*In our Print Issue the headline said Godwin rappers on spotify, this was corrected online to Soundcloud
Exploring music through an online platform
Photo Reagan Richmond
Rappers Glen Dean (l) and Alex Leverty intend to collaborate on a project together.
As some may know, embedded in the Godwin student body are a few SoundCloud rappers and mix-makers on the search for stardom. These rappers include Alex Leverty and Glen Dean who are all in the junior class at Godwin.
When asked why they wanted to start rapping and mixing, the boys responded explaining that their love for music was their main drive for starting their SoundCloud careers.
“When I was young I always liked listening to music and rhyming words from time to time,” said Dean.
Leverty was inspired to start making music he wanted to show off his taste in to his peers. Some of his biggest inspirations are Biggie Smalls, Playboi Carti, the Isley Brothers, and Bobby Caldwell.
“They are all very different types of music but they all have the sound I’m constantly looking for,” he said.
He first started drawing attention to his mixes by telling his close friends, who then spread the world throughout the school. His most popular mix is called “Fruit Vol.” and is a favorite of his followers and friends. Leverty has a collection of mixes called the “Fruit Volumes” which each display a different fruit on the front cover and contain 5-10 songs each.
His first mixes were called “Secrets of Sound” and were focused on classic hip hop. He normally relies on a Mac to blend the songs together, but can also make his mixes on Audacity if needed. Leverty adds his signature intro at the beginning and various original sounds throughout each song.
“I’ll usually bass boost and tweak the pitch of some of the songs just so they sound that much better,” he said.
Leverty’s next mixes will be coming out within this month, and he plans to continue his career in the future. He hopes to have a Podcast where he could interview artists and play his favorite music. Leverty decided to start his career using SoundCloud as a platform because it’s the place he listens to most of his music and it is efficient and easy.
“I have a premium membership and it only costs a couple of dollars a month,” he said.
Glen Dean also decided to produce music when he discovered young rappers who produced their own music in their rooms and decided that if they could do it, he could do it. Some of his inspirations include Bob Marley, Kid Cudi, Felly, and Curren$y.
Dean bases his songs on how he feels because he believes that most artists don’t produce songs that portray their real emotions.
“I have a lyric pad and write whenever I have free time,” he said. Dean spreads the word of his music through Instagram, Twitter, and snapchat to let listeners know when he is releasing a song.
His first and only song is called “Marley Morning”.
“At the moment I have only released one song because I’m saving up for nice equipment to have a soundproof studio in my own room. I’ve written about seven complete songs, that I plan to release before the year ends,” said Dean. Alex Leverty (Dj Lev$) will be accompanying Dean on his next project and his next song will be coming out in either late November or early December.
The process of creating a song begins with picking out a beat or even creating one, which may make the process slightly lengthier. Dean listens to beats and freestyles on them for an hour to get his brain flowing before he starts to put a song together. He uses Logic Studio software to put his songs together because it allows him to mix and edit his voice along with the beat. Using his own mic, stand, keyboard, and drum pad, Dean starts to put his songs together piece by piece.
Dean chose to start his career on SoundCloud because listeners do not have to pay to hear his music and because it is a very popular music source. He hopes to continue producing music for as long as he can. “There’s nothing I love more,” he said.
