AQ – Interview
Tell us about yourself and your music?
My name is AQ and I was born & raised in Los Angeles, California. I have a background in basketball, from D1 college to playing professionally. I'm an only child so I grew up around a lot of my friends & family from all over, different backgrounds & personalities. I've seen a lot growing up, from gang violence, to being on top of the world with my basketball success. Being on both sides of the fence, seeing good & bad, I feel like my music is a vivid description of all aspects of life that people go through emotionally.
As far as my music, I speak from personal experience, dreaming big, motivation, & party/dance music. Heavily influenced by artists from the West Coast growing up as well as down south and the east coast hip-hop scene. I was always called upon to Dj & play songs for my friends because I found the best songs out that no one knew about before they blew up. So making the transition into rapping about my story, it was a smooth transition because I have an ear for what people like to hear. I am in tune with the culture of music & I am just a representation of my city(LA) plus the west coast, but my story appeals to all walks of life. I feel as though the music chose me!
How would you describe your sound?
My sound is tough in the sense of releasing the pain & passion on certain records, if you listen to one song you can feel the emotion in my voice with one listen. I also have a west coast sound, I'm not trying to steer away from what I know & the west is apart of me. But I also can adapt to any style, wether it's a east coast type beat or trap(south) beat and you will be able to hear AQ on the record. I take pride in being myself, & representing my city with my sound.
Talk about the experience making your single?
The single "It's Like That" came about when I was in the studio with my producer (K.Y.) he played me a number of beats and I remember I heard the "It's Like That" beat and instantly told him, "Bro I need this Now"! So from there I sat with it for nearly three days and I wrote the song in that time. I made the hook first & then the verses came near after. It's a party song, and I wanted everyone to dance & have a good time with this one. The hook goes "Went from ballin straight to rapping, cause its like that", and from there it was easy, the hook means a lot because I honestly went from playing basketball to rapping. All the lyrics are very true and a clear depiction of who I am.
What are you currently working on? Any new projects? Shows?
I'm currently working on features with other artists in LA that I am fans & friends of their music. I will release another single that I already have written & ready to record, just need to get another artist that I am going to reach out too to get on it with me. I have a show July 22nd in Los Angeles coming up soon. After that, I'm going to host a few clubs that play my music. Reach out to a few Dj's to get them the new music, then shoot videos to a few of the songs off the project. So I'm working, to say the least.
What has been your biggest highlight in your music career this far?
Besides having my mom enjoy the music that I make, I would have to say the highlight of my career would be my listening party that I had for "TRANSITION". I have been rapping and putting out music for a little over a year now & at the listening party a lot of people showed up to show support. I could remember putting records/projects out & no one even paying me any attention to then having some of my peers I grew up with come out to the party to tell me that they love the new music and to keep going and pushing. That was the reception I was hoping for when I released not only this past project but all the music that I put out. So it was kind of like a euphoria to have experienced that at my listening party. But I look forward to more moments and opportunities just like that.
Name your ideal collaboration: Mainstream or independent artist(s)?
I am such a music junkie & so many artists that I look up too or that have inspired me, I look forward to working with. I'll name a few hopefully to keep it short, so bare with me. First, most definitely, would have to YG. I mean I used to see him out at parties all the time, & his music was like a honest testament to how we were growing up out here in the city. So, he's at the top.Next is Dave East, our stories are similar because we both played basketball at a high level & now are doing music.Meek Mill, I could remember playing him in my dorm room & before games in college.Kendrick Lamar, he's a icon out here in LA.Drake of course.Dr. DreDiddyDj MustardNipseyFutureI'll just leave it at those names for now.
Name something random that people do not know about you?
People for sure don't know that I watch a lot of youtube interviews online, sometimes for fun, sometimes to learn about the artist and sometimes to discover hidden gems about the industry that the normal person wouldn't pay attention too.
What’s one thing you have learned or discovered while being in the indie music scene/industry?
One thing that I learned while being independent is that you MUST invest in yourself first, before anyone will believe or be willing to help you out with your Dream or Vision. Actions are always more important than saying what you are going to do.
What can we expect from you in the future?
In the future, what you can expect from AQ is, a lot more music dropping because I believe in a catalog. Also, more shows/performances, more videos to the songs so people can visually see exactly what I'm talking about in my songs. I am also looking to be managed more so on the lines of partnering with someone who see's my vision and is willing to go all out for me. Staying active on all my social media & staying relevant so people continue to see my face. A lot of work goes into making this happen so I'm just excited for the unknown as well. Thank You!
