We were lucky to catch up with Zac Clejan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zac, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

Not everyone is going to see your vision. I’ve had my art called a ‘gimmick’ multiple times by ‘gatekeepers’ in this industry (mostly by ppl in older generations) and i’ve had to make a conscious choice to keep going in spite of them. Especially if you’re doing something different, which in my opinion you should consistently strive for as a creative, people are going to judge – different is scary to a lot of people. Change is scary.

Embrace the change. Embrace being different. If people are not understanding or mischaracterizing your vision, take it as a sign you might be onto something. Rick Rubin says to create art for yourself, and the right audience will find it.

Create your art for you. As long as you understand it, you can clearly characterize it and see the vision, thats the most important thing. Pursue it. The rest will fall into place eventually.

Zac, 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?

My name is Zac Clejan, and i’m known professionally as ‘Clejan’. I’m an an American rapper, singer, songwriter and classically trained violinist. Starting the violin at just three years old, but drawn to his hometown of Atlanta’s Hip Hop scene, I shied away from the instrument in high school to release pure rap music under my last name.

Originally finding little success as an artist, I attended The University of Georgia to earn a dual degree in marketing and international business, which led to me working a desk job in Los Angeles. There, inspired by instrumentalists like Lindsey Stirling, I began releasing music once again – this time emphasizing my violin, rapping & songwriting skills around hard hitting Trap Beats. I dubbed this concept ‘Trap Violin’ and left my 9-5 to re-pursue my dream.

My first EP ‘The Way That I Fiddle’ debuted in July 2020. Shortly thereafter, I found success on the popular video app ‘TikTok’, and have independently released over 50 original songs, performed at entertainment venues across the world and opened up for the likes of Soulja Boy, French Montana, Snoop Dogg & Busta Rhymes. In September 2023 I performed on tour with Lindsey Stirling herself, and I continue to grow my following of over 900,000 across my creator page @thetrapviolinist with new music and content. Listen closely… it will stir your inner fire.

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

Value art more. Embrace and advocate for change that supports artists, such as the shift to Web3, platforms like Bandcamp, and even higher subscription models on streaming services like Spotify (i’ll probably get flak for this because the streaming model doesnt best support artists, but I dont believe its going anywhere, so it should be addressed. Increase budget for art when it comes to events as well.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I think NFT’s are the future. They give power to the artist and the fans in ways never done before. The streaming model is damaged, and there need to be new ways for artists to support themselves with their music. NFT’s and Web3 in general give a chance for that to happen. As more tools come out to support a web3 shift, like the Apple VR headset, more and more people are going to adapt to a digital world (in my opinion).

Being able to own music NFTs in this world and receive all the utilities that can come with it is going to be a valuable experience for both artists and their fans. It would be wise to adopt early in this case. My current and future NFT’s are available on sound.xyz :).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.clejan.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thetrapviolinist
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetrapviolinistt
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clejan/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/clejanmusic
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/clejan
• Other: www.tiktok.com/thetrapviolinist

Image Credits
Heather Koepp, Makenna Maness