Interview: Mushu

[gallery type="slideshow" link="none" size="full" ids="136950"] What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?  I started getting into music shortly after I started acting a couple of years ago. Being around supportive creative types helped me shed my self-doubt. If I hadn't started to pursue music, then I would solely be doing IT work, like I have since late 2007!   What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity? I like to read. Whether that reading is instructional or strictly for entertainment purposes (I enjoy medieval fantasy) doesn't seem to bother me. Reading gives me an endless amount of mental imagery that I can tap into when creating my music. Basically, it helps to expand the mind, which is what I use to create!   How long has music been your career? Music has been my career for a little bit over a year now. I've always been a poet, though I've never shared except for a handful of times before I started putting songs out.   Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music? I am based out of Nashville, TN. Although, I don't believe Nashville has influenced my music at all, seeing as I spend the majority of my time at home!   Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played. I haven't actually done a show yet!   Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already? I haven't put much thought into a venue I would like to play at! The "performance" side of things hasn't crossed my mind....yet..   If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket? If I had to choose a line-up, I would have J. Cole, JID, and Earthgang on the ticket. Smino, if I wanted to get real crazy with it!   What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music? The only advice I see fit to give is to create for yourself. Too often do we find ourselves doing things for others, which is fine, but this is an intimate process. Everything you do should be with YOU in mind. Try not to worry about what others feel like you should be doing with your work. It's just that, YOUR WORK. Nobody loves you like you, so focus on creating work that you appreciate first. Also, your friends are not your fans (Haha, it's true...)   If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be? Get up and do it! Stop letting other people tell you what you can and cannot do!   Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?  My song "Miss Me" means the most to me. This track is about building a better me and walking my own path. It was at this point in my career that I realized how much I love creating music and that I finally found something "right" for me.   Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most? I absolutely love my song "Lo Mein"! This is something I can either dance to, or just bob my head vigorously as I drive easy on these Nashville streets. I made that song with two of my friends; VSquared from Albania (producer) and my homie Lerick (featured Artist), so that just adds to the whole vibe. "This That" is another of my tracks that I find myself listening to on repeat. This one was my latest drop too! Both "Lo Mein" and "This That" are requested often from the people I'm around!   What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music? My creative process is just vibing. Listening to the sounds of music or of the things around me and creating a story with it. Finding a theme, then going from there. I can do this from the comfort of my home, riding in a car, or sitting at some rooftop lounge suffering in Nashville's humidity! Then I take that vibe, write something and begin recording from my home office.   What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music? I do not have any specific messages as a whole, because each track comes from a different place or vibe. However, there is an undertone of self-love in all of the tracks. That is a big one that I promote verbally, which I let trickle down into my music. Though my main goal is to entertain, just like a movie or show would!   Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them? I do not get into disagreements when collaborating. It is about give and take, not take and blame. Everyone involved wants the same thing, which is to make great music. If you spend your time fighting about that music, then what are people going to listen to?   What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up? I just plan to keep doing what I am doing. That includes making more of a social media presence and pumping out great hits! I've actually got a few songs coming out this summer. I'll give you the names of two now; 'Do' and 'My Buddy'

These two are more lyrical and structured a little different than my past tracks. To put it plainly, I really vibe with these two!

  Social Media Links:  mushu.ctcin.bio https://www.instagram.com/yaya_thisismushu/ https://www.facebook.com/thisismushu https://www.tiktok.com/@yaya_thisismushu?lang=en