Tapping into the underground creative space, you’ve probably heard of names like Emwell or 42ceo, but there’s another underground super fan you should be tapped into. Bryce Fitts is music creative who blew up on twitter for his opinions on the hip hop scene and valuable input on certain topics. Now he's known for being the official A&R for @inthafest, throwing some of the biggest underground shows in North Carolina, and using his platforms to connect artists and making big moves in the industry. In this interview Bryce will be giving advice on how to get eyes and ears on you whether you're an artist or a creative as well as give his thoughts on the underground scene, so without further ado lets get into it.
Where did your passion for music come from?
Growing up I tried many different hobbies, sports, activities and none of them really stuck. I enjoyed video games a lot and was a huge viewer of YouTube since its inception. I eventually found Logic through FaZe around 2015 and the rest was history. Logic introduced me to hip hop and from there I just started to explore every single book and cranny of the genre since.
What makes an artist stand out?
The easy answer to this is an interesting image, which is still very true…but I feel like that the game is ever evolving and an emphasis on unique music is at an all time high. At least for the real listeners, I love the leaders of the UG but I can’t listen to just Ken, Yeat, and Lone all day. I need someone to sample something weird or break the rules of music theory and it somehow work. That’s what catches my attention nowadays.
Do you feel like becoming successful in the music industry is just a popularity contest or what are your thoughts on that?
It is and it isn’t. The beginning stages of a career in music will be very pure and genuine whether it’s an artist, producer, engineer, content creator, anything really. You know without a doubt that the people who are messing with you are because they truly enjoy and believe in your art. That difference comes when you have that “moment” that gives you outside eyes. I’ve had plenty both small and big moments but those outsiders who don’t know you will look at you either positively or negatively depending on the context of that “moment.” That’s kinda what gauges your social status in the community, it’s not even from people that know you so I thinks it’s weird. Once you grow to a size, those kind of people are gonna seep into your true fans and you won’t know who is messing with you because of your art or if they just think you have aura and want something from you lol.
What are your thoughts on the underground currently and what would you like to see improved?
On one hand I think the gimmicks are getting out of control and they detract from real hardworking artists, but some are still out here doing great off their own wave. I would like to see more people just focus on album concepts and career eras with a total dive into your mind in a creative way than just trying to find a viral moment to jump on. This is nothing new, history repeats itself it’s just like 6ix9ine and Lil Pump all over again but probably a little more tame which I can appreciate.
Which social media platform do you feel like is best to find upcoming artists and why?
While Instagram is great for tailoring to your true fans, Twitter is the best man. Especially now with all the underground pages going crazy these last few years. I remember tweeting about Yeat when he had 200 followers on Twitter and getting 3 likes, meanwhile Yeat was going crazy on Instagram at the same time. Now that has changed and rappers are starting their careers on Twitter with replies or funny posts then transferring those dedicated fans to their Instagram. That media channel can most definitely move in both ways. And from a fans perspective Twitter is probably harder to find music on (like snippets or links) but it’s way better for finding out more and staying tapped to the entire community if that makes sense.
What’s the best way to get your opinion noticed as a creative?
Just like what you like and don’t conform to nobody else’s opinions. I got popular for liking Logic in a time where everybody hated that man. A lot of y’all new gens reading this prob still do hate him but that man started a wave with internet / rapper collabs stemming from FaZe and the internet would look very different without him. Just be yourself and like what you like and use your voice to communicate why these artists you like mean so much to you and the genre as a whole. Nothing wrong with being a fan man, I’m basically just a professional fan to these dudes.
You recently made a underground iceberg YouTube video, who else would you like to see make a underground iceberg?
This was one of my favorite things I have ever done and really gave viewers in insight to not just my music taste, but my life and career. I think Emwell absolutely needs to make one. He’s the underground final boss it is only right. Would also love to see one from AidanTheAsset from OnTheRadar just off the fact that he sees all differnt kinds of artists go crazy every single day and always has artists I have never heard of on his Asset Radio series.
What are your upcoming goals?
I want to have @inthafest collab with any major festival series like Rolling Loud, Lyrical Lemonade Fest, really anyone who sees the vision in the live music world.
Who are some ug artists you wished were pushed more?
⁃ Bear1Boss (watching his career blossom is like prime Carti I’m telling yall)
⁃ arpsweatpants
⁃ Yung PG
⁃ Cardigan
⁃ FourFive