Still Young. Still Grown. (the mixtape)
Released on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, SYSG is a short story told literally and subliminally through confessionals, story-telling, lyrical rants, and even an ounce of comedy. Thematically, the project represents people that are young enough to pursue their dreams, yet mature enough to be realistic about certain aspects of their goals.
SYSG was conceived between December 2013 and January 2014. At that time I was less than one year out of college working in my field of study. Having put my music career on hold to pursue that piece of paper (degree) I couldn't help but to reflect on the time lost. On the contrary, I had a lot of time to actually experience life as a young adult which gave me content for this project. So, it's important I note how true-to-life most of the songs are (i.e. Closure Pt. 1, Bossman). In contrast, songs like "Side A: He Loved Her" are merely based on references of true stories that are not directly related to me. Moreover, songs like "Stay" are metaphorical narratives of my real life events. Specifically speaking, "Stay" best serves as a theme for the mixtape. Whereas on the surface one may think the song is about a relationship with a person, it is actually about my relationship with music.
As your average artist does from time to time I questioned kick starting my music endeavors after the long break. "Rock Out" spells out my epiphanic moment where I realized everyone won't support immediately - friends included. So, I focused on my core following that genuinely endorsed my art, and the rest is history.
So if/when you get discouraged about any positive endeavors you wish to pursue, remember: you're still young, still grown.