Today we’d like to introduce you to Alpha, The Wolf
Hi Alpha,, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been enamored with music since my earliest childhood memories. I vividly remember playing “parappa the rapper” on PS1, ignoring my teachers during school to write lyrics and poetry, even getting inspired to rhyme after reading some obscure work of Dr. Seuss (the original OG).
It was till college I actually started to push and take music seriously. In fact it wasn’t long before I was great friends with a classmate that shared my Computer Science major but also minored in Music Production, this was over at MTSU. Within days we have discovered a rare synergy between, created the group “The One & The Wolf” ( a combination of our names), and started working on an album.
I learned alot during that initial project but my partner was a veteran at this point, I was able to soak up alot of knowledge as well as levying the school’s resources. After college the group dispersed but I wasn’t done with music.
I hid away, tuning out of everything. Working on my craft, the results are imminent….
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not, but I knew that would be the case before this journey ever started.
I remember during college I was watching the music industry closely, trying to find my angle to strike. I remember constantly people parroting to me “you gotta build a team, you gotta build a team!”. I doubted the legitimacy of that advice then, I realized later I was right to.
I spent time and energy trying to cultivate this team of elite around me. Artist, producers, designers, etc y’know? The thing to remember here is “No one cares about this as much as you”. They can never match your ambition, the fire was yours to stoke!
I tried and failed but learned a valuable lesson. We all know the adage ” if you want something done right, do it yourself”. That’s exactly what I did. The frustration I ran into working with others drove me to learn several disciplines in an attempt to harness my own destiny and artistic vision.
Now I solely handle all aspects. Videography , production, mixing/mastering, merch, hosting, graphics to name a few…
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
It’s alot, so I’ll outline things in bullets points.
* I put a lot of energy and emphasis into the “art”. A lot of the things slip past people but for those who are paying attention, I always want to leave them with something.
* All of my songs are freestyles! albums, features, battles….Off the top always
* I don’t know what my beats or lyrics will sound like , until the moment I’m doing my first recording. Impromptu, I call it.
* All the work that goes into making the music, is done by me. Solo…yes including shooting the videos.
* I’m self taught, as playing well with others can be hard.
* I make music of a variety of genres (Trance, R&B, Rock, etc.) but Hip-Hop is my heart.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Everything they tell you about the music industry is true! The grime, distrust, manipulation, It’s all there and you don’t have to be famous to be exposed to it. In fact one of the early qualifiers that weed out most artist is their ability to recognize and quickly adapt to the landscape. There are pitfalls in place and all the talent in the world cant prepare you for good business acumen.
I had to take my licks of course like everyone does. Wasted funds here, false promises there however, I was blessed to learn my lessons quickly as to not repeat them.
Study the game! Become a master before the game ever starts!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alphathewolf.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/londonintokyo/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@londonintokyo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@londonintokyo
- Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/alpha_the_wolf
