What is your name and what city do you rep?
Contraband from East of Houston . Some say the North East depending on who you ask.. Moved around a lot but mainly in the east side area is where I spent most of my life
Tell us about your latest releases, what inspired you to create them?
I just released my newest video Featuring T$K called “Moving Major” directed by my shooter Viral Visualss. It’s a great addition to any playlist that you fine motivated .. The video is follow out to my last “1Way 2SWANG” where I give an audio visual of my City of a Houston
What is unique about you and your music?
I talk about my life experiences . mainly to motivate people to either work , r enjoy life r both . I really don’t make a lot of violent music , but if somebody try me I’m not affrraid to defend my self or love ones
What shaped your music?
Being in Houston , where To me the style of rapping and singing at the same time originated. from my city know you have people like that Big Moee , Hawk, and Chamillionaire they were harmonizing as well as Rapping . Of course you have people that like Bone Thugs and Harmony. But as far as a slow down too and being able to flip your vocals and harmonizing was really like the backbone of Houston music.
When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?
I knew all my life I wanted to make music . Ever since my younger days before my brain had a chance to develop to comprehend what I was doing .. I was better than my band mates and more serious than other people I worked with .. Even now .. I have never Ben classically trained in digital audio but have Ben doing it just I was in the 10th grade .. Music came natural effortlessly
What type of music do you listen to?
Mix of all different genres , But I would say that my favorite genre is Doo Woop And I love my favorite artists are Daft Punk. If you’re not familiar with Daft Punk Stop reading this interview and go google them . Of course you know I like other hip-hop artist such as like you don’t like Kanye hip-hop producers Just Blaze also J. Cole . I’m a big fan of artist who produce their own music as well as the reason why I like Roddy rich because he’s a producer as well him and T-Pain. B being a producer myself I’ve been resolved I can relate to them more. Pacifically a producer and Rapper combo they usually have a go the long way around.
What inspires you to write music?
My passion inspires me. I remember growing up people never thought in 1 million years I would be who I am ,where I am ,or look like I look . Even before I was who I was I told people how I’m gonna be when I grow up. They laughed ,so no one every day I’m waking up doing something somebody said I couldn’t do.
What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
I run a record label as well, so whenever I’m not recording and being an artist myself also being a CEO. So really there’s not a lot of off time for me , but for those times I do get off I like playing 2K.. most of the time I don’t get no time, because most of the time I’m either in my own event or somebody else’s.
Happiness to you is…
When you free to do what you love when you love and how you love and still able to make a living. Majority of the time happiness is what you make it there some, they got people with imperfect lives and they’re happy but there are some people with perfectly life that are unhappy . so that shows you that true self happiness don’t come from things ,objects or situations .. comes from you
What do you wish you were told when you first started making music that you think would help artists just starting out?
Make sure make sure you pay the right people because people will act like they are man . Sometimes they’ll charge you extra because they really gotta pay a real person that’s really doing it. Don’t be that guy paying extra to the middleman because he’s connected to somebody else, go straight to the source eliminate as many mid men as you can . eliminate the mini middleman that is what I would’ve told myself.
Tell us about your upcoming projects…
I’m in the studio working on some new music right now for my anniversary edition to the album I was dropped last October. Just released the video for a song on the album “moving major” featuring T$K. Dope Tales the anniversary edition will include 4-5 new songs .. With that will open a new chapter in the Dope Saga , eventually coming out with a documentary which will b a dopumenary.
Where do we find you music / music projects?
But all my music is available everywhere where people are streaming, all my videos are available on my artist page on YouTube.
Any last words for the readers?
Stay committed to your commitments weather is a to a person or career or your self .. search for your own happiness, only you can make a commitment to happiness.
