Meet Cam James

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cam James.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was introduced to music by my parents. They played 70’s/80’s disco, classic R&B and Rap around the house all day, and that got me addicted. I didn’t discover my lyrical talents until college when I started performing spoken word poems around campus. After winning Georgia Tech’s first annual spoken word contest, a group of my friends pulled me into their rap group. I learned how to record in dorm room studios and quickly realized I had the talent to take this further. That’s what kicked off my solo rap career.

Mixtapes and EPs followed, helping me find my style and hone my mixing, recording and writing skills. It took four of those before I caught my biggest performance break to date: A3C Festival 2016. Somehow, I found myself headlining in the OutKast ATLiens 20-Year Anniversary Tribute Show after another artist dropped out. Killed it in front of 1,000+ people, and wasn’t nearly as nervous as I expected. Preparation makes perfection.

My next big break happened in the form of a TV placement falling out of the sky. I had just come back to Atlanta after performing in SXSW 2017 and got an email about using one of my songs on a CW show. Months and many emails later, my single “Tell Me” ended up on BET’s Being Mary Jane in September 2017. An international Visit The USA & Spotify commercial in 2018 followed, which helped propel my album leviTAPE to moderate streaming success.

My focus shifted to self-directing my music videos, so I taught myself to film. Two videos later it’s become one of my most compelling talents as an artist. I’m making movies now bruh.

Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been smooth. I struggled financially and mentally to keep myself competitive and moving forward after years of writing music and performing with very little progress. Determining the correct strategy and where you should invest are the most significant challenges I faced. Maintaining your consistency is one of the most important parts of this game, and that’s not always easy when you’re trapped in your head. Artists deal with self-doubt, envy, burnout and more from being almost every member of our support team (before we get the team we need).

Ultimately, the greatest obstacle is just… staying alive until it starts to work.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a musician. I’ve become an event videographer and music video director as a result of my efforts to improve my skill set and apply it to my career. My team is Art By Sound, a label founded by dope producer Ant White (who I met years back at an Atlanta showcase). My fye manager is Nikki T, who rounds out the team as a business strategist.

I’ve been an independent artist for my entire seven years making music, and have acted mostly as a one-man show for most of it. I record, mix, design creative material, promote, film and distribute my music on my own.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and the least?
Atlanta is like the Black Mecca, so I’m surrounded by my people at all times. Gotta love that. I came here from Orlando, FL for college bc of the vibe and opportunities.

What I like least… is that I don’t get to see as much of it as I’d like. Too busy to get out all the time, but sacrifices gotta be made to push this forward, right? Also, the traffic is trash. My car got totaled and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t even remember what it feels like to sit in traffic. Y’all are jealous, I know.

Contact Info:

• Website: camjamesmusic.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/camjamesraps
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/camjamesraps
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/camjamesraps
• Other: http://camjam.es/CJSpotify

Image Credit:
Cam James, UV Lifestyle, Visit The USA

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