The skilled producer will reach new heights with this project
If the conversation is about LA based artists on the rise it’s pretty much mandatory that the name WaveIQ is uttered. The Virginia native took a leap of faith with his move to LA in hopes to launch his music career. His body of work has quickly proven that he’s found what he was searching for. With producing credits for stars like Jaden Smith (Literally one of my fave beats ever) , Justine Skye, and GoldLink, WaveIQ has found that sweet spot that many producers are still searching for: The ability to be well respected as both a rapper and a producer. Along with 140,000 others, WaveIQ the artist bursted onto our radar with his arcade themed visual for “Tookie Tookie”. As fate would have it, he’s now on the verge of releasing his debut album ARCADIA which continues the vintage video game theme and showcases his all around star potential. We spoke to WaveIQ about his new album, its inspirations and more.
1. Who is the new WaveIQ?
Well I would say being in the music industry over the past couple of years has shown me what direction I really want to take myself as an artist and producer. I feel like who I am now versus the kid who moved to Los Angeles from a small town in Virginia to kick his music career off isn't different in hunger, but in wisdom. I know what it takes now to fully succeed at what I want to do in life and I'm building on that every day. 
"I don't allow just anyone to touch my production or what I do because I can hold so many hats and I have so many different tricks I can pull off."
2. How has being a producer affected your artistry?
It has actually accelerated it. What's interesting in my case is that when I am producing records for people, they actually want me to participate in the records with them as an artist as well, which is very rare for producers nowadays. For example, when I had gone to Shangri La studios to work on the record "Chapel" I have with Australian house producer Willaris.K we created the main track together and then I decided to just hop in the booth, I didn't know what would come out of it but it came out crazy. Another great example is when I was working on Goldlink's album and we cut "Spanish Song". It was a night where everyone is just having a good time, drinking and P2J is in his section of the hotel room we are in cooking a beat and I just started freestyling and we cut it. So it's these little moments of freedom and expression that showed me that not only do I have a great production ear, but I have a voice that people like as well.
https://youtu.be/zvT5L2H67YU
3. Talk about ARCADIA and the inspiration behind it?
So Arcadia actually spiraled from me going to local Los Angeles arcades to kind of clear my head and get some zen. I would go to these different parts of town and hit up Button Mash or the legendary Family Amusement Center and just play a bunch of games and I got inspired after creating "Tookie Tookie" to mask some songs I created into this project that would take Video Game elements to the next level. So I actually did a deep dive into my catalog of songs, I have thousands of them, to find ones that I could build on to manifest a world-building video game-themed project where it literally sounds like you blew a cartridge in, turned on a Sega Genesis and these songs came to life and exploded out of your television. I even did research and did some council with a few friends of mine who actually make video game music for a living to take certain songs and make 16-Bit versions of them. Deeply, however, I wanted a central theme that could really tie in the reasoning for not only the music but the collaborations. I did research into the greek land of Arcadia, literally googling it on accident and automatically it all clicked for me. Arcadia in Greek Mythology was this land that was built specifically for creative individuals to go and create, and so the title is a deep play on both that and Arcade/Video game culture. What's even more interesting is the place in Virginia where I am from, was originally entitled Arcadia in the 16th century.
4. Talk about some of your features on your album such as Leon Thomas and JazzCartier.
Honestly, everyone who is featured on this project is close collaborators and friends. It wasn't anything where I had set off to handpick everyone who is apart of it, everything just came together naturally and through multiple sessions, I was in. I can recall the day I made Winterfell top-to-bottom in my apartment, and I had cut the first verse and I was like.. "You know who would slide on this with a crazy pocket? Gwen!" So I literally called Gwen Bunn up and told her to pull up and cut this hook idea I had and she literally showed up an hour later, laid it down effortlessly and the rest was history. Another great example is when I played Leon Thomas the beat for "Arcadia (For The Land)" for the first time and he's like "Yo, this is dope, but what if you tuned it down by -2" and we did and the beat switched into this dark-soulful vibe I didn't know was in it, and then he laces the hook in the craziest way possible and snaps. The collaboration at that moment was essential. I see it as working with your friends. Organically building records was what I wanted to establish in the process of making this.
"You really only get one chance to show and prove to the class that you built the best volcano you could for the science fair, so this is my Volcano. Baking Soda explosion and all."
5. What made you say that now was the time for you to release your own album?
I think it just made sense to show to the world what I am capable of doing at this moment in time. I didn't want to be placed in a box when it came to my creativity and as you can see everything that I've produced or been apart of is very selective. I don't allow just anyone to touch my production or what I do because I can hold so many hats and I have so many different tricks I can pull off. I think dropping a project like this at a time where the world is looking for something new and inventive is essential. It showcases all of my strengths in the production and songwriting aspects and it's not traditional that you get to hear a rapper really produce and rap like me. I look at this as just a starting point for the other things I have coming and what I want to do in this life. You really only get one chance to show and prove to the class that you built the best volcano you could for the science fair, so this is my Volcano. Baking Soda explosion and all.
https://youtu.be/hGBT6p7MmSw
6. What advice would you give individuals that are looking to move into producing and being an artist?
The best advice I can give anyone out there is to master as many traits as possible. There are people out there who have visions but they can't execute them because they are waiting for someone else to come in and assist them, and I am not saying collaboration with others isn't essential, but the more you can do to apply yourself to learn what you personally need for your journey, the easier the map will be placed for your destination. I work with a very very small team of people but we execute as much of my vision as we possibly can because we believe in it more than anyone else in the world, and as long as you have that mindset you can achieve things that seem impossible.
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