Alfred Eugene

Listening to the tracks that he had on Sound Cloud, Alfred Eugene got me with "New Jack City". I definitely dig his flow because it's different. I like how it doesn't have to be so punchy or fast, I like how he just paces himself. It's not about being wordsy, and he delivers that well. His lyrics are cohesive and easy to understand but they also flow together. Often times, I see artist that just try to put bars on top of bars or who try to rap fast just for the sake of it but aren't saying anything, but not with this guy. He creates his own style and sticks with it. I look forward to hearing more of what he has in store.

Learn about his background and what made him fall in love with music. We all have a different path and sometimes how we started isn't how we finish and he has proved just that. Check out his full interview below:

Walk us through your background- Tell us more about you and your music

I’ve always been involved in music since I was a child. My mom was always playing music, she liked a lot of diverse stuff. As I got older I wanted to be more than just a listener so I signed up for the school orchestra around 7th grade. I played the sax. It wasn’t until high school that I really got into production. I started making beats and recording with my cousin Johnathan but we were on some different ish. I never thought I would begin rapping because I liked being behind the boards. It wasn’t until college that I started rapping seriously. It really just started as me writing and recording song to show people how hot my beats could be. At the time no one wanted to rock with my production, they would always come to me on some “make a beat like this person, make a beat like that person”. Ive never been one to follow a wave so since I had all these beats, I decided to make an album. Thats when I realized I was a pretty good lyricist and made the switch from behind the boards.

What inspires you?

Like I said my moms was always playing different types of music by different artists. Not just soul or R&B. She would play stuff like James Taylor and Elton John so I grew up on a lot of different music. I think that's what inspires me sonically but as far as content I’m inspired by life and experiences. Not only mine but the people around me as well.

What are some of the obstacles you've faced and how has it made you better?

Well that's a difficult question for me personally. I have encountered several obstacles but the biggest I think I’ve probably had to overcome was choosing to pursue music over a more sensible career. I really enjoy architecture, I study it in school and I’m actually a junior architect right now in NYC. So the biggest challenge for me is balancing the two dreams. Or course I’m pursing the bigger dream which is music, but I gotta pay them bills and architecture does that right now. Hopefully that changes really soon.

What is your 5 year plan for your music and for yourself?

I really try not to focus so far into the future like that. In my experience you can plan out your whole life and what really happens can look so different. I never thought I would be the one rapping over my own beats. Now I barely make beats. I just try and stay focused and take it one day at a time.

What do you want people to takeaway from your music?

I want people to take whatever they need to take from my music. Music is art and art is subjective, that's the one thing I love about music. There is definitely a message in my music but I leave it up to the listener to interpret it in their own way. In the end I really just want to inspire people and I hope that my music can do so.

Where can people find your music?

Right now they can find my music on soundcloud. My debut album will be dropping on all streaming services in the next couple of months. You can follow me on Instagram for updates on that project and others.

Instagram: @Alfred.Eugene