Xav the Ripper Interview | Respect The Artist
How did you get your Artist name?
I had always noticed people coming to me with feedback like "Aye you murdered this shit" and honestly just put two and two together, and the rest is history.
How did you get into creating?
I've been heavily into all types of arts since I was writing on walls when I was three haha. Graffiti was my main outlet when I was younger and when I turned ten I started playing trumpet and getting into poetry as time went on. Then when I was sixteen I started to take my music more seriously and began producing and engineering my own music. Ever since then, I've been working on music nearly every single day.
How has creating changed your life?
Creating has and always will be the only outlet that gives me the release I need. At times it is the only way I am able to express how I feel without the sense of being misunderstood. Without cresting, I would not be here right now.
Where are you from?
I was born in New York, but I had moved around a lot growing up, but I've spent most of my life and am currently back in New Jersey.
How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?
I feel like moving around so much and not necessarily having a set "hometown" or city made me move differently in the sense that I've grown up around so many different settings and lifestyles that I was able to intertwine and mash them all together into a new unique perspective.
What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?
I had never wanted to stick to one thing and wanted to keep learning more and more about music and other creation. I learned to write, record, engineer and produce my own music, as well as script-write, direct, produce, film, and do photography. Being a jack of all trades could only help you in the long run paint a bigger picture.
What does your current setup look like?
I record out of my apartment with my mic, interface and laptop but there's times where a studio session is a must.
Who inspires you? Why do they inspire you?
Some of my major influences are Odd Future, Flatbush Zombies, Pro Era, Mac Miller, Kid Cudi, Dreamville, A$AP Mob, TDE, Quincy Jones and a Tribe Called Quest. All of these different artists producers and composers inspire me as they have gone above and beyond with the power of authenticity to change the direction of music and evolve and inspire future generations. I aim to impact the world in a similar way with my own journey of creation.
What is your goal when you create?
My ultimate goal when creating always comes down to three things:
I wanna be able to feel something that I can have other people feel when they listen.
I want to develop a brand new picture that can spark a fuse to inspire the youth.
I want anybody going through a hard point in their life to have comfort when listening in a time when they may feel alone.
Why do you create?
I create to not only for the joy and passion of the art, but for the fact that music has been such a power tool in my life that I feel I want to reciprocate when I release content.
What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?
My go-to song is currently Smile that I made back in early 2019 as a reminder that through all the hectic, all the cold or bitter, through the grief and loss of loved ones; at the end of the day I still stand with a smile and optimistic energy that I like to reflect to anyone listening to implicate in their own lives.
What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?
My dream as an artist is to rewrite the narrative and state of music art and culture to be a community for talented individuals to use their talent as an outlet to escape from the hidden agendas and corrupted minds around us.
What is the best advice you would give someone?
"Remember who you are, where you are, where you were, where you're trying to go, and where you don't wanna end up." - Xav
Tell us about your most recent release
My most recent release is Soul Food Featuring Bairi, a talented singer from PA, and Marz, a talented lyricist based out of Chicago. This song's important to me as it's the first single off of my upcoming project "Once It's Over" that's releasing July 23rd. This tape is something special we've been working on since November 2020 and I can guarantee there isn't anything like it.
Share a link to your most recent release: https://song.link/us/i/1564784462
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xavtheripper/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/meltyheartxavy
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