Ya Boy$ Ant: Inspirational Hustle

Anyone who has ever been to New York and ridden the subway knows that you are likely to get some kind of show while riding along the tracks. If it is not the antics of the people around you, it may simply be a singer or a dancer looking to share there art with the people in the train cart.  While some may find this act frustrating and uncomfortable to be around, there is value in listening to what they have to say.

A couple of weeks ago, while riding the downtown 4 train into Manhattan from the Bronx, I encountered one of these performers, and while I usually turn a blind eye and go on about my day, something about one in particular caught my attention; his name is Antione Johnson, or as he calls himself artistically, Ya Boy$ Ant.

Ant is a 21-year-old rapper who was born and raised in the Bronx, NY and that day on the train he shared a spoken word he wrote that was inspired by his neighborhood in the Bronx.  His energy was one of a kind, and instead of asking for money like many of these performers do, he simply said he would take anything at all, “a thumbs up, some feedback, a smile….”

Ant shares, that while at first he was nervous about sharing his work on the trains, he was inspired by another performer that he saw doing it, “I liked the response he got from the people on the cart. That alone gave me the spark to try the next day,” he says.  Ant stays humble though, and says that writing is something he has been doing and has enjoyed since he was about 8 years old, and it was only when he got older, in his late teens that he decided that it was something he wanted to do professionally.

With his mother being his biggest personal inspiration, and his musical muse coming from the streets of the Bronx and other artists like Eminem, 50 Cent and Kanye West, Ant is sure to make an impression. He is smooth in his delivery and knows exactly how to captivate an audience.  “I just really want to give back to my people and make good music,” he says. 

Connect with Ya Boy$ Ant:

YouTube: YaBoysAnt

Twitter: @YaBoysAnt

Instagram: @YaBoysAnt

Email: YaBoysAnt@gmail.com

Live Hart: Honesty

The art of songwriting can be an interesting one, which is tugging at the imagination and real life experiences of the writer.  While some artists like to create scenarios in their mind and write from those would be experiences, others like to dig deep inside themselves and use personal experience, both past and present, to fuel their writing.  Singer/songwriter Live Hart likes to write on the basis of personal experience, and with her debut album “Honesty” released this past December, she has proven to be just that; honest about her experiences and feelings, bringing them all to attention in this simple, soulful and heartwarming production. 

Live thrives on bringing a piece of herself to the audience through her work.  She shares that when she was looking for a title for her project, “The word “honest” came to mind and went from there. With the production, I simply wanted a live, colorful feel to the album.”

The album, which includes 10 heartwarming tracks that are a sure treat to the ear, is what Live has coined as Alternative Soul, which is a fusion of sounds put together in a special way. When asked which song on the production was her favorite, Live was a bit stumped, admitting that they are all very special to her. However she did say that “Please Don’t Say It’s Over”, and “I’m Gone” were her favorites because their sound matches exactly what she imagined while writing. 

As an independent artist, Live is no stranger to what it means to have to make things happen for herself.  She admits that her biggest challenge thus far is finding enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done.  “Not only are you creating the music, you're also managing a large part of your career by yourself. It almost becomes a balancing act trying to do everything and then do it well,” says Live.  However she is doing just that: making music and doing it well!  Live’s ultimate goal is to win a Grammy, but in the meantime she will continue to create awesome music and stay true to herself along the way!

To see if Live will be in your area, visit her site here: http://www.livehartonline.com/category/shows/

Connect with Live Hart:

Website:  http://www.livehartonline.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Live-Hart/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/livehart 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/livehart/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCilDzO9HgsA8GXC9hxxg_iA 

Enso Taves: Music and Personal Satisfaction

They say that one should never stop chasing their dreams. That through hard work and persistence, you can overcome all obstacles and become anything you wish to become. After many years of soul searching and looking trying to find ways to make himself happy, singer, and musician, Enso Taves has decided that music is the key to his own happiness and inner peace.

Enso Taves came to know music through the strings of a guitar in his early teen years; he describes his first encounter with the instrument as not only life changing and moving, but also very sudden. Before even realizing, he traded sports and video games for the strings of a guitar and the sweet sounds that came from this musically synergistic relationship. “I was 13 years old when my father allowed me to take my first guitar lesson with a local teacher and after my fourth lesson I had already learned all of the basic positions,” shares Enso Taves, who is able to play multiple instruments including the uke, electric bass, melodica, piano, keyboard synthesizers, flute, and others.

Well versed in everything that is music, Taves admits that he cannot say that he has any one genre as his favorite but confesses to being influenced by people of all genres. Some of these influences include, Debussy’s Orchestral works, Hector Lavoe, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett among others—a wide range of musical talent, making for the diverse and well rounded artist that is Enso Taves.

Currently, Taves is working on a series of live performance videos called Enso Taves 1.0 with the purpose being to share his music with a larger audience, and put his skills to the test. “I am currently working on rediscovering my musical self after several years of music education in several colleges in different states and in the Dominican Republic,” says Taves. His goal here is to blend knowledge with experience in order to show the public his true self; as being an authentic artist is one of his most important goals. So now, after having worked countless jobs that have left him feeling unfulfilled and empty, Enso Taves is stepping out into the scene with all that he has to offer!

Check out Enso Taves on Bandcamp: https://ensotaves.bandcamp.com

Coreen is back!

You may remember Coreen from A Vocal Accord's very first post back in 2013. Since then, Coreen has continued with her studies and will be graduating from Pace University this May.  Coreen has been working hard on improving her talent as an artist and can't wait to come back and share more with you all. Check out this video of Coreen singing "Colgando en Tus Manos" with her uncle just last week.

🎶 colgando en tus manos 🎶❤️ pic.twitter.com/7C7Vgx37MU

— Melonie E. (@__melonie__) February 27, 2015

Anouk Slootmans: Simplicity and Inspiration

Anouk Slootmans is a singer songwriter from the Netherlands who aims to deliver a positive and inspiring message to the youth through her music.  While her first performances began in her early teens, Anouk has been singing and acting all of her life—proof that she is a natural talent just waiting for her moment to shine. Anouk’s first single, “Behind a Smile” was released in October of 2013 and reached the top charts on iTunes and other digital music stores; something she admits she never expected.  From there, she went on to release two more songs—“24/7” and “Rise Above”, all of which have gotten airplay on radio and TV.

Anouk admits that while she is always upbeat and working on new material, it is difficult to push out negative thoughts due to the fact that she is somewhat of a perfectionist.  Anouk says that she is constantly challenged by herself, but that this serves as a constant reminder that she should not be afraid to fail, that mistakes are a part of being human.

“Most important is that you enjoy what you do, because that's why you do it, because you love it. I know more singers and people struggle with this. I hope they are able to realize this themselves too,” she shares.  Anouk’s goal is to incorporate real life feelings and scenarios in her music so that people can be reminded that they are truly not alone in anything they are experiencing.

This method of connecting with her audience through the use of relatable topics and life experiences is something that Anouk admires about her favorite artist—Demi Lovato. “What I think is so beautiful as well, is that she's not only using her voice or fame to sing, but that she also tries to help and inspire younger girls,” says Anouk, adding that Demi is what she considers to be the perfect artist.

Anouk’s message to the world is simple and inspiring:  “follow your dreams and be yourself”.  Anouk says that the most important thing people can learn is that they are beautiful just the way they are, and self-love is the key to being happy. 

Connect with Anouk:

www.anoukslootmans.com

Facebook:  OfficialAnoukSlootmans

Instagram:  @anoukslootman

YouTube:  AnoukSlootmans

Mala Reignz: Redefining the "Bad Girl"

Fearless, independent and redefining what it is to be a “bad girl” that is, rapper Mala Reignz.  A Latina, born and raised in the Bronx, Mala was exposed to all kinds of music growing up, “when you’re here, you definitely adapt to what’s popular here,” she says as she remembers the importance of hip-hop in the Bronx during her upbringing. 

Mala admits that music was something that she stumbled into.  While she was always good at writing and enjoyed it very much, it was not until college that she really began to take it seriously.  As a single mother in college who was very much on her own, Mala’s time to do homework and write her poetry was late at night once her son was asleep, “I used to play music in the background and I didn’t realize that as I was writing my poetry, I was writing to the beat,” she shared.    

Mala’s experience during college is what equipped her with the tools to make the right decisions and learn the tricks of the trade at a very young age.  “Not a lot of people know this about me but I worked in the industry,” she says.  After interning for Mun2 and working at Jack Move (a production company owned by Cipha Sound of Hot 97), Mala learned how to walk the walk and talk the talk.  All skills that she has carried with her to this day, “I knew a lot of the lingo and how to deal with certain people…once you speak their language it helps a lot.”

However Mala is far from your average female rapper, she is also the founder and creator of Bad Girl Chainz, a line of necklaces she originally created to make herself stand out in a crowd.  Mala’s decision to sell Bad Girl Chainz came from the fact that people wanted to know how they could get theirs. “She’s the paper doll that broke off the chain, she’s the one that’s different.  And you know when you’re different than what everyone expects or wants you to be they point you out as a bad girl and that’s kind of what it is,” she explains; the chains are currently available on Groupon.

Currently, Mala is working with her partner J30 with whom she has cofounded their own record label with, called ScholarVMG.  The label has signed their first deal with Chris Gotti of Addventure Records of Warner Brothers, “Now we have a way to get our music everywhere and help others,” she says with excitement.  Mala has also released two music videos, “Hands Up” discussing the current issue of police brutality and a “Seen It All (Remix)”.  Surely, the future is bright for Mala and she will continue to break barriers as she paves the way for other strong and independent women like herself.

Connect with Mala Reignz:

Official Website:  http://www.badgirlreignz.com // http://www.scholarvmg.com/

Facebook  MalaReignzMusic

Twitter @MalaReignz

Instagram  @MalaReignz

YouTube  MalaReignz