Los Angeles-based rapper GRANDVIEW releases his new EP, A Vibe Called West, Vol. 3, along with a music video for the single, “Everything You’ve Seen.”
GRANDVIEW explains, “My entire mindset when making ‘A Vibe Called West, Vol. 3’ was, ‘what if this was the last project I was able to make.’ After all my training, how great could I make each song? What would I want to communicate to the listener? What would I want to leave the listener feeling like after they listened to it? If this was the last project that I had the luxury of bringing to life, how would I want to end it? There is such an obvious hunger and almost desperation to succeed in each of the songs of this project. The EP sums up my journey in a way that only hip-hop and music could. I view it as the prologue to my music career as GRANDVIEW. Every story has a prologue or a period where the hero is becoming who he needs to be to succeed in his story, and I can safely say that these 3 projects were that stage for me.”
A Vibe Called West, Vol. 3 follows on the heels of 2021’s Vol. 1, and 2022’s Vol. 2, which was featured in Billboard.
Known for his razor-sharp lyricism and his dazzling West Coast flow, GRANDVIEW shared the stage with Shwayze on his national tour and will appear with Joey Purp at Venice West on November 17.
CelebMix caught up with GRANDVIEW to find out more about the inspiration for “Everything You’ve Seen,” the new album, and how he got started in music.
What three things can’t you live without?
I spent some time on this question, racking my mind for some sentimental items that would leave the readers in awe, but what I came up with is very straightforward. First item is my computer, really unique I know, but the reason for it is the notes section is where I write all my songs and Google Chrome is how I feed my YouTube addiction. Second is my Bose silver comfort headset that I wear everywhere outside of my home. Finally, I would say In-N-Out and I think many people who grew up in LA will fully agree that In-N-Out is more than just a restaurant to us.
What inspired your new single/music video, “Everything You’ve Seen?”
Well, the production for the track was made in-house by my very talented producer and friend Boss Vass. GRANDVIEW’s sound is heavily inspired by Flume, and I would imagine intuitively, that style was guiding Boss Vass when fleshing out the beat. I wanted the second song on Vol.3 to have an electronic-inspired “drop” at the end and both Boss Vass and my executive producer Eli Smith absolutely killed it. The music video was legit inspired by the Coinbase ad from the Superbowl, and I’ve had this exact idea for a music video since that ad ran.
Your upcoming EP, A Vibe Called West Vol. 3, drops November 4. What can you share about the EP?
‘A Vibe Called West Vol.3’ is the finale of the first series of EPs I have dropped; It is a culmination and measuring stick to show how far a group of inspired people can take their musical ambitions in one year. Team Grandview (which is what I call everyone on the team, including musicians to business personnel) has only been moving together for about a year and this project celebrates all of our hard work. The songs are much more focused and polished on this EP, and I really feel all the fans will agree once they hear it.
How did you get started in music?
I got started in music during my freshman year of college, which was 2015, but I did not release my first songs/project until 2018. I became obsessed with writing, and it became my greatest source of therapy to combat my drug addiction. Music became the only way I viewed myself in a positive light during that dark period of time. I made music to chase that positive outlook on myself and in doing so, I found out that songwriting was my soulmate, passion-wise.
Where are you from?
I was born in Queens, New York but I grew up in Manhattan Beach, California.
Did your hometown impact your sound?
Yes, growing up in Manhattan Beach, I went to raves in high school where I found the likes of Flume, Porter Robinson, Hucci, Ganz, and Louis The Child which directly impacts my sound today. My unique blend of lyrical hip-hop mixed with subtle electronic elements has a direct relationship with my music taste from when I was younger.
Did your sound evolve naturally, or did you deliberately push it in a certain direction?
My sound has 3 big stages that I can clearly see when I look over the evolution of me finally becoming GRANDVIEW. The first stage was drenched in ‘90s boom-bap golden age instrumentals that were heavily inspired by Nas, Notorious BIG, Common, AZ, Mos Def, and all of PRO ERA. The second stage was fully inspired by J Cole, Kanye, Chance, and a bit of Drake, and consisted of soul sample-type beats. Finally, the final stage, which is GRANDVIEW, combines the flows and lyrics of the ‘90s, melodies, and vocal chops of soul samples with the electronic and future bass elements of the 2010s.
What inspires your writing? Do you draw inspiration from poems, music, or other media?
My inspiration for writing comes almost completely from my own observations and mediations of my own life. My pen flows the best when I look in the mirror and reflect on where I am in my life and how my actions affect myself and everyone around me. However, artists such as Logic, J Cole, Kendrick, Mac Miller, and Tyler The Creator passively push me to heighten my songwriting abilities just by listening to their own creations. Brockhampton as a whole also inspires me to write songs with more creativity than I once thought possible.
What can you share about your writing process?
My writing process is very isolating and needs to be done fully sober ha-ha. Nothing glamorous and sometimes it can be stressful, but when it is flowing, it feels better than anything in life. I’m very into big pockets or zones of writing and when it is flowing, I’m able to do it all week and crank out some really great ideas and freestyles that feel very natural. However, not all of my ideas work out, but just by being in a zone and creating so much, I’m able to create 4 or 5 verses I am really proud of each week.
Which artists in your opinion are killing it right now?
I’m finding myself really into emerging artists such as Chris Patrick, Tana Leone, Deante Hitchcock, Red Veil, Marlon Craft, and AG Club. Also, Baby Keem, Saba, Buddy, Reason, and Kota The Friend may be more established but I also see them grinding super hard to make a very strong connection to their fan bases. Collaborating with any of the people I just named above would be a huge accomplishment for my team and me.
How do you define success?
I define success not as an outcome but as a process. Working your ass off every day and making even just a 1% improvement towards your job, goals or dreams can be looked at as a success in my eyes. If you become solely outcome-focused, then you lose sight of the beauties and little wins that occur in front of your eyes every day. Being sober and aware that each little thing you do builds toward your desired outcome is easier said than done, but I challenge you to be grateful for each step.
What can your fans look forward to over the next six months? Music videos? Live gigs?
‘A Vibe Called West Vol.3’ will drop in November and we will have two shows celebrating that release before the year is over! We also are aiming to make a music video for one of our breakout singles, ‘The Rewind,’ that should drop sometime right before the new year. Finally, I have something special I am working on that will kick off the New Year with a bunch of new music and a completely new EP series. I wanna shout out to all of TEAM Grandview and our amazing fans for an incredible first year. I’m so blessed to have so many loving people on my team and supporting this amazing journey I am on as a musician and human being.
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