Meet 8LU of Atlanta Creative Collective in Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to 8LU.

Thanks for sharing your story with us 8LU. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Making music is therapy for me, there is no better feeling than getting lost in the music you are creating. At the age of two, I started playing the drums, by age four, I picked up the piano and have been in love ever since. I grew up around the studio life, my pops is a Grammy Nominated, Multi-Platinum producer @aerickmccaine. I guess you can say I’ve followed my father’s footsteps in becoming a producer/artist. Just from being around my pops and the people he has worked with showed me that this is something I want to do for the rest of my life. I was classically trained on the piano up until the age of 16. I enjoyed taking piano lessons but I did not enjoy being told what to play, so I started writing/playing what I wanted. Now, I do just that, making and playing what I feel. I go by the name 8lu (Blu), which is my middle name. people ask me why the eight, I tell them its because I was born in August. The number 8 has always resonated with me as well.

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?
Smooth road, not at all. Being a creative is one of the most frustrating occupations. It’s a mix of perseverance and long nights. We don’t get a guaranteed check every week so we constantly have to put in the work to get something out of it. These past four years, I had to slow down and take a break from the music due to mental health issues. I recently moved back to Atlanta coming from Maryland. Ive been here for the past five months and its one of the best decisions I’ve made. Ive gotten more work done these past five months than I have in the past four years. It’s crazy really. The music scene in Atlanta is amazing, everybody helps everybody come up. Coming from the DMV, it’s real “cliquey” there and nobody wants to step outside their circle.

Atlanta Creative Collective – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I started Atlanta Creative Collective with a close friend from Elementary school. We are a group of creatives that help fund and build each other’s passions. My name is 8lu (Blu) and my role in the collective is Producer/Songwriter/Sound designer. So, anything audio related I can provide to the team. We have a Graphic Designer/Artist, Photographer, IT Specialist, Videographer, and creative director. This group was created so that we wouldn’t have to outsource for any creative needs. We constantly push each other to reach the next level. We are currently six people strong and hope to expand to other creatives out in Atlanta. If you are a creative and are interested, please feel free to message or DM me.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment so far was the birth of my kids. I do it all for them.

Contact Info:

• Email: kaiblu22@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kai8lu/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kai8lu
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1tfdBkee0UENoAI0UMBgCg?view_as=subscriber

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