MacIzm from North Carolina want his audience to get a mental high from his words. That’s where the “izm” comes from in his name. His unique hip-hop sound and layered vibe have playing his newest single on repeat.
Despite the heavy beat and fresh and hypnotic synths, “Try You” is an emotional and deep single about being vulnerable in a new relationship. I think that’s something that everyone can relate too. Being in a new relationship, whether that’s just hooking up or trying to get serious is so terrifying. You never want to be that first person to say something to make the situation more serious and find out your feelings are not reciprocated and get rejected. MacIzm flawlessly expresses the difficulty and anxiety that people face in these situations. The title “Try You” expresses this perfectly too. MacIzm sings “But I never tried you, and I wonder why” to explain the regret when it’s too late to try and express yourself. My favorite is the attitude flip at the end when MacIzm questions why she never “tried me”, meaning that talking about your feelings in a new relationship is a two way street. Overall I think that the lyrics and meaning behind the track “Try You” are really meaningful and impressive, not to mention the astounding production and fresh hip-hop sound. The whole aesthetic that MacIzm brings to the table is alluring and we can’t wait to see what he delivers next!
Check out “Try You” here, and read more with MacIzm below in our exclusive interview.
Hey MacIzm! Can you start by telling us more about yourself and your upbringing?
I was born in Laurel, Maryland PG county in December '93. Spent a few years there as a kid before I moved to North Carolina where I did most of my years as an adolescent. I shared a bedroom with my older brother and my older cousin. I was little of a brat I must say. Constantly getting in trouble with people know, I believe it was because I had a rebellious a soul. Always trying to do what I want no matter the cost. I did a lot of moving around when I was young. Moving back and forth from small town to small town living with different relatives. Being the only left-handed child in my immediate family always made me the odd one out, but my mother constantly reminds me that whats make me truly special.
What inspired you to start creating music?
I think I fell in love with writing before music came into the scene. In the fifth grade, I learned how to write a Haiku. I thought It was so dope that you could express yourself with such few words. Slowly I started to recognize the music that was all around me. Music like Al Green and Musiq Soulchild when my mom uses to clean the house. I would watch how she would dance to the rhythm and how the music itself changed the way she feels. When I got older I started listening to my own music. I use to listen to people like Donell Jones, Genuine, Outkast, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, and Erykah Badu. Watching their videos and their creativity made me want to create. I start making music seriously freshman year in college. I felt like what was the point in waiting.
Is the song “Try You” based on true events?
All my songs are based on true events lol. Okay, let me not overstep aha. This song, in particular, is based on a true event. Well more like an ongoing feeling. There's this girl that I've consistently been in an on and off "situationship" so to speak. As time grew we got closer and closer to each other. Though our past mistakes made it hard to trust one another. I've got to the point where I'm ready to be serious with her, but I struggle to find words to let her know how I truly feel. So I made this song "Try You". In the song, I try to emit emotions of fear and regret of not being strong enough to attempt to love her. Though my actions show that I do, but I believe its the words that she yearns to hear from me. Hopefully, after releasing this song, for the people who listen if they can relate to the feeling. I wish they would find the courage and strength to tell the person that they're with and let that person know how much they mean to them.
What challenges have you experienced as an up and coming artist and how have you overcome them?
Like most upcoming artists, I would say trying to find ways to expand our fan base. Though I struggle with that, with me its more so not being able to solely concentrate on my music. Trying to balance college and do music at the same time is not an easy task in my opinion. One side of your brain wants to risk it all and solely focus on music and the other half wanting to be strategic and use these degrees to make revenue to feed into my artistry and invest. This year I'll be done with school. I'll be graduating with my masters in computer science. So if you in the Blacksburg, VA area come through and turn up this May aha. On a more serious note, I say the most challenging obstacle I face with my music is trying not to be a perfectionist. With time I learned to overcome it is by simply letting the music be and see how it moves the spirit.
Where would be your dream venue or place to perform?
Off the top, I don't really have a dream venue in mind that I would like to preform. I feel like every chance I get to get on the stage and share my side of the story with people I don't know is a dream. So I rather just sit back and count my blessings that come my way. I will say I do dream of going back home to all the small towns I grew up in and throw a concert or festival to raise money for kids in the area. So they can have better opportunities than I did growing up.
Further connect with MacIzm through the artists Instagram and Twitter!