"Primarily, Maple" is the third and final rendition of this version. It's a fun, enjoyable, feel-good album made with love. It's a concise album with original compositions meant to push Smyles music forward. Smyles was studying for the Security+ exam while making this album. It took him a month to finish the project in total. The focal point of this album was to have fun and see people smile and be like man, you did your fucking thing on this one. Smyles wanted to bring back a sound in music that was missing. He wanted to create a somewhat free-spirited cinematic experience similar to a blaxploitation film or musical.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Smyles. What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
I feel like my biggest strength as an artist is being spontaneous, I never like to repeat the process or stay stagnate. I like to keep pushing my sound forward because then I can cater to multiple genres or ethnicities and show everyone that I'm very versatile.
Who inspired you to make music?
Late Registration by Kanye West is the album that inspired me to make music. That album had beautiful live instrumentation and plus Kanye using Jon Brion was a match made in heaven. I love the little pop flourishes Jon was able to add along with Kanye's great ear for samples.
Your latest release is 'Primarily, Maple'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
I was in the middle of studying for the Sec+ exam when I made Primarily, Maple. After listening back to Trans-Emotional I wanted to make an album that was fun yet very distinctive. I would listen to a lot of songs and envision myself being around in that timeframe. The production from the album mostly was inspired by being bored with Hip-hop sounds. I didn't want to make a Hip-Hop record, I avoided that shit at all costs. I was always in love with the story of Midnight Cowboy, So I came up with an album and a story that could fit right in that setting/scope of the story. This was the fastest album I've made because SoulBear and Trans-Emotional took me a while to complete. I finished making this album within 1-2 months.
Can you shortly describe each of the tracks that are on the album?
Not a Soul (Can Touch Me)- A great fun opener reminding me of the movie opener of Shaft. I wanted a epic beginning similar to Shaft or Saturday Night Fever.
Ain't No Sugar Free- A very funky latin inspired jam that I wanted to explore more deep rhythms with. Ramsey Lewis passed away after I finished this beat. I sampled his song Sun Goddess on the track. Shoutout to Banda Black Rio as well, Underrated band.
In Ya Jeep(Boom It!)- I wanted a song anyone can blast at high volumes. It was fun making that track.
Everyone's Favorite Negro- I wanted a song that encapsulates how I felt making this album. I literally felt like everyone's favorite negro making this throwback jam. It's one of the best beats and songs I have made so far.
Off the Silly- Fuck this song lol, It was originally supposed to be an afrobeat song but that beat was so terrible. I came up with this version and liked the transitions so I kept it. It's very goofy.
Hot Zamn- I wanted a nice interlude that was hot and sexy. It's very playful and catchy. Almost like a commercial.
Puma RS-X- I love PUMAs, I love their shoes and clothing. So I wanted to dedicate a song that was aimed at my love for the brand of Pumas. Also, Rest in Peace Michael Jackson, He inspired a lot of my music on this album as well.
Sweet Muhfuckah- I wanted a fun modern sounding jazz dance song that pretty much brings out the joy of me making this album. This is one of my favorite songs as well. I sampled a lot of different artists to make this track feel complete.
Letha, Les- Dedicated to my Grandma Letha and Uncle Les who are no longer here with us. They would have loved this song if they were here to hear it.
Forever, Forever, Ever- Inspired by Outkast/J-Dilla, I wanted a song that brings some closure to this project. It's a very personal song for me and I used the Ms. Jackson sample as a metaphor to explain how I really felt after making this album. This song is meant for deep listening besides the catchy melody and groovy drum loops.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest musical trends?
I want to set the trends, not follow them. I can see other producers wanting to steal this type of sound or saturate this type of sound. I love all types of music and I like to combine different genres together to get one united sound. I want people to be inspired by what I can do, so they can say to themselves, Damn man I wish I had that type of ability like Smyles.
What makes you different from others?
Each of my albums has a different sound, I never give you recycled music or ideas. I like to give everyone my best ideas translated inside of a DAW. I enjoy making music that other people wouldn't dare do. I like being original and taking risks with my music. I want to go complete NUTS!!! on my next album that I do.
What’s an average day like for you?
As of right now, Work and sleep. I haven't started my next album yet. I will eventually come up with an idea and go from there. When I was making this album, I would listen to different records or samples each day. I would spend hours reading/studying for the Sec+ exam and come across multiple songs where I'm like " HAS ANYONE ELSE USED THIS, IF NOT I WILL"
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans.
Instagram stories, but I need to do better. I should get a twitter and start a Smyles page on there. I want to reach out to all my listeners and hear their feedback whether it's good or bad. I love all my fans, and I would treat them better than I treat myself.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
If you hear someone doubt you, politely walk away. If you are around people who don't want to see you succeed, find a new group of friends. Lastly, If you love music more than anything else, don't hold back. Leave all of your feelings and emotions inside of your music and share it. Failure is just as important as succeeding.
What are your plans for the future?
I would love to have a family and eventually maybe write a movie. I would love to write movies honestly. Movies are an underrated part of my music vision. I love making music but eventually I will grow old a nd won't have the same memory or reflexes like I do now. I probably have a few more albums left in me before I walk away from this. But in the meantime Thank you to everyone who has loved/liked some of my songs. Thank you Musosoup and LITM for this opportunity.