Justiine

I am beyond honored to introduce the FRNDY LMRN community to the insanely talented Alternative R&B singer-songwriter, Justiine. Her sound emits nothing but positive and radiant auras. The 22-year-old budding sensation’s unique blend of R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop has already made her a fan favorite in her hometown of Atlanta. Now, Justiine is poised to reach a global audience with the release of her Project Twenty Two EP.

JULIEN:  What’s up! Welcome to the FRNDY LMRN fam, Justiine. Where exactly did you grow up in Atlanta?

JUSTIINE:  *Laughs* well I’m Justiine.  I’m from Alpharetta, which is pretty much the suburbs. There’s just a lot of high class drug addicts and drunk housewives—It’s really pretty, though! Growing up was interesting to say the least. I could write a book about all the great times and a sequel to it about all the horrible times. It has been a very long time coming, but I’m extremely excited and humbled to be where I am.

JULIEN:  What’s an average day like for you?

JUSTIINE:  I’m for sure an example of the cliché musician. I go with the flow. I typically wake up around noon and knock out my yoga for the day. Once I feel inspired, I might then go cook or pick up some food. I make sure to save time to play with my dog, and then I’ll go in the studio and make a beat or try to write to one of my producer’s beats. If some magic starts to flow, I’ll be in the studio for 8-9 hours. At some point, my team will force me to go to sleep. I wake up, and finish that song first thing in the morning.

JULIEN:  Can you explain your creative process?

JUSTIINE:  Candles and sage are an absolute must to set a vibe in my studio. Colored lights are a necessity. I make sure to set them to the vibe of the song that I’m working on. It sounds crazy, but it’s 100% necessary. I need to have my notebook, pencil, and sharpener to write down lyrics. Lastly, I must be alone during the entire process.

JULIEN:  What drew you to the music industry?

JUSTIINE: I’ve been singing my entire life — since preschool, actually. I performed in musicals and all that gross stuff. My brother, Chandler, started rapping when we were in high school. I followed his lead and followed my passion. The rest went down in history.

JULIEN: Who are your biggest supporters of your career?

JUSTIINE: My mom. My dad. He’s been there for me since I quit my job and decided to make a career out of music. I’m really lucky to have them as parents. They support all of my dreams and believe in me more than I believe in myself sometimes. My friends. Coke — better known as Coca Vango. I’m proud of his success and appreciate him for being a great CEO of Energy 7, the record label I’m signed to. He tells it like it is and has been helping me navigate through the industry since the very beginning. Oh, and my PR team is the best! My support group is fire.

JULIEN:  Your last sonic offering was called ‘Project Twenty One’ and your latest is coined ‘Project Twenty Two’?  Is there a hidden meaning behind the correlating titles?

JUSTIINE:  Well, my first EP ‘Project Twenty One’ was released when I had just turned 21. It’s one of my favorite numbers as well. This year, I decided that it’s only right that I put out ‘Project Twenty Two’ before it’s too late when I turn 23! The plan is to have an age trilogy, kind of how Adele did with her albums. Love that.

JULIEN: Do you like to collaborate with other artists? What is that process like?

JUSTIINE: I love collaborating with other artists. Collaboration used to give me anxiety. I would get intimidated, but after recording with Nessly and Salma Slims, I have appreciated my gift a bit more.

JULIEN: Have you ever dealt with anxiety due to a creative block?

JUSTIINE: Every day of my life. It’s hard getting stuck in the hole, and then you have to think about how you're in a hole. And then you have deadlines and fans that are waiting. It really makes you want to say fuck it! But it’s all worth it when you release a track it and everyone loves it. It’s always worth it.

JULIEN: What do you want to accomplish within the next few years?

JUSTIINE: I just want to be a better version of myself. I want to work with more artists, shoot more videos, travel everywhere. There’s so much I want to do, I could write a short story.

JULIEN: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

JUSTIINE: Thriving, living in LA, on a song with Drake.

JULIEN: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten from someone?

JUSTIINE: Ever since I was a kid, my mom has told me, “a part of finding out who you are is finding out who you don’t want to be.”

JULIEN: What advice do you have in general for young girls regarding self confidence?

JUSTIINE: Stop trying to be like everyone else. If you look different, that’s a good thing. A lot of these young girls put so much effort into looking the same. I used to do it, too. But no matter how hard I tried to fit in, I was still different. After a while, I embraced it and became more comfortable with myself. I don’t know. Being young is hard, but being a young girl is the worst. Just don’t be scared to be who you are.

Written by Sir Julien George

Marcato

Damn!  It's been a while hasn't it?  I'm really glad to be back writing for FRNDY LMRN.  I wanted to hold off on releasing this article because I knew all of the big things that were ahead for the person I'm going to write about.  I wanted to incorporate everything for you guys in this piece so here we finally are.  Please allow me to introduce my longtime friend and latest interviewee, Marcato.

Meet Prince Nasir Dean, better known by his stage name, Marcato.  Nas is a budding music producer based out of Miami, Florida.  We have known each other since we were about six years old through our mothers.  We spent our adolescent years running the streets of Atlanta.  When Nas moved to New York in 2011, it was a huge change for the both of us.  A few years later, he relocated back to Miami and has been living bi-coastal ever since.  

Growing up, Nas was always involved in the music industry.  His father is the super successful music producer Swizz Beatz, so of course his musical influence is apparent.  Over the past few years, Nasir developed his musical passion and is currently on the journey of becoming a staple in the music business.  What I admire most about Nas is his relentless grind and passion to make it on his own.

Nas has gained tons of success in the last few months.  He received several hit placements with various recording artists throughout the nation!  Furthermore, Nas produced his first hit on IDK's latest single, "Star."  At the end of June, Nasir came to Atlanta to develop his music with several heavy hitters in the industry such as Lil Yachty, Trippie Redd, Rick Ross, Kodie Shane, Gwen Bunn, Black Metaphor and more.  Recently, Nas joined the A&R team at Epic Records!  I can truly say that as both a friend and his publicist, he is only going to the top from here.

While Nas visited Atlanta in June, we sat down to discuss life and his future.  Check out our conversation below:

JULIEN:  What's the origin of your stage name Marcato? 

NASIR:  The origin of my stage name stems from my self-development and self-discovery.  Marcato is a musical instruction indicating a note, chord or passage to be played louder than the surrounding music.  That's what I feel my music represents.

JULIEN:  What genre of music do you consider your work to fall in?

NASIR:  My sound fits in the Hip-Hop, Musical Theater, and Pop genres the best.

JULIEN:  Who influences you the most musically?

NASIR:  Michael Jackson, Jimmy Hendrix, André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, J. Cole and Pierre Dutour influence and inspire me the most.

JULIEN:  When did your interest for music initially come about?

NASIR:  I first realized that I was interested in potentially pursuing a career in music when my dad gifted me my first beat machine for my 10th birthday. I didn't know what to do with it at first though.

JULIEN:  Have you ever felt any type of pressure to do music due to your father and step-mother's great amount of success?

NASIR:  No, never.  Truthfully, I feel as if I was born to do this regardless.

JULIEN:  Could you briefly describe your music-making process?

NASIR:  My first step in the process of composing music is constructing the melody, percussions then finally the 808's.  Other than that, a good amount of the process is mental preparation—thinking positively.

JULIEN:  What environment do you produce music the best in?

NASIR:  Everyone's different, but for me, I prefer to produce music in the nighttime and ironically at school.

JULIEN:  How has your sound evolved since you first began producing?

NASIR:  Over time I have unlocked many new abilities by introducing myself to new techniques through focus.  It usually comes naturally when I'm working on my craft alone in the solitude of my quiet time.

JULIEN:  What is your biggest challenge musically?

NASIR:  Currently, music theory is my biggest challenge.  It can be overwhelming to completely grasp.

JULIEN:  Do you ever get stuck?

NASIR:  All the time!  I can't imagine there being any artist who doesn't get stuck.

JULIEN:  How do you get your creative juices flowing when that occurs?

NASIR:  If I get stuck during the daytime hours, I shelf the idea for the night.  I work best at night and try to have a positive day with great vibes and energy.  Usually the outcome at night reflects the energy I put out during that day.

JULIEN:  Which artists would you like to collaborate with? and why?

NASIR:  I would like to work with J. Cole and Travis Scott because their records inspire me.  I listen to them repeatedly to decipher and understand what it is that I like about their particular song.  Music should make you think!  It's going to happen when the time is right.

JULIEN:  What are your favorite songs out right now?

NASIR:  Right now, my two favorite songs are "Kevin's Heart" by J. Cole and "Mo Bamba" by Sheck Wes.

JULIEN:  What is your favorite album of all time? 

NASIR:  It would definitely have to be Metallica's Master of Puppets album.  I listened to it at a very young age—It truly helped develop the love of music I have now.

co-JULIEN:  What is the ultimate direction that you wish to go in musically?

NASIR:  I want to become a music aficionado and leader of the next generation's musical youth prospects.

JULIEN:  Can fans expect an EP from you anytime soon?

NASIR:  Yes!  One is currently in the making, but in the meantime, check out IDK's latest song "Star," co-produced by myself.

JULIEN:  What goals do you want to accomplish within this upcoming year?

NASIR:  I would like to develop my own record label.  I am going to be under Sylvia Rhone at Epic Records, which is huge for me!  I have an amazing lineup of creatives that I'm working closely with.  I am eager to explore and develop the projects.

JULIEN:  In five years, where do you see yourself?

NASIR:  In five years, I see myself in Corsica, France with Scarlett Johansson leading my companies to its highest pinnacle and beyond.

JULIEN:  When it comes to success, how do you define it?

NASIR:  To me, success embodies the inspiration for all generations.  My musical expressions create freedom of the soul from my artistic expression.  That is success.

JULIEN:  What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received?

NASIR:  The best advice I ever received was from my mother Nichole.  She always reminds me to keep an open mind.

Written by Sir Julien George

Photographed by We Own The City

For any inquiries regarding Nasir Dean, feel free to visit Notemarcato.com or email 13th@notemarcato.com.