We dive into the remarkable journey of Iz LaMarr, a multi-talented artist who has transitioned from his early involvement in school plays and musicals to becoming a prominent figure in the world of hip-hop and rap music. His musical odyssey began at a young age when he started learning to play piano and guitar, eventually leading him to create his own compositions and release music on Soundcloud during his high school years. Inspired by the Soundcloud Era of rap, he found his true passion in hip-hop.
Iz LaMarr’s music is renowned for shedding light on the often-overlooked aspects of our daily lives, offering a unique perspective on the world around us. Drawing from his diverse experiences living in Los Angeles, New York, and Europe, he captures the essence of various cultures and communities in his art, allowing listeners to connect with the unexplored realities of life.
Can you share with us your journey from being involved in plays and musicals at school to becoming a multi-talented artist with a focus on hip-hop/rap music? What inspired this transition?
Of course. I began doing plays and musicals when I was in elementary school and quickly found out that I loved performing, especially music on stage. I started learning piano and guitar when I was 8 and began with covers of Michael Jackson and James Brown, then eventually started writing my own compositions. I started recording and releasing music on Soundcloud in High School, which was when I truly fell in love with hip-hop. The Soundcloud Era of rap began in 2016 and inspired me to release rap music of my own.
Your music is said to reflect the day-to-day reality that often goes unnoticed. Could you elaborate on how you use your art to shed light on these hidden aspects of our lives?
Over the course of my life, I’ve been exposed to a wide range of cultures and communities from growing up in Los Angeles, moving to New York at 18 and even living in Europe for 6 months. Because of this, I’ve seen a lot of wild stuff. One example of these reflections in my art can be seen in my song “SMILE” where I have a lot of “I’ll take a n***a off a song if they not real, don’t unfollow me then like my reel.” This is telling the story of artists and creatives in the music scene who get more caught up in the clout than the art. Specifically, this is about one time I took a rapper off a song when I realized they didn’t appreciate my energy as I appreciated theirs. When life throws its many curveballs and ‘funny’ occurrences, I choose to learn and grow and use my art to reflect on these experiences for others to grow as well.
Your musical influences include iconic figures like Dr. Dre, Michael Jackson, Travis Scott, and Kanye West. How have these artists shaped your own style and approach to music?
My earliest musical influence was definitely Michael Jackson, which I started hearing when I was 3 or 4 as my pops would play early Jackson 5. As I got older, I began to appreciate and study his performance style, vocal technique, and overall presence as a performer and iconic figure. The first song I ever learned to play was actually “Beat It” which I learned on piano. Dr. Dre influenced me heavily as a forefather of hip-hop culture and style through his work with N.W.A., but even more so as a producer with his cultivation of G-Funk and the West Coast sound as a whole. I actually had to write a paper on Dr. Dre when I was studying music at NYU, his chords and synth patterns influenced my sound immensely, especially in my identity and affiliation as a West Coast artist. Kanye West’s work showed me how far a rapper and producer can innovate and inspire and motivated me to truly be the fullest version of myself and not just what I admire. Travis Scott was a large influence over me in his rage performance style as well as dark trap production. Iz LaMarr does not exist without these artists paving the way.
You’ve performed in various cities across the globe, from NYC, LA, Texas, and Berlin. How do you adapt your performances to resonate with audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds?
Good question. One thing I learned performing city to city, is that every crowd and community is different, and as the artist you need to do your due diligence in understanding the audience you’re performing for. I know this because I’ve done the opposite and just performed a set blindly without taking the crowd into consideration, and even if the skill level is high, you will never fully connect with your audience unless you meet them halfway. For example, when I did shows in Berlin, Germany I learned that you can basically perform any style of music there because the scene is very open. I could perform a rage hip hop track one song and then a ballad with live guitar right after and the crowd will love it. If I’m performing in LA or New York, I can’t do this. For most American crowds the best route for me is incorporating songs influenced in the regional styles (Ex. some West Coast club songs for LA, or some Jersey club/drill production for NY).
Your upcoming hit single “SMILE” and the Project you’re working on is generating anticipation. Could you give us a sneak peek into the themes and messages you’re exploring through this new music?
Haha yes. My song SMILE has been trending recently and has just reached over 2000 videos made on TikTok, with the Music Video dropping this past week and reaching over 150k views in just 3 days. SMILE is the first song I’ve released in the new sound I’ve created called Rage and Blues, which is a hybrid of high-energy rap and rage production mixed with live instrumentation and afro beats. I’ve been working on the “Rage and Blues” project for most of this year which will hopefully come out by the end of 2023. Leading up you can expect a LOT of consistent singles and visuals. I’m about to start the biggest run of my career yet and don’t really have any plan to stop.
Apart from your music career, you’ve mentioned plans for launching a clothing brand and appearing in movies and TV. How do you envision these ventures complementing your identity as an artist and entertainer?
I’ve made several custom pieces for my company Roaring 20s (founded by me and Kenny Dreams in 2021) as well as custom pieces for most music videos but I have yet to drop an official Iz LaMarr line. I am appearing on a Hulu Reality show which is releasing at the end of 2023 and plan to produce and star in more films and TV shows over the course of my career. I love all aspects of entertainment and have a background in acting and film so it is absolutely in my long-term plan.
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