There is new surge of rising artists that are entering the music industry and those that present an overall talent and a “growing fan base” are usually the first ones to receive an “entry pass” inside. Meet, NatStar, a young aspiring musician who has been writing and producing R&b and Hip Hop music since he was eleven years of age. Natstar hails from North Carolina and by his late teens his music and writing talent caught the attention of top artist including singers, ‘Brandy’, ‘Adina Howard’, ‘Black Street’ and more!
Natstar kept persistent and decided that he was going to work simultaneously in building his brand as an artist and produce and write songs for other artists as well. Spending most of his time traveling abroad, the 25 year-old says his music is a “fresh new sound” and is sure to get you pay attention.
Describing his sound as a mix of Hip Hop, R&B, Jazz, Soul and Gospel, he’s a triple threat as he sings, raps and produces for a diverse mix of genres.
Following his lead single ’23’ success and video which nabbed over 95,000 views on youtube thus far, Natstar unveils his new album recently entitled “Dreamer“. Could he be up next?
On His Introduction To Music:
“I’ve been doing music for a long time – since the age of eleven. What really sparked my interest in Hip Hop was listening to “Nothing Bu A G Thing” by Dr. Dre and Snoop and I was like “Man This Is Dope” . So my dad brought me a keyboard when I was eleven years old. and I started learning how to produce and with learning how to produce I learned how to write and rap. From eleven years old I began writing and producing my own songs so that’s how it all started for me.”
Producing A Track For Lil Wayne:
“I did a beat for Lil Wayne back in 2005 and we spoke briefly on the phone but what I got back from his manager was that the song was recorded and was slated to be on the Carter II but it never made the cut. I never got a copy of the record but it was definitely recorded.”
On Other Artist He’s Produced Or Wrote Songs For:
“I was fortunate to produce tracks for other notable artists including singer, Adena Howard, 90’s rap group Camp Lo, Brandy, Loon, Mark Middleton from black street – I wrote and produce two songs for him. So majority of my resume hails from production but in terms of song writing I write R&B and rap songs.”
On The New Album:
“It’s interesting because it originally had a different name, different cover, and different release date,. The album was suppose to drop in June but after going through the songs and thinking about what I was going through at the time – I decided to scrap the entire album and do all new material because I like to base my music on my reality and I like it to reflect what I am going through at that moment. “
On His Favorite Tracks Of The Album:
“My favorite tracks on the album is ‘23‘, ‘On Fire’ ‘Ball Don’t Lie’ ,’Out Of Town‘ and ‘Tell Me‘. The last album I dropped was last year back in April entitled ‘Art With No Easel‘. Every year I drop an album to sustain my fans and keep their interest and in return I always get inspired to get better with every project I do”
To listen, preview or download Natstar new album here!
“I have Frank Ramsey [who’s from the bronx actually] ‘Cold War‘, , I also have Big Remo [signed artist from NC] who’s on the “Think Like A King” Track” and the bonus track “Choose To Believe” which features a polish pop star. She’s huge in Poland and there a video [on you tube] out right now and its getting a big buzz right now.”
There were so many records I wanted to put out but when I compiled the album I wanted to give it the perfect blend. So if you listen to the entire album you’ll notice that there are short songs like “What More” and “Smile Sarah” which is a minute and a half. I also have a speech on the album by a guy name Eric Thomas – its a extension of the track ‘23′ and its about two minute. So the album appears longer than it actually it is.
On Music Influences:
” First I have to say – Dr. Dre is my all time. I almost credit him for my introduction to Hip Hop. Jay-Z is my favorite rapper but I’m influenced by Nas, Timbaland, …and you know I spent ALOT of time overseas in Singapore [over in Asia] and I was exposed to alot of music and different styles of music that people often gravitate towards. For instance, people may not know Pitbull, and rapper, Flo-Rida are actually the biggest WorldWide rappers. Maybe not in the states but their popularity and music is HUGE -so I pay attention to that as well. “
“I spent majority of 2010 and 2011 overseas and I rarely heard any of the current artists [who are big in the U.S.] music played there”
On Advice To Aspiring Artists:
“Stay Driven! Be determined and most importantly believe in yourself and invest in yourself . Things may look easier on the outside but you must be willing to work HARD and keep at it to THRIVE in this business.
Support good music PLUM’s! Be sure to keep up with Natstar on twitter, instagram, facebook and website: officialnatstar.com