Bustle Mixtape
The musicians new EP,4Play, revisits familiar themes.
Making music serves Clemons, too; its always been his outlet.
Clemons sultry falsetto and catchy R&B hooks began to get attention from big producers.
Kanye gave Clemons his big break with an extremely sexy feature on All Mine, from his 2018 albumYe.
In a few short years, his smooth vocals and red knit beanie have become instantly recognizable.
The impossible happened, says Clemons.
Now, after a string of singles, hes continuing to ride the wave with his newEP,4Play.
Though his feel-it-in-your-chest beats are as mesmerizing as ever, its his songwriting that really packs a punch.
Its a topic Clemons has been mining since his high school days.
Love is always my baseline, says Clemons.
The throughline for4Playis the frequency of love.
Do you get nervous when you meet people that famous?
I give a shot to be the kid that I was growing up in every environment I am in.
Meaning, Im telling you how big of a fan I am.
I am the same way in the room with them.
The first time I met Kanye, I screamed in his face and he started cracking up.
All of that led me here, but thats notwhyI’m here.
I would look in the room and be like, What am I supposed to contribute here?
What was going on in your life when you started working on your new music?
I’m always working.
Youve said you love writing about love.
Do you find it difficult to bare your soul lyrically?
Music really became therapeutic for me around 2009, when my parents got a divorce.
I didnt have an outlet to talk about it.
Since then I have been using music as my release.
Anytime I have a thought thats too loud, I get it out through song.
Anytime I have a concept thats pounding on me, I get it out through song.
It was a slow dancing song.
Was there a moment when you felt like you made it as a musician?
Was there a moment when you wanted to give up on music?
I cant honestly say Ive ever wanted to quit.
Early in my career I signed a horrible deal.
Youve achieved major professional success at a time when the worlds in turmoil.
How have you taken care of yourself over the last couple of years?
I went through a lot, like the rest of the world.
I went through a breakup during the pandemic.
I invested that time into the studio and working on myself.
I bought a bike and started riding my bike a little more.
Being more active and less on my phone has been really helpful.
I box every morning.
Im a Chick-Fil-A addict.
I work super hard at the gym and I erase that work with Chick-Fil-A.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This article was originally published onJan.
