Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Z.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I found my calling for music during the early parts of my childhood. When my parents moved us to Maryland, I experienced many firsts. It was the first time I felt outcasted for being Asian. The first time I fought to defend myself from bullies. It was also the first time I made a friend who introduced me to hip-hop. Not too much longer after my move to Seattle did I pick up a pen and wrote my first rhyme in 6th grade. The cycle of bullying began again when the white kids found out the Asian kid could rap, so I was shunned and picked on throughout middle and high school for my “unusual” passion. When I turned 15, I found out that I could sing and started incorporated R&B vocals into my craft, but it was not until I moved to Atlanta to attend Emory University when my music was appreciated. In Atlanta, I found an acceptance that I never experienced anywhere else, so I immediately felt a sense of belonging here and bonded with likeminded artists and creators.
College was my first taste of local fame, but my true breakthrough came a couple of years ago when I put my energy into branding myself on social media. I showed glimpses of my infectious personality and engaged with supporters on a genuine level, which allowed me to amass a loyal fanbase that continues to grow in the direction of a cult following. I have worked with influential figures in the music industry like Full Force and Raphael Saadiq, and I have received praise and cosigns from some of my hip-hop idols like Chino XL and Juelz Santana. I went from digging for random instrumentals online to having a team of producers making any kind of beat that I could want. The Alan Z story is one that is led by resilience and determination, set to defy the odds and shatter preconceived notions.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest struggle has always been my race. Like many other Asian-American artists, I create art to fulfill my need for self-expression and shatter stereotypes by simply being myself. But I faced so much resistance in the industry that I felt cursed for my skin color, which increased my depression for a long time. Since I’ve been on this pursuit of materialistic happiness, I worked with well-known tastemakers enamored by my talent but right when it was go-time, they all hesitated to push the button to launch my career. Their reluctance derived from the same source: FEAR. Fear of putting their reputations on the line for an Asian artist, fear of me not being accepted by the masses, and fear of the unknown. There was no blueprint for Asian-American artists for them to follow to ensure that I would be their immediate cash cow. I literally had a producer tell me, “If you were anything but Asian, you would be a superstar by now.”
On several occasions in my past, industry tastemakers have suggested for me to hide my face or have a non-Asian play me in music videos. Their “advice” reminded me of the scene in “The Five Heartbeats” when the record executive replaced the group’s album cover with a picture of a white family. Don’t get me wrong; I do not intend to put any of my former managers or producers on blast. Their flakiness forced me to become resourceful and independent, building my own buzz and generating die-hard fans. Instead of waiting to be accepted by a “gatekeeper”, I worked consistently to create a momentum for myself.
Please tell us about Alan Z.
Ever since I turned Alan Z into a brand, I have been able to generate revenue from booking shows, music streams and downloads, physical sales of my EP and my merchandise, and music placements on TV and film. In 2017, I released my first EP “First Time’s The Charm”, which sold hundreds of physical copies independently and two of my songs “Color Me Bad” and “All Of You” was featured on TV shows such as “iZombie” and “eSports Athletes Rising”. As an actor, I am known for my skits on Instagram and Facebook, but I plan to pursue more serious acting this year as well. Currently, I am fulfilling my creative vision by being a multifaceted artist: rapper, singer, and actor. Donald Glover showed that there is no limitation to the arts as long as you can execute it right every time.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I miss the music from my childhood. It trips me out to know we probably will never hear music that sounds like 90’s and mid-2000’s hip-hop and R&B on the radio again. That was a moment that captured the essence of us older millennials that were the last to remember what it was like to play outside, use dial-up for the Internet, and call the house phone. I say this now, but I honestly don’t know how to function without my iPhone, so it was probably for the best.
Pricing:
- “First Time’s The Charm” EP – $10
- “Queen Z” T-Shirts – $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/AlanZmusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanzmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alanzmusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/alanzmusic
Image Credit:
Deseri Rice for Au Courag, Amanda Maylor, Yinde ATL for CS Media Group
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