Nashville, TN -
TERRENCE615 released his debut album, “The Purple Room,” on July 1st, 2019, giving the eccentric Nashville based rapper an unforgettable introduction into the alt/hip-hop scene. Combining a Kim Petras-esq pop sound, R&B like Miguel, and rap like Lil Skies, TERRENCE crafts a unique experience that revolves around his personal story.
So, what is “The Purple Room,” and where did the idea come from? According to TERRENCE, it came to him like a vision while making music with close friends. He imagined the basement they were working in to have a purple shag rug, purple walls, and purple furniture. To him, this would be the ideal place to create: a dreamy, 70’s-inspired art room, if you will. The message he felt was simple: vulnerability, self belief, expression and reflection.
“I want to inspire people to realize their true potential and be able to open up and express,” says Terrence. “Looking back and seeing how far you’ve come or realizing why something happened is so critical. It can be hard to get in your feelings because that’s not something most people like to talk about. But it is essential to growth. I’m not saying to hold onto these things, just to realize lessons and then let go. But keep the lessons with you in order to flourish!”
In this colorful body of work, we find the artist letting us into his conscious and reflecting on his upbringing in an inviting yet vulnerable way. Raised in a conservative home, TERRENCE addresses this in opposition to his current views, questions, and creativity. We can hear these ideas presented in tracks like Small Town Sick, where TERRENCE references facing judgement from a small town, as well as the pains of falling in love. The Nashville resident names Childish Gambino, Lil Uzi Vert, and Travis Scott as some of his biggest inspirations. He’s drawn to the wealth of creativity between them, the blurred line between femininity and masculinity, and the energy the artists can bring to audiences.
The reflective concept album,“The Purple Room,” combines elements from simple chords to complex concepts, dreamy vocals, distorted guitar riffs, saturated 808’s, prominent high hats, and melodic piano. For example, on the track No Words, the verbed-out vocals (especially in the chorus) lend to a dreamy, floating sound, backed by strong 808’s and high hats. In the verses on the same track, we hear cloud-like plucked strings complemented by a melodic, airy flute. The production combines seamlessly with the vocals, creating one cohesive piece of art, resulting in a pattern present throughout the entire album. TERRENCE615 collaborated on “The Purple Room” with engineers at Altru Creative (located in East Nashville) over the course of six months, ultimately creating his most intuitive, conceptual body of work to date.
When asked about future plans, TERRENCE replies, “My ultimate goal is this, which I write down everyday: I am traveling, performing, having fun, being myself, being happy, making a living, and getting inspired/inspiring others all through music,” he continues, “The goal isn’t rich. The goal is to sustain myself through creativity and give the world something meaningful. It’s not even ‘rap’ that I see myself doing forever. I see myself evolving so much as an artist because of what I already have experienced and what I have planned out.” Moving forward, the independent artist ensures that his craft will always be the center of his artistry. “I would much rather take the risk of doing something I love, instead of being unhappy with my life. I will always know my true intuition at the end of the day and that’s what you can’t ever let go of, no matter how deep you go in life.”
Short term, we can expect to see TERRENCE615 perform live in several local shows, some new singles for the winter, and possibly a new album by 2020. Be sure to follow his journey, and treat yourself to a colorful, introspective listen to his debut Album, “The Purple Room” here!
