Before I ever touched Photoshop or any Adobe program, I used to dabble in making beats a bit. One of the videos I would watch frequently on Youtube for inspo was this one of J. Cole in the studio making the beat for Power Trip. Still one of my favorite videos to this day. Little did I know I would be working with Mr.
@oakshades , one of the guys in that video, just a few years later.
Fast forward to almost a decade later and we’re still going strong. When I first started working with
@bas and
@thefiends back in 2017, I was still a freshman in art school with little sense in work ethic and time management, figuring out how to balance classes, freelance, life, and everything in-between. It was rough, but I made my way through and learned a lot of lessons along the way. Since then, the FIENDS have been like family. I got to learn and sharpen my skills as an artist and art director, working on a range of stuff — flyers, merch, album packaging, etc. I got to see what life could be like outside of just my hometown in Michigan. From my first Cole show in Detroit during the 4 Your Eyez Only tour, to studio sessions in Malibu, to festivals in South Africa, to touring across Europe and the East Coast, to the last two Dreamville Festivals, to now living in NYC — I’ve had the chance to experience a lot and make some lifelong friends along the way. All because of my love for music and making art, and the good ol’ divine universal forces.
In a world where everything is moving so fast and being corrupted by capitalism and the AI overlords, it’s important to slow down, to take a step back and really look at everything you’ve accomplished, no matter how big or small.
I wasn’t planning on posting anything beyond a compilation of work and a short blurb but it’s 3AM deep pensive hours at the time that I started writing this and it made me reflect on the last 10 years of my life and also think about what I want the next 10 to look like as I’m approaching turning 30.
Love to my FIENDS and Dreamville family. I’m beyond grateful for my big bros
@bas and
@oakshades for giving me a shot. Let’s keep making cool shit. #chuggachuggachugga
