Getting to Know NorCal’s Newest R&B Artist ‘Edison’

R&B artist ‘Edison’ was exposed to music at a very young age. Inspired by artists like Usher, Boys II Men, Trey Songz, Ne-Yo and many more, he began singing and songwriting by the age of 10. Putting out music regularly, his hobby quickly turned into a career and in early 2016, Edison was discovered by the CEO of Static Records. After being signed to the label, Edison’s debut song “Break it Down” would set the bar for his career. Leaving the label in 2018 then led him to a slew of new releases and undiscovered passions. Edison is not only involved with the music world, but is also involved with his other passions as an actor, dancer, film writer, and sports while being a former athlete. For those that love current and old school sounds this is the guy that everyone needs to listen to. We sat down with Edison to learn more about

What is it about R&B that always drew you to the genre?

R&B is just that genre. Ever since I was a kid, it was the type of music that always made me feel good and it was the one genre that my family always played in the house whether it was our parties or our little get together’s. So if you ever hangout with my family that is what you’ll be hearing. I also believe that it is the one genre of music that anyone can relate to. R&B is always about love, sex, partying, having a good time, soul, emotion, storytelling, sadness and anything that involves any natural occurrence that people go through. It’s really a special genre to have in your life. It’s like the music speaks to you and tries to connect with you in a lot of ways that most people themselves cannot. That can be any other type of music depending on who you talk to, but I don’t think they can do it like R&B can.

What inspired you to start writing your own music?

Just seeing and learning that your favorite singers and rappers write their own music is what really inspired me. Seeing how they write their lyrics and witnessing the imaginations that they have and bringing it to life is very motivating and that is something that is very difficult to find sometimes. Just knowing that I can take my experiences and stories and turn them into songs and inspire others is what drives me to keep songwriting. Being able to relate to people and show them that there are ways to take what you have gone through and turn it into an enjoyable moment is what is very encouraging and also very humbling.

How do you feel R&B has changed the most over the past 20 years?

It is definitely a lot faster than I remember it being. I feel like if you look back from the early 2000s and even the late 90s there seemed to be a good balance of tempo of how R&B sounded at the time. You were able to see a great set of songs that were up-tempo, slow, or steady. Now you see a lot of R&B songs going fast heading in a more Hip Hop direction. If you go back 20 years ago there was a lot of talent in the industry where there were at least 30 artists fighting to be number one. In today’s world there may not be that many or there are people who are great it’s just they may not get the recognition that they deserve. Social media has changed everything where you can hear everybody’s music now. I’m a big fan of a lot of artists who are not huge names and are really good. One argument that you may hear is that people may not be able to relate to music now as they were able to 20 years ago. People feel like R&B music back in the day meant something because they were able to relate to it and there was a diverse sound. Today people feel like everyone is trying to be the same, but if it works, it works. You can’t argue with evolution. Back then you didn’t pay too much attention to the underground artist because you had no access to hearing what someone else had when it came to their music so you were only able to see what was brought to you on the radio or on television. One thing that has also changed is that is that you see rappers trying to sing and try to do R&B as well. It’s a beautiful thing to see honestly because it shows the appreciation and respect for it. Everything has become so diverse now that it seems like everything kind of gets shoved into one or two genres either Pop or Hip Hop. In my mind though there’s always multiple. I feel like the most beautiful thing about R&B today is that everyone wants to somehow take the concept and put it into their genre and see how they can be creative. R&B artists now have a bigger platform than they ever had because the tools have increased, it is easier to connect with your fans, and people are able to be more creative. It has definitely become one of the top if not the top genre of music in the world. Everyone today wants a little R&B in every type of music that they listen to.

What is one of your proudest accomplishments in music?

My proudest accomplishment is definitely signing my first record deal when I was 20 years old. I always told myself that I wanted to sign my first deal before I turned 21 and I did. I may not be with that label anymore, but I thank them for everything that they have done for me. They helped start the process for me from being an underground artist to creating an even bigger name. I just look to continue the journey and accomplish greater things that I am eyeing for myself. One of my proudest accomplishments is just being able to perform different cities. It is always good to meet different crowds and have new fans from all over the world.Just seeing my name and my very first song through digital stores was very amazing and I always dreamt of that happening until it became true. I can’t wait to accomplish more.

You’re very well rounded. Do you feel like your passions compliment one another or do they ever clash?

They compliment each other very well. It just takes a lot of thinking and organizing so that clashes never happen. I do tend to clash every now and then, but I always know how to control myself and understand that every move and step is just a challenge and I can either accept that or crash and burn which is what I refuse to do. If you can make time for your passions the easier it will be for you and you would not have to worry fighting yourself over it. You have to stay focused and work on your weaknesses so that you’ll have more strengths that you never thought you could have. It is really all about time.

Who are some artists you’re listening to right now and why?

My all time favorite artist will always be Usher. He is the one that inspired me to do music and your inspiration will always be number one. When it comes to today’s artists I am a big Chris Brown fan and I have been since his first album came out. He has set the bar so high for other artists that I look to reach it or set it even higher. I love listening to artists such as Bryson Tiller who is so unique and I thank for introducing Trap Soul. He literally created a new genre of music. I am also a fan of Kehlani, H.E.R, and SZA. They all have beautiful voices and are creating a unique style to R&B music so shoutout to all the female artists out there! I also still rock with the artists back from my childhood like Tank, Trey Songz, Ne-Yo, Boyz II Men, and a lot more. I am also a big fan of the songwriting ability of Eric Bellinger who is dominating the industry right now. He is someone to look out for now and the near future. Tinashe is someone who I enjoy listening to. I have been a big fan of hers since the very beginning. She’s a beautiful artist who is creating a very unique approach to R&B with her dance style and she is someone that I will always enjoy listening to. I don’t know if you know who Tone Stith is but I’ve been a big fan of his for a long time and is definitely an artist I would like to work with one of these days. I can’t forget about August Alsina who I have been listening to since he released his first mixtapes in the early 2010s. He is able to create songs with such a unique tone that it gives it a very different vibe that I do not think we have seen in awhile. I cannot forget about Camila Cabello who is more in the Pop genre but is definitely doing great things every since her days with Fifth Harmony. I can go on and on about my favorite artists there are just so many to appreciate in not just R&B, but in other genres as well whether they are old or new. One of these days we can talk more about that.

How have you been staying creative during covid?

I’ve just been learning and learning as we wait for this disease to disappear. Connecting with people and making business relationships is what I have been able to do through this whole quarantine. I want to be able to build my network, my fans, and have the right people around me that I can work with and learn from so that the moves I am making become consistent. I think artists are able to have more time for their craft that they have not had in a long time. I think it is important for us to take this time to work on our music and our craft so that we can become better and not have any excuses. I may not have been able to do shows, but I can still use this time to talk to my fans and be on social media and connect with them and see what the rest of the world is up to. I am able to work with other producers and other songwriters to keep the creative process going for myself during this time that we have. There is so much time on my hands now that I can now do things I wanted to do for a long time. It may be a tough year right now, but we have to keep going. No excuses should be made. I am continuing to write music and films so my mind is always thinking and working 24/7.

What’s next for you in 2020? Can fans look forward to new music?

You can expect a lot of things from me in 2020. There is definitely more music on the way that I am excited to release soon. My fans will probably see a part of me as an artist that they have never seen before. I will be more involved with films since I am writing movies of my own and plan on getting more into acting. With that being said you can expect me to be involved in entertainment in many different ways. I want to explore my creativeness in any way I possibly can.

Check out Edison on Instagram to learn more: https://www.instagram.com/musicedison/

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