MY INFLUENCES AND THEIR INFLUENCES

I would have to say that A$AP Rocky is my No.1 influence for my approach to arts and life, not just because of his music but his ascension to fashion and how he made fashion knowledge a point of emphasis for an artists image. Rocky has altered the connection between fashion and hip-hop by not only flaunting brand names but also knowing the masses of designers which are yet to blow up and make new waves in the men's fashion scene. Rocky's image has cemented him as one of the 21st centuries most influential style figures in music, having worked with J.W. Anderson, being a key feature to the Fall Winter 2017 Gucci soundtrack and is currently the latest face of the unmistakably huge brand Dior Homme. (Images, P. 2018). By constantly changing his colourways to noticeably strutting his knowledge on the street, "Lord Flacko" has a constant desirability about himself which demands a cult-like following.

If I had to choose a second and third most influential artist between QUIX & XXXTENTACION, I would have to say X, strictly because of his aspiration for hip-hop and making his albums listenable for anyone and everyone. Boasting a wide range of genres such as old school hip-hop, new wave hip-hop, rock, alternate indie pop all the way to experimenting with top of the lung screaming into a microphone type music. Regardless of what music he puts out, another reason X is a big influence for me is because he is never afraid to speak his mind or share his perspective on something, even if it isn't the most popular viewpoint. "What is real will prosper" - XXXTENTACION.

Now, QUIX inspires me for a different reason, he lives a humbled life, doesn't try and attract all the attention from the media and above all else he has a wicked producing style. QUIX, or Jono has such an uncanny ability to completely ignore the use of quantizing and producing norms, by mixing down his tracks purely from what he hears, and not from what he can see on the screen. Being able to rely solely on the flow and progression of a song and not worrying about if that snare is on the 3rd or if the hats have a balanced amount of triplet bursts, really makes his music original. Not to mention that being an international touring artist with thousands of followers (107k on Soundcloud), he doesn't hide the fact he uses one shots and samples to create huge arrangements of sound, portraying an achievable goal for producers who aren't master sound designers or have the fanciest equipment in the world.

References -

Everything You Need To Know About XXXTENTACION. (2018). HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 12 June 2018, from https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-xxxtentacion-news.28195.html

Images, P. (2018). ASAP Rocky Fashion Moments: 15 of the Best. Highsnobiety. Retrieved 12 June 2018, from https://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/10/19/asap-rocky-fashion/