We caught up with the brilliant and insightful TÉ a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, TÉ thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I don’t wish I started sooner because I’ve been making music since I was a teenager, however I do wish I had taken it more seriously sooner and removed all distractions early on. When you’re young you think you know everything already, but the reality was I didn’t have the wherewithal to help me navigate the spaces I was in to capitalize on the opportunities. I also wish that I hadn’t stopped for as long as I did. Sometimes we have experiences that may discourage us, but we have to keep going when you know it’s what you’re called to do. I stopped creating music for about 5 years. Life and adversity hit, but you have to continue the journey despite the obstacles that get thrown your way.

TÉ, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Like many producers, I started experimenting with making beats in my bedroom. I had a Korg N-364 and would sequence music on there, mostly based on feel, I had no technical training. When I got to high school they offered a class called “Composing with Computers & Synthesizers” where they taught us how to make beats in Cakewalk. I was really hooked then! From there I started making beats for my friends who were local artists in Philly. Later on I started managing a couple of them and started doing shows and got on the radio. It was a fun time and a huge learning experience. When I was 20 years old I set out on my own and started interning at major studios in the city. My first internship was at Larry Gold’s “The Studio” and then later I interned with platinum selling producers Dre & Vidal.

I moved around a lot after that, trying to find stability. Ultimately I found my way to Los Angeles. I would love to tell you that everything fell into place once I got to LA, but in reality, it was the start to a whole new journey filled with a lot of hard lessons, but an abundance of growth and wisdom gaining. It took years to find the right people to help me out with my career, but 2021 was the start of me making any real progress.

Prior to that I had placements on TV shows on VH1 and Fox, but in 2021 I had the honor to work with PJ Morton, Jesse Boykins III, Nick Hakim on the soundtrack for HBO’s Insecure. The song is called “What’s The Use” by Josh Levi. From there I started collaborating with some of my favorite artists and creators; Eric Bellinger, Tone Stith, Dr. Blum, Roark Bailey, the list goes on.

My most recent release is a record by Jharrel Jerome called “Coolin”, that I co-wrote. He’s a dope artist newly signed to RCA/Sony. Keep an eye on him. He’s already a successful actor, but he’s going to be huge in music too!

Music is such a powerful force. It has the ability to heal and bring people from all walks of life together. I would love for my music to have that type of impact to where people remember experiences when they hear it. I’m looking forward to the music releasing in the near futue.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

In general, I think the biggest thing that people struggle to understand is the lifestyle. In music, and in most creative professions, this is not a 9-5 for us. Our schedules are unpredictable and can be overwhelming at times or on the flip side, have extreme moments of down time, but even then we are still working.

We work around the clock and/or when we are inspired, and that inspiration can strike at any moment. We don’t clock in at 9am and then get to go home at 5p or 6pm to go eat dinner with the family. That’s a sacrifice we have to make. The journey itself is not easy for us. There are seasons of financial hardship, relationships may suffer, or our time isn’t as freed up as we would like because we may be working on projects that have deadlines or just require a lot of our attention. We need supportive people in our lives that will understand and allow us the freedom to live in our purpose. Not everyone is meant to have “regular job”, people are wired different. For the ones that get it, they’ll be able to indulge in the rewards of that hard work and dedication the creator put in. Our contribution to the world is through the art that we create. It’s so much bigger than us.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The ultimate book is the “Bible”. I read and pray everyday. My relationship with God comes first. God is the one who gave me my gift and I need divine guidance to help me navigate it. It is the foundation for everything I do.

The Alchemist is one of my favorite books about the journey of life and purpose. No matter what you set out to do in the world, the path is not linear. When I was younger I thought it was. If the path were linear, you wouldn’t gain any wisdom. To learn the greatest lessons there has to be adversity, mistakes, & trial and error. That makes the path more like a rollercoaster ride or a maze, which in hindsight is actually more exciting to travel on.

I also read a lot of mindset books to learn different ways of thinking and gain new perspectives. Books like “The Systems Thinker” by Albert Rutherford, “The Law of Success” by Napoleon Hill, “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma, “Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter” by Curtiss Jackson, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, the list goes on.

I also read financial books like “Money Master The Game” by Tony Robbins, which in my opinion is the most important book on how to manage money ever written. “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel. Those books are great because as creatives sometimes we get paid in large lump sums and may not have been taught how to manage money. You should always consult with a financial advisor but those books are great for extending your education on the topic.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @i.am_te

Image Credits
Yachi Cherry is the photographer on the image of me wearing the blue jumpsuit and white tee.