DaeShawn Forrest Stays True to Self by Remaining "Transparent" (Interview)
DaeShawn Forrest is someone who strongly believes in his art. Raised in the church, he would witness some of his family members play music, fueling his love for it. With the help of his father, he would develop a love for Hip Hop, and from there, he would venture into having a music career.
Life would find him playing multiple instruments in his teens, and studying Recording Arts in college soon after. Fast forward a few years, and he would've released his debut album "State Of Mind", and officially make his name prominent in parts of the world.
Recently, we got a chance to converse with DaeShawn Forrest about his upbringing, the inspiration behind his music, being independent and his new album "Transparent 2".
Check out the interview below.
Thanks for coming through and congrats on the release of your new album “Transparent 2”! How are you feeling right now?
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you for having me! I’m feeling great at the moment and glad that the project is out!
“Transparent” is a very interesting title. What does it mean to you?
“Transparent”, to me, means being open and honest about not only the good, but the bad and the things that many people might rather have swept under the rug. It represents living a lifestyle that is authentic and honest about your struggles, just as you would be about your highlights.
I tend to internalize a lot of things in my personal life, so creating music where I pull back the layers of the things I’m dealing with helps me to release what I’m holding in a lot more. It’s like therapy for me. While working on the album, I was dealing with depression, heartbreak, anger issues, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. I couldn’t help but pour it all into music.
As an artist born on the cusp of the 2000s, how has past music influenced your sound?
Past music has inspired me to be versatile. There’s so many different styles that I gravitate to, aside from the modern style of Rap, that I often feel led to try different approaches and sounds for my own music. I feel like it makes me a better artist and producer, while also teaching me a little more about myself and what I like. I find myself gravitating to artists like Kanye, The Cross Movement, J. Cole, Drake, Eminem, Alessia Cara, NF, Lil Wayne, and more artists that present their own unique style to music.
What most people don’t know is that you’re a self-taught musician. What was the hardest part about teaching yourself how to play multiple instruments?
I think the hardest part was developing that musical mindset, if that makes sense. I come from a family of gifted musicians, but I was a really late bloomer compared to others in my family. Many gravitated to music when they were little. I didn’t really learn an instrument until after I turned 16. So, to me, learning music was like having to learn a complicated foreign language.
Learning music was like having to learn a complicated foreign language
How has studying Recording Arts in college helped your career?
Studying Recording Arts gave me the foundation on the technical side of things. Technical, meaning how to operate a recording studio, knowledge on signal flow, different types of microphones and how they work and what they work best with, how to capture the best quality recording possible so the time spent in post-production goes smoothly, and so much more.
My time studying Recording Arts gave me the hands-on experiences of not just recording vocalists, but entire bands, and how to run different recording softwares. I took the knowledge I gained from there and put it to use in my own setup.
When did you know you wanted to pursue music full-time?
Funny thing is, the first thought came to mind when I was like 13. I think that’s when I wrote my first song. I kind of dismissed the idea for years because I didn’t really view myself as someone that would actually end up becoming a rapper. It wasn’t until I was 18 when I finally convinced myself that it wouldn’t hurt to at least give it a try. It instantly felt like a decision I should have made. Now I’m 23, and can’t picture myself doing anything else.
Music is my therapy
- DaeShawn Forrest
Your music is deep and insightful, touching on topics not found in today’s mainstream music. Where do you draw inspiration for your songs and projects?
Life experiences. My music is often made in the moment. I create out of every emotion and season of life whether it be good or bad, light or heavy. My personal life has had some very hectic moments over the last few years which the art reflects. Music is my therapy and I think the only place where I feel the most free because I don’t have to worry about being misunderstood. I can just be myself and draw on the endless inspiration I get from dealing with certain issues and interacting with others.
How would you describe your sound?
My sound is versatile and really dependent on whatever emotion I’m feeling at the moment. I gravitate towards the modern and old-school Hip Hop sounds, different styles of R&B, and Pop. I can get deep and I also like to create something with a nice vibe. Though the sound can vary, my goal is always to create with the intention of being impactful.
What would you say has been the most challenging part about being an independent artist?
I would say keeping the right perspective on the journey so far. There can be very dark mental days when you feel like no one really rocks with what you’re putting out into the world, no matter how hard you’re pushing it. Making sure I keep my thoughts positive and clean has been something I consistently work at. There are plenty of moments where I have to mentally pick myself up off the ground and encourage myself to keep going because I would overthink and start to feel like all my efforts are in vain. It gets tough, but I keep pushing.
What do you love most about being independent, aside from ownership?
Without question, the creative freedom. I love the fact that I can create what I want, how I want, and also move at the pace that I want to move at. Everything creatively comes out how I imagine it and I don’t have to worry about anyone above me knocking down or switching up ideas that I know would work well.
I create out of every emotion and season of life whether it be good or bad, light or heavy
Why was it important for you to start your own company to release your music through?
Starting up Transparency was very important to me. I felt like with the direction I was going in, even with certain things not being entirely figured out, I needed to establish a brand that perfectly captures what it is that I sent out to accomplish and why. I felt like I needed to establish Transparency to better create something that could be bigger than I’ll ever be one day and have it be so much more than a company in which I release music and films, but an entity that is focused on helping and impacting the masses.
Would you ever sign a deal?
Yes, I would sign a deal. As long as the deal makes sense and business is done right, I would sign.
Anything else we should know?
Yes! Along with the release of my new album, "Transparent 2", I’ve also released some brand new merch on my website inspired by the new release. To access it you head over to my official website forevertransparent.com and then click “Shop” at the top of the home page to explore my online store and cop some new merch!
Stay connected @daeshawnforrest & Stream "Transparency 2" below
