Lawrence Rivers | ‘Written In Stone’ Is The Project To Watch
Lawrence Rivers is one to watch out for. Bred from Savannah, Georgia bearing a smooth southern accent and heart-felt lyrics, he is the definition of southern grit. He has not achieved global stardom yet, but there is definitely reason to believe that fame is not far away. The local fan base that he does have provides real genuine love for the 19 year old rapper, and you can hear it in the music. It is so crystal clear in the music why the artist grinds the way he does, the apparent reason being his pure love for creating music you can relate to.
In this track, ‘Faith In You’ off of his highly anticipated album ‘Written In Stone’ masterly displays the heartbreak that many of us can relate to from a tumultuous relationship. He expresses understanding but at the same time acknowledges that he is vulnerable to being manipulated by love.
Loved you from the start. Congratulations you the last female to see my whole heart
Powerful in word play and emotionally moving to those that have been there before. Not only are the lyrics there, but the delivery of these bars are up to standard as well. You can tell he means what he is preaching and putting his heart into it. The message will be ingrained in you after one listen.
On a completely different note, another slapper that is my personal favorite is ‘4035′. It bangs. The catchy hook will have you grabbing your homies and screaming ‘4035’ until they have no choice but to google it and see what that means. Find that below.
We got the chance to interview Lawrence Rivers, here at Rap Fiesta.
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Whatsup Lawrence, its great to hop on the phone with you. Let’s get a little basic info. How old are you and where you from?
I am 19 years old and I am from Savannah, Georgia.
What were some of the struggles of growing up in Georgia ?
I was originally born in South Carolina, but growing up there was struggle. I didn’t really have my biological father in my life, I just recently started getting to know him. Other than that, my mom was always there. Sometimes it was hard, she couldn’t pay bills and the lights were off at times. My step father came in and helped at that time while we were really struggling, but we got through it.
I haven’t heard mention of your biological dad in your music. Why don’t you mention that in your music?
I guess I don’t talk about it much. I don’t have anything against him, were cool now. It was just back then when we were struggling, he wasn’t really around. I talk about my mom in my music alot and my step-dad. He’s more like my real dad. They listen to my music so I throw lyrics in there for them too.
What made you want to write music instead of dealing with problems in a different way?
Ever since I was young I just liked music. Period. When I was living with my grandma, she used to play a lot of old school songs like Luther Vandross and Bobby Brown. I was brought up around those genres and I grew up liking it. Other than that, I already knew about the streets and how they go. I didn’t want to go down that road. It wasn’t for me. I already seen a lot of people get messed up and gone because of the streets. I figured, why not take another path and see where it goes.
I just want to make music that people can relate to
Let’s dig into the music. On the last track, “Faith in You” I definitely hear some Drake flow in there. “I never thought you would be the one sitting here lying to my face”. I love that line. Who is that about and what happened with that situation?
It was about a female, an ex of mine. Were cool now, it was just at that moment in time that I felt like that. When a feeling is in the moment it just takes me a minute to ponder on. I’m cool with her now and she’s not a bad person, but at the same time I didn’t think she would be the one with everything that we went through. Things change and things happen, but at the same time you move on and learn.
On that track as well, it sounds like somebody really hurt you. Do you usually write your songs from that emotional standpoint of being heartbroken?
I like to switch it up. I like to write music where you can sit back and listen, and the story gets told. It’s not always hype music or emotional. When I get those emotional type of songs, I want to make sure I do it right. It’s those songs I tell a story in, and those songs have a meaning behind it. I just want people to know that.
Did you show that track to her?
She heard it from a friend, I was told. Her friend told me how she felt. Other than that, it is what it is. No hard feelings. Its just how I felt back then and I channeled it into the song.
2 months ago you dropped an EP. I love that consistency of you dropping music, it separates the good from the great. Do you find it hard to knock out as many tracks as you do?
Well, yeah. I don’t think people understand how I do the music, or how the writing process is for me. When I write a song, I might listen to over 100 beats. Maybe listen to the beat again, and again. I might listen to a beat 10-15 times before I even think about writing, then I’ll get something catchy and get the first line. If I feel like the first line is good and the beat’s good, that’s when I roll with it. It definitely takes me time, I don’t want to be saying the same stuff over and over again. With the writing process, it’s definitely longer than people think.
Off that EP as well, that song ‘Showcase’ really plays to your versatility. The intro in the beginning is reminiscent of that punk-rock flow that Lil Uzi Vert is so popular for. What type of mood were you in for that track?
That part was actually a feature from the person I record my songs with, StussyOkai. I did it with him, he is a pretty talented artist. Not only is he an artist, he makes beats as well and runs a studio. I definitely wanted him on that track, he’s dope.
What is the message you want people to receive from your music?
I just want to make music that people can relate to. I know my music isn’t for everybody and not everybody is going to like my music. I just want people to relate because everybody has a different story. ‘Faith In You’ is a love story, when a girl breaks a heart. ‘Off The Record’ is about people in general, how certain people cling on when I started rapping. I just want people to know that it comes from the heart, it takes time, and I actually care about what I do. I’m not just out here trying to be a rapper saying meaningless stuff like some other rappers do.
I think my favorite track from you is ‘4035 ’. That song is hella hype and catchy. What does 4035 mean?
It’s a place I used to chill at with my friends, who I really call my brothers. We all used to chill at this place and the address is 4035 on the beginning. So when I say “4035” I was just referring to that.
Most artists get huge push from labels to make sure their music gets heard. What is the hardest part about being an independent artist for you?
Just getting your music heard. Building a fan base takes a little bit more effort, you have to have people who like your music and are willing to share it. Friends repost my music all the time but consistently building a fanbase is definitely the hardest part of being an independent artist for me.
It’s easy to get discouraged in the game when you haven’t blown up yet. What keeps you pushing to keep making music?
It’s really just my love for making music. Period. When I was in high school, I never really had an outlet to go record music. I knew I could rap. When you really look at it, I’m not getting this [insane amount of plays], but I am thankful for what I am getting, for the plays that I am getting. I started off with 0. Now I’m at 400. Hopefully I get to 1,000. Keep pushing.
What is the next step for Lawrence Rivers and what should we be looking out for?
I have a tape ‘Written In Stone’ that I plan on dropping on Apple Music and Spotify. I’m just making music for that tape individually. I will probably drop 1 more EP and then after that, I will keep on consistently working. I’ll drop a song here and there just to make sure people know I’m not going ghost. I’m definitely working on that album though. It’s really a fun process, it’s hard but definitely a fun process.
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We even got to chat about how I started Rap Fiesta after. Lawrence is an honest dude. From talking to him, it’s really clear that he appreciates the love. He literally took 2-3 minutes to thank me and what it means to him to have his message be heard, and as much as I’m helping him, he solidifies the very reason why I started Rap Fiesta. When the soul behind the music is genuine, it really bleeds into the music. It’s clear he creates music for the love of it. Much respect.
