2AM

The blue light is on. Today's episode takes us to the West Coast to link up up with Eddie Ray. He's an artist who spent his younger years moving around the country, collecting experiences to share through music. It's a conversation that is sure to help shape up your 2021. 

Eddie's focus on inspiring others is one that is not only a powerful way to shift the culture, it's what he feels is his purpose. "Inspiring the world, you know? Changing the world, you know? I feel like that's what my purpose is, you know. Just to make an impact on the world," Ray shared with Brian James on this New Year's episode.

We also get to hear a little about Eddie's career in the military and how the initial moments post-service were some of the most important of his life. He talks about how he had to gather himself after leaving the military. "Getting out of the military, I had to re-invent myself. Had to really find myself," Ray shares. "I had my up days, down days, and days where I just [felt] stuck."

The West Coast artist maintains that he wants to push people to find themselves also. "We all grow up and we all get told all these things. A lot of that stuff ain't really true and I just want people to be able to be themselves because anything is possible," Ray shares. His recent EP Here To Stay is one that he feels can help lead people to that self-discovery.

Please welcome, Eddie Ray.

On today's episode, we're joined by Prince George's County, MD artist Jus10. He's preparing for the 2021 release of his next album God Happened. We have an in-depth discussion about how the album came together and what he expects from its release. We also talked about recent comments from Teyana Taylor about how the artist grind relates to mental health concerns within the industry.

"At this point, I can’t let this kill me. Granted, to my fans, I think that, you know — and I can see how my message can come across but at the same time — I feel like it’s a tiny bit selfish to say, ‘What about your fans? Do it for your fans.’ Baby, I gotta do it for my mental health. I have to do it for my emotional health. I have to do it for my kids so I can stay alive for my kids,” Taylor shared on her Instagram live.

Hear the commentary and discussion inside. Hosted by Brian James.

The blue light is on. Today, we chop it up with Central Valley, CA artist JC $anchez about how his discipline has helped guide him through an unusual year for us all. He's preparing to drop some new music and stopped by "2AM" to talk with Brian James about it. 

Pure, raw, and versatile.

Those are three words our next guest uses to describe himself. They’re also three words that can elevate our life beyond the stars. Let’s take a trip to Lansing, Michigan and meet Kool Focus or, 'KF1'. Our conversation about how he’s found solace in purity, honesty, and versatility is one that could push you to where you want to be. He’s a father, a hard working man, and someone with a past like the rest of us. 

His latest project Everyday Problems just hit streaming platforms and now, he’s here to tell his story. Family, meet Kool Focus.

It was a pleasure to be joined on this episode by rapper, Fokie Dope. He's an artist from 6 Mile in Detroit, a place that I have never experienced on my own. He grew up in an environment that many don't make it out of. No matter how difficult the task, Fokie used that tough environment to fuel the rest of his journey. Now, he's on the east coast with a passion for music and art. That passion intersects with the story of his past and has helped him to accomplish many goals on this journey. 

I hope you can tap into this episode and get some golden words on passion, perseverance, purpose, and hard work.

It was great to have rising artist Finesse 1111 on the show to talk sacrifices. He made quite a few on his journey towards the industry and there's one in particular we discuss here. The sacrifice he made for his recent single, "My Level" with R&B singer Carl Thomas, taught him a few lessons.

 Hear the full episode inside.

Closing out the week on the show, Rochester artist I.AM.TRU.STARR takes on a journey; his journey. He's a young father from Western New York currently residing in Las Vegas. To get prepared for the interview, I started to fall into his world of appreciation for art. His keen eye to detail and the progression of emotion will quickly grab your attention. A conversation with 'TRU' feels exactly that, "true". 

His authenticity shines just as bright as his voice. It was a joy to have him on the show this week. I've been wondering how other creatives were dealing with the pressures of our world today. Some days the clouds affect me and according to TRU, I'm not alone in that thinking process. He points out what's missing the most during the pandemic: human connection. "I can't see people's smile. That level of human connection is gone," TRU shared when asked about wearing masks during the pandemic. 

He described his current town of Vegas as somewhere that hasn't been strict against the virus. It really is quite the change that society has been pushed into. Even for me, it's hard to create and bring certain things to life because my mind is so cloudy. TRU believes that shouldn't stop the creative mind from creating. "Whether its music of film, do what you got to do. Write that next script. Figure it out because we're 'gonna get through this," the Vegas artist shared. Get the full episode inside.