Independent Artist Bounce Beat Black Talks About The Impact He Is Trying To Make With His Music
Q: What inspired your artist name Bounce Beat Black? And where did you get the name?
A: I started out doing music from being in a GoGo band and the bounce beat is a certain style of GoGo music. When I was in the band my nickname was Black so I put it together as Bounce Beat Black to show appreciation for my original GoGo roots.
Q: Where are you from originally? And where did you grow up?
A: I’m from the DMV area more specifically Landover, Maryland.
Q: How would you describe your sound/style?
A: My sound is very melodic, a mixture of singing and rapping, and I take a lot from my GoGo band days my music uses a lot of chants and hooks that really resembles that GoGo sound. I don’t think it is traditional in current Hip Hop how to write verses the way I do with a mixture of bars and chants.
Q: When did you start doing music? And when did you start taking it seriously?
A: I started doing music in 2007 and I started taking it serious around 2009 but that was more so being in the DMV area when GoGo was big. Being in a GoGo band I was the lead rapper for my own band called Cash Money Band then I joined the biggest bounce beat GoGo band in the area TCB as a keyboard player but while I was in the band I transitioned into doing my own music and I think that is what really set the foundation for my sound, my music, and of course my stage name Bounce Beat Black.
Q: Why music?
A: Pretty much my whole life I’ve been a fan of music, almost to the point that my friends looked at me as a critic when I was younger I had all the cd’s and mixtapes. When I was allowed to actually go out to the logo and experience that live I wanted to be apart of it. So I started my own band and really fell in love with it and learned how to play multiple instruments and took music lessons music really saved me because where I was growing up at in Landover, MD it was really a dark time and just being young and a product of my environment at that time music really took me out of that and put me in a new space and gave me the opportunity to meet so many new people and took me places I probably would have never been.
Q: Who/what inspires your sound/music?
A: GoGo music is my biggest inspiration - TCB band, Backyard Band, TOB, XIB and many more GoGo bands but in mainstream music I would say Speaker Knockers is a huge influence on me musically from him making beats and rapping on them himself along with the auto tune I also put T-Pain in the same category as an huge inspiration but creatively I’m also inspired by Drake and Chris brown.
Q: Who is your motivation and why?
A: My mother is one of my motivations. I want to be able to retire her for good, doing something I love. My future generations is another big motivation I want my future family to have something passed down to them so they can be ahead of the curve in life something I never really had.
Q: What impact are you looking to make with your music? Who do you want to impact?
A: I want to be able to change the culture in the DMV area. This area is really struggling to come together and for the most part, everybody is for themselves. I want to be able to grow large enough to change that by helping and teaching others in the DMV so hopefully I can start a trend of unity and change the stigma in our area.
Q: Are there any life changing stories/incidents that impacted your music career, your decision to do music, your journey, etc?
A: Just going to the GoGo and seeing the reaction from the crowds while performing, that is what made me know I wanted to be an entertainer. Also seeing a lot of my friends get murdered at a young age just made me want to do music and stay out of the way.
Q: How many albums/EPs have you released to date?
A: I haven’t released any albums yet, just only mixtapes and EPs: (EP) A Long Way From The GoGo (2016), (Mixtape) Love Problems (2016), (Mixtape) A Different Side (2017), (Mixtape), Bounce Heem (2018), (Mixtape) Love Problems 2 (2019), (EP) Project Black (2019). I have released 6 projects so far.
Q: What are you currently working on?
A: I’m currently working on my first album that I want to release in 2021.
Q: Do you have a new project that is out now or coming out soon that you are currently promoting?
A: I have 2 singles I’m currently promoting “For You” and “Catastrophe” both are on all DSPs.
Q: Have you collaborated or are you currently collaborating with any special artists, music producers, writers, etc.?
A: I’ve collaborated with Rico Nasty. She is featured on my song “More Money Than You.”
Q: What are some major accomplishments relating to your career?
A: I opened up for PnB Rock at the Fillmore in Silver Spring and performed in Hollywood at the Sayers Club
Q: What is next for you?
A: My debut album that is set to release sometime in 2021.
Q: What message do you want to leave the audience with?
A: My message period I want people to look at me as themselves a lot of my music is me venting about things I go through and I feel like I’m very relatable my music is legit my diary from talking about relationships with friends, family, significant others and just everyday life.
Q: Where can we find you on social media?
A:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/bouncebeatblack/ (@BounceBeatBlack)
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/bouncebeatblackmusic/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnx996UNXMTR9h5lOb8dYog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bouncebeatblack (@BounceBeatBlack)
