JULY | 2019 | BLACK, GAY & GIFTED

STARS AND STRIPES

Depending on where you’re reading this from its summer and it's hot. the beaches are over crowded, bugs are everywhere, and bad ass kids across the nation are in the streets because they’re out of school. For many, summer represents the return of tank tops, swimming, air conditioning, and hot Sunday brunches. But do you know what else summer represents? Music. Good music. To ensure that we stayed in tune with the theme of our second annual “Independence” issue, we decided to spend a little time with Martel Star. 

Martel was raised in Ohio as the oldest of five siblings by his grandmother. As a child he was extremely active in the church, which is where he developed his love for music. Martel began songwriting around the age of fourteen, and was certain that he was going to be an amazing singer.

Reality, however, had other plans for him at the time. “I knew I was gonna be an amazing singer, only to realize years later that...I can’t sing!” In 2012 Star began working with R&B singer, Kei Mari and joined the independent Empire Entertainment label. During his time at Empire, Star wrote most of Kei Mari’s Genesis mixtape. “ I immediately expected every artist to bust down my door for a track”, says Star on the expectations he set after his first big gig. It never happened. “I had to find another outlet to expose my writing,” he says, “so I started rapping.”

Like many independent artists, Martel has had to overcome a multitude of challenges, the first of which was to find a way to get people to hear his music. Although his first leap of faith landed him with Empire, he was still thirsty for exposure, and part of getting that exposure required for people to take him and his music seriously. It doesn’t matter how progressive any of us view today’s society to be in terms of acceptance, because there are still very few mainstream rappers or hip-hop artists who openly identify as black gay men. Despite the fact that there’s an audience for it, not everyone is up hearing a black gay man’s take on things like living on the down low, HIV or any other issue that’s thought to be gay specific.

The rap industry, as it stands now, is as it has been rendered; an exclusively heterosexual male platform. It has had a long standing history with homophobia and misogyny, two things that don’t really go well with “gay”.

Martel is too familiar with the challenges that come with being a same gender loving independent rapper. “I've gone to these different events with these hyper-masculine, "I be in the trap and I smash all the bitches" type rappers...and then here comes Martel Star with his technicolor hair…” he says. 

“The Juxtaposition is triggering at times. I always have to take a step back and realize, regardless of how dope a lot of my hetero-rap counterparts may be, they're often so closely aligned in sound, they all blur together. It's not a game of being better than them, but more memorable. And I often leave a taste in your mouth that you never quite forget.”

One of the things that keeps Martel motivated push forward is failure. “I know everything won’t be perfect.” Martel says that the greatest disappointment would not shooting his shot at the industry, especially knowing that he’s got a chance at being successful. That, to him, would be the ultimate failure.

This seems appropriate when considering that nothing beats a failure but a try, and part of trying is sometimes making bad decisions. In fact, one of the downsides of being an independent artist is dealing with the consequences of these bad decisions, and Martel is no stranger to that.  

According to Martel, some of the worst decisions he’s made have all involved him either waiting or not doing something out of fear. “I've even hesitated to put out content on social media because I was concerned with how it would be received” he says. “As an indie creative, there really isn't room to neglect [an] opportunity, because you never know who's watching at the time that can put you on the next level.”

Being an independent artist might not be the easiest thing on Earth, but it definitely comes with some pretty dope perks, and part of these perks come as a result of the influence of social media. We’ve all heard about some of the shitty deals artists who go through major record labels have received, which might leave one to wonder why anyone would even consider it. Some of the liberties of being an independent music artist include having complete control over the direction of their content, the ability to retain your copyrighted material, and not having to worry about contract limitations.

Martel wouldn’t trade any of these perks in for the world. Or would he? “I don't have any contracts restricting what I can and can't do. Nothing to dictate my art. [What’s] Most important to me is that I own all of my own music.” However he does admit that he’d take a deal from a major record label if the opportunity presented itself. 

“If I were to get signed and they wanted me to cater my sound to a specific audience, I'll conform to get on.” According to Martel, the most important part of this is getting established to the point to where he’d be able to leave the label as he feels that it’ll be easier to do the kind of music he wants. “I would still have to have full ownership of all my music.”, he says.

Everything in life requires balance. Whether we’re balancing our work life with our personal life, or trying to balance a checkbook, everything requires balance. Martel Star is wild and ratchet and his art portrays that. However much he views both his brand and his creativity as resting in the same vein, he still maintains a modicum of balance when appropriate.

Outside of music he works with Twisted Fabrik, an Atlanta based clothing company with whom he serves as a brand ambassador. The brand’s focus is on cultivating a niche of all inclusive fashion as they strive to maintain their knack for creating looks that are fresh, stylish and edgy. “That sometimes requires me to take the ratchet down a notch or two to present who I need to be on camera and when presenting the product.” he says. “I always put a piece of me in everything I do, but I also have to respect the art of those I'm working with.”

Erykah Badu warned us about her being both an artist and about her being sensitive about her shit, and rightfully so. Almost every artist has a process when it comes to creating, but Martel admits to being quite the opposite.” I don't even have a process!” I'm really all over the place. Sometimes I'll just think of some dope lines and I'll write them down to use for later. Other times, I may actually be listening to a beat & something will hit. It all varies. I do find my best writing comes when I'm under the influence and by myself.”

Regardless of whether or not he has a process, his work is paying off, because the people are listening. “Most people who hear my music, love it. Not everyone, of course. But overall, folks will hear it and will respond with " AYYYEEEE". And that is the exact response I am seeking.”  When it comes to describing the way he feels after receiving the amount of support he’s gotten from fans of his music, he can only think of one word: humbled. “I'm always just appreciative that people take their time to listen to me. So when people tell me how much they love it, I'm so thankful because it makes me feel like I'm headed in the right direction.“ 

There’s always a time and a place for humility, but Reignbeaux Lux doesn’t have the time, and Black,Gay & Gifted certainly isn’t the place for it either. We challenged Martel to throw all modesty out of the window, and for him to explain just why he deserves a place among and alongside our previous Black,Gay & Gifted features.“BECAUSE I BEEN THAT NIGGA!” But of course, true to form, he asks whether or not he’s allowed to say that. “I stand out from the rest because I truly do focus on my own lane. I don't want to be the next ‘so and so’, I don't want to sound like Random Rapper ABC. I work hard to be my own individual.”

Martel describes himself as being refreshing and considers himself as being doper than a lot of the mainstream artists with bigger budgets. “ From a creative standpoint I exceed the bar and I’m STILL growing” he says. “But again, I’m still just thankful for every individual who takes just a little bit of their time to listen to my music.”

The future's looking brighter and brighter for Martel as he’s currently working on a mini mixtape to give us something to vibe to this summer. He’s also got plans on dropping a video for “Gimme What I Want” which is set to be the last single from his “Welcome to Emerald City” EP. From there he plans to start working on the rollout for what he calls the next era of his music.  According to Martel, a lot of his most coveted tracks have yet to be released. “I have a song called “H.I.M” that's gonna be on my next project and it's the track I'm most excited for”. He’s confident that “H.I.M” will not only showcase his writing abilities, but that fans will appreciate the sexually charged tune despite it being something that’s outside of the norm for him. 

With all that Martel Star is doing, and all that he’s done, it’s safe to say that while he may be on his way, he’s only moments from arrival. The music industry is already challenging enough without the SGL component, but we’re confident that Martel will remain focused on carving a path for himself and the SGL artists to follow. His advice to those artists is to remain persistent in networking, to collaborate whenever possible and to invest in yourself. “It makes such a difference to spend that extra hundred to have your music properly mixed, or to put it towards marketing. It's all really the small things that go into the bigger picture of your art.”

According to Martel, one of the things the world needs more of is love and support. “So many people are focused on ‘self. How they can get more, or [get] to the next level. I've found, personally, when you put that same energy into someone else, it comes back stronger & quicker.” Meanwhile, Martel’s focus to see, and be a part of everyone’s success. “I really want to see everyone win,” he says. “I just wish more people had that same mindset.” If only. 

Martel closed his interview by talking about some of the artists he’d like to work with in the future. “I'm speaking into existence that I'll have a track with Megan Thee Stallion soon. The Dream is my personal idol. He's an amazing writer. Let me get in the studio with him and just write something crazy for an artist and I'll be MORE than satisfied!”

And lastly, when it comes to exerting his independence in both his personal life and work, Martel says that he stands firm on doing what I want. “ When you carry yourself with confidence, even the most ridiculous things seem to make sense. I’ve had people share their opinions on my aesthetic, presentation, and even sometimes on my artistic direction, but I’m definitely in a clear space about who Martel Star is, and I stick to it.”

Summer is filled with opportunities to vibe, and those opportunities should almost always be lubricated with good music. Martel has shown through both his music and his continued dedication to his craft that he’s what’s next. He’s making connections, pushing boundaries, and laying down a path for all the artists who are sure to follow his lead. You can keep up with Martel via his Instagram,Twitter, andFacebook.