Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
J.Branz: I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya in a neighborhood called Langata. Ever since I was a kid all I literally remember consistently was tuning on the TV at 3:00PM when music shows used to start airing and trying to memorize tracks, the artist’s names, the lyrics to every song played. It was crazy, I guess that made me want to do music.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
J.Branz: there really aint much thought to it, my government name is Brandwell Jeremy so it would sound corny as hell using it as a stage name so yeah….J.Branz is short and simple.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
J.Branz: I think its amazing coz the radio can’t accommodate every artist out there so online sharing exposes people to people with different styles that you’ll never hear anywhere else. Yeah my music is definitely for free because this is art or my views am sharing and if I sell this it’s against everything I stand for because all I ever asked for was to be heard.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
J.Branz: Am still a local artist who’s just lucky to attend various events I see on social media and the paper to gain recognition by just being there and dropping like my hottest 16bars I wrote the previous night or a week prior when the MC asks if anyone got something to say at the shows. You know, shit every start up does to get their name out there.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
J.Branz: Its hella crazy, I download a shitload of instrumentals and just go shower as I try free styling to them then play a full length album of any conscious rapper from common to talib, Lupe you name it. After that everything just flows as i write.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
J.Branz: Yeah I use sound cloud, you can check out my music on https://soundcloud.com/jbranz
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
J.Branz: Build a studio that will constantly be equipped with everything needed, hire producers and the rest of the money definitely use to enjoy what life offers be it vices or anything else.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
J.Branz: Text every damn person in your contact lists the link and ensure you nag them to share it. As always the rule of ten gonna apply here three will like it, three wont, the remaining four will be clueless about their feelings towards your music. The three that like it though will share it and the cycle will continue.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
J.Branz: Yeah am working on my first mixtape, Nappy Soprano, so far am producing every single track along with a friend who’s really talented in production then the recording starts on October. Hopefully we release it late this year or early next year.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
J.Branz: Probably just focusing on my university course which am already splitting its concentration time with music.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
J.Branz: To be honest I give my music limited time because at the of the day I got responsibilities that am expected to have done regardless whether am working on my music or not.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
J.Branz: A lot more but as for now they can light one and plug on their earphones to this->https://soundcloud.com/jbranz/breatheasy
