BL’EVE Brown is a Jamaican-born, Tri-State raised, Artist and Producer. As a graduate of IAR (Institute of Audio Recording), BL’EVE spent his early career engineering, producing and developing his sound out of some of the top recording facilities in New York City.
After receiving several noteworthy credits on projects for Major and Independent labels, BL’EVE began making waves as an independent artist in 2011 with his first project, ‘Short Thoughts‘. After his first project received 100k downloads, his success continued with his singles, ‘I’m About That’, ‘Payroll’ and ‘Finesse’:
‘I’m About That’ landed in the Top 40 EU charts
‘Payroll’ reached top 10 on the SoundCloud and #3 on college radio
‘Finesse’ charted at # 46 on the DRT Global 200 chart and #1 on college radio
More recently, December 2018, BL’EVE dropped the anticipated album,‘Cosmosis’. Just 6 weeks after the album release, Cosmosis gained over 1 million streams on Spotify with over 100k active monthly listeners. Between the records he produced, remixed, and released, BL’EVE has generated over 90 million streams.
During live shows, BL’EVE has an energetic performance with a stage presence that is unmatched. His set list is carefully crafted to create the perfect synergy between the Golden Era and Hip-Hop’s new wave.
BL’EVE has been an opening act for artists such as Raekwon of Wu Tang Clan, Mr. Cheeks of Lost Boyz, and Gyptian to name a few. There is no doubt BL’EVE Brown is on the rise repping a New East Coast sound with his magnetic delivery. BL’EVE Brown is one to watch.
We caught up with him to talk about the premiere of his new music video “To Da Bag”.
According 2 Hip-Hop: Where does the name BL’EVE Brown come from?
Bl’eve Brown: My government name is Hanif Brown and Hanif is Arabic for “He who believes”. So I basically used my own government name but anglicized it.
A2HH: How did you get your start in music?
BB: I actually started in music by playing the snare in band during high school. At the same time, I started producing and had my own set up at home. I decided to go to the Institute of Audio Research and studied to become a sound engineer. I ended up partnering with a good friend of mine to launch a studio on park avenue in NYC right after school. Then, I opened up my own recording studio on 20th Street. I worked with a lot of major labels during those years, regarding recording and engineering work.
A2HH: Hip-Hop fans from different generations have their own perception of what the East Coast sound in Hip-Hop is. How do you describe the sound of the New East Coast?
BB: The New East Coast sounds like late nights on 10th ave on a Thursday. It sounds like a pick up game at the Rucker on a Sunday. It sounds like driving down eastern parkway with the top down. We sound like the NJ Tunnel with no traffic. We sound like a fist fight in Newkark or a drug dealer charging a rich white kid double for an ounce. We sound like a hot day in Plainfield at Rushmore park. We sound like us.
A2HH: The visuals for your music videos are very involved. What was your process like working with director NIBO VFX on the “To Da Bag” video?
BB: The video is directed by Kevin Chiu. Source: https://www.kevincfilms.com . Kevin Chiu also directed our “Finesse” music video. NIBO VFC handled the visual effects in post production and Jimmy 2 Shoes was our producer. The shoot went very well. It was all done in 1 day. Jimmy and Kevin work well together. We have a really good team.
A2HH: How did the idea for the artwork for the “To Da Bag” single come together?
BB: I’m like the monopoly man, running around the board, just trying not to go to jail, while I’m making flips lol
A2HH: You do a great job of branding “NEC”. Do you have any plans of extending the merch of that brand?
BB: Hell yeah! We have some amazing merch on the way!
A2HH: After the critical and commercial success of “Cosmosis” back in December, how does that success affect how you approach your next album?
BB: Currently we have a series going on called “East Coast Fridays” and we have been dropping a new song every Friday for 19 weeks now. Basically our East Coast Fridays series is the equivalent of 4 albums in 1 year
A2HH: Can you share the title of your upcoming album yet?
BB: Not yet, but we’ll definitely keep you guys up to date!
A2HH: For someone that has never heard a BL’EVE Brown song, how would you describe your sound?
BB: We have something for everyone. We got really wavy joints where I’m crooning. We got hard joints where I’m rapping. For me, it’s about giving you guys a good listening experiences. I wanna take you places.
A2HH: What’s the New York Hip-Hop scene like in 2019?
BB: I think it’s cool. They just need more of Mos’
A2HH: What’s your personal favorite album?
BB: I got a couple. “Confessions of Fire” by Cam’ron and Nelly’s first album and “Get Rich Are Die Trying” by 50 Cent… my top 3 projects and not necessarily in that order.
A2HH: What all can we look for in 2019 from BL’EVE Brown?
BB: I got one new song a week, and when you see me show love in the streets. East Coast Fridays! ??
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