basketball, and running a clothing brand all at the same time (crazy to think about). I had to grow up fast at an early age to take care of those around me and through that it made me hungry and wanting more. I’ve always been creative, but when I stepped into music in high school and really started to see the positive feedback that the tracks were getting I fell in love with the craft because it was really me pouring my authenticity or experiences of what I’ve been through into something more powerful. It wasn’t just about freestyling with some friends anymore at a lunch table, but it became something I knew I within me that I could build on. Something that felt real.

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?

Under the name UMÉ, I’m an African American artist, songwriter, and creative from New Jersey making what I call “empathetic, mood music” that’s both versatile and relatable from my experiences. Through the music, I want to empower those who feel powerless and encourage everyone to tap into their true self and emotions. I believe that’s the first step to achieving your goals and anything else that you set your mind to. As a songwriter, I’ve been working with my team on placement opportunities and writing for artists in different genres including Pop, R&B, Dance, and Sync (TV/Film space). I do some creative direction for all my visuals/ads I’ve built and think it’s really important, now more than ever, to not only make great music, but create worlds for the sound visually that people can get lost in. Finally, I’m also an A&R creating deals and putting artists on to help them grow.

I got into the music industry at young age just by writing music on a pen and pad, but as I started to evolve in my artist journey I was able to join different communities of producers/artists/writers to grow with and learn from. Being able to establish such a talented network of creatives and say that I’m one of them working towards my goals is something I’m very proud of. I’ve been able to build things from the ground up and knowing that creatives who have made big records, charted on Billboard, or are grammy-nominated are here to support my journey shows that I can succeed in this space while still being myself.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I went through a period last year where life was throwing so much at me and I didn’t have the energy to work creatively anymore. I started to question myslef if “I was still good enough?” or “Am i dying because I’m not growing?” and while it was because I care about my craft it was also a poor mental space to be in, especially in this industry. After trying to fight it for some weeks and keep working I realized I needed a new outlook. I had to take a step back to understand progress isn’t linear and that my self-worth shouldn’t be defined by my productivity. I started to journal more instead of writing music, focusing on my meditations, rediscovering my inner child, and just doing things to feel like a person again while under this grey cloud for so long. In the process of this I was inspired by the actions I was taking for my mental health to eventually create the first pieces of what would become “Sonic Therapy,” my latest and strongest project to date. If I had not made a change and taken that step back I wouldn’t have been able to create something so personal or real to me about healing through music and my experiences within it. That project came out in late August and even today people still tell me how certain songs have helped them in what they’re going through which makes me happy to hear. This is what it’s all about.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think the best way to support artists and creatives in this ecosystem people need to rethink how we consume music. With social media and apps like TikTok rewiring our attention spans people have started to view music as clips instead of an art form that progresses to make you feel something. While these social platforms are incredibly helpful to guide people in discovering new creatives, their art, and bringing us together across the globe, it can be harmful when consumers begin to reduce the art to just short-form moments instead of something that’s built to leave an impact and last. If people can start looking at music like art and pay more attention to the messages we can start to dig deeper and discover so much more hidden talent that should be getting more attention instead of just “products” that are meant to entertain for 15/20 seconds.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/justinumee?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabOoiOi-8D5XOGQxSt1_G7qKjE2jTOV9ouyUpJkFMjr3XqSdzFZullm-z0_aem_wWKCekcV8yFU0iifd48zzA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinumee
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Justinumee