Romel Music blog post
Basics:
* Name: Romel Lherisson Jr.
* City: Queens, New York
* Occupation: Streaming Team/ Stream department in the music industry.
Welcome back to my blog post. I must say, this has been an experimental yet thrilling experience for me to sit down with people I know and explore their individual lives. As our generation becomes older and we establish ourselves through our explorations and fulfilling our purpose; I feel it necessary to stop and take a minute to engage with them. This was especially important to me in spaces I don't know enough about with people using their passions to mold their careers and ultimately their lives. The next person I sat down with was a friend of mine I met in college. Sitting down with Romel was refreshing both spiritually and professionally. Connecting music through passion, personal style and mental health has helped him create a life doing what he loves. Enjoy!
Basics:
* Name: Romel Lherisson Jr.
* City: Queens, New York
* Occupation: Streaming Team/ Stream department in the music industry.
Tene’: First off, thank you for sitting down with me to do this. I love that my friends do so many different things and music has always been a great source of inspiration, emotion, and creativity for me, so to start let me ask where does your love/ passion for music begin?
Romel: It started when I was a kid. I remember my dad used to pick me up in his red Gulant, and he'd be blasting the lost boys or whatever else was poppin at the time. But I remember the Lost Boys especially/specifically. I'd have my cap to the back with some of his friends riding along in the back. My parents were young back then.That's kinda where hip hop began for me. Honestly music as a whole, because my mom definitely had an extensive music collection of cd’s and tapes of R&B. People in my family were always music people, so I was always surrounded by it. As I got older I definitely branched into other genres but that's where it stems from.
Tene’: I know you mentioned that you work within the industry. After a year of quarantine/ remote work, where do you think that has left the music industry?
Romel: I think artists have managed to become more creative — some ways that are new and some ways that we haven’t seen in a long time. The return of the music video is one of those things that hasn’t mattered for 15/20 years that matters again. Artists, when inspired of course, seem to tap into a deeper energy and you feel it in the music, the style, the roll out. I think it’s really cool. When artists are being authentic, you feel it. I believe that exists for the business side as well. Some challenges of the old ways, but taking what works, adding a new spin and making it something new of its own. I think it’s dope and I’m happy to be part of it. With people being at home more, I’ve noticed people have been more inclined to discover new genres, and make art that's reflective of that. I’m glad the time is here, and it makes being part of the business even more enjoyable.
Tene’: Switching gears to a more personal side, tell us about your vinyl collection over here. What vinyls are you most excited for currently in your possession, and are there any in particular you're still on the lookout for?
Romel: Yea my vinyl collection is pretty sick. It's a lot, maybe around 600 records and I gave 100 away. The collection doubled in the last two years. It's something I'm very proud of, it's something that is physical, something that makes you very present. The record has skipped many times and I'm like okay I have to get up. That being said, it's skipping because I need to adjust the weights on it, so there's something added to the experience of listening to music that I think is absolutely amazing. It is also cool when you go into a record store and you discover stuff that's hard to find or you didn't know existed. Sometimes you realize these records are not even on streaming platforms and you have a physical possession. At best you can find them on youtube but even then.I think that's super dope, they're one of a kind.
Some records that I'm super proud of, hmmm. I’d have to say I have a slew of original 45’s of James Brown. So “Pass The Peas” part 1 & 2, A side to B side. “Soul Power part 1 & 2”, “The big payback”. It's crazy because 45’s are way harder to come by.
Tene’: Does your choice in music influence your personal style?
Romel: Yea, I'd say my choice in music definitely impacts my personal style. I mean like some days I feel I do dress more “hip hop”; some days I dress like a punk rock skater kid, and other days I feel I dress like all I do is listen to classic rock. I think it all impacts everything. I have all these band t-shirts. One of my favorites is a Paul Mccartney 2002 tour shirt. I'm a big Beatles fan so I was excited to have that. I feel like Punk music and skating had an impact on my style because every kid my age had that Tony Hawk game.I have this specific Bones Brigade t-shirt and they’re dope because they basically birthed a wave of really great skaters for my generation; the music from those specific video games have stepped into my style for sure. Another thing that comes to mind are my old school bomber jackets that came from me watching a bunch of 80’s music videos. The NWA, Ice T era, Snoop even played a role in the exposure of it.
Tene: So you were like a sponge. You found ways of incorporating the things you were seeing/ enjoying daily into your own way of expressing yourself through fashion.
Romel: Exactly, exactly. I put my own twist to it in a way that made sense. I have had a pair of Doc Martens for over a decade now not because they're cool or hipster but because of the 80’s Punk rock influence I mentioned before. It was incredible to me especially since it carried over into the 90’s hip hop era. I said yea this is where I identify, this is where I am at as a person. So it made a lot of sense.
Tene’: Where is your mental state following quarantine?
Romel:My mental state is okay at best. (laughs lightly) I think I am at a point in life, and also we as a society have hopefully passed the “Lol, Im fine” narrative. It's not the truth. I'm trying to get back into therapy and I have no issues saying that publicly. Im at a place where I dont really give a fuck; like upkeep for what? I'm satisfied with life, I'm excited about life but there are things that need to be worked on and I would rather try to work on them in my mid- 20’s then be in my 50’s battling the same shit with no understanding of the deeper part of things. You see it all the time, especially in people of color and it's hurting us. We can all be better people, I advocate for everyone to try therapy even if you feel as though you're “good.”
Overall it's been okay (quarantine). I try to handle it the best way I know possible. I do things. I listen to music like all the time. I have a rule that everyday I have to go outside because I realized I am an outside person. That doesn't mean I have to go out to drink or anything like that but I can have 3 arcade tokens in my nike fanny pack and just be walking down the street. I make it a point to do something outside the apartment that I enjoy. So I walk around a lot of the time, I bike, I like to run, I go to the waterfront and dick around on reddit. I'll just take some of the inside things and do them outside because I'm a free person and I can feel constricted by walls.
Even with work, if I know I have a meeting where I have to be on camera as soon as it's over I try to go outside. I've started incorporating working at a coffee shop or the park with my hotspot. Just to get air, to be a person in society. I try to accomplish something everyday, at least one thing. It doesn't matter how big or small. So yea those things have helped me.
Tene’: What's next for you? Personally or creatively?
Romel: Just to continue to elevate. So I just want to keep accomplishing things that matter to me. Like maybe I will put out that Dj mix that I have seven different versions saved on my computer. Who knows. So creatively I want to get more in the spaces where I can talk more. If I hear one more person ask me in a meeting if I've ever done radio Im going to lose it lol.
Interview est. 2021
