Meet AQ | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with AQ and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi AQ, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
consistency. i saw this interview with the late great nipsey hustle, where he was giving advice to up and coming artists. He talked about how he was no different than the artists who haven’t gotten their break yet, he just never gave up. He never stopped. Even though ive never really listened to Nips music too much, that clip sticks in my head on a regular basis and motivates me a lot. Once i was able to be consistent, i started to see progress in not only the art, but also the numbers as well.

its super hard though, as a up and coming music artist, there are so many unknowns, including success.I feel like being consistent plays a large role in the success part.also, dont box yourself in. Music is being so mixed in terms of genres so just make some cool shit, dont worry if its not “your lane”. If your making it, its yours. Always remember that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I feel like what sets me apart is the fact im not apart of a certain wave. I keep seeing different versions of the same artists all over the place. Theres like 20 playboi cartis now lolol… like thats cool and all but im tryna be AQ. I dont think i can be compared to any one artist, and thats something im proud of. Im making what i like and thats all i care about.

Being an artist is super hard, if you are not ready to sacrifice a lot of your life to it, you shouldn’t do it. This means you have to love it. Ive been in the studio everyday for 10 + hours / 7days a week for the past 3 years. Ive skipped all that party clubbing social stuff to do this. And whats crazy, is who even knows if i blow up, no one. You gotta believe in that shit fully to the point thats all you think about.

A lesson ive learned more recently is “fall in love with the process”. Another clip that really motivates me is an interview with the late great kobe bryant, who talks about his success. He talks about his championships and MVPs and how they dont excite him. What excited him was waking up at 5 am to go practice before practice had even started, which gave him an advantage over both his teammates and opponents. Caring more about the journey than the end result is important.

I want people to know that my music is who i am, it controls all facets of my life. And i plan to keep the pressure till i pop.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
when im not making music i like to get outside..

so id probably take them to malibu,,,hit a hike at ZUMA canyon..
then hit lachuza beach to swim
eat good at geoffrys in malibu or hit jon and vinnys on melrose.
maybe do a comedy show at the comedy store if we need a laugh

would definitely try to show them joshua tree for a day or two

seems like that would be an overall good trip

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, is a large part of why i decided to pursue music. In high school i started getting into hip hop music very seriously.Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, ASAP Rocky were some of the artists all my friends were playing, which i loved, but didn’t really feel like i could relate to it on an emotional level, which is what i think i was looking for. When i first heard “day and nite” on the way home from soccer practice, joint in hand, it really changed how i felt about hip hop and its direction. Thats when i dug deep into cudis practically new discography at the time, like 2010, and found “A Kid Named Cudi”. That project changed me. He spoke on mental health, his family, his addictions and overall emotions on every song. The beats were different. It was like a discovered a whole new genre of music. His venerability made me feel like i wasn’t the only sad kid walking around questioning everything and its meaning. Thats when i started to try and make music myself, cause i felt like i had something to say as well. to this day i forever thank him and his influence whenever asked about it. If your a Cudi fan you know the impact. ty Scott.

Website: AQWUZHERE.com

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Image Credits
photos by Joe Fletcher, Thomas Lynch, Danielle Ellis, Luke Chammas