Justiine

I am beyond honored to introduce the FRNDY LMRN community to the insanely talented Alternative R&B singer-songwriter, Justiine. Her sound emits nothing but positive and radiant auras. The 22-year-old budding sensation’s unique blend of R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop has already made her a fan favorite in her hometown of Atlanta. Now, Justiine is poised to reach a global audience with the release of her Project Twenty Two EP.

JULIEN:  What’s up! Welcome to the FRNDY LMRN fam, Justiine. Where exactly did you grow up in Atlanta?

JUSTIINE:  *Laughs* well I’m Justiine.  I’m from Alpharetta, which is pretty much the suburbs. There’s just a lot of high class drug addicts and drunk housewives—It’s really pretty, though! Growing up was interesting to say the least. I could write a book about all the great times and a sequel to it about all the horrible times. It has been a very long time coming, but I’m extremely excited and humbled to be where I am.

JULIEN:  What’s an average day like for you?

JUSTIINE:  I’m for sure an example of the cliché musician. I go with the flow. I typically wake up around noon and knock out my yoga for the day. Once I feel inspired, I might then go cook or pick up some food. I make sure to save time to play with my dog, and then I’ll go in the studio and make a beat or try to write to one of my producer’s beats. If some magic starts to flow, I’ll be in the studio for 8-9 hours. At some point, my team will force me to go to sleep. I wake up, and finish that song first thing in the morning.

JULIEN:  Can you explain your creative process?

JUSTIINE:  Candles and sage are an absolute must to set a vibe in my studio. Colored lights are a necessity. I make sure to set them to the vibe of the song that I’m working on. It sounds crazy, but it’s 100% necessary. I need to have my notebook, pencil, and sharpener to write down lyrics. Lastly, I must be alone during the entire process.

JULIEN:  What drew you to the music industry?

JUSTIINE: I’ve been singing my entire life — since preschool, actually. I performed in musicals and all that gross stuff. My brother, Chandler, started rapping when we were in high school. I followed his lead and followed my passion. The rest went down in history.

JULIEN: Who are your biggest supporters of your career?

JUSTIINE: My mom. My dad. He’s been there for me since I quit my job and decided to make a career out of music. I’m really lucky to have them as parents. They support all of my dreams and believe in me more than I believe in myself sometimes. My friends. Coke — better known as Coca Vango. I’m proud of his success and appreciate him for being a great CEO of Energy 7, the record label I’m signed to. He tells it like it is and has been helping me navigate through the industry since the very beginning. Oh, and my PR team is the best! My support group is fire.

JULIEN:  Your last sonic offering was called ‘Project Twenty One’ and your latest is coined ‘Project Twenty Two’?  Is there a hidden meaning behind the correlating titles?

JUSTIINE:  Well, my first EP ‘Project Twenty One’ was released when I had just turned 21. It’s one of my favorite numbers as well. This year, I decided that it’s only right that I put out ‘Project Twenty Two’ before it’s too late when I turn 23! The plan is to have an age trilogy, kind of how Adele did with her albums. Love that.

JULIEN: Do you like to collaborate with other artists? What is that process like?

JUSTIINE: I love collaborating with other artists. Collaboration used to give me anxiety. I would get intimidated, but after recording with Nessly and Salma Slims, I have appreciated my gift a bit more.

JULIEN: Have you ever dealt with anxiety due to a creative block?

JUSTIINE: Every day of my life. It’s hard getting stuck in the hole, and then you have to think about how you're in a hole. And then you have deadlines and fans that are waiting. It really makes you want to say fuck it! But it’s all worth it when you release a track it and everyone loves it. It’s always worth it.

JULIEN: What do you want to accomplish within the next few years?

JUSTIINE: I just want to be a better version of myself. I want to work with more artists, shoot more videos, travel everywhere. There’s so much I want to do, I could write a short story.

JULIEN: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

JUSTIINE: Thriving, living in LA, on a song with Drake.

JULIEN: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten from someone?

JUSTIINE: Ever since I was a kid, my mom has told me, “a part of finding out who you are is finding out who you don’t want to be.”

JULIEN: What advice do you have in general for young girls regarding self confidence?

JUSTIINE: Stop trying to be like everyone else. If you look different, that’s a good thing. A lot of these young girls put so much effort into looking the same. I used to do it, too. But no matter how hard I tried to fit in, I was still different. After a while, I embraced it and became more comfortable with myself. I don’t know. Being young is hard, but being a young girl is the worst. Just don’t be scared to be who you are.

Written by Sir Julien George

Elias Becker

In our modern-day society, better known as "Generation Y," social media networks have connected millions of people all around the world.  Instagram, specifically, has been the cause of new friendships and even business opportunities.

Although I've lived in Atlanta full time since the age of 12, between those years I also resided in Miami, Florida.  Due to my sporadic periods living in the MIA, I've gained a significant amount of friends there.  If you are in any way familiar with Miami, you can definitely understand how true the saying "what a small world," is.  Everyone seems to know each other, so for obvious reasons, it is common to have lots of mutual friends.  The funny part is that you initially meet these individuals through Instagram.

Meet Elias Becker, better known as E. Current.  I've known him since I was about 14-years-old through mutual friends in Miami.  At just 18 years of age, Elias has gained a following well over 17,000 and has captured legendary moments on the gram since he was 12.  As long as I have known him he has always been next level.

Becker was born in Germany.  Elias' father, Boris Becker, was once Germany's number one professional Tennis player.  He has won five year-end championships, 13 Masters Series titles and an Olympic gold medal in Doubles.  His mother, Barbara Becker, is an American designer, actress and former model.  So, yes—as you may be able to recognize, talent runs in his genes.  Elias moved from Germany towards the end of 1999 to his current residence of Miami.  I can easily recognize how the city's live and distinct nature influenced his style.

I recently sat down with Elias to get his take on life, inspirations, dating life and find out about his future endeavors.  Check out our conversation below:

SIR JULIEN:  How did you come up with your nickname, "E. Current" ?

ELIAS:  I was on a FaceTime call with my friend Nasir like two years ago.  We were talking about social media and [how] we wanted our online personas to reflect what we had in mind.  Marvel superheroes were always an inspiration to us, so I first came up with "E. Current" to be an off-duty superhero with a secret ability to create waves and currents.  I liked the sound of it, too, so I kept it.  Then, as time went on, I thought of it as being in the flow or progression of a person.

SIR JULIEN: I know tons of people who love your style.  Who inspires you when it comes to expressing yourself through fashion?

ELIAS:  I think that my family really helped me find a way to express myself the most.  But in fashion, I was influenced as a kid by Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Odd Future and ASAP Rocky.

SIR JULIEN:  What are your favorite clothing lines right now?

ELIAS:  I like a couple of lines.  Sacai, Heron Preston, and Juun J are some, just to name a few.

SIR JULIEN:  What is the most exclusive piece that you own?

ELIAS:  My favorite piece right now are my grills from my homie Jonathan Raksha.  Those are so cold!

SIR JULIEN:  Would you ever consider dropping your own merch line or E. Current collection?

ELIAS:  Yeah, I'm actually working on a fashion, film and music collective at the moment.  It's expected to drop later this year.  Stay tuned.

SIR JULIEN:  What is most important to you when it comes to dating in Miami?  I know it can be difficult.  Do you have any advice for anyone?

ELIAS:  I'd probably suggest not getting mixed up in all the pointless drama and try to find someone that you feel comfortable with all the time.

SIR JULIEN: Do you sometimes feel like people expect you to follow in your father's footsteps as a Tennis player or are they pretty much supportive of whatever career path you choose to take?

ELIAS:   People who don't know me usually expect me to do something in the sports world.  [Although] I really love sports, it isn't a passion of mines.

SIR JULIEN:  What is your passion then?

ELIAS:  My life passion is filmmaking.  I really feel comfortable and at home when I'm writing scripts and directing my own films.  I'm not sure yet what I want to do as a profession, but it has to be in the film industry.  Whether it's in the way of art, directing photography, being a director/producer, or maybe even acting would be cool.

SIR JULIEN:  So, I know you're a big fan of Los Angeles.  Would you ever consider to move there in the near future?

ELIAS:  I'm going to university in London next year, but who knows where I'll be after that.  Maybe I'll stay or go to New York or LA for film school.  We'll have to wait and see what my future holds.

SIR JULIEN:  How do you want to be remembered?

ELIAS: I want to be remembered as a compassionate and giving person.  My ultimate goal is that my work serves as a legacy and is appreciated.

SIR JULIEN:  What is the best advice you ever received?

ELIAS:  Never give up and work hard—eventually you'll get to your destination.

Written by Sir Julien George

H.E.R. vs H.I.M.

If you have not been put on to the alternative R&B songstress, Gabriella "Gabi" Wilson, then what are you really doing?

Better known as H.E.R., the SoCal born singer/songwriter is currently signed to RCA records.  She released her debut album, H.E.R. Volume 1 on September 9th, 2016, featuring hits such as Focus, Losing and U.  Fans took a liking to H.E.R.'s style of anonymity and soulful sounds rather than her actual appearance.  Due to the unexpected amount of success from her initial EP, she was mentioned on iTunes' Best of 2016 R&B/Soul Albums list.  Furthermore, the track, Losing, made the cut on iTune's Best R&B Soul Singles list with over seven million Youtube views!

In October of 2017, H.E.R. released her second album, H.E.R Volume 2.  The project included included "Best Part" featuring Daniel Caesar, which immediately went viral earning her the support from celebrities such as Usher, Alicia Keys, Bryson Tiller, Kylie and Kendall Jenner and so many more.  Rihanna even posted a clip on her Instagram listening to H.E.R.'s hit, Focus.  Rolling Stones said that H.E.R's debut album "shows off her rich, velvety voice and diaristic lyrics about love, pain and all the emotions in between."  At this point in her career, it is safe to consider H.E.R. as an accomplished underground sensation.  That is until H.I.M. surfaced.

Meet the Queens, New York native H.I.M, an acronym for Her In Mind.  The singer is equally as mysterious and deliver the exact smooth sounds as H.E.R.  His debut album was marketed and mastered very well.  The idea of a male version of H.E.R was pretty genius.  H.I.M's career officially began in 2016 when he released his debut album, H.I.M Volume 1, only about two months after the release of H.E.R Volume 1.  The world immediately went berserk, in a good way.  Fans started to suspect that these two similar sounding artists were secretly and item, communicating with one another through their music.  H.I.M and H.E.R's album covers, musical styles and song titles were related.  One fan even tweeted, "When you find out that H.E.R and H.I.M have been communicating through their songs."  

This felt like a revolutionary Romeo and Juliet love story.  The only issue that stood in the way was that the two were not communicating with one another.  In fact, H.E.R has never even met H.I.M.!  He actually stole her entire concept and did it quite well.  Spotify said that H.I.M. "created a more complete response album than anything that has been made and does it from a genuine perspective."  The world still praises him for his musical style that he completely plagiarized.

Although H.E.R is anonymous, she still is findable.  After doing a diligent amount of research, I discovered her personal Instagram account, @GabiWilsonOfficial.  I went though her anonymous Twitter account and found a tweet dating back from September 23rd, 2017 that seemed to be subtweeting H.I.M. for stealing her vibe.  The tweet reads,"It's never cool to copy someone's whole concept and call it a 'response' to try to come up.  Be you!  Be original."

What do you think about these talented songwriters?  Should we be praising H.I.M.'s music?  Let me know in the comments below:

Written by Sir Julien George

The Clermont Twins: From BGC To YEEZY

We have reached an era where social media has become one of the most prevalent platforms in the world. Individuals have gained the luxury to appoint themselves as models, musicians, bloggers, and even fashion designers simply based off their high number of Instagram followers.

Meet Shannon and Shannade Clermont, better known as ‘The Clermont Twins’. These ladies started from a different platform (reality television) but made sure to capitalize on their buzz. The electrifying siblings were introduced to the world on season 14 of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club, where audiences immediately took a liking to them for their “bad girl” attitude and edgy sense of style. Due to a physical incident that occurred during filming, the twins were asked by producers to pack their bags and leave the show. Fans were outraged when they found out that the twins were banned from the popular series.

Since their TV debut, the 23-year-old sisters have gained tons of opportunities, from not only their outlandish antics on BGC, but also their eyebrow-raising Instagram posts. They have gained a substantial amount of social media followers (including an Instagram follow from Kim Kardashian West herself), a clothing line, channeled their inner badass in Future's music video for his hit "Real Sisters," shot with controversial photographer Terry Richardson and even participated in Kanye West’s YEEZY season 6 Campaign. Yes, you heard that correctly. YEEZY.

I think it's officially safe to say that these twins are only going up from here.

Written by Sir Julien George