‘Lean’ is the impressive new freestyle from Richmond, VA artist BAVA. ‘Lean’ was created in an unplanned studio session with Aj Brandn who made the beat. We interview him to find out more!
You wrote your first song at the age of 11, how did you get into rap?
From freestyle battling with my dad to freestyling with my peers at school music always gave me a feeling of comfort. Hearing music from my favorite artist and old cd’s of my dad influenced me to put my own music on papers.
Tell us about your hometown in Richmond, what is the Hip-Hop scene like there?
Richmond is a city full of competitors. The most popular and praised genre in Richmond right now is trap music. I’m being different and bringing a new sound in my city that I hope will continue to gain attention and grow.
Freestyling is a skill within itself, when did you first learn you could freestyle, and is there anything that inspires or encourages your creative flow?
My dad would turn on random beats from YouTube and start to battle me. Overtime I continued to get better with freestyling until subconsciously I could close my eyes feel the beat talk to me and find a flow that compliments both the beat and my lyrics.
Your music seeks to evoke emotion, and real issues – How important is it for you to use Hip-Hop to inspire?
Hanging out with the old heads and being part of the younger generation, I have come to the realization that we both can feel the emotions in music. Although we sometimes butt heads when it comes to how music is supposed to sound, I make it an effort to find a balance in between. I consider myself a middleman when it comes to music between generations.
Tell us about your latest track ‘Lean’? What was the process behind creating and the music video to accompany it?
One night I went to talk to the producer “Aj Brandn” and he pulled me in to show me a beat he was working on. I instantly felt a connection with the beat and started to freestyle on it. Once I came up with the hook I sat down and started writing the verses so that I could perfect it. We stayed up till 6 in the morning as I perfected the lyrics and AJ perfected the beat. A few weeks later, me and “Moodie” aka “Moodie Visuals”, got together in Richmond to shoot a run and gun music video. He drove all the way from Atlanta to record.
What are your thoughts on gun crime, and do you think artists need to be more socially responsible with their lyrics?
I don’t agree with unnecessary gun crime, but I do believe in responsible gun ownership. I don’t believe in bringing a gun to a fist fight. I also don’t believe in artist censorship. I believe artist should be able to make music without any limitations to express themselves. It is up to the listeners to determine what choices they make and learn to separate what they hear and see from reality. That’s like saying movies and video games are responsible for what people do after they watch them.
What other music have you got coming out and when?
I’ll have two new singles out by the end of this month and an EP out sometime in august.
Where can we follow your music?
I’m on all platforms. Apple music, Spotify, Soundcloud, etc. Here is a link with a shortcut to my most visited platforms: https://linktr.ee/804Bava
Support BAVA on Social Media
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Listen to more of BAVA
YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

Rishma

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