Superstar, a man of music, honesty and integrity! #FlyahExclusive Interview

 




Being from Greenville South Carolina, what are some of the major artists and sounds that influence you during your upbringing? 

Even though I’m from the south I’ve been more influenced by up north rappers, such as Jay-Z, Biggie, & Kanye. But I am a big fan of T.I., Jeezy, & LeCrae. 



I'm not familiar with Greenville, can you tell me about your town/city and some of the things you remember during your childhood? 

We are a fast growing city. Honestly growing up this was one of the most boring places to be, lol. Now with all the talent the city is cultivating it’s literally one of the most exciting places to be. I can’t wait to see us in the next 5 years.


My father is also a drummer and I am a producer, can you explain who taught you to play the drums/make music and does it run in the family? 

I grew up watching my father play the drums, he never taught be but I watched him enough until I just picked up the sticks & started playing. Yes music runs all through my family on my mom & dad side. A have a lot a family that can literally do everything from singing, rapping, & playing instruments.


I understand you went to college, can you tell me the school you went to and what was the experience like? 

I went to Spartanburg Methodist College, in Spartanburg, SC. Man I was young & wild, probably why I flunked out. We’ll just leave it at that for now. Lol, but overall it was a good experience I learned a lot about myself there.


Why do you think you lost interest in basketball while in school and what made you transition to rap? 

Honestly, I’ve always loved music more than basketball. I played basketball growing up because I thought I would be accepted by my family because I followed in their footsteps & plus hip-hop wasn’t accepted in our house growing up. 


Where did you receive the inspiration for your music label, P. O. E. M.? 

I actually the idea of P.O.E.M., A2O came to me after I flunked out of college. I was tired of trying to live up to who everybody else thought I should be & I started something for myself. I got tired of letting my circumstances determine who I was or what I did, so I came up with Product Of Evironment Mine, Adapt 2 Overcome. I don’t have to succumb to what’s going on around me. My only job is to stay down, til I come up. 


Can you give me some insight on your album Unleashed and the creative process behind it? 

Man that was my first album, & honestly now I’m ashamed of it, lol. I was so inexperienced as an artist & person then. I just wanted to hit the ground running. Just make an album, put it out, & blow up. But as we all know that’s not how it happens. But again, like college I learned a lot from that album about myself & the music process. So while I don’t like the music I made from that album I do love the wisdom I gained from it.


Being a senior pastor for your church, what are some of the obstacles that cross your path by having such responsibility? 

 I wouldn’t call it an obstacle but more of a challenge is making sure that I’m always doing things in the interest of the people & not myself. I think people get the role of a pastor misunderstood. My job is to serve the people I shepherd not manipulate them to do my biding. I have two goals as a pastor, 1. Lead people to a closer relationship with Christ, 2. Inspire people to be the best version of themselves. 


If you retired from rap music, would pastoring be a full time thing for you? 

To be honest I’m trying to find a way to creatively connect the 2. People always assume since I’m a pastor that I’m a gospel rapper, but that’s not what I consider myself. I’m human just like everybody else & I have issues that I’m dealing with & I use rap to express those feelings & those feelings are not always in a gospel way. Now understand I don’t use profanity in my music but i do talk about real issues in a real way & I do it in a free way. 


How has COVID 19 effected you and your career?
 I won’t lie it has slow us down a bit. Before COVID we were doing live shows on a regular getting our name & brand out there but then the shut down happened. Again although that was tough I learned more about the music industry & myself so now I’ve started doing a lot more online promo with radios, blogs, & magazines in hopes that by the time everything opens back up we have enough of a fan base to hit the ground running.


What are your future plans for music and life? 
Right now my plan is to keep releasing singles then shoot music videos to the singles one by one. I have an idea for my music videos I’m keeping to myself at the moment. But trust me there will be music videos to my singles soon enough. 


any last remarks
I just want to say to all the artist & entrepreneurs out there grinding keep going don’t quit for nothing or no one. Also quick plug right quick make sure to check out my website www.poema2o.com, it has all of my music on there, my YouTube channel with my show entitled The Sit Down where I break down the vision behind each one of my singles, & my site has tons of merch on it. Thank you all for the love & support. God bless

Rice is back with the Hot Single “Juice” #Flyah Review


 Rice hits the ground running once again with his new single "Juice". His clever wordplay glides across the bounce driven beat with pizzazz and precision . The Massachusetts rap phenom displays his originality and artistic delivery with plans to win over all fans. Prior to the single Juice, Flyah featured the future mogul when he showcased the two classic tracks, "Big Dreams" and "Stuntin For Da Money". 


The production on Juice is greatly mixed featuring horns dynamic bass and balanced instrument levels. It has a blend of the old school with enough rhythmic bounce to make the youth move. On this track, Rice shows his talent can reach levels to put him in the conversation amongst big artists like J. Cole Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean. The topic behind Juice highlights hustle and grind motivation and a hunger to be the best. Songs like this can easily become an instant classic and theme music for success and prosperity.

If i have to rate this song on the scale of 1 to 10, i will give it a 8 for its message awesome recording quality and great composition. Looking forward to hearing more of Rice in the future; check his single out in the link below.

Critical Mass: A band with a message!


How did the group Critical Mass come about?


We've been around for over 20 years.  We started out playing in churches but quickly went into the studio.  Our first demo, Faith Looks Up, was hugely successful.  Our first two studio albums, "Completely" and "Grasping for Hope in the Darkness" both won Best Rock Album honors at the Canadian Gospel Music Association Covenant Awards.  In 2002, we played for a million people at World Youth Day in Toronto, when Pope John Paul II came to visit.  I often say we are a very well kept secret as we probably have played in front of one of the largest audiences ever in history for a rock band.  However, because of the nature of the event, most people didn't know it was us playing at the event.  We have since released another 3 studio albums, with another on the way.  Because we all had day jobs (I am a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering) and family obligations (I have 9 children), we weren't able to hit the road like most bands.  This is another reason many people haven't heard about us.


How many members are in the group and can you describe their positions and contributions to Critical Mass?

Since the second album, I have been the lyricist and lead singer for the band .  We have numerous talented musicians and songwriters over the years in the band, but especially since the second studio album, I have been the one constant in Critical Mass.  In fact, I think there have been close to two dozen touring and studio musicians over the years.  Incredible talent and wonderful people.  When I reflect back on the years, I count myself incredibly blessed to have worked and written with these wonderfully talented folks.


How did Waterloo, Canada influence your group and what are some of the notable moments you experienced back home?


 We are in a university town.  I actually work at the University of Waterloo.  I have been here since my Masters degree.  As such, I have deep connections here, whether it is with respect to my day job or my extracurricular activities (church, soccer, coaching).  Most importantly, my producer, Andrew Horrocks, whom I consider both a mentor and a friend, has worked on every studio project with me.  If I were anywhere else, he and I may not have connected.  Andrew has won Best Producer Honors several times from the Canadian Gospel Music Association, and we have a great synergy in the studio.  Critical Mass would never have been as successful without his help.


I understand you have influences like the Beatles and Green Day, name some of the things that are parallel to these iconic groups?


The Beatles, in my opinion, are still the most influential music group ever, and I have to admit to being a huge fan.  All of our albums have a concept wrapped around the songs and that is due to my love of the Beatles' album, Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, which is considered to be the first concept album ever released.  However, many fans and crowd reviews of our music has pointed to a similarity in my singing style and musical delivery to Green Day.  It wasn't a purposeful direction  but it just happened.  


Give us some insight on the journey of Critical Mass and shed light on the creative process?


Our music is born out of a need to tell a story or to get a message out there.  Many of our fans have commented on our lyrics as having substance, and that is probably due to my day job as a professor.  Thus, when we start a project, it is always the message and lyrics that are written first.  The music is then written to the music.  Because I have many collaborators on the music, we often have quite an eclectic mix of styles and sounds on every album.  Most of our songs change up significantly from song to song.  


How has Covid-19 affected your music career currently?


Not only Covid-19 but also a recent high conflict divorce has greatly influenced the music that I am writing now.   Our first two singles that we have released are "Misery, My Friend", which talks about depression and mental wellness and "Serenity", which uses the serenity prayer as a way to help people through their personal crises.  So, as you can see, the music is greatly influenced by the pandemic and the resulting issues that come from the social isolation.   The next album will have a lot of personal songs that I wrote as a form of personal therapy.  You will definitely see the circumstances of my life in these lyrics.


If there's anything else you could be doing, what would it be?


I have lived a rich life with many highs.  I am a professor, musician, soccer coach, entrepreneur and played music with the pope.  However, I have also hit many lows including a bankruptcy, divorce and parental alienation.  Through it all, my friends, my counsellors and my faith have kept me going.  Now, I want to start sharing this with others.  On our website, www.criticalmassmusic.org, we have a section with our patrons called Life Hacks with Critical Mass, where I share my life stories, alongside with my music, in the hopes of being able to help others live their life abundantly.  This is what I want to focus on moving forward.