Portland North Preparing to Release New Project “Alone”

Written by: Julz Mancini

Portland North is an artist with an amazing ear for music who offers a plethora of talents to the music scene. No matter the adversities that have come his way, he has continued to push through and utilize his music as the driving force toward success. Portland stands strong with his beliefs in providing a voice for individuals with disabilities. He is an idol and inspiration to others whom seek a career in music.

He reflected on his earliest memory of music and how he came to be the artist he is today. “I was about 6 years old when my mom bought me an IBM computer. It had a program called sound recorder. With the sound recorder program, I would record little freestyles and work on developing my craft. Although his first introduction to music was at the young age of 6, Portland didn’t create original music until he was 10 years old. Prior to pursuing music full time, it was simply a way to express himself and have fun with family.

As his music reached the ears of his community, positive feedback could be heard from everyone he encountered. This was a turning point in his life as he soon realized that he could introduce his music to the world and bless the ears of individuals outside of his community. With inspirations such as Drake and J Cole, he was able to utilize their unique sounds to further develop his own.

The most memorable performance for Portland was in Southampton at a camp for physically disabled individuals. This opportunity stands out to Portland due to his own experience as a camp member earlier in his life. Portland stated, “This was special to me because I felt like I was able to show the kids that anything is possible.”

The talented artist has collaborated with several independent artists. One collaboration that stands out to Portland was with Fivio Foreign who is also his biological cousin. With Portland’s love for music, I was eager to learn about his creative process. Portland explained, “My creative process really depends on which mood I’m in. I play a number of beats and whichever beat grabs my attention, I begin to harmonize to it. Once I get a feel for the music, I set it up in my program and the lyrics just flow.” It was interesting to learn that Portland is not only a music artist but also a producer and engineer. Having the ability to build a song from the ground up, allows Portland to stand apart from others in the industry. He is remarkably independent and self taught which speaks volumes about his passion.

Earlier in his music career, Portland took to the streets selling his CDs which enhanced his fanbase and visibility within the community. Now he is in the process of developing his first solo project titled, “A.L.O.N.E.” which is an acronym which stands for Adjusted Life Of New Energy. There are no features planned for this project.

When asked to elaborate on his goals for the future, Portland answered, “My future goals and plans as an artist are to change the perception that people have of physically disabled individuals and become so successful that it forces venues that are not wheelchair accessible to make the appropriate accommodations. They need artists like me at their establishments.” Portland’s message to other artists trying to pursue a career in music is, “Love your craft and do not let the opinions of others change the way you create.” This gifted artist has refused to give up even during the hardest moments because “Without struggle there is no reward.” Be sure to follow Portland North and stream his music!

https://www.instagram.com/portlandnorth_pna/

https://music.apple.com/us/album/dont-trust-single/1558395781?i=1558395783&ign-gact=3&ls=1

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