Continuing his climb with hard-hitting collaborations and original solo releases alike, Atlanta artist and rapper Brandonrxse launches his new EP Hard To Love. The project shines light on yet another side to his devotedly versatile approach to modern music.
We caught up with Brandonrxse to find out more about the EP, the live scene in his area, his thoughts on the future of rock and rap, and plenty more. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hi Brandon – huge pleasure to chat, thanks for your time. Just to introduce things, where are you right now, and what have you been busy with this past week?
Right now I’m in Puerto Rico. One of my closest friends had a wedding celebration here so I couldn’t miss that. I actually pushed the project release date back to make it after this because I think it’s important to be around real love before dropping a project called Hard 2 Luv.
This week has been a lot of fine-tuning everything, making sure the EP sounds the way I want it to sound and flows how it’s supposed to. Definitely not my favorite part of the process but here we are and I’m really proud of what we have.
Tell us about Hard 2 Luv, what does the project represent, and where do you imagine people vibing to it?
A new chapter. I feel like I was very honest with myself on this project, which is part of where the title comes from, acknowledging that I’m not the easiest person to love. Not to say that I’m not always honest with myself in my music but some layers were peeled back this time.
Psycho Luv makes for a strong example of the unique way in which you fuse delicacy or ambience of sound with grittier lyrical intentions. What’s your songwriting process like, and when do the titles come into play?
I’d describe it as grabbing different pieces of the puzzle and placing them together. The order that it happens isn’t as important as the end result, you know? It’s a really exciting process for me though because I get to express myself without judgement. There’s nothing better than finding a new flow or new melody (that’s my favorite part of it all). The song name always comes last.
What’s changed for you as an artist since the release of The Kid, and how does this project encapsulate your creative evolution?
Nothing really. I’ve been moving around meeting different people so eventually that will translate to my music but I’ve been focused on the current project so it’s kind of tough to fully digest what’s going on when you’re focused on the task at hand. As far as what THE KID meant in my evolution, it’s the interlude for this new chapter.
Versatility is clearly a strength. How did the collaboration for ‘Won’t Be Long’ come about, and what did this shift in style bring out in you as a rapper?
The homie Henry aka OG No sample who produced the record just laid the foundation for that one and you know when you have a strong foundation the building comes easy. I have a lot of styles so I don’t think it brought anything out of me it was just another flow I was able to use.
OG Moshpit is something else entirely, a heavier jazz-fusion and rock piece with hard-hitting vocals to match. You put in a fierce performance for this one. How do you get into the right mindset for a particular track, and what kind of performance is your favourite in the live setting?
If I’m listening to beats I’m already in that mindset, the switch is on and I just let my mind go wherever it needs to go to create the song. I’m never discriminating on the live setting as long as the music is dope. I’m going to enjoy the vibe. I also know how difficult it can be to execute in that setting so it makes me appreciate it more.
The live instrumental really brings out something fresh in OG Moshpit. What are your thoughts on the future of hip hop and rock, are there new sub-genres still waiting to emerge, and will the timeless roots of each remain prominent?
I think the two will always be connected. You’ll hear a sub-genre emerge and then a whole new wave come from that & and I don’t think that’ll ever stop as we evolve. The roots will remain prominent even though the fans might be more engaged with these new sounds over the genesis of where they came from.
Is live performance a big part of your plans, and if so – what’s the live scene like around Atlanta lately?
Definitely. You get to really connect with people live and there’s nothing like being on stage so I have to do it more. The live scene in Atlanta is great, a lotta people doing different things – I’m excited to be more a part of it.
What would be your dream venue or event to grace the stage of?
Anywhere where I feel the love. Every venue is a dream venue for me bc I get to be on stage
What’s something about you that would surprise fans?
I’ve lost a hard drive with over 1000 songs.
Is there anything else we should know?
I’m extremely grateful for any and every listen & I hope you enjoy everything that’s coming.
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Check out Brandonrxse on Instagram.
