Interview | Tarik Adams

Allow me to introduce to you to singer/songwriter Tarik Adams, all the way from Louisville, Kentucky. With a sound he describes as hip-hop infused with pop and electro, I was intrigued to see what this dude was all about. So with this amazing tool we call the internet, I managed to have a little chat with Tarik about his music, his influences and his debut album Tigers & Girls which is to be released this coming summer! 

Well I guess the first thing everybody wants to know is: Who is Tarik Adams? Tell us a bit about yourself!

I'm a writer, producer, artist from Louisville, KY and am now currently finishing up my album and residing in Cincinnati, OH and attending Xavier University. Josh La Rock and I started Feel Free as a production label back in 2004 and have been working diligently since. I've written, produced, and worked for a few artists while I worked on my craft, but I finally felt like it was my time to start focusing on my sound. Last summer me and my girl split and I just had alot of built up emotions and energy and I just flooded my notebooks with songs and it really helped push me to get things going.

Your sound has quite a dance/pop feeling to it judging by your debut single Wake Up - what sets you apart from other artists already established in that genre?

Well I think once everyone hears my album, they'll see my versatility. Almost every record is a different sound and genre within pop/hip hop/electro. It's a reflection of a lot of the music I love - it's like I took influence from Miami Horror, Kanye West, The Dream, Pharrell, and even my man Robin Thicke and meshed it all together. I mean, I'll never claim to be as good as any of them - they're some of the biggest innovators in music today, but I aspired to be as innovative and versatile with my sound as they are. Releasing Wake Up as the first single was a fun risk - it's worked out great so far. Pushing myself as this kind of explorative hip hop artist and creating a pop song was a challenge - but I had fun.

June 2011 sees the release of your album Tigers & Girls (dope title by the way!) hosted by mixtape legend Terry Urban. What's the whole concept behind the album? Tigers? Girls? Please explain!

Tigers & Girls kind of came out of nowhere. It was one of those days where the words just came to my head. I put it on Facebook and it somehow got a bunch of likes. Like two hours later I said "I'm going to name my album that." Tigers & Girls is a conceptual album, not so much one single story, but it definitely has a beginning and end, with stories in-between of my experiences with girls thus far. It's been interesting. But Tigers are the wild girls you always see out in the clubs and on Facebook grabbing your attention and either dying for your money, or popularity, or even just to break your heart - they're the girls that will hunt you down and eat you alive. Often times they're beautiful and agile like tigers. Girls, well they're the girls, the good girls that want to pursue their dreams, have passion for life, and want love in the long run. The ones I prefer. Tigers & Girls is a view into my jungle.

What advice would you give to anyone trying to make it in the music industry? You're quite a newbie yourself - has it been a hard journey to success so far?

Just pursue it. Everyone has a voice, a set of ideas, emotions. Just be honest in your music. In my album, I am really reflecting my 100%. Like Wake Up would be some shit I would genuinely do for a chick I just met - if I felt she was the girl I had that instant feeling for and I wanted to lock down. I got some songs showing my vulnerability, my weakness, my fear. Don't be cool and claim its you, literally just be you.

Don't expect your friends to be fans. Expect your fans to be fans. The most supportive people have been people I barely know - from other cities. Reaching out, retweeting, sending their friends my way, and contacting about shows. I feel the love. But music wise, you just gotta work on your craft until its quality. I could have released an album years ago, but I was patient and wanted to wait until I knew I was ready. Hopefully it will show to people.

Who are your main influences and inspirations? Musically or otherwise?

I think I answered the question somewhat above. But I think Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and Bob Marley are the three greatest musicians of all time. Hands down. Eventually, I want to get to the point where my music leaves a legacy. Something parents would pass down. But I've got tons of work to do. All I hope for is growth.

Follow Tarik Adams on Twitter @TarikAdams and check out his website here. Tarik's second single Heaven Only Knows is out soon so be on the look out for that too!