Beware of the rappers that inform you to beware..
Virginia has consistently surfaced a slew a new and variable talent with the last 2 years of industry evolution. With streaming services becoming the new way of music discovery, the type of music that usually takes years & years of word of mouth marketing and so forth to come across is now available at the click of a themed playlist.
Virginia State University’s very own Troubled Empire is of that group of musicians to be mentioned in conversation when discussing VA buzz. The group formed in 2016 and since then have had the opportunity to headline Homecoming concerts, perform in front of sold out crowd’s at SOB’s, and even garner the attention of Chance The Rapper.
Now, they are prepping for their 2018 impetus. HypeFresh contributing writer Niyah Nel spoke with the group recently during the video shoot for their first drop of 2018, “Notice”. The dialogue has been adjusted for clarity.
Tell me a little about the group & how you guys came together to form Troubled Empire.
Troubled Empire is a collective of young college students with old souls from Virginia State University. Two years ago, we tied first place in a talent show with Blue Bynum and won $100. This is how we became a group.. and this all happened during our freshman year. Mal became roommates with Don Juan and it was a match made in heaven.
Where are you all originally from? How does your native demographic influence your music?
Troubled Mal (Mount Vernon, New York) Blue Bynum (Colerain, North Carolina by way of Newport News, Virginia), Don Juan (Richmond, VA)
Can you recall some of your earliest moments taking a jab at pursuing your music career?
Our first time working together, we made a song called “Paparazzi” on Mal’s first E.P.. Now, on reception, let’s just say none of our fans even know that song exists. But we weren’t a group yet when we made the song. “Sucker 4 Love” was our first song we put out which touched 12k on SoundCloud.
Talk about the forthcoming project you guys are working on and your new music video, “Notice”
Notice is something we’ve worked hard on to get people to see that we aren’t just here for fame & fortune, but we actually have a message & people need to be awoken for it. We all have singles on the way and our first project is currently in the works.
Are you touring at all?
Not currently but it’s in the works for a near future.
As a music group in today’s industry, what are some things you can all attest to as far as pursuing a music career as a boy group?
Our advice to anyone pursuing a career in music as a group is to be prepared to be told no A LOT. Be ready to argue all the time, but never allow your arguments to tear you apart. Don’t let the music industry ruin the bond y’all create.
Who are some of the other artists that influence the way you all approach your music?
Kanye, Kendrick, J Cole, OutKast, Wu-Tang, Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, John Legend To Name A Few
How can listeners and viewers further engage with you? Leave something for the people.
Social media. We’re all over it.
Here’s our message to the people: Troubled Empire is here to bring a new style of music to the Hip Hop, Pop & R&B genre. We’re giving you that new sound with an old flavor. And we always gonna give you music from the heart, never faking what we put out.
Keep it locked for what Troubled Empire has in store for the masses this year, and tune n below for their brand new music video, “Notice”.
