Blending Hip Hop, Rap and Pop with Ghostluvme

When it comes to his style, he prides himself on his in-your-face swag. When it comes to his music, he’s got his own vibe… period. Singer, rapper, songwriter and producer, multi-talented millennial, Clayton Lisy AKA Ghostluvme, was born to make music. With James Brown as his inspiration, Ghostluvme spent his adolescent years teaching himself how to play piano, drums and every string instrument since the age of ten.

Today, this rapper and self-taught producer has released projects that defy the norms of traditional rap, hip-hop and pop structures, mastering the mix of sound combined with lyrical structure and flow to deliver music that can only be classified as his own. Ghostluvme’s music allows his audience to play a participatory role in the experience of listening and consumption, through interpretation.

GHOSTLUVME · Reverend

The Hype Magazine got him to weigh in on a few things!

From the outside looking in, who is the artist Ghostluvme?

I hope when people think of me as an artiste, they’d see a great lyricist and musician. They’d think, “ye, he can carry a tune.”

What brought you to the entertainment industry, music specifically?

I’ve played instruments my whole life – if you’re good at music, then you’re going to make music. For me, it’s like there’s no other option. I was playing instruments and making music before I even realized there was an ‘industry’ that was I was going to fit into.

What do you want people to get from your music?

When people hear my music I’d want them to feel good, to feel entertained, to feel like it’s their escape. Imagine one day, years from now, you’re on a road trip and want to pull up that one feel good song because in that moment that’s the vibe you’re feeling. I, hope my song is that one song you’d want to hear in that moment because you want a feel-good vibe.

What’s your take on the evolution of popular music?

I think it’s crazy. What you can do with music now compared to what it was back in the day is incredible to witness. The production, vocals, and effects that go into pop music right now is great. The way pop music has evolved into what it is today it feels like being a kid in a playground.

What excites you the most about this new age of creativity across genre lines?

What excites me the most is being able to play around with making music in every genre because of the new sense of creativity that goes into it today. I’ve made country, rock, rap and pop music. I’ve played around with the guitar to blend it with trap music. The music I produce definitely crosses genres, so I would love to hear Future, Lil Uzi Vert or Young Thug on some of my beats because they would be pushing those lines.

Tell us about your current project and what it means for you

This album tells a lot more of a story than any other album. The music lets people play a participatory role in the listening experience, so I’ll leave it up to them to interpret the story. A lot of the sounds on this project are not hip hop, so it’s different for me in that sense as well. It’s more of a multi-genre blend. This album is not necessarily reflective of the music in the current time we’re living in, but I think this is a good time for something like this to exist in terms of a multi-genre portrayal of music.

How did the pandemic affect your recording process for this project?

Honestly, it hasn’t really affected me as I have been constantly recording. At the beginning of the pandemic I recorded a song speaking to the world ending – there’s a lot of sonics in there that were pretty cool with a rough mix.

For new listeners, what song of yours would you pick as an introduction to you as an artist?

My SoundCloud tape is a fun tape to listen to. There’s a lot of different sounds on there that lend to the diversity behind my music. Each tape has varying themes. It provides a good example of where my music is going to go.

Tell us a bit about your work and passions OUTSIDE of music…

*chuckles* I live what I rap. Music really is the best of me. I used to play football in high school, but outside of that, I’m all about music.

I found myself tripping out to his latest release Vampira…check it out

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.