James Artissen and Bigg Baggz on Collaboration, Value and The Art Dealer

The Art Dealer begins with a useful creative tension: James Artissen builds through melody, atmosphere and arrangement, while Bigg Baggz brings a rawer delivery shaped by experience and personality. Rather than smooth out those differences, the five-track collaboration treats contrast as the point.

Released March 6, the project moves through ambition, relationships, nightlife and success while asking what gives a record lasting value. In the conversation below, Artissen and Bigg Baggz explain how they protected each other’s perspective, handled disagreement and left room for a possible second chapter.

James Artissen and Bigg Baggz: The Exposed Vocals Interview

The Art Dealer is built around two distinct voices sharing one vision. What first convinced each of you that this collaboration could become a full project rather than a single song?

James Artissen: What stood out to me was the contrast between our styles. Baggz brings a certain rawness and authenticity, and I approach music with a strong focus on melody, atmosphere, and emotion. Those differences gave us something interesting to build on. It felt like there was more to explore than just making one record. We had the opportunity to create a body of work where both of our perspectives could exist without either one having to compromise who we are as artists.

Bigg Baggz: For me, it was about the chemistry and the possibilities. When you work with somebody who brings a different perspective but understands the vision, you can create something that goes beyond what either person might do alone. We weren’t just trying to make songs together. We were building a project that represented both of us, and that made it worth taking further.

The title frames music as art and currency. What does “value” mean to each of you when you are making a record?

James Artissen: Value is bigger than numbers. It’s about what a record communicates, how it makes somebody feel, and whether it has the substance to last beyond the moment it was released. I look at music as something you create with intention. The production, the writing, the performances, and the emotion all contribute to its value. With The Art Dealer, there’s also the idea that we’re presenting different pieces of ourselves through music. Every record has something different to offer.

Bigg Baggz: Value comes from authenticity. You can have a record that sounds good, but if there’s nothing real behind it, people can feel that. My experiences, my mindset, and the things I’ve been through influence what I bring to a song. To me, the value is in making something people can connect with while still representing yourself honestly. The goal isn’t just to make something people consume today. It’s to make something they remember.

James, where did you deliberately leave space for Bigg Baggz’s perspective, and Bigg Baggz, where did James’s melodic approach push you somewhere new?

James Artissen: I wanted Bigg Baggz to have room to be himself. My job wasn’t to make everything fit one particular sound or force him into a melodic direction that didn’t feel natural. It was about creating the right musical environment for his voice, his delivery, and his personality to come through. Sometimes, the most important thing you can do as a producer is understand what not to add. Leaving space allows the artist’s character to become part of the production.

Bigg Baggz: James brought a different way of approaching the music. He creates another sound around the records, and it gives you different ways to think about the energy of a song. It isn’t just about getting on a beat and delivering bars. You start thinking about how the record feels as a whole, how the melodies and the lyrics work together, and how to make the song connect on more than one level. That opened up some different creative possibilities for me.

Which song best captures the project’s balance between vulnerability and grit, and what happened in the studio that made that balance click?

James Artissen: I think that balance comes through in the moments where the music gives the subject matter room to breathe. Vulnerability doesn’t always mean making a record soft, and grit doesn’t always mean making it aggressive. Sometimes, the strongest records are the ones where you hear both at the same time. The production has to support that tension without taking away from what the artist is saying. That’s an important part of the identity of The Art Dealer. But if I had to choose it would probably be “You Could Be The One.”

Bigg Baggz: For me, vulnerability and grit aren’t opposites. You can be confident and still have things you’re working through. You can talk about success while acknowledging what it took to get there. The balance comes from being honest without losing your edge. That’s what I wanted to bring to the project. You don’t have to hide the human side of yourself to make a strong record. One of my favorites is “Vibrate.”

The EP moves through ambition, relationships, nightlife, and success. Which theme felt most personal to write about, and why?

James Artissen: Ambition is a big part of how I approach music because there’s always a vision beyond where you are right now. You’re constantly building, learning, and trying to bring something into reality that didn’t exist before. At the same time, relationships and personal experiences influence the way you hear things and the way you create. I like that this project can move between those different worlds. It reflects the fact that people aren’t defined by just one side of their lives.

Bigg Baggz: The personal side of the music is important because ambition and success don’t happen in a vacuum. There are experiences, relationships, decisions, and sacrifices behind them. Everybody sees the result, but they don’t always see what went into getting there. I wanted the project to have that balance. You can enjoy the nightlife and celebrate success, but there’s also a story behind the person living that life.

How did producers James Artissen, Ronell Sessoms, and 24LMG divide the sonic work, and what did Tory G’s mix bring into focus?

James Artissen: We each contributed to the project’s overall musical direction in our own ways. My approach was centered on bringing the different elements together and making sure the production supported the identity of the project. Ronell Sessoms and 24LMG were part of shaping the sonic landscape, and having multiple creative perspectives helped give the EP dimension without losing its overall direction. The goal was to make the records feel connected while allowing each one to have its own personality. Tory G’s mixing helped bring the individual elements into focus. A mix is about more than making everything audible; it’s about creating separation, balance, depth, and impact. You want the vocals to sit properly in the music, the production to have room to breathe, and the whole record to translate as intended. That final stage is an important part of making the creative vision come across clearly.

Bigg Baggz: Having different people contribute to the sound gave the project different textures while keeping it connected. Each record needed to work on its own, but it also had to make sense as part of the bigger picture. Tory G helped bring clarity and balance to the finished records so the performances and the production could work together. All those details matter when you’re trying to make a project feel complete.

When your instincts disagreed during the process, how did you decide which direction served the project?

James Artissen: You have to be willing to separate your personal attachment to an idea from what’s actually best for the record. Everybody comes into the studio with their own instincts, and that’s part of the creative process. The important thing is understanding the objective. Are we making the song stronger? Does the decision support the emotion? Does it fit the overall vision? When you approach it that way, a disagreement can become an opportunity to discover something neither person initially considered.

Bigg Baggz: We both have our own perspectives, and that’s part of what makes the collaboration interesting. You have to be open-minded enough to hear somebody else’s point of view without feeling like you’re losing your own identity. At the end of the day, it’s about the music. If a different approach makes the record better, you have to be willing to consider it. The goal is to create something we’re both proud to put our names on.

What do you hope a listener understands differently about each artist after hearing all five tracks in sequence?

James Artissen: I hope listeners recognize the range in what I bring to music. There’s the production and the melodic side, but there’s also the bigger picture of how all those elements come together to tell a story. I want people to understand that I’m interested in creating complete musical experiences, not just individual moments. The Art Dealer also gives listeners a chance to hear how my approach can complement another artist without losing its own identity.

Bigg Baggz: I hope people hear more dimensions to me as an artist. There’s the confidence and the grit, but there’s also thought behind the music. I want people to hear the personality, the perspective, and the different sides of who I am. Doing a full project gives listeners more time to understand that. You’re not just hearing one song and making a judgment. You’re hearing different sides of the same person.

Since the March release, which song or idea has drawn the strongest response from listeners, and did that reaction surprise you?

James Artissen: One thing I’m interested in seeing with a project like this is which records connect with people for reasons beyond what you initially expected. As creators, we can become attached to particular production choices or the story behind a song, but listeners bring their own experiences to the music. Sometimes, they connect with a lyric, a melody, or a feeling that you didn’t realize would stand out to them. That connection is part of what makes releasing music rewarding. However, “What You Tryna Do” has gotten the most attention with the music video attached to it.

Bigg Baggz: You can go into a project with your own ideas about what people might gravitate toward, but everybody hears music differently. People connect with different records depending on where they are in life and what they’re going through. For me, the important thing is that the music gives them something to connect with. Every song has a purpose, and I want people to find the ones that speak to them personally.

What are you each building next, and is there another chapter planned for this partnership?

James Artissen: I’m continuing to build as an artist, producer, and creative, with a focus on developing the sound and the larger vision behind what I do. I want every release to represent growth, both musically and creatively. The Art Dealer is an important part of that process because it shows what can happen when different perspectives come together around a shared vision. As for the partnership, I believe in letting the music and the creative chemistry guide what comes next. If there’s another chapter, it should bring something new to the table.

Bigg Baggz: I’m focused on continuing to grow, putting out music, and showing people more of what I bring to the table. You never want to stand still as an artist. Every project should move you forward and give listeners another reason to pay attention. Working with James created an opportunity to explore a different side of the music, and I’m open to continuing that if the next chapter makes sense creatively. The foundation is there, so the possibilities are open. There may be an Art Dealer 2.

The partnership works because neither artist treats compromise as erasure. Artissen’s focus on space and melodic architecture gives Baggz room to retain his voice, while Baggz’s directness keeps the project’s polish connected to lived experience. Whether or not Art Dealer 2 arrives, this first chapter makes the case for contrast as a durable creative method.