Blackout The Rebel on his Upcoming Album and Much More

Today we present another amazing artist that goes by the name Blackout the rebel. He used to be a writer and creative consultant for a music website “Street Khemistry” from 2012-2015, owned a radio show called Darkside Radio, hosted events, curated and organized his own events and is about to unveil his new media company “Forever Black Media” later this month. Blackout the rebel has an album coming out next year “Boy Meets Girl” and he’s writing a book that goes along with the album.

Lisa: You were a radio host, consultant for a music website, musician… so you understand the world of entertainment. How did it all begin for you? And where do you think music industry is going in the future?

Blackout The Rebel: As far as rapping I participated in a program in junior high school called “Enact”. At the end of the program we all had to do a performance to which my friends and I decided to do a rap. I got off that stage with a newfound purpose to pursue this until I can’t any longer.

A writer and creative consultant came about after I was featured on a mixtape. There was a party to commemorate the project to where the DJ who owned the website was there. We kept in touch and when he told me he needed new writers on his team I honestly told him I had no prior experience but he believed in me and gave me a chance. Six months later I was creative consultant and one of his top and most consistent writers.

Being a radio personality came about after I did a show at a venue called “The Spot”. I knew the DJ so I took the train home with him but his friend who ran the event was also with us who I just met that night. He told me of his plans to open his own radio station and off the strength of our vibe and discussion I told him whatever he needed I would help out. Come to find out that meant owning my own show to which once again I had no prior experience in but I was given an opportunity and I wanted to honor my word and it turned out to be an amazing experience.

I feel like the music industry on a whole is ever changing with the advancements in technology the shortening/widening of attention spans from the fans, and the climate of the times. Unfortunately I feel like the integrity and honesty is lost or frowned upon because there’s so much lying and embellishment going on that its hard to hear anything thats real and concrete. As far as rapping goes I feel like it was slightly more difficult to find music that had real convictions, emotions and thoughts behind it. Now it looks as though the tide is shifting once again and real artist with something to say are resurfacing in the mainstream.

Lisa: What is your creative process like?

Blackout The Rebel: My creative process is usually me listening to various different beats. When one clicks and I feel it, I save it in my folder. I usually have a clear idea as to how I want the album to sound even if I haven’t wrote any lyrics as of yet. When I get the beats that best reflect the vision I initially intended I begin going to work writing, rehearsing and editing my lyrics until it’s time to record. I also brainstorm any sound effects if any I can use to color the track in with.

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Lisa: What can we expect from your upcoming album “Boy Meets Girl”? Can you uncover some details for GMT?

Blackout The Rebel: Yeah sure of course I can uncover some details for you guys lol. So Boy Meets Girl is very self explanitory. It literally takes you from a guy meeting a girl, they get together and all of the issues that a lot of couples deal with on a regular basis. Too long has the commercial singles on the radio portray men wining and dining women, taking them shopping and to exotic vacations with the notion that this is all that a relationship entails which is so far from the truth. I wanted to do a project that everyone who’s ever been in love can relate to at some point.

Lisa: I loved your new single “Eyes Wide Shut”. Where did you get inspiration to write it?

Blackout The Rebel: Thank you very much I’m glad you enjoyed it. The inspiration for that record came from the actual movie “Eyes Wide Shut” with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. After watching it I realized that Tom’s character and the character in my album were one in the same in the sense that they were in over their heads in not realizing what it is they gotten themselves into and how they very much so wanted to snap out of it and come back to their level of reality.

Lisa: What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?

Blackout The Rebel: Maybe one of the biggest surprises is how easily you can transition into other forms of media and entertainment by just being easy to deal with and keeping your options open. If you were to tell me 15 years ago that I would be coordinating events, running a radio show, writing for a music website and hosting events I probably wouldn’t have believed you because my only focus at that time was just rapping but meeting the right people and having people believe in you enough to give you opportunities like the ones I’ve had has been very humbling. An unexpected challenge is how drastically the music industry has changed over the years. Maybe it was naive of me to have thought back then that rap music was always going to be what it was back in the early 2000s but the mere fact that people with actual skill and talent can so easily be overlooked by someone who’s gimmick is whats “trending” kinda baffled me when I first started realizing the transition. It hasn’t shaken my convictions of what I do and how I do it but it did make things harder for artist like me.

Lisa: What is one message you would give to your fans?

Blackout The Rebel: To be yourself, to love yourself and to rebel against what you feel is wrong.

Lisa: Which famous musicians do you admire?

Blackout The Rebel: I admire so many we would have to narrow it down. I am influenced from many different genres that span from back in the days with Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind & Fire, Temptations to LL Cool J, Nas, Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Slaughterhouse, Eminem, Big Pun, Lupe Fiasco, Linkin Park (RIP Chester Bennington), Paramore, Journey, Bon Jovi. That’s just to keep it brief lol.

Lisa: Also, you’re about to unveil your new media company “Forever Black Media”. What can you tell us about that?

Blackout The Rebel: Its sort of a continuation from when I had my radio show “Darkside Radio”. You’ll still receive that level of thorough examination of your craft or project but I want to make sure I’m doing my part in positively uplifting people of color with my platform and not tearing them down just to gain followers and attention because its whats trending at the moment.

Lisa: What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Blackout The Rebel: Best advice I was given may have been from my dad when he told me to always take pride in what you do. That’s why I became more meticulous with how I want my projects to sound now.

Lisa: At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?

Blackout The Rebel: I hope people are able to see that I was completely honest and open with them. That I had the best intentions for anyone listening to my music. Sure I curse here and there but I don’t endorse violence and promiscuity in any kind. I always tried to deliver a message that usually ends up with you loving yourself for you and not conforming to what others may think you should be more like. I gave my life stories on these tracks in hopes that I connect with people thinking you have to be a gangster to be an artist and to not be ashamed of having a blessed life.

Thank you!

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