Creative Freedom: Illezo (MATURA)

 Quotes to Love

“I’m not talking about getting 360 deals when I say I hate labels. I think when we call ourselves something specific, we run the risk of boxing ourselves into a category and limit our creative freedom.” 

~On Titles in the Music Industry~

Can we turn it up for Royal Oak, Michigan?!!!!!!!

Yes, because with about 10 shows (or more) under his belt and a passion for versatility in styles and genres of Pop and Rap we see that he is running at full speed. Illezo stopped for a moment to share a little bit about his love for music and we are thankful! So, let’s check it out…

He comes from a creative and entrepreneurial family, but music was not something he was exposed to at a young age; neither of his parents played instruments or sang so music was a new route for both creative expression and business.

Many people listen to music to escape from their reality but then some listen so they can connect with other people. He has gotten more vulnerable in his music to really bring out his abilities. He really enjoys people and loves connecting through music and performance. He shares with full humility…”I want someone who has been looking at a puzzle piece of themselves for a long time to see that it’s a perfect fit in a more complete picture of who they are as a human and not a piece to hide or discard.”

He believes that his is strongest skill(s) definitely emerge in songwriting. He is intentional with his word choice and takes his time to make sure he’s saying things specifically in a way that conveys the message he intends for it to be heard in. He practices singing, but in his mind he will be there soon. He definitely considers himself an MC as well because his live shows are both his favorite and the most impactful parts of his career. In a moment of reflection with a smile he shares: “When you can connect with people in a room and create positive energy and experience, there isn’t a better feeling.”

 

His current project is called MATURA, and it’s really an exploration into more of the pop side of his music. He’s been working on singing and production more so it will show more of his versatility.

 

When it comes to writing music, that responsibility isn't just on Pat it’s also shared with his team. Since starting to compose more instrumentally, he’s worked with members of his team “much more talented than I am” says he.., to help him build out the best music he can. One day he will write all of the lyrics, then other days he makes the entire instrumental, but then again there are times when he writes the vocal melody, so there isn’t just one thing that he always does and the collaboration definitely makes for better Art.

When Pat was in high school, he had a very motivating English teacher by the name of Jason Jones who encouraged him to continue writing poetry. He enjoyed it as an outlet. He didn’t share much of his work, but he learned a lot about himself in the process. Which opened the door for him to become a band kid and his mom talked him into taking a course at the local community college at night where he learned more about video editing and some basic music production. 

After putting a few songs together and falling in love with the process, he bought some equipment and started writing and recording with a few friends. He continued to work on music and moved more into working on his own individual journey. He found his voice and began collaborating with other incredible artists and meeting different creative people to work with has been one of the best parts of being involved with music. He really loves the whole process because there are no rules and you get to paint any picture you want on a canvas of silence.

When Artists create they have at least one song that they really were feeling during the process. Of course for Pat this song changes day to day, but his favorite song right now is from his upcoming project called: Autumn and he worked with Billy Famous to create it. Billy is an incredible creative force and he handled most of the production on the song. We work very well together and can grab the baton when one of us is stuck on a portion. He’s another member of the AGiLE SOCiETY family, which is the collective of brilliant Artists that he works with.

 

 

When you finally have an opportunity to step out on a stage in front of people that love and support your music it’s tough to tell which performances you really loved but Pat has vivid memories of every show he’s done. He did a show at Bleu Detroit where he met JR and from there really started taking music seriously. The crowd was incredible that night. He also did a show at PJ’s Lager House most recently and, again, his crowd always shows off for him. At the PJ’s show, he also had a full camera crew making him feel like a Rockstar. He also performed a few songs with Kobierich which were unforgettable. The energy at each show is something he is forever grateful for and he appreciates everyone always coming out and having a great time with him.

When challenges arise, there are many different ways to approach them, but with Pat he feels like every day has a new lesson to impact his career. It’s been a long journey so far and he’s loved every minute of it. One experience in particular that impacted him greatly was when he started performing live. It changed everything, from his approach to songwriting to his production. He writes now to account for crowd interaction, connection and engagement. He includes more builds and breaks in his productions as that creates a special type of energy that fans can really feel.

 

Most Artist don’t just sing or rap they also have other ventures. As a creator and someone who has grown up in a business-focused family of entrepreneurs, he is always up to something. He has a side project for design, social media, branding, PR and video content called the Nebulae Agency. He is also working to build out a course with an incredible engineer Rudy Youmans through Studio 221B. He has a new idea every day so he tries his very best to stay focused on the things he’s doing. But, he’s really a utility player on every team he’s on so if they need something to be successful, he learns what he needs to or he finds someone who is a good fit to fill the role.

 

      

 

 

ILLEZO Advice

If you have any interest in any medium of self-expression, do it. There is a very high chance you’re going to be awful when you first start. I know I was. But keep trying if you enjoy it. You’ll find that you continue to improve with each project you work on, and you’ll continue to surprise yourself with what you can create. Go out and do it. Trust in yourself and understand that using your personal taste as a guide will be what makes you unique.

Don’t get into it for the money. It’s fine to work to build a career and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t intend to make this a full time job, but I don’t create to get rich. I make music because I love doing it and I’m thankful every time I’m able to get paid for doing something I truly love.
 

Catch more of him and his music here:

Instagram at @Illezo

You can also find him on Facebook YouTube SoundCloud TikTok and pretty much anywhere else by searching: 

Pat Polzin (Illezo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laritza Orce: God-Mother of Credit

Laritza Orce

grew up in an Island in the Caribbean Seas called: Cuba.

When she started in life her focus was accounting.

She always had a mind for business, but she never saw herself owning one. Initially instead of owning a business, her idea was to be a great employee for an already established company. 

In 2013, she was recruited to become a front desk associate by

Sheila Bryan. This beautiful spirit encouraged her by saying that she saw potential in her, which she didn't see in herself. Ms. Bryan encouraged her to read, listen to inspirational audio, and visit business or women's empowerment conventions.

 

But she always gave her excuses, yet Ms. Bryan never gave up on her and even asked, "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" During that time, she was flat out broke and miserable in a toxic marriage. The thought of being in the same position for another 5 years made her cringe. The next day she went with Ms. Bryan to a business meeting and that’s when she made the decision to become an entrepreneur. Sheila has been her mentor ever since. 

 

 

Laritza Credit Solutions

Her company's primary focus is credit restoration and financial services. They also offer services such as Will preparation and debt management. 

The focus is on educating and empowering our communities. They have helped many families around the country go from bad credit to homeowners, which has also inspired her to pursue her Real Estate license. We do not have awards at the moment, but we are awarded by our company for continuously doing good work within our communities.

 

When owning a business people look at you as a leader. But there are different qualities that are associated with being a “Leader.” Laritza believes that the first quality a leader must have is: HONESTY.

It all comes down to how honest you are with God first, then yourself, your team, and customers. Her mentor once told her, “I prefer to lose a customer with the truth than to win a customer with a lie.” Second, she values: CARE. People will forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel. When you truly care for people, your team

and your customers will go the extra mile for your leadership and your company.

Challenges happen every day but one that can be a daily challenge is self doubt. The devil is real and he will remind you every day of how unworthy you are. There are happy customers all the time but even when her company has the best months, she still asks herself if she deserves it.

 

The idea of growing and evolving is very critical and important. It helps to have inspiration, so in sharing Laritza personally loves and admires Coach Stormy. Why? She is passionate about her business and honest to the point of it sometimes hurting, but she cares for her people. She is not in her business, but she admires her leadership. business and honest to the point of it sometimes hurting, but she cares for her people. She is not in her business, but she admires her leadership. 

 

When people come into business they have all these expectations that they will make a lot of money in a certain number of days but the reality is owning a business or starting a business is HARD WORK, so the common mistake is going into business with passion but no business plan. Get a mentor in your field, create a business plan, read, and inform yourself before you go into business. 

 

Sometimes when you have a passion for something it’s hard to

stay focused, so setting goals is a great way to maintain that. So, the goal is to help 10,000 become homeowners in the next 5 years and take the company to a 7-figure income. Sounds exciting!

 

BET YOU DIDNT KNOW

#1. 

Laritza is an excellent cook. 

In another life, she was a chef! 

#2.

Also, If she could work with any top name in the

entertainment industry she would love to work with:

Adele

WHY? Well, here is what Laritza has to say about her…”She is a great woman who is not afraid to be real about her pain and doesn’t hide behind a fake image. You can feel her pain as well as her love and happiness through her music. She is strong enough to be vulnerable in front of millions of people. She is talented, humble, honest and likable. Adele if you're reading this and you need help with your credit, I can help you!"

 

Laritza Orce is her brand! 

She can be found on:

Tik Tok

Facebook (Meta)

Instagram

by her name!! 

 

Shaun Redrum: Risk Brings Reward

Best advice Received

“Embrace the struggle and write songs about everything as you went through it.” 

Favorite song he has written is: 

“Love You Like I Do” from the Risk Brings Reward.

Shaun Redrum is from Raleigh NC. He’s an Independent Artist searching to get the maximum out the rap game and seeking global exposure.

https://youtu.be/FM_QOTToZ-k

Having the ability to create music that not only engages the audience but also leaves them wanting more is considered a “Gift.’ He is versatile and relatable and considers himself to be a Lyricist because of how well he can put words together on a variety of instrumentals with any type of style of rap. He definitely believes himself to be a “a true Hip Hop Artist to the core!”

His inspiration to create music was inspired by Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album. After listening to that album, he wrote his first song at 11 years old in the 6^th grade. He knew then that Hip Hop would be apart of his life forever!  

 

😎💥Current Album💥😎

As an Artist there should be that underlying reason for why you want to make it in this game; what motivates you? What's your purpose for dominating in the Rap and Hip-Hop industry? 

So Shaun's current album was inspired by him walking in complete bold faith. He wanted to start a new beginning! (Nothing wrong with that...) So, he left his job of 6 years and from there kind of went into his new journey blindly. 

He took risks and made moves that he didn’t believe would actually work but later found that he was being rewarded with constant wins! He added with enthusiasm: “because you have to take chances on yourself in order to gain…” So that was his inspiration and all the songs recorded for the project were created during that time in his growth. 

All of his songs are 100% authentic and written by him! Any collaborations yet ? No, hasn’t collaborated with a lot of Artists’ as of late; why not? Well, he kind of feels that a lot of Artists don't understand the (music) business and still view it as just a hobby. But, he has an excellent ear for Good Quality Sound so he is still very much open to working with numerous Artists’ and Creative Minds in the near future.

It's not enough just to write music but you also have to get in front of an audience. He's performed at around 11-20 venues so far and counting. His most memorable stage performance was at Volume 11 The Tavern back in 2010. That’s where he practiced his skills, talents and gift and really grew himself into a Lyricist and Performer as a Rap Artist.

How Exciting would it be if  Jay-Z, Drake or Future called you right now and said they wanted to collaborate with you? Pretty damn exciting! I know! But that celebrity figure that Shaun Redrum would work with would be: Gucci Mane. 

"Why?"🤔 He said he admires his mentorship and the knowledge he shares. He also likes the fact that he has been in the game for a minute but still bring the full energy to the stage! He also has found a way to reinvent himself and still be successful. “That's someone I can look up to…” Shaun Redrum states in full confidence.

💥What's next for #1 of  Raleigh's Hottest Artist?

The future is full of success, yet right now he's working on singles, looking into promotion and expanding his brand in all areas! We should be on the look out for excellent new material from him in the next couple of months. Also, he just finished doing like a boom bap Hip Hop run (Can't wait to 👂 it)! He's just working on making good music and growing his catalog.

Instagram- @shaunredrum   

Twitter- @shaunredrum    

Like him on Facebook "Shaun Redrum"

My music is also streaming on all platforms, Apple Music, Tidal, Spotify, Amazon etc. Songs everywhere just put him name in the Search Bar.

JohnnyMac Jr: Making Bangers! Are You "Next Up"

Favorite Songs He Wrote: 

Follow your dreams or Divine

...is from Asbury, Park New Jersey!  At the age of 13 he started making music with his buddy for fun but boy oh boy was he terrible. Then as he matured  over the years he started to use music as a way to vent and help him out with stress.

He grew up always listening to hip-hop, and rap. He also loves jazz music and specific old school hip hop Artists such as: Eric b and Rakim, Mobb deep and many other talented Artists in those genres. 

Now, re all know kids can be harsh so when he started rapping in High School a lot of his peers would make fun of him and comment on his material telling him he "sucks." But, one day he just learned at the end of the day none of that matters if something makes you happy and you enjoy it; do you. 

When he was in his young 20's he dreamed of becoming famous and all that cool stuff but now he just does it for a hobby and of course because he enjoys making music.

When he originally started making music it was as a joke and he and his buddy would add in funny freestyles. But then around 2010 he linked up with a few kids on Facebook and he realized his style was something Legends are made out of: dope!

He taught himself how to record. The passion he feels fuels him with enthusiasm about the whole process: from listening to beats and just vibin' to tell a story. He loves every moment.

He now considers himself to be more of a lyricist. He tries to tell his stories in his songs and get them to connect with the audience. “We are all human so I know people go through some stuff” he shares and that’s something he believes that his listeners will connect with him on. 

His most current album released is called “Next Up” feat JF3RG. It’s on all major online stores just search JohnnyMac JR. He shares that nothing really inspired to he and Jf3RG to create it they just continued to mix and create new ideas by doing features and all of them were hits so they said let’s make it an album and of course every song was a banger !!!!

 The success he received motivated him to write more music and with that journey came back to back collaborations with fire Artists such as:  

Sammy Adams 

JFerg Astylez 

SnapBack 

TCTKO 

Capone Ace Montana  

Ice Kane 

Soulja Boy 

BLVZ 

Riff raff 

He and his crew had a whole movement they would do a shit ton of features with each other  and they had some heavy hitters at the time such as: LiL B, Riff Raff, and Soulja Boy on their movement. He flew out to Cali to meet up with all them and they created music and shot a few music videos. So, after that whole era they felt confident, and they were surprised that people were rocking so from there he started to take music more seriously. He wanted to explore the Music scene more so he kinda went down his own path trying to find his flow. He started telling stories of different aspects of relationships and just the shit people can connect to and his fans and followers grew seemingly overnight. 

 

So far he has performed 4 times, did a few videos on YouTube and as he stated previously he sees this as a hobby. He does this music for the fun. So, what's considered fun? The first time he ever performed! It was at Asburt Lanes in Asbury Park, New Jersey. There were about 725 people and the place was packed!  He performed his song: Follow Your Dreams and the feeling he describes as just amazing!

IF you are an Artist admiration for another Artists' work can be inspiring. Now, his all time #1 person he would love to work with is: Mac Miller (RIP). Why? because his vibe was just so perfect, very chill and he knew how to share a great story. But if he could work with an Artist as of right now it be Travis Scott, just because his energy is so LIT! 

 We want to stay in the mix with everything going on, he is currently working on his next singles and doing features. He will continue to drop music every so often and naturally he plans on dropping another album. There is no set date yet but maybe in the next 3 months. So! Be on the look out!

For More Dope Music Go To

Google - JohnnyMac JR

Instagram -  @JohnnyMacJR

Twitter - @JohnnyMac_JR

YouTube - JohnnyMac JR

 

iTunes - JohnnyMac JR

Spotify - JohnnyMac JR

+ all other streaming service 

 

Best Advice Given

Keep pushing and never give up on your dream. If you put what you want out into the universe you will receive.

ICONIC BOND: We Here Now (And More)

Welcomes with the Greatest Appreciation
 

Iconic Bond

https://www.theiconicbond.com/

Originally from Cairo, Egypt

Raised in the states since he was 4

He moved around a lot but finally made his way to NC. He lived in Winston-Salem and went to school at WSSU. Then after college he moved to Raleigh, NC.

He’s done 7 shows since he started. He’s headlined 3 of them.

His most memorable stage performance and best show would be his very 1^st headliner show. 

Iconic energy and stamina allow him to electrify at performances. He considers himself an MC because he can move a crowd and vibe with them when he’s on and off stage. But he is also a lyricist because he takes time to think about what he’s writing. He’s always loved wordplay so it’s something he’s constantly working on to perfect.

He is currently in the works to kick off an amazing first album which could be out before the year ends! The album will be kind of like his origin story. How so? Well it would be a collaboration project with his best friend Badlogic who produced the whole thing; exciting! 

He goes on to share “Me and him started on this music journey together,” “Literally one day he said “bro, I’m buying FL Studio” and I immediately went and bought a mic and created a little in-home studio and we began making music”" So this album is the compilation of the best songs they made together since they started.

He shares with a sarcastic smile: “Is there any other way to create music? I write everything I put out there. I think if you don’t write it, then what’s the point…”

As far as collaborations with other artists, he’s had one that has been made public so far (more to come soon…) and it was a song he featured on called Revolution that dropped earlier this year with the amazingly talented: Queen Sanaa.

The best advice he’s received: From his Manger before he went on stage for the first time was: “The stage is a boxing ring, when you step on that stage, your goal is knock them out”. The meaning behind this is basically to leave your heart and soul on that stage. You have to give it everything you got and perform the music with the same energy that helped you create it!

Iconic Bond continues in a gentle sentiment: “he also told me to stop trying to do everything alone. I love having control of everything I do so it was very hard for me to let go of certain things and allow other people to help me on my journey. It took me a while to get used it, but I finally got there.”

Music is the gateway to all types of possibilities. He’s have been writing ever since he was high school. He’s always had a love for poetry and music. Since originally coming from Egypt, the music scene is huge and it’s all very poetic and deep in meaning.

Hip-hop to him has constantly been the ultimate form of music if used correctly. It can change entire generations and it already has. On top of that, his favorite Artists are all amazing poets when it comes down to it. So that’s what inspired him to write.

The start was just the beginning but then he went to the next step in creating actual music with his youth group. He worked closely with a group of young brothers in the community. Then seeing them go from middle school to graduating college, he was able to see the impact that hip-hop had on them. Now in his opinion, he didn’t like the negative energy that it instilled in them and that is primarily due to what the current top Music being played was. See, he grew up listening to a whole different type of hip-hop so when he saw that, he felt the need to fill that void. On top of that, he was able to show them that they could also create music when they saw him do it.

His current favorite track written is one called: “Floating;” that song is on his first mix-tape entitled: The Breakthrough. Now, that track holds a special place in his heart because he was sitting up one night listening to this beat and instantly he was inspired to create a track about writing and creating a song. So he ended up literally spending the whole night until the sun came back up and wrote the thoughts that were going through his mind while creating it. When he was finished, it was the best feeling ever.

Each Artist can find inspiration and have a desire to work with a well-known Celebrity Artist in the music industry. The Artist that Iconic Bond would choose to work with if he could pick one would be: J Cole. He shares that J. Cole’s energy and ability to switch emotions track to track is amazing to him. On top of that, he thinks their music is similar in a way.

Why does his audience consider Iconic Bond different? Well because In the hip-hop game, he stands out because he is Egyptian (lol) and he’s cleaner in his lyrics than most rappers. Also, his music is easily adaptable to any person regardless of their background. He makes music that many types of people can enjoy, no matter what their race, ethnicity or beliefs are on the daily. He talks about life as it is, not as he wants it to be or as other people want it to be. He shares about real life situations from his eyes.

The future of his music is exciting. He is currently working on this collaboration album with his bestfriend: badlogic. He’s got another one already in the works, almost done with some amazing artists and producers. He’s hopeful that when the world opens back up he will begin touring a little bit outside of the local scene to spread his name around a bit.

His latest music video is called: We Here Now (https://youtu.be/6ViDSonmrgo).  He’s just ironing out some of his upcoming projects getting them ready for release. Also, he’s working on storyboards for the next couple singles so he can begin shooting the music videos.

You can find his more about him at the following 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IconicBond/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iconicbond

 

Links to his music:

https://www.soundcloud.com/Iconic-bond

 

YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1L65Lxn_IA7oLtwMnieDQg