[INTERVIEW] SWISHER SWEETS ARTIST PROJECT LA 2018

LA Hip Hop Events was invited to interview this years Swisher Sweets Artists Project LA talent; Charles Bryan, Dice Soho and Ponce De’Leioun. Pack Night LA going down tomorrow night June 16, 2018 at the El Rey Theatre. You don’t want to miss this one of a kind show!

Now in its 4th Year, The Swisher Sweets Artist Project Pack Nights feature some of the biggest names in Hip Hop. This year the tour stops in five cities – Los Angeles, Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Houston – and will culminate with a HUGE year end event. The Los Angeles Pack Night will feature Desiigner and local Los Angeles acts Charles Bryan, Dice Soho, and Ponce De’Leioun. Each artist has something great to offer, but only one artist from the three can advance to the year end bash on December 28th to open for some of today’s biggest acts. Let your voice be heard and let them know who you think it should be by voting for your favorite below.

 

Charles Bryan

LAHHE: Who has been the most influential person in your career?
CB: It would be God and my family. Both of them pushing me to continue making music, because it wasn’t an overnight thing. They’ve heard a lot of songs, some are good. Some are not. They have provided feedback to keep me going in the right direction.

LAHHE: Being an up-and-coming artist, you got 2 million organic listens on your song “My Own Wave”. How did you do it?
CB: It has been two years or so since putting out music. I’ve been teasing here and there. The song was recorded October of last year. When I’d play the song it would stay with them cause its catchy. Once I put it out and did promo for it, it caught on. Some big artist with big followings reposted it on their SoundCloud and it took off from there.

LAHHE: When can we expect your debut album?
CB: Dropping an EP called T.A.L.M (They All Left Me) June 8, 2018. There will be 5 songs, all new music. Mood music, puts you in a sort of a vibe and it’s exciting since I haven’t put anything out since 2016. I took my time in creating these songs and working with the right producers and getting the right sound.

LAHHE: How does it feel being part of the Swisher Sweets Artist Project Class of 2018?
CB: Feels amazing. It really, really feels amazing. I knew that I was going to be putting out new music this year but to have Swisher kind of behind the “My wave” single is amazing and puts me out there more than I’ve been. So its truly amazing.

LAHHE: Tell us about how you got selected. How did it feel when you applied to be selected and you got that call weeks later from Swisher saying you had been chosen?
CB: This was my first time trying and first time hearing about it. The day I put “My Wave” song out is when I ran into the Swisher Sweets Project on a website while uploading my music. I knew I had potential and the project had potential when I applied. The next thing you know they called me and I was definitely excited to be chosen.

LAHHE: What are you most excited for at the LA Pack Night?
CB: I’m looking forward to performing. It’s been a minute since I’ve been on the stage. I’m rehearsing getting ready for the show. Looking forward to performing all new music and connecting with the audience. The project comes out on Friday, gives people about a week to learn the songs. Most of the hooks are pretty catchy so they should get the hooks at least. But to be able to get on stage and perform and promote the new project and connect with the audience is what I’m most looking forward to.

LAHHE: When is your favorite time to smoke a Swisher?
CB: Mainly at the studio to vibe out.

Instagram.com/CharlesBryanLax
Twitter.com/CharlesBryanLax
Facebook.com/CharlesBryanLAX

________________________________________________

 

Dice Soho

LAHHE: How has your city influenced your style of music?
Dice: The culture, the music, the food, the swag, the way we dress. I still keep the Houston swag in me when I go outside. I always have the diamonds on me and Jays on my feet it translate into my music.

LAHHE: How do you split your time between your hometown Houston, and your new home, LA?
Dice: I’m in Houston and I have a home in LA. I come out here to work, this where all my business goes on. This where Mike Dean lives at and I come out here to work with other artists building and doing production stuff. I also go to Houston because have studios that I work out of, my family of course, engineers and producers. I love the food. I always miss the food.

LAHHE: How has your sound evolved since your emergence onto the scene and working with legendary producers like Mike Dean?
Dice: It’s been really exciting and fun. My sound has grown it’s more personal. He’s amazing when it comes to sound and engineering. He’s a GOAT and know how to bring out the best in peoples voice. A mastermind at producing, making beats, engineering. He likes turning stuff up.

LAHHE: What is your relationship like with Desiigner?
Dice:  Desiigner my boy. I’m actually going to the studio with him right now.

LAHHE: Can we expect a special performance with you and Desiigner of “SSP” off of your new album “You Could Have” at the LA Pack Night?
Dice: Of course you know its about to go up that night and my birthday on the 17th. It’s about to be a movie.

LAHHE: In your words, how is Swisher Sweets apart of the hip-hop culture?
Dice: Mannnn everybody smokes Swisher Sweets. I mean I’ve been smoking Swisher Sweets for a long time, especially in Texas. Swisher Sweets is a Texas thang.

LAHHE: What does it mean to you to be part of the Swisher Sweets Artist Project Class of 2018?
Dice: Swisher Sweets been around in Houston for so long. Like before I was even born. All the Houston OG’s smoke Swisher. Partnering up with Swisher Sweets and making a movie, that’s too cool.

LAHHE: What is something you want fans to know about you?
Dice: My fans know a lot about me. They probably know too much about me. They know I’m funny, they know I’m fun, I’m just that cool fly guy, man with the master plan. You dig what I’m saying I keep it all the way there every time. I’m always staying connected with my fans. I try to talk to as many fans as I can. I play the game with them almost every night. They crazy and I love my fans.

LAHHE: What do you have planned for the rest of 2018?
Dice: My project drops this summer, tour starting June 28th, going to be on the road for three months. I will be working on my second project, it’s already half way done. Got a chamber full of music videos and we just gone keep dropping bombs.

https://www.instagram.com/dicesoho
https://twitter.com/DiceSoHo

_______________________________________________

Ponce De’Leioun 

LAHHE: When did you start making music?
Ponce: About three to four years I was just finishing up college and I just start taking the music a lot more serious. The more time I had, the more I put into it.

LAHHE: How long have you lived in LA?
Ponce: I’ve been out here two to three years.

LAHHE: Can you tell us about the hip-hop scene in LA? Where is your favorite place to perform?
Ponce: The Hip Hop scene in LA is hella dope. It’s like a family cause everybody knows everybody. Everybody respects everybody. So its definitely a dope vibe. I want to be a A list artist and a lot of the artist in this community are already A list individuals whether its music or acting. It’s a good fit for me cause it puts me around the people I need to be around.
LA is my favorite place to perform. The energy is real. It could be fifty people or a hundred people. The energy is still real. Good vibes, Good people.

LAHHE: How does it feel being apart of the Swisher Sweets Artist Project for 3 years in a row?
Ponce: It’s legit. We’ve grown. Me and the Swisher team have a crazy relationship. The events only get bigger and bigger. The first event I did with them was unintentional, I was with Waka Flaka. That’s originally how I connected with them. It went from doing an event with him to SXSW and doing a show with Chanel Westcoast, 21 Savage leading to other events with Fetty and Gucci. So its dope I see their growth they see my growth. Great to build with a brand instead of just smoking.

LAHHE: How has your career grown from partnering with Swisher Sweets?
Ponce: Its put me in the same room with established artist to build relationships and keep growing with them. I’m big on networking so every time, obviously I’m going to take full advantage. I’m always connecting and trying to build from Swisher Sweets putting me in a good position.

LAHHE: What is the most significant moment – to date – of your career?
Ponce: My most significant moments, it’s crazy its probably one of my first moments which would be my freestyle in London with Tim Westwood in 2013/14. I still consider that the most significant because I did these freestyles and I was still living in West Virginia. Still in college, still to this day it was a huge accomplishment because most artist don’t the opportunity until they are beyond famous. That is definitely my biggest highlight and its only going to get bigger with my next trip back to the UK.

LAHHE: What are you most looking forward to at the LA Pack Night?
Ponce: I’m ready to turn up. I feel like it’s going to be a good night. Looking forward to performing a bunch of new singles and so I’m looking forward to having a good little crowd, a good vibe. I’m trying to go in. Before it’s been good but I want this show to be great.

LAHHE: What do you have in store for the rest of the year?
Ponce: I’m releasing several singles. The first single I’m releasing this Friday is with OG Maco. From there I’m dropping several more singles and videos. We already have about 7 videos all lined out. We are about to put out as much material and content as possible and knock out these video shoots and get back on the road. I’m also in the mix of doing this blog that I’m trying to team up with Swisher on. I think it will be real big. Interviewing other established artists while we smoke Swishers and vibe out.

Instagram.com/PonceDeleioun/
Twitter.com/PonceDeLeioun
Facebook.com/PonceDeleioun
Poncetv.world