NEW FAME, LLC Inspirational Lady Hip-Hop/R&B Duo

BY DOMINIC D PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW BOURGEOIS

LIFESTYLE - It’s a lifestyle, not a diet, you know?

Well, the whole entire basis of our brand is SHOWS, SERVICE, and SELF-DEVELOPMENT. So we try to include all of those things—one of those things or every single one of those things—in everything that we do so that we are always working on ourselves, always helping others. And then, you know, shows are mental health for us, as well as obviously just being creative and being happy about it, and our music is what makes us happy. A lot of it has been anti-human trafficking work. It’s been everything that we’ve done, a myriad of workshops in nine different countries based on what people need. It’s all based on what people need and the people that we come across.” - Cruz

The impact of Cruz and Adrienne coming together created something larger than both could have imagined, as well as something much larger than just themselves. These two inspiring women were on a similar trajectory, both active musically and experienced in service work. Cruz had just moved back from Cambodia and was living in New York City at the same time as Adrienne. They met at a release party where Cruz saw Adrienne perform and it “blew me away,” she said.

After the show, Adrienne had business cards lying about offering a free download. Cruz approached her, saying, “Why are you giving your music away for free? You’re phenomenal, you know?”

Adrienne responded, “Oh, I can just make more.”

“All right then,” said Cruz.

From that moment on, they pretty much have been together every single day since. The women worked together doing video/photo shoots for clients and playing some top venues in the city, including SOB and Southpaw. From there, they connected with Vans Warped Tour via a contact at SXSW (Official Artists 2016-2020). Touring with Vans for two years, in between traveling to Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize doing workshops, they endured the grueling schedule, long drives, insane routes, and more.

We were on an independent stage, which was glorious because we really, really got to understand and value the hard work and commitment and reaching out to people and speaking to people individually rather than treating them like a corporation. We vowed that we would never be these corporate entities that didn’t give a shit about people and just wanted to make a dollar. We wanted to be love and respect each and every person that showed us any kind of attention for the music that we created. ‘Cause that, that in itself, is a blessing, you know? Over the years, they have opened for hip-hop legends such as Rakim, KRS-One, Redman, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, DJ Maseo, Fat Lip, Kool Keith, Aceyalone, and more.

VIETNAM TO MAINE - How did New Fame, LLC land here in Maine the first place? A few excerpts/anecdotes reflecting their journey in our fair state:

New Fame has lived the last four years in Vietnam between Saigon and Da Nang touring, along with one to three months of touring in the USA each year. This has enriched their perspective on both the countries and the respective communities where they’ve resided.

“People over money. Everyone wants to make money. We all need it. America has a lot of money. You’d never see Vietnamese people throwing furniture out in their yard. You don’t ever see a dollar on the ground there. It’s incredible how rich we are,” Cruz points out, despite the fact that she’s witnessed more overall happiness in Vietnam, another parallel to how Maine feels specifically like Da Nang city, where they’ve spent much of the past few years carrying out their mission. The connection to nature, water, and the surrounding culture feels on point to how Vietnamese people live in Da Nang.

Maine has been a stop on the New Fame tour route for the last six years, first through Ill by Instinct and Rap Night, along with DJ Myth and Ben Shorr, who asked New Fame to open for KRS-One and Styles P two years ago. They met their manager Nate Winter of Maven Made Agency then, a talented engineer, producer, and master who took a liking to their whole brand and mission.

Without those kind of situations, we don’t feel like we would have ever had the stamina here that we do, because that’s where we’ve met a lot of people who became friends of ours, not just supporters that buy tickets, but like real true friends that like, you know, we care about each other, and we cook each other stuff, and we eat together like real friends, which is very hard to come by when you’re out on the road so much, you know, you have just a few friends and a lot of areas, but this place has really allowed us to call it home. It’s absolutely incredible. I couldn’t be happier stuck in a place. - Cruz

Right before COVID, the ladies had extended their stay here in Maine to fulfill several opportunities in the area, including opening for Blackalicious in Portsmouth. Once the country shut down, they were here with no place to go.

KRS-ONE Dominic D: “I’m pretty sure I saw the end of your performance at the KRS-One show at Oxbow a couple of years ago.” Cruz: “Yeah. It’s actually just past the two-year anniversary, October 11, two years ago yesterday.” Dominic D: “I was like, ‘this guy’s older than me? This is crazy.’” Cruz: “Yo. He fucking killed it. I’ll never forget that show.” Dominic D: “Yeah, he’s got amazing energy. I saw him 10 plus years ago. and he had as much, if not more, energy this time around. So, you know, again, a good sign that if you try to maintain positivity and activity in your lifestyle, that you’re gonna, you know, have that strength, that persistent kind.”

GREEN WOODS New Fame was very excited when Green Woods Roots & Culture reached out this spring to ask them to perform at the annual reggae and roots festival. They were staying energized doing intimate shows at Higher Grounds and being outside with their small PA. “But being on a big stage, to be with big lights, to be with people, it didn’t matter that they were far away. That didn’t affect anything for us,” said Cruz.

New Fame LLC

Photography by Matthew Bourgeois

Having been injected into that culture and rocking with a reggae crew in Vietnam named Saigon Dub Station, they learned how to freestyle with a selecta and the nuances of the art form different from hip-hop. The ladies were happy for the opportunity to do it again here in America. They also saw positive representations of strong women taking on lead roles in the event, roles that are disproportionately held by men in the music industry.

Reggae music often acknowledges there is a struggle, yet it is positive, it’s inclusive and worldwide. New Fame fit the human scale of the event, able to create as little barrier between performers and the audience as possible, even with the social distancing. Obviously, a big part of live music is that physical, auditory, and energetic connection/ vibration. A crucial reason Green Woods carried on is that the community is still there. Even if we’re all locked up, we’re still existing. The event couldn’t just go away because of that; it needed to continue spreading its message of positivity and perseverance.

CANNABIS CONNECTIONS

Three years ago, manager Nate linked the ladies with Caniba Naturals in Farmington, the first caregivers in Maine they became directly involved with. Their high-energy performance last year at The High 95 Cup proved to be a catalyst to meeting the local cannabis community. They are passionate about the plant and its ability to heal and bridge the divide between one another.

Everybody feels, you know, smoking or drinking, whatever you do, people all want to be around that or feel cool, but there’s so much more that all of us are doing. And I think to me, the best part is aligning with other people around here that can make those things happen. We’re finding our tribes, that’s for sure, because you can’t stop a gang of people, you know? And if your gang of people are pushing positivity and a positive influence on others, then call it what you want—God, gods, the gods, however you feel, but it’s bigger than us.

The thing is, by fixing ourselves and focusing daily where we can contribute to that pain and healing within ourselves, that’s really what resonates and permeates the universe.

For the time being, Maine is home. Cruz says, “It’s just beautiful. It’s just a beautiful life of nature and nice and quiet. And now we’ve moved into a place where it’s a bit long-term. We’ve taken all our stuff out of storage, and it’s definitely an amazing place, and I’m grateful to have it. That’s for sure.”

New Fame is happily stuck in Maine and always missing Southeast Asia.

We’re ready to play all around the world in any country, anywhere, anytime, let’s work. In some way or form. You let the world know that we’re ready to come out there when they are.

New Fame LLC

Photography by Matthew Bourgeois

New Fame, LLC | Shows. Service. Self-Development. Management - Nate at Maven Made Agency