An Interview with PlusIV

Dami: What was your first introduction to music?

PlusIV: Growing up, I was honestly always a music head. My dad was one of those old-school heads who were on his own leisurely time. He would just blast music and I kind of fell in love with just like 70s, 80s like bands, and R&B from the time that I can remember from Earth, Wind, and Fire to the O’Jays, Anita Baker, George Clinton, Victor Wooten lol etc. As I grew older and more mature, I started to fall in love with just music in general. In middle school, I listened to a lot of pop. I didn't get into hip-hop until high school. Lots of people don't know that lol but I love pop and grew up listening to it.

Dami: Would you say your dad’s taste for music shaped the type of music you make now?

PlusIV: I would say my dad‘s love for music shaped my love for music and growing up, listening to what he listened to made me appreciate analog sound more and it also just started my passion of music for real.

Dami: What inspired you to start making music?

PlusIV: Back in high school, I’ve always written poetry. It was more like free poetry, but it was basically like whenever I started to feel some type of emotion or something, I would just take to poetry. Sometimes, I kind of transition to it - I will kind of like do my own covers of songs, like if I was listening to a song, I will sometimes write poetry to it like if I had a verse or something like that. But in high school, one of my friends, Kyro’s Here, kind of knew that I did free poetry at the time and he said to me that I should try rapping. I kind of pushed it away for a while, then it sooner or later became just a hobby, and then I transitioned to taking it very seriously and pursuing it as a career.

Dami: How was it going from poetry to rapping?

PlusIV: It was difficult at first, mainly because I had to learn cadence and flow, and I pronounced words bad back then, but every artist kind of goes through this phase of self-development. I would say for me; it takes time but I’m grateful for the learning process. I know I still have a long way to go though.

Dami: When making music, where do you grab inspiration from?

PlusIV: Lots of my inspiration derives from everything I’m surrounded by- people, places, things, just my atmosphere around me, which is why I try to keep my atmosphere and my energy just very positive. Artist-wise, it's too many to name from sound to artist creativity and direction. I always love Jaden Smith. I love all his music and just his vision overall. I'm a vamp too, I love Playboi Carti. I get inspired by the different sounds on Whole Lotta Red all the time. There are too many to name seriously, but overall my atmosphere for real is where every time lies.

Dami: How would you describe your sound?

PlusIV: I honestly don’t know mainly because I have different types of songs, and I’m inspired by different types of music. I don’t really like labels of things either. I kind of want people to just embrace what they hear. Verde is here now, but we will definitely see it what's in store for the future.

Dami: What do you want listeners to take away when listening to your music?

PlusIV: I want people to have their own creative interpretation of my art as far as the writing and the visuals attached to them. I think what makes us all connected to just music or even art in general is everyone’s different interpretations taken away from the same piece of art. Overall though, I want my music to match whatever setting fits in a listener’s life.

Dami: What’s your creative process like?

PlusIV: I honestly have a love-hate relationship with my process. Mainly because I don’t have a consistent one. I kind of like it because it makes every song, I make very unique because it’s a different process to it every time, but I’m trying to really work on consistency so I want to have a central process that I can go to every time. But sometimes, I can knock out a song in 30 minutes to an hour. Other times, it takes me some time to just form a verse or like the idea within the concepts I have. I typically punch in till I find the melody. I may form words or lines, then I try to write around it. Sometimes I can have a hook but it'll take me forever to get the verses, so it's just different every time.  Initially, I was insecure about my creative process but it is what it is as long as I get better and make timeless music. I'm trying to work on writing better so things can flow naturally.

Dami: You dropped your first single titled “Vanish” in 2021. How do you feel you’ve grown artistically since then?

PlusIV: Since then, I feel like I’ve learned a better version myself as far as what I know I like to do, and what I wanna do and what I have to learn. Since the time I made that song, I would say I have a better artist direction of where I see myself in my creativity, but I know I have a long way to go as far as the musical technical side, but that all comes with the time and the journey.

Dami: How do you deal with lack of inspiration when making music?

PlusIV: What I like to do nowadays is try to find other outlets in my hobbies. I like working out. I used to be a huge gamer back in the day. From time to time, I stream on Twitch and play a little bit of everything, PlayStation-wise. I really like ping-pong. I try to play it whenever I see a table. I like going on walks and hikes and stuff, but I’m so focused on my sound right now, I don’t really have a chance to do those other things.

Dami: You just dropped a single titled “Last Forever”. What does it mean to you?

PlusIV: Oh man, I love that song so much. I’ve always had a strong love for punk rock. I love that record. It’s edgy, gruesome, and makes you kind of want to throw a chair at a window or something or like slap somebody. Just total anarchy. I think I’m really developing for real. I always wanted to do a rock tape- I think Travis Barker is sick.

Dami: What should we expect from this single?

PlusIV: From this single, you should expect to hear different sounds and energies. I like doing different things. Even if it's "riding a wave" or something, I still like to ride whatever in my own way. That's the thing about Ivy Verde. You never know what you'll get.

Dami: What are 3 words you’ll use to describe this drop?

PlusIV: Anarchy, rebel, edgy.

Dami: What’s been the most stressful part of being an artist?

PlusIV: I would say there are a lot of stressful parts, but one of the main stressful parts is being consistent. It might sound cliché, but it really is true. Mainly because music is always evolving there are always new sounds/waves to ride and it’s hard finding that equilibrium of riding a wave but still try staying true to your own creativity at the same time without biting other people. Drugs get in the way too. Sometimes it's amazing to see where the conscience can go creatively, but it can mess up the flow of just everything in the process. It’s a love/hate relationship.

Dami: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

PlusIV: In 5 years, I see myself living off my music fully and creating an atmosphere where young adults can have a healthy physical and mental space, whether from a mental health facility I start or the art/music I produce. I definitely see a debut album within that time. I want a lot of money behind a debut tape so I can fully bring creative ideas to life from videos, marketing, producers etc. But yeah, I'm blessed. I count my blessings when I remember to for real. God got me this far. Its only right to keep going. Everyone keeps telling me this.

Check out PlusIV’s latest single here