Today we’d like to introduce you to Big Fine.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started singing when I was about 3 or 4 for the church in my hometown of Lenoir, NC. I distinctly remember staring in the mirror after a fresh Just For Me at my Nana’s hair salon, screaming at the top of my lungs “I have nothing, nothing NOTHING, if I don’t have… YOOOOU!”
I would mimic Whitney’s vibrato over and over and over until my Nana would tell me to hush. The love for music and creating it runs deep in my veins. I have been surrounded by music all of my life. I knew that it was possible for me to be a singer when I found out my Granny was in a gospel singing group called “The Travelettes” back in her day. They toured all over the surrounding counties with my Uncle Tommy playing the drums while my other uncle would play bass. The first song I ever wrote was called “Don’t Cry For Me”. I was about 7 or 8 and me and my brother were looking at my Pawpaw’s obituary and the tune just came to us. From there, at about 11 or 12, I asked my mom for a violin because I saw a six years old girl on Showtime at the Apollo going to town on hers and I wanted to do it too. Miraculously, my mom found me a violin the next week. It was old and it didn’t have a bow but it was mine and I was proud. I began reading sheet music and practicing as much as I could. I would be up all night on weekends practicing in my garage.
My mom, bless her heart, would be in her room attempting to drown out the sound of incorrect notes but she never told me to stop. Once I learned how to play by ear, I would write songs and sing them while playing my violin. Eventually, I began to focus solely on writing and singing and by 15, I’d comprised a D-ring notebook full of songs. I won talent shows, church competitions, etc. but I never really understood the magnitude of my gift.
At 19, I fell pregnant and my dreams of attending Berkeley College of Music were put on ice. I had no clue how I could reach any pinnacle with a daughter on my hip. My 24th time around the sun came and with that, so did my son. I was broken, hurt unenthused, hopeless and contemplating suicide. Everything that made me happy seemed to be so far out of reach with being a young, underemployed, single mother with little help and few resources. About three months after my son was born, love smiled on me. I met the most wonderful, selfless, genuine man. He loved us like we were his, and my fire for music was reignited. I will always credit MJ with being a part of the reason I am where I am today. Each day he chose to love us was a day that I chose to see the beauty that was before me. My outlook changed, my walk changed, my belief in myself changed. I went to a professional studio for the very first time and recorded a song called “Deeper Than Love”. For the first time, I truly felt the words to that Whitney song that I belted at the salon all those years ago.
“Deeper Than Love” was a definitely BOP! I performed it all over the city, even had a few people ask to manage me because of it. That song is what paved the way for all the other songs, features, jingles and syncs that I have written and referenced. It was the catalyst for my belief that anything I want, I can have. I went from writing to beats from YouTube to getting beat packs sent directly to me from award-winning producers like OGTha3, TwystedGenius, KeysDaProducer, Goonie Savage and DLo The Great.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth road? Ha! What’s that?
Anything worth having is worth fighting for. I have experienced homelessness, not having the resources to invest in myself, being offered studio time, beats, etc in exchange for sexual favors, rapey studio vibes and more. NONE, absolutely, NONE of that was enough to make me stop doing what I love. I just bring my pistol everywhere with me nowadays. Now that’s what I call pushin’ p.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a songwriter and violinist. I specialize in providing eargasms to whomever wants to bust one. I am known for being BIG and most definitely for being FINE. I can write any genre of music from old-school Tim McGraw country to new-school City Girls rap. I am most proud of my resilience, NOBODY can stop what God has destined for me. Just like anybody else, I get knocked down but I get up again….every….single….time. What sets me apart from others is I am not willing to sacrifice my morality to get to the next level. Anything that God has for me is for me and I rest in that. I am ok with taking the long road because at the end of the day I am able to sleep with a clear conscious. I don’t backdoor anybody to get to anything and I genuinely appreciate the amazing people in my network.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The most important thing to have when taking risks is discernment. One must take calculated risks, making sure to involve every possible variable. Never leap before looking. I would certainly classify myself as a risk taker, I dive in platinum producers’ DM’s every day letting them know that I am available for references and placements. I have a 50/50 chance of getting yes, so I pull up my big girl britches and send the message. The worst they can say is no and if they don’t want to work with me now, I count it all joy because I know that they will be on the list of people begging me for my pen soon. A person will miss 100% of the shots they do not take….and IMMA TAKE ALL THE SHOTS THAT ARE FOR ME.
Pricing:
- Big Fine A$$ Hook (for indies) – $200
- Full Big Fine A$$ Song (for indies) – $400
- Big Fine A$$ BGVS (for indies) – $100
- Big Fine A$$ Co-writing (for indies) – $150
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ohhdats_bigfine
- SoundCloud: ohdatsbigfine
Image Credits
NalaOPhoto
