We were lucky to catch up with Kenechi Ubani recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kenechi , thanks for joining us today. Everyone has crazy stuff happen to them, but often small business owners and creatives, artists and others who are doing something off the beaten path are often hit with things (positive or negative) that are so out there, so unpredictable and unexpected. Can you share a crazy story from your journey?

A tragedy had taken place. A mother had lost her only son to street violence. The late youth was an artist, that was working on a project before his untimely death. Her mother wanted to honor her son by getting his posthumous project completed, and thought I was the perfect person due to my positive reputation.

We began the project but due to her time conflicts she was facing a 24 hr deadline. She needed to contact me, but I was in a week long session with a label and unreachable. Through frustration and grief, she took a bat to my Mercedes shattering the window and sending goons to settle it on her behalf. It turns out, said goons respected me too much to act on negativity towards me. Upon finding this out, I settled the situation and made sure the project would be released on time.

The following week after dealing with my losses, I was selected to work on Usher’s record titled “Glu”. It was an exciting experience working alongside legends such as Usher, Lil Jon and Sean Garrett. The record would go on to reach #4 on Billboard. In entrepreneurship, one week can present you with a low, while the next week can present you with a high. The idea is to take both highs and lows with a level head and continue onwards towards your overall purpose.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Kenechi Ubani, I’m an Audio Engineer and record producer. I’ve worked some of the world’s top talent in music and entertainment. The essence of my role is typically to capture the moment and raw emotion of the artist and help sculpt or inspire the art. Professionally, the terms are referred to as recording, editing, mixing, mastering and producing. Inspired artists typically write and record the music or art, I then polish it, add creative effects, concepts, and or create the music for the art. This process transforms the raw ideas into the music and art we all know and love.

I’ve been in the industry professionally for about 8 years. I’ve always had a love for music and technology, so I find it very natural for me to end up in this role because it’s where tech and music converge. I started out experimenting with audio equipment and music software when I was a child, and picked it back up while in college. As my interest grew, I began to take music technology courses. I eventually scored an internship and Floyd Mayweather’s studio in Las Vegas at the time. There, I would meet one of my greatest mentors Cory Harris, and pick up techniques that would be pivotal to my music career. The rest is history as they say.

My philosophy encapsulates the idea that no matter what your dream, goals, or vision is; you should always go for it. I coined the phrase “Don’t Sleep On You Dreams” as a way to express that, and I use it heavily in translating my brand to people. I think that it carries with it, the idea to conduct yourself in whatever discipline you are in, to the best of your abilities. I believe that is one of the attributes that set me aside from others in the same industry. I take on every project with the motivation to handle it with the best of my abilities, taste, and vision.

I often find myself expressing my gratitude for having been able to operate successfully for so many years. However, what I’m most proud of is the resume that I have built, and continue to build. I’ve worked with the likes of Usher, Key Glock, Gucci Mane, Young Thug & YSL, and the list goes on. Even so, I still feel like I’m just getting started.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being a creative is at times, the feeling of self actualization. Often times we imagine an idea, that we feel strongly about, but internally feel as though it will be an uphill battle. Sometimes, we even face external adversity, and feel as if we’re attempting an impossible mission. However, the perseverance we have pays off when we achieve. There is no feeling quite like fulfilling a purpose and arriving at that point through trials we have overcome more often than not, by ourselves.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Coming out of college, I began to build my business. However, I needed to supplement my income, as it was not enough for me to live on, so I had to work. I was overworked and underpaid like so many others in the world are. Even so, I had a belief in the back of my mind, that someday; all the hard work would pay off. Eventually, I faced unfair adversity at work and it did not work out. While I was vexed about this life change, I put all my energy and effort into growing my business, and actually outperformed my previous position. I was forced to pivot into my natural role, and I never looked back.

Contact Info:

• Website: Nechisound.com
• Instagram: @Nechinoir
• Facebook: Nechi Noir
• Linkedin: Kenechi Ubani
• Twitter: @Kenechiseville
• Other: TikTok: Nechi Noir