We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful XL The Scholar . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with XL below.

XL , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I would have to say that my first teacher was my older sister Jelan. She was always singing around the house and ALWAYS part of multiple choirs at once. Watching her made me believe that I could do it as well , despite already being heavily involved in sports. However, I think my biggest teacher was the radio. Growing up in the 90s and 00s I had the opportunity to listen to greats like Ginuwine , Mya , Tank , Usher and the list goes on . These were masters of the craft and you could hear it in every song they made . There’s a reason that people feel the way that they do about 90’s music , its because this generation of entertainers were just that: entertainers. I don’t think that the process could’ve gone any faster because there were lessons I learned along the way that have to be experienced , you can’t just hear them and know. I had to take my time and truly become a student of the music , and that’s the most essential lesson. Always be a student! The moment you think you’ve learned it all is the moment you stop growing , the moment that you’ve reached your peak and I’m FAR from that. I’ve been so blessed to be able to learn from some of the best in terms of vocals , performing , crowd control so much that adds to what you create as a musician . I’m so thankful to people like Bryan Michael Cox , Tank , Ginuwine , Mya and so many more for being not only legends but teachers and people I continuously learn so much from . The only obstacle that can stop you from learning more is deciding you know it all. I’ll forever be a student.

XL , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Music has always been something that I’ve done and been around but hadn’t particularly taken seriously. I grew up in a number of choirs as well rapping with my friends but all that came second to football. In college I would always get to rapping with my friends before we went out , it was kind of a ritual . After getting cut from the NFL , those same friends began to find success in the music industry . They told me to at least try to get in the studio. The day I recorded my first song , the legendary Big Krit was there and I knew it was a sign. This is what I was supposed to be doing ! I think what sets my music apart is the fact that its so genuine . So many people feel as though they have to create these hyper masculine personas when it comes to music which is cool but we lose something when that’s all that is presented . We lose a degree of realism , especially when dealing with romantic or intimate situations. That’s where my music lives , in the intersection of intimacy , authenticity, and real emotion. I think my fans can feel that and truly appreciate that . On thing that I’m most proud of recently is having the LEGENDARY Kandi Burruss say she loves my music. Like What?! It’s still wild for me to even fathom , but I had the opportunity to sing on her show “Kandi and The Gang” and she tweeted about how much she loved my song “God Showed Out”. For someone like her who has so many hits in her 20 plus years in the music industry to like my music was really a dream come true. That was validation that I’m truly on the right path.

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

I think that one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is truly connecting with people and having your art resonate with them . I’ve said pretty frequently that my music is like a diary that everyone else gets to read . It’s just that vulnerable, but I wouldn’t have it any other way . That ability to be your authentic self in your music gives it a depth that people can actually feel. The reward comes in when they let you know just how deeply it connected. I had one fan reach out to me to tell me that one of my songs reminded me of her grandmother and the time that they shared before she passed. That was beautiful to me. You can’t put a price on that because my story helped someone to connect with a part of themselves they had forgotten about. It helped them connect with a feeling of joy that I had no way of knowing about. It provided a comfort that I wasn’t even there for. That’s the reward .

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Someone told me that your biggest fans will be complete strangers . That kind of stuck with me because its like “the people that saw you struggle and create this magic from scratch wont be your biggest fans? How is that?” But I ‘ve found it to be somewhat true . I think that there’s this misconception that supporting someone who is coming up is somehow a burden, or going to require you to give more than you’re comfortable with . That isn’t necessarily true . Support comes in so many forms and fashions, and a lot of them cost absolutely nothing . A simple retweet can do wonders , suggesting their work to a friend , playing their music , liking and commenting on posts , etc. All of those are absolutely free and can be huge in the eyes of any creative, not just musicians. As far as XL the Scholar , just do me (and yourself) the favor of giving my music a listen . You won’t regret it .

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sxholarvision/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSGdFaLbbWX-5_1L51d7QQ