Not Some Kid

Earlier this week we brought you Rotimi’s music, today we bring you his story.

Preview: Rotimi – You Already Know ft. Dawn Richard

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Rotimi, a Maplewood, NJ native and recent graduate of Northwestern University in Chicago, is only 21 years old but already has a solid start to his career. At the age of 15, Rotimi won over the notoriously hard-to-please crowd at the Apollo Theater and ended up getting 1st place at amateur night. That was just the beginning. Today, he excels in singing, songwriting, acting, and modeling, and is building a strong fan base nation-wide. We had a chance to ask the “Future of R&B” some questions, and here’s what he had to say:

NSK: What was it like trying to launch your career as an artist while pursuing a double major at Northwestern University? How were you able to find a balance between the two?

Rotimi: “I had to sacrifice a lot when people would be going out and partying I would have to do homework and study or go to the studio. There was always work to be done. Thankfully I had good advisors always helping me through.”

Click “Read More” below for the rest of the interview.

NSK: As a recent graduate of Northwestern University (Class of 2010), what have been the main differences so far in pursuing a music career as a student and as a graduate?

Rotimi: “The main the difference is I can 100% focus on my craft and continue to just make good music and not worry about homework and exams. And now I get a chance to network more and go to more events, etc.”

NSK: Along with the release of your new single, Forever, we also posted your song You Already Know, which features Dawn Richard (formerly of Danity Kane, currently in Dirty Money). How did that feature come about?

Rotimi: “I have always had a lot of respect for her seeing her become a star and seeing her grind on Diddy’s show so my management and my team, shout out Al and Ant, got in contact with her management and we sent the record and they loved it and said they wanted to be a part of it.”

NSK: You Already Know has a more Pop-feel to it than Forever and Beautiful Music, which fall more into the R&B genre. Do you consider yourself more of a Pop artist or an R&B artist?

Rotimi: “I try to do it all. I try not to label myself, I try to make music that touches all basis I don’t want to be just a pop or R&B artist I want to be a popular artist and have as many people supporting me at all times. I try to stay as versatile as possible.”

NSK: How would you describe the process you follow when making a song (from beat selection to writing to content)?

Rotimi: “First I listen to the beat, then I feel that every beat has a story so I try to listen to it a couple times, and when I feel like the story clicks its like a perfect marriage and the way the beat fits
with the melody and the melody with the words.”

NSK: Tell us about your new single, Forever. What inspired the track?

Rotimi: “Forever came from a true story a situation that I was in in college and you
know I just felt that it was a perfect way to get over that issue that had happened so the words are extremely real and I just
wanted to make a situation that people can relate to
and have been through.”

NSK: Is there an album in the works? If so, do you have a release date yet?

Rotimi: “Yes there is an album in the works but we do not have a release date yet. But expect hot music when we do drop it.”

NSK: Where do you see yourself 1, 5, and even 10 years from now? Any specific feats you hope to accomplish in your career?

Rotimi: “I just want to reach my potential and be able to say that I did everything I could to make the best music I possibly could. I also want to be a successful businessman. And I also want to be a very respected actor and most importantly want to be able to support my family.”

NSK: Why are you Not Some Kid?

Rotimi: “I am Not Some Kid because I have a great career, a wonderful family, and amazing fans.”

Rotimi Soundclip:

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Special shout out to Rotimi and his promo team for helping set this up. As you read above, Rotimi is here to stay, so lookout for more from him in the future.

Previously: | Rotimi’s Music |

Also, we have now launched our interviews page! You can click the “Interviews” button at the top of the sidebar or visit NotSomeKid.com/interviews to read more!

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