Q&A With Rising New York Based Hip Hop Artist Bliss Consciousness
Hey Bliss Consciousness! We definitely had a great run promoting your album BANDIT for well over 2+ weeks on our homepage, the banner ad was really a good look!! We value artists who actually invest in themselves and understand how vital impressions are! Please tell us, how did you find UGHHBLOG? How long have you been in the music business? And how did you get your Emcee name?
The name “Bliss Consciousness” is the highest form of consciousness you can achieve in Transcendental Meditation. I’ve been practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) for the past 6 years and it has completely changed my life. So my emcee name is an ode to my meditation practice. I found UGHHHBLOG on the web! You guys are a huge help to the hip hop community so it’s an honor to have you guys review my album and interview me. I’ve been performing in bands since I was 15 years old, so about 13 years. I’ve played all around New York and the Tri-state area.
To know there is an up and coming artist like yourself reppin the New York, just goes to show the state is in good hands!!! Tell us about the scene out there, and how has your state influenced you’re in any way?
There’s a huge music scene here in general. Rap, Hip Hop, Acoustic Singer/Songwriter, Indie, Metal. I’m fortunate enough to live in the greatest city in the world, especially for artists. There are so many talented people here, it’s crazy. I was born and raised in New York, this state has taught me a lot. It’s given and taken away but I wouldn’t change a thing. I am very grateful to call Long Island my home.
Lets face it, social media since 2015 has grown tremendously, especially IG!!! Tell us how is your IG grind is looking, and how have you been able to keep up with the high demand on social media? Do you have a website??
My Instagram has been slowly building. The truth is, Facebook is my bread and butter. I’ve gained 18K+ followers in the past 4 months and I have been funneling them to my Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud, etc. You can follow me on all those sites here: https://www.instagram.com/_iambliss_/
https://twitter.com/_IAMBL1SS_
https://soundcloud.com/user-665163458
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuvCEId1e-5Utig58GJczrA
www.iambliss.co
From the looks of it, your album on soundcloud is killin it! How long have you been utilizing soundcloud? Has soundcloud been able to grow your audience? We know plenty of artists out there who would kill to have your soundcloud numbers! Any marketing strategy behind it?
Marketing is everything in this business. The sad truth is it doesn’t matter how good you sound, it matters who you can put it in front of. Some of the most talented people in the world we will never hear because they can’t market themselves properly. And on the other end of the spectrum you hear garbage on the radio that’s very popular because they DID market themselves properly. Soundcloud has been a great tool to grow my audience but Facebook is where the real money’s at. I implemented a marketing strategy on Facebook that has been priceless. I’ve gained THOUSANDS of followers for fraction of a penny per person. And that in turn has grown my Soundcloud, Instagram, Twitter, etc…
Please breakdown the creative process to your latest album “BANDIT”?
“BANDIT” was the product of a bad breakup and losing something very close to me. I’ve always been a writer. I’ve entered and won several poetry competitions as a child and I’ve been writing all my own lyrics for different projects I’ve been involved in for the past 15 years. I needed an outlet and just started writing and never stopped. I wrote all 15 tracks for “Bandit” in the span of 2 weeks. I hooked up with my producer Steve Mecca of MEC Music who I had previously worked with an earlier project. We recorded the entire album in under 10 days. However, the mixing and mastering took another 3 months. We really took our time with the mixing and mastering portion to ensure we put out something I was really proud of. And we did.
How often do you perform live?? Any indie DIY tours in the works?
I perform with a full band who plays all my music live. Yes, I’m setting up a tour this May throughout the NY Tri-state area.
How do you feel about the whole XAN & LEAN trend these kids nowadays are on!!!..LOL??? Be honest, do you use some of that stuff??..LOL
I think that all that shits poison. There is a pill epidemic which is causing these kids to turn to harder drugs like heroin and overdosing. I’ve personally seen over 5 different people die from heroin overdoses in my town alone. And it all started with a pill habit. It’s not their fault though, these doctors are so quick to write a prescription and these kids get hooked. They run out of their prescription and turn to the streets to get their fix. It’s a much bigger problem than just the addicts and the pharmaceutical companies are to blame. One of America’s biggest businesses is pharmaceutical drugs and healthcare. They want you sick, that’s how they get paid. They don’t give a fuck about you. They just want their money. And then you have these rappers that glorify the shit, and these young kids look up to them and think it’s cool. I’m here to teach the kids that’s not the way, you don’t need drugs to be happy. Do I use that shit? Fuck no! I got too much work to do and too many goals to accomplish to waste my time fucked up on Xanax.
What you got cooking next? Any special for the new year 2018!!??
2018 is the year of Bliss. I have so many things coming down the pipe it’s gonna be hard to not see my name pop up. My next album “Sleep Deprived, Calorie Deficient and Slowly Descending Into Madness” will be out on April 13th, 2018. There’s 12 tracks and I’m shooting videos for every single one. Also, my podcast, The Bliss Consciousness Podcast, is launching this month. It’s a professionally produced, filmed radio show with very high production quality. I call it a podcast but it’s more like a T.V. show. You can check it out at https://www.facebook.com/iambliss.co/. Once the album is released I’m getting right back in the studio to work on my third album which I’ll release in October of 2018. We’re just getting started and picking up steam everyday.
Where do yousee yourself if 5yrs (2023)?
5 years? Shit man, I just hope I’m still alive lol. I didn’t think I’d be where i am now 5 years ago so who knows. I don’t focus on the future, I try to stay as present as possible and be the best person I can be every single day. That logic has gotten me this far so if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Where can fans find your music? Drop all link!!
You can download “BANDIT” for free at www.iambliss.co.
You can also follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/_iambliss_/
https://twitter.com/_IAMBL1SS_
https://soundcloud.com/user-665163458
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuvCEId1e-5Utig58GJczrA
Any new shout outs?
Special thanks to Steve Mecca of MEC Music. Without him I couldn’t have made my vision a reality. And Bobby Frey of Mind State Media. He shoots and edits all my videos and is a very talented videographer. I am very grateful for both of them. Also, special thanks to all my close friends who have shown their unwavering support. And my fans. I love you all.
Thank you so much UGHHBLOG for taking the time to review my album and for the interview. Hope to work with you again!
