Meet Mystory

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mystory.

Mystory, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, but I moved to Atlanta (with my mother) when I was in the fourth grade. I started rapping when I was a freshman in college, but music has always played a vital role in my life. When I was younger, I never thought that I would be a rapper. I always had a creative side (which my grandmother pushed) and an athletic side (which my grandfather pushed). On the creative side, I danced (like Chris Brown), drew, played the drums and wrote poetry. On the athletic side, I played basketball and ran track. While tending to either side, I frequently would delve into music to enhance my experience. My mother shared the music of artists such as Lauryn Hill, Eve, Missy Elliot, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Usher, and many others.

Therefore, I received an excellent sense of Hip Hop, R&B, and Neo Soul from her. My cousins (Brittany and Brandi) would play Rock bands such as AFI, Fall Out Boy, Panic At the Disco, and Killswitch Engage, providing a balance of genres for me to investigate. When I was in High School, my grandfather passed away. His death impacted me significantly since he was my father figure. It took me years to realize that I needed more than drawing, dancing, and sports to cope with my pain. I started noticing that my interest in music was becoming stronger, but there was still an empty space in my heart. Each song that I listened to told the artist’s story, but it was not the same as mine. I started living by a quote by author Toni Morrison. She states, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” From that moment forward I started creating poems and crafting the words to beats.

Eventually, those poems became lyrics, and those lyrics reflected my story. I became the author of the songs that I needed in life. My name, Mystory (pronounced Mystery), shows that my music reflects my life while also shedding light on oppressed communities that are normally silenced in society. It also reveals that there is always a part of my story that will remain unknown. Today, I consider myself a rapper with an emcee’s heart, meaning that my cadences are swift and catchy, but when one listens closely, they hear that there is a message behind my flow. Embodying both of these elements help me maneuver throughout Rap’s trends while keeping a solid foundation of Hip Hop beneath my layered bars.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road to my dreams has been both a bumpy and rewarding one. My best friend Bjai Avenue says it best “The tables always turn.” This means that no matter how bad things get, they can always transform into better days and vice versa. I have faced a series of physical, mental, and emotional struggles on the road to my dreams. One that I think many creatives can relate to is the struggle for necessary resources to create and promote my music. In fact, I still battle with this struggle today. When I graduated from college, I realized many studios (that I went to before) either raised their prices significantly or lowered their sound quality packages. My mother and grandmother, fortunately, scraped some earnings so that I could get a microphone, interface, and a laptop. I had to figure out getting the software, but eventually, I got it.

The biggest issue is that I knew how to record music, but I did not know how to engineer my vocals. Audio engineering is the biggest piece to making sure a record sounds amazing. Some people assume that rappers go to the studio, record, then have a song ready for the radio. In all actuality, the engineer has to take the vocal recordings and mix and master the track. This process can take hours, days, or weeks for one song to fulfill its potential. After taking years to study, take notes, and fiddle around with my vocals, I was able to create songs to the best of my ability. Many times I wanted to quit, cried, didn’t want to release music, thought that I was incapable, etc. but eventually things improved. I now have tangible songs that I can work with for my future project, YDOB. There are still many things that I have to learn (and take note of) as far as engineering my vocals, but I am now more well rounded as a music artist because I had to figure things out in order to continue working on my craft.

Mystory – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Mystory (as a brand) is a music artist who includes the sounds of where she was raised (Charlotte, N.C), and where she resides (Atlanta, GA), through a combination of swift cadences, impactful metaphors, and relatable lyrics. She also is an advocate for many oppressed communities that are frequently silenced. Mystory specializes in creating music, dancing, performing, painting, and providing an intimacy with her supporters through transparency. She is known for her humbling energy, positivity, and ability to create head nodding music that also engages important messages.

I am most proud of Mystory’s ability to balance Rap and Hip Hop every chance that she gets, and her inability to settle for anything less than what she was placed on this Earth to do. The main things that set Mystory aside from many other artists is her fluidity in music, her determination, and her positive impact on future generations. As a Queen City native, she understands the importance of continuously hustling to make a name for herself. She has stayed focused on situations such as being rejected by some people when passing out her free music at Little Five Points. She continues to hold on to the positivity from these moments, creating a more vivid story for her to tell in music. These experiences provide a lens for her to engage with, teach, and relate to many children and adults each day.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as wellness of self, love, happiness, and the fulfillment of positivity passed to other generations through one’s gift to Earth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/mystorynotmystery
• Email: mystoryiam@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mystorynotmystery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keke.lawrence
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MystoryIAm

Image Credit:
Bjai Avenue

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.