We were lucky to catch up with L-Smooth Mensah recently and have shared our conversation below.

L-Smooth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always been a fan of hip-hop since I can remember. I would say around 2008 was when I realized that I wanted to pursue an artistic and meaningful path in music. In that year I started recording with a co worker in his closet studio. The quality wasn’t the best but it allowed us to express ourselves. We put the songs on cd, handed them out to coworkers and begin to get good honest feedback. After that we got introduced to a pillar in the Oklahoma hip-hop community named Spyda Tha Wise Musician. He was an amazing musician, producer, and artist. Once he showed us his skills, I then knew a path in music was for me.

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

I got into the music industry over 10 years ago by creating my own independent record label with a friend. Overtime, I’ve been able to provide entertainment for several type of events which include birthday parties, weddings, schools, etc. I also make jingles for businesses that helps spread awareness. What sets me apart from others is my drive, passion and work ethic. Sometimes easy to start something but it’s easy to quit. I never quit. I’m most proud of the memorable moments that I’ve created during performances. It’s rewarding when a person tells you about a moment in time that I created that made them resonated with them or inspired them. My brand is about positivity and good energy. Those 2 things can get you places that money can’t.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building an audience on social media isn’t easy. I believe what helped me was the fact that I started building outside of social media first. Being active in the community. Going to and being seen at different events. Supporting other artists. Getting outside and selling my products in person. Those things translated and carried over to social media. Consistently releasing music and consistently posting content. I think the key is being active off of social media helps to get an audience on social.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I believe there are more independent artists than there are mainstream artists. Society has to know the difference and needs to be aware of what’s helps financially to support. Not that mainstream doesn’t but independent artist need more help. I believe the consumers are doing a great job by coming to shows & buying merch. Those things help artists continue to invest in themselves more than anything. Streaming the music is good but it only pays a fraction of a penny per stream. Streams aren’t as valuable as society says that it is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://l-smooth405.bandcamp.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsmoothmensah/
• Facebook: Lamar L-Smooth Mensah
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/pXX5hp-CEAI?si=3bdvioHtRo_yp2ra

Image Credits

Zachary Lee Photos