I haven’t spoken much about my move to LA because I’ve been trying to settle into the new lifestyle, meeting all the music heads out here, just getting my stuff together. I’m finally at that point and for the sake of those who’ve emailed me about it, here’s an update.
I moved myself and EMPT out west to become the Creative Director for a company called The Playlist Generation. You may not have heard of us yet but you’ve certainly heard us. Most of the worlds top brands, high end hotels, restaurants and retailers hire us to create unique sonic identities for their brands. So if you walk into an Intermix in Miami and hear something awesome you never thought a store would play or you’re strolling through the Cosmopolitan lobby in Vegas and you hear Theophilus London and Edward Sharpe instead of the typical Rat Pack show tunes, that’s us.
I started EMPT with the sole purpose of bringing light to undervalued styles of music and art and it’s doing pretty well. The Playlist Generation is that concept on crack. Long story short, the dude who brought me out here, Michael Smith, is a guy who pretty much single handily bought good taste to many of our favorite hang outs. I like to surround myself around rebels and to have success by offering something different in a world ruled by the Top 40 hit making machine is as rebellious as it gets. Not to knock Top 40, I love the fact that so many people can enjoy something together but the way some of these acts make music these days it might as well be an algorithm. In fact, I would probably appreciate it more if I knew a robot had made it, then at least I would know it was sincere. Not just that but there’s more to life, expression and art than “hits.” Like many of my role models, Michael offered more when everyone else was simply trying to get away with giving as little as possible…
Apples problem is it still believes the way to grow is serving caviar in a world that seems pretty content with cheese and crackers. – Joseph Graziano
That’s the “problem” anyone who loves and cares about what they do has. The mentally of people like Joseph Graziano is why crap gets made, in the words of Kendrick Lamar –
Naw-uh f$*k dat…”
I grew up an entertainer under one of the most demanding instructors a kid could have. It sounds tough but it was great and it made me have a deep love and appreciation for giving something unique. Life keeps putting me in a positions that allow me to do that on bigger and bigger scales and for that I’m so thankful. Sometimes my ambition and unwillingness to compromise gets in the way of execution but now I feel like I’m finding a balance. No matter what though, my desire for this only matures so there’s no stopping and…
To make you feel what I feel, I’m gon’ try my best And if you real like I’m real, you could provide the rest Everything left out, you could blame it on the brain not the heart, I’m playing my part…” – Memphis Bleek