400 & Rylee Evans Find Their Big Break in "I Can Be Famous"
The Cleveland-born recording artist, producer, and singer-songwriter 400 pairs up with the serene stylings of vocalist Rylee Evans for their latest single and inspirational music video, "I Can Be Famous."
Eugene "400" Jackson was born into the music industry. He took after his father, DJ Mix Master Quick, and his ventures with Brothers 4 Struggle, Rampage Records, and recording early music for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
Now, 400 fully immerse himself into his craft and continues to bring his manifestations full circle through gigs with Entertainment Tonight, co-producing some of K-pop's biggest hits and bringing in a loyal fanbase.
The award-winning recording artist's new single "I Can Be Famous," alongside Rylee Evans, sings the familiar tale of knowing you have the talent to thrive and waiting for the opportunity to make yourself known. Rylee Evans' vocals add this blissful feminine energy while showcasing her engaging performance skills alongside 400 and the exciting electro-pop production.
The song's music video is hands down one of the most genuine and inspirational experiences we've seen this year. The scene opens with 400 playing 'Johnson,' a mechanic overlooking the dry desert while hard at work. As his cashier, 'Mable,' played by Rylee Evans, strolls in, she sets herself behind the register and gazes in the distance, knowing there's something better out there.
Once the song's instrumentals kick in, we transition over to scenes of 400 and Evans looking fly as ever surrounded by bright lights. Back at the shop, a music executive strolls in and happens to overhear Evans' stunning vocals, prompting her to hand over a business card and make their day.
Visualize your one-way ticket to fame with 400 and Rylee Evans' single and music video, "I Can Be Famous," now available on YouTube and all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, 400. We truly admire the in-depth concept within your recent single and music video with Rylee Evans, "I Can Be Famous." Could you describe what inspired this empowering hit?
My late friend Alexia "Lex Dirty" Spratling initially wrote the song. He wrote it because he wanted to give hope and inspire people to follow their dreams no matter how far out of reach they may seem. The song is about faith, belief, and willpower. The realization that you can obtain anything you want by what you think. When we began to create music together, he felt the song would be a good fit for me because I embody everything the song is about. From there, I just tailored the song to fit me completely.
What was it like collaborating with Rylee Evans for "I Can Be Famous"? Why did you feel the song needed a powerful female vocalist?
Working with Rylee Evans is great all the time! She sounds like heaven to me. We have undeniable chemistry in the studio and work closely on alot of records together. When I played the demo of "I Can Be Famous" for her, she instantly sang the chorus in another key and started adding new melodies and re-arranging vocals, and the rest is history.
What was your experience shooting the highly-conceptual music video for "I Can Be Famous"? How did your team help make that process easier and more enjoyable?
Shooting this video was quite the experience. We learned a lot throughout the process. There was not one step of the way that we didn't have some issue or something we didn't know we needed, even though we planned months ahead of time.
Some of those things we didn't know we needed until the last minute were important, like insurance for cameras we were renting, separate insurance for lighting equipment rental, and permits and insurance to shoot in certain locations. We even had to rent a portable toilet because the gas station we rented to shoot at did not have a restroom, lol.
What made this all seem as if it worked seamlessly was having a dedicated team that was willing to go the extra mile to get the job done and have fun at the same time. We all held multiple roles. The crew consists of 6, which is rather small, but we all love to create, so everyone played their role to perfection throughout the process.
What was your main goal regarding the viewer's reaction to the music video for "I Can Be Famous"? What did you want to make them feel after watching?
I want people to watch the video and believe that drea