Cutting Edge with Landon Sturdevant

Exactly a year after we first spoke, content creator and social media commentator George Pareti joins me from his hometown of Evanston, Illinois to catch up on the year he’s had- and boy, has he had one! His edits via his ForTheYouth Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have recently taken flight,  garnering attention from the likes of Baylen Levine, Lofe, D’Aydrian Harding, Dizzy Dyl, and many others. Tune in and support before the early arrival train leaves the station!

00:00 - Intro
01:00 - His experience going to Marquette University as of the last year and what he’s gained from the experience
04:05 - How George balances content, studies, and social life
07:20 - Who he’s particularly fascinated by in his large network of artists and creators
08:22 - How George ended up meeting and making content with Baylen Levine, one of his idols
16:45 - George’s 2022 highlight(s)
20:40 - Particular likes/comments/reposts on the ForTheYouth account that caught his attention
23:13 - What George would have done differently this year
25:16 - What keeps George going when he lacks motivation
26:34 - George’s visions for the future of ForTheYouth
28:28 - The next project/goals for George’s personal brand/ForTheYouth
32:45 - Where you can follow and support George Pareti
33:30 - What makes George Pareti cutting edge this year and how it compared to last year


How to Follow George Pareti:
Instagram: @georgepareti
Snapchat: @gpareti8
YouTube: George Pareti

How to Follow ForTheYouth:
Instagram: @fortheyouthig
YouTube: For The Youth
TikTok: @fortheyouthig

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

ForTheYouth x Cutting Edge Spotify Playlist!! —> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5llwSt0XCGr5kNtxBj1N3D?si=DTeRGCAWTJa11gyYe2jh0A

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I’ll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Matt Rygh joins me from Seattle, WA. Having taken pictures every day for the last five years and refining his craft, this last October, he released his first picture book, titled Sanctuary, in which he conveys emotions about his hometown of Camano Island through a series of photos taken on a $20 film camera from 1946. Rygh is masterful at capturing beauty in simple environments, and I highly encourage you check out his work! 

00:00 - Intro
01:24 - What he enjoys about growing up in the PNW/Seattle area 
03:57 - When and why Matt really started connecting with photography at a deep level
07:47 - Matt's family and how they've helped him find his way in life, both as an artist and a person
11:13 - Photographers, visual artists, and even artists outside of the realm of visual art that inspire Matt's work
16:14 - The doubts, insecurities, and challenges Matt faced along his photography journey, and how he overcame them
23:20 - The advice Matt would give to a novice photographer who's unsure of where/how to get started
31:01 - What Matt does outside of photography and how it inspires his craft
34:40 - What Matt's future goals are in photography
38:41 - Who Matt would love to shoot for or shoot with
42:17 - The message/emotions Matt wants to convey with "Sanctuary"
53:42 - Where you can follow Matt Rygh
54:27 - What makes Matt Rygh cutting edge

How to Follow Matt Rygh:
Instagram: @matthewrygh
Twitter: @matthew_rygh
TikTok: @matthewrygh
YouTube: Matthew Rygh

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, foster n!x joins me from New York City. Born in Costa Rica, Foster grew up in Sammamish, a suburb just east of Seattle, and moved to the Big Apple this year following his graduation from Skyline HS. His unique drum-and-bass approach have garnered him over 200,000 streams on Spotify, with songs like "Taxi" and "Runaway" accounting for 96k and 28k streams, respectively. However, these numbers will soon be outdated when the masses catch on to Foster's versatility, contagious melodies, and innate knack for sonically capturing emotions- tune in!

00:00 - Intro
00:57 - What Foster enjoyed about moving around as a kid and eventually settling in Sammamish, Washington, and what he enjoys about the PNW
03:33 - Where Foster was before he started making music, when he started, and why he started
07:30 - How Foster believes he's evolved and improved sonically since deciding to take it seriously, courtesy of Afame, his current manager
09:41 - What Foster enjoys doing outside of music, and more of what he was involved with growing up
13:30 - Foster's family and how they've contributed to his life, artistically and personally
15:58 - What inspired Foster's move to NYC following HS graduation, where he currently lives
20:40 - When and how the streams started kicking in for Foster as a solo artist, and his emotional response to it
29:00 - Foster's favorite artists and inspirations
31:02 - Foster's incredible vision for the future and what he hopes to accomplish
33:23 - Some of the setbacks Foster experienced along the way, how he overcame them, and what he gained from them
45:37 - What Foster believes his greatest skillsets as an artist are
50:01 - What's next for Foster and what fans can look forward to
52:10 - What makes foster n!x cutting edge

How to Follow foster n!x:
Instagram: @f0sternix
TikTok: @foster.nix
Go Stream foster n!x on All Platforms!!

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Yonny joins me from Lynnwood, Washington. Despite only just starting to commercially release music in August of this year, Yonny has been under wraps and working on his craft for the better part of two years and has already garnered some significant local buzz with his thoughtful approach, commitment to the process, unique visuals, and his genuine and grateful nature. He will undoubtedly be a notable name in the coming months and years.

00:00 - Intro
01:06 - What separates Yonny's hometown of Lynnwood from the greater Seattle area, and what he appreciates about it
03:38 - Yonny's dreams and aspirations prior to making music
07:40 - The people in Yonny's life who inspired him and pushed him to take music seriously
12:30 - How Yonny's family has contributed to his life as an aspiring artist and a person
14:24 - Yonny's biggest improvements as an artist from when he started to the present day, from his perspective
18:18 - The story of how "NAH" came about, and how his assistance with the visual turned it into something really special
22:17 - How a film festival, a TikTok post, and the city's response to his song brought in more love than Yonny could have ever imagined
24:41 - The process behind his "Ghetto Sunset" EP and the message/emotions behind the tape
28:56 - What he was most proud of about the project, and what he's looking forward to bringing to the next one
33:15 - A comprehensive list of Yonny's dream collaborations
36:44 - What Yonny wishes to achieve in the years to come
39:27 - Where you can follow Yonny and support him on his journey
40:55 - What make Yonny cutting edge

How to Follow Yonny:
Instagram: @yonnyftla
TikTok: @yonnyftla
Twitter: @yonnyftla
Stream Yonny on All Platforms!

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One! 

In a rare and exclusive solo episode, I break down my ambitious personal goal for the year.  Though it is unrelated to the podcast, I’m still really fired up about it, and as the host of a show called Cutting Edge, I need to be someone who sets that standard himself. Hope you guys enjoy!

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I’ll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Zack Peggins joins me from Seattle, Washington. Following his graduation from the University of Washington in 2015, he started working for Tagboard, but after being laid off, his life would take an unlikely turn as he was hired into a project that aimed to bring professional hockey to Seattle and bring back the Sonics. As of 2021, he manages the social media accounts for the NHL's Seattle Kraken franchise and has already generated them nearly a million followers on all platforms. This is definitely one to tune into, with many valuable insights and tips shared!

00:00 - Intro
00:55 - What Zack enjoys about Yakima,  his hometown, and the 509/eastern Washington area
01:55 - What Zack was involved with growing up, his experience at Riverside Christian School, and what he dreamed of doing at that time
03:03 - How Zack's family has helped him in his career and supported him throughout his life
04:05 - His initial draw to UW, his college experience, and what he studied
06:44 - How he started working for Tagboard immediately after college, a little bit about what Tagboard does, what he learned from working there, and how he ended up getting laid off
09:42 - What Zack's five-month "funemployment" period taught him and how building a strong network throughout college brought him an amazing opportunity
13:21 - How his original position as a community outreach person going to door-to-door to generate funding for bringing professional to Seattle evolved into him becoming a social media manager when the NHL team became official
15:14 - The complexities of representing a professional brand/company via social media
18:50 - The most stressful and the coolest parts of Zack's position
21:26 - Three pointers he would give to someone working with a brand or corporation to help them up their social media game and engage their consumers
22:46 - How Zack would describe the Kraken's "voice" as a brand
23:59 - What Zack believes the Kraken does really well to engage so many people via social media in such a short time period
25:35 - Some of the sports teams that kill it on social media from Zack's perspective, and even outside of sports
28:30 - The work Zack is most proud of as a part of the Seattle Kraken organization
30:38 - Zack's favorite players on the Kraken
31:52 - Zack's personal reaction and the Kraken organization's reaction to Shane Wright, arguably the highest touted prospect in this year's NHL Entry Draft
33:56 - How Zack went from a casual hockey fan to working in the NHL, and what he's learned from the sport
35:38 - Where you can follow and support Zack Peggins/Seattle Kraken
36:18 - What makes Zack Peggins/Seattle Kraken cutting edge

How to Follow Zack Peggins:
Instagram: @zapeggins
Twitter: @zpeggins
Email: [email protected]

How to Follow Seattle Kraken:
Instagram: @seattlekraken
Twitter: @seattlekraken
TikTok: @seattlekraken

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: ltsturdevant@yahoo,com

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Canaan Henson joins me all the way from Orlando, Florida. This 19 year old does everything, from videography, to editing, to creative direction, to social promotion for many of your favorite creators, including NELK, Tayler Holder, FaZe Rug, Jamie Foxx, and Cole Anthony, just to name a few. He even makes short films for himself and hopes to one day make a major film- tune into this one, as Canaan is definitely going to be a big deal in the next five to ten years.

00:00 - Intro
00:42 - When and why his family moved to Kansas City (in Missouri, by the way, not Kansas), from Ocala, FL
02:14 - What drew Canaan into direction and film early on
04:21 - Canaan's inspirations in direction, editing, and film, as well as his long term goals
05:54 - Canaan's earliest experiences and projects in filmography
08:59 - The ways Canaan's family have supported him and the lessons he's learned from them
13:03 - What Canaan's faith in God and in Christ has done for him and his life
14:51 - A little bit about Canaan's girlfriend and how their relationship helps him grow
17:41 - The struggles Canaan faced his senior year (especially with the pandemic), his perspective on self-doubt, and his incredible story of meeting Kyle and Salim from NELK
24:46 - What he first did with his Canon 50 camera and how his week-long trip to LA changed his life forever
33:17 - How he used all of the connections he made in LA and Miami to leverage his career, his experience going to college and why he dropped out, and making short films
42:12 - What Canaan would suggest to young aspiring videographers to help them network
53:04 - The work Canaan is most proud of
56:45 - Where you can follow and support Canaan Henson
58:00 - What makes Canaan Henson cutting edge

How to Follow Canaan Henson
Instagram: @cqnaan
YouTube: Canaan Henson

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I’ll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Dexter Shack joins me from Seattle, Washington. As of the last five months, his video series posing as a fake employee at various fast food restaurants have garnered hundreds of thousands of YouTube views (and tens of MILLIONS on TikTok). Due to this, he's accrued 40k+ subscribers, 285k+ TikTok followers, and 10k+ followers on Instagram at the time of this episode, and all at just 19 years old. In listening to this episode (and watching his content, I'd hope), you'll see why Dexter is one of the most important rising names in the YouTube space this year.

00:00 - Intro
01:17 - What Dexter remembers about his early childhood and why he came up to Seattle
03:02 - What he appreciates about Seattle and the PNW as a whole
03:49 - When and why Dexter started on YouTube
06:01 - What Dexter's dreams were before he discovered YouTube
08:33 - How Dexter's family has helped him in life and supported his passions as a content creator
10:59 - Why Dexter ended up starting his own channel and doing what he does now
12:45 - Dexter's comedic and YouTube inspirations
15:03 - Why Dexter started posting on a consistent schedule in recent months
16:20 - His experience at Loyola University-New Orleans, why he didn't click with the college lifestyle, and why he ultimately dropped out
19:18 - The obstacles and challenges Dexter has faced on his journey as YouTuber and how he overcomes it
25:45 - How Dexter's now-famous fast food employee prank series originated
28:23 - Dexter's favorite video that he's made, from his own perspective
31:07 - The powerful message behind why Dexter does what he does in the YouTube space
35:21 - What Dexter's long-term goals are

How to Follow Dexter Shack:
YouTube: DEXTER SHACK
Instagram: @dextershack
TikTok: @dextershack
Twitter: @dextershack1

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Nash Pearson joins me from Seattle, Washington to talk about everything from his budding videography career, being a HS football star, to even the decision behind coming up to WWU this fall. Through his Citywide brand, he’s captured content for numerous local artists, including Moondrop, Josh Lambros, J. Apollo, Charlieonnafriday, and even Lil Mosey, along with many others and with a lot more on the way.

00:00 - Intro
00:54 - How Nash first picked up a camera
03:30 - Some of Nash’s early inspirations in the video space
08:01 - How his family contributed to his personal growth and supported his passion
15:53 - Where Nash developed his passion for music
18:26 - The origins of the Citywide brand and how it became what it is today
24:43 - The peer response to him starting to make music videos and build a brand
34:24 - What football has taught Nash, and even how he relates it to video shoots
39:27 - Why Nash landed on going to college at WWU, despite its lack of a football program
50:30 - Nash’s advice to aspiring youth  who want to try their hand at a creative field
52:31 - His early struggles in videography and some advice he’d have for a beginner
58:32 - His plans for the upcoming fall/while at college
1:06:42 - The long term vision for his directing career (and mine?)
1:19:10 - Where you can follow Nash and support his journey
1:20:12 - What makes Nash Pearson cutting edge

How to Follow Nash Pearson:
Instagram: @nash.pearson
Citywide IG: @citywide.mov
Citywide YT: Citywide

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I’ll See You On The Next One!

In this episode, Nicholas Mick joins me from Columbia, South Carolina. At only 18 years old, he's already accumulated hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify, millions of views on TikTok and Instagram Reels, and even garnered features from the likes of Prentiss and KillBunk. He tells us the story, start to finish, of going from moving to a new city during a tough time in his life and making music as therapy to being a bubbling name in the independent scene.

00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Nicholas' experiences growing up in MD, VA, and SC, and the process of moving between these states
02:34 - Moving specifically to Columbia, being a HS baseball player and a Fortnite streamer, discovering his passion for music, and then gravitating towards that identity
07:03 - How his parents, who were both in bands, made their imprint on him musically and how a rough transition in life spurred releasing tracks on SoundCloud
09:40 - How Nicholas overcame his doubts as a young HS musician, and the few friends who supported him
11:59 - How Nicholas leveraged his time during quarantine to start accelerating his music career, being on Discord with underground legends, and the remote school experience
20:40 - The process of finding his sound, thinking he was a rapper, and his producer telling him he needed to go back to making melodies
25:15 - Getting recognized by Promoting Sounds and how that helped incrementally build momentum
27:41 - How Nicholas garnered a feature from Prentiss, connected with his current A&R, and met all of his Discord connections from 2020 in-person during a trip to NY
43:00 - How his manager helped him strategize on how to promote on TikTok, and how he even started a trend
50:25 - Nicholas Mick's tips to gaining organic followers with no money or resources
51:00 - His favorite music that he's made thus far and when we can expect new music and/or an album
52:33 - Nicholas' dream collaborations and long-term goals in music

How to Follow Nicholas Mick:
Instagram: @nicholasmickk
Twitter: @nicholasmickk
TikTok: @.nicholasmick
Stream Nicholas Mick on all platforms!

How to Follow Cutting Edge:
Instagram: @cuttingedgeig
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music!

How to Follow Landon Sturdevant:
Instagram: @landon_sturdevant
Email: [email protected]

Thanks Again For Listening, I'll See You On The Next One!