Preme Magazine Issue 14: DaniLeigh, Luke James, Father and Jackson by Preme Magazine

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

IN D E X N O S K C A J . 10 S E M A J E K U L 18 . S R E V E I H C A R E D N U 26 . Y L F J 4 4 . C H G I E L I N A D . 50 F U H X R E H 6 2 . F A T

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

JACKSONJACKSONJAC KSONJACKSONJACKS ONJACKSONJACKSON JACKSONJACKSONJAC KSONJACKSONJACKS ONJACKSONJACKSON JACKSONJACKSONJAC KSONJACKSON

Shot by 12am Styled by Triple Joint

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

BUDDY

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

suit: kyle'lyk chain: third crown

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

LUKE JAMES

Photographer: Noa Creative Director/Styling: Paco Lampecinado Interview: Tiffany Bullock Grooming: Chainelle Molina Digital Director: Marq Assistant: Prince Peprah

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

shirt: kyle'lyk pants: no sesso

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

t someth film but I e up. It w as some fright. I w ing I kne thing I did not re as not un as just g w I w til co ett T g in a h n g n e iz i te N e n When T i d to e t. t w Edit the groo I was o do. h io W s e n ti h N S ve of ll e t e n to h w o in ry Edition S pportunit king abo where I r wanted t ies kept ut music tory cam eally tru o a e d ly o n o r d u t e g t h c I a o o w t was go gnized it. ing on to as in a d wholehe ing to ma ur. I felt it th ifferent p art k e e e la d m c ly e e , . h fu N a lly, comp ot exactl ppy. The som eone y having letely an New Ed tha fu d u it t n io e n w x n d is S iv it h ts id to m . Creatin e ry dly-truly. usic. I re , gave m 3-weeks g a comra ally wan This was e anoth time. It d te e s e w r d ry o o t a p m b o s p f j e e o ig u th tw rt st a diffe ure out w ing I hav unity to d and just een stra ren e n ng hat I be iv e t e in e i th rs v g n in e t o to r h g n a d a , s o t n b n e fe other art u e t. t lt b A th l ik e e ft that expe fo e weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve b energy w er that p re. Learn form romoting rience! I een know as alway ing cho i e re t n s in a t jo o n g h g y d e e ra e g s d a p o t a c h ing to dif h other fo he thrill o me. But, y, becom th fere f c r ing 3 is re 0 n t -s a t im ti s o n ta e m g I te e f recogniz thing yea ilm and t s, as we ed i ll a ele rs ithin w s v t, t is i o n io E t n h u . e rope- It w It was at momen t of filmin that mom as every th g e in n t g w . I h w ere I was anted to like, this continue i s w h a t I want to do- too.

The te rm “ u p a nd come r” gets to comer d o s s e e s d n a ’t s ro e und a lot em fitting recognitio but for a as he h n a n h s a s e rt d u is rp e t s a li erves. H ke Luke J ssed tha and spea e’s a sta t. He is d ames w ks t r h e in o o fi y h h n o it is a e u s o ly r b w soul, he i a diamo een in th n right ra nd amon s setting e industr ther that t g y h g is f e o e i s r m n ta s m s o g t m u e for lon h sic or ac at has ye e time up When as gev tin t and k it to g e y . g d . W h e it t o h th w a he wants e mainstr raw and and acto eam uncut so to reme r. H m u e b n p e d u re t ts h d a love into he replie t is hard t Luke Jam all of his d, “with l o forget es a a o v b rt e o r .” u a T t th h h e is upbrin is is a ph r he is sin ging, his rase tha ging ball la t a a te c d c s s u t a ra p b ro te o ject to fe ut love o ly encom el love/d r to chara passes L , a c u te n k d e rs h J o o a n w The N mes as a After hig screen. ew E n artist h s We c g d h it o o io t o n a l, S c you mo hance to tory impa as a pla ved speak to cte t c d o e h L w is A h a , ere peop how to d cting care le under id you s er. s u to s ta o d in w y ho you a ourself a When I c re and t s an arti am h s e e t? m t o W u L s a A ic s there a I came w you ma that’s ho place in ke? ith two o w we L f m m A a y t b d h e e a a s t t friends f little mo felt like h money. I ney to sta rom high ome ( got an a s y a c p h a fl o rt o o a m l. t in LA. W ent then We were and bustl met som e slept o a trio an e. Doing e n d a p f w lo s ro m o e d rs i u u m a alone! I c c c ers, start mediately h as you nd couch ame out can insid ed writin started s es. Just h g e re e s in re a o a g w b n ll in y g home. u it g g s s h b , rind our iness to s two of m and som ackgroun way e v y b ta d, y u id e c s n e lo t ti o s fr l b e ie w t a e made s nds and w o the bu ckground siness to om e work as herever m a w a n e k e w e x o e tr n u a. That h t it was u Was the r way thro ustle re s s. W u g o h e m t s h e u e th p b p ing abou usiness. orted ea establis ch other, I wasn’t t being a hing w y s o h o u e n re r g s v elf as a s w e riter tha r we wen ing t d t to was e id r n ? ’t n ourish y It was ne ou enou g ve h r a m s y a g n o a al to be j rtist, mo only do t ust a son ving yo hat. P g u w t u ri o tt te g in r, g e it was to more fo t into ba backgro cus be ck to o a u n n n d w a . rt h R is a eally jus t I want to t. Anythin t honing o g outside do for m n to e o , m f ta th y k a c in t raft and m g time aw would be quite de ay from w y artistry p . re ri ti s n s g in f g or other . I knew I Was the people a wouldn’t re a d nd s e a fi y n in in g g no to sin momen that? ging t in y o u r l ife that m ade you d e c id e you wa I have ha nted to t d a a c k o e u o p n le a of oppo cting an him do h rtunities f d if so c is pro o a r m n d o y o s in f o o g u r Fast an indepen walk m always s e throug dent d Fu a id ri fi o lm I u w s s h g , a w n a ted to ge hich was ve me a l performin t into but exciting ittle bit o g a . I f W n w in d h a s s e s ig n n in h I g o t sang ba ing for p t for sure into that presentin ckground eople. W world. A how to. g the ls h f F e m o o o n b r r s I T o e e c y n lv in re a e e g m , s se and w a I t e h ro o o previous a m u u v nd Jamie t here, th e a little b e I even atching times I d at was n Foxx. It tually wo it of stag id a

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

Do you feel like your craft as an actor and musician is going according to plan? Yes, it is, who plan I do not know. I am flowing like water, like air. I’m getting in where I fit in and where I do not. I am making my way and just enjoying the ride. Trying to enjoy the ride as much as possible and just staying present. I keep learning, keep being a sponge. I love the way I am developing could not see it any other way. You are going to be on the new season of “The Chi”, what do you hope viewers take away from your character? His sincerity, his longing for love and understanding. Family, and the importance of family and togetherness. Even if the world is ugly, you do not have to be. In his story, he is a complicated character as he develops, people can watch this human find his way being just a decent person, protecting his family, and salvaging every bit of what he might have lost. Very interesting character. Do you find yourself being overly critical of your own work because you are doing multiple things? 22

It is about maximizing my time, so I can do everything right and be great at it. Really be proud of what I am doing and have fun. That is success to me! Overly critical? As long as I am having fun I do not overthink. What’s the story behind the name WOLF? WOLF has been apart of me since I was a child. I love that animal! It is a spirit animal that came to me as a child- it just stuck to me. Being in New Orleans our upbringing, the culture- it was an animal that spoke to me. NOLA has a rich history when it comes to black entertainers, how has your hometown influence your music? It influenced my music tremendously! I would not know music if it was not for New Orleans. I would not know what soul is, what it all means- all of that it was not for New Orleans. That is what that city is, that is what the place is. It is a mecca for that, pure, raw, down to the root love and it is a soulful place.

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

What would you say to people who make comments like, “Soul music, R&B, is dying?” I do not know what that comment means. I really want to know what they mean by that. In the past, I’ve tried to answer that and I probably gave an answer but it is really bullshit- I need a little bit more expansion on that statement. “Soul music, r&b is dying or is dead”, it’s everywhere! I have hell of friends who are soulful or soul singers who make rhythm and blues. It is not dead at all, it’s very alive, flourishing- sold out shows. There are people who listen to it all day, every day. Majority of rap music has soul music or r&b in it, for anyone to like it. If it does not have any soul or r&b music in it, no one likes it- to be fair. Not really. That’s not my answer, I just need expansion on the statement. Your latest project to feel love/d specifically “who you are” feels like an evening drive. Tell me about the creative process behind “who you are”, I get a bit of a Smokey Robison’s Crusin’ vibe. That record right there I created with two of my friends, Guitarboy and Lucky Daye. It is a smooth Bill Wethers laid back, uncut, raw, an expression of psychedelic love for someone. I say psychedelic because that is how I imagine it when I hear the song. I see an expansion to someone’s heart vulnerability. When creating that we were in Miami it was beautiful, we were flowing, just flowing. The synergy is just beautiful when we create a lot of music together. 6 months post to feel love/d, what do you want to see that’ll make you feel that the project had the impact you wanted? More sold-out shows. More people in love, feeling loved. You just got off tour, what was one of the funniest moments from the to feel love/d tour? So many! [Laughs] I love my team, love my team, solid five. When we were on that road it was fun. We did our thing! Funniest moment, for me, was sleeping past my alarm and half-dressed in my hotel room and waking up to my tour manager. She thought something might have been wrong but whatever the case we were going to miss our flight if she had not gotten access to my room to wake me up. I was not going to wake up, I was going to wake up sometime in the afternoon. Our flight was in the early a.m., that was a funny moment because it was just jarringhilarious. A lot of different moments: people falling, people sleeping, and snoring and catching them on tape-funny stuff like that. What’s the best part of the next thing that you are doing? That I’m having fun and there are people that I love that are able to benefit from it. That means a lot to me. How do you want to be remembered? With love.

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

shiirt: keiser clark pants: kidsuper

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

the

Underachievers PHOTOGRAPHER SAINT LAMONT STORY BY NIKO

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

Why the name "The Underachievers"? I created the name THE UNDERACHIEVERS in high school with a friend of mine, named Molefi, who use to produce for me around that time. What it represents is a flip on the word “underachiever” which normally has a negative connotation and we wanted to make it positive. People often like to put labels on things in society and think it completely defines such things, so I wanted to use The Underachievers name and prove everyone wrong by actually over achieving and accomplishing all my goals. - AK 2. How did Issa Gold and AK initially meet? Issa & I are from the same hood in Flatbush, literally a few blocks away from each other. I would always see him every time I walk up to the junction where the train station was until one day a friend of mine that passed, named Jacob, came to my house in the morning for our daily morning smoke sessions before school and brought Issa & Jewice (of Flatbush Zombies) with him. We’ve been friends ever since! - AK We met in Flatbush around 2008 through our mutual friend Jacob (RIP). We instantly clicked over similar interest and developed a friendship over the past decade that turned into us joining forces to create music for the world. - Issa

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

3. Whoʼs the groups biggest influence or inspiration? We both have different influences but collectively our friends are our influences these days. Flatbush Zombies and Joey Badass inspire me to be on my shit because they' re always killing it & it's almost like a friendly competition. Growing up listening to music, I always found inspiration from Michael Jackson, Jay z, Nas, Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Tupac, Kanye, Bob Marley and many more artist who represented the struggle and over coming oppression which gave me hope that I can over come it as well and have a voice that will help others too. - AK 31

We have different inspirations for sure. For me Issa Gold, I would say my biggest musical influences change through time. When I first started making music it was Mac Miller, Tyler The Creator, Wiz Khalifa, Asap Rocky, Flatbush Zombies and Joey Badass that influence how we created our movement and now my biggest influence is probably Frank Ocean, Pouya, Suicide Boys, Denzel Curry, Flatbush Zombies, Joey Badass, Tylers The Creator but mostly Frank Ocean. - Issa

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

4. How different is the NY sound from 6. If you were not doing music, what the original sound and how so? would you be doing? If I wasn’t doing music I'd probably be into New York sound now is different than the creating anime or fashion but now that I original sound because it's a different actually am doing music, it opens the generation, different people, different doors so I can venture off into those fields culture in today's world. I think that the when needed. Its Lit! - AK roots are still present in everyone's music in New York from ASAP Rocky to Joey I would be finishing my PHD in Badass to Action Bronson but we all have Psychology and writing books. I just developed our own style on top of that recently enrolled back in school to finish from the influences in our own lives. - Issa and i've been working on a book for the 35 past 4 years so I'll be doing that still. Issa 5. Whatʼs your favorite restaurant back home in NYC? My favorite restaurant when I’m in NYC 7. How old were you guys when you has to be this Caribbean spot in Queens wrote your first raps? called Trinicity. I travel a lot so I find myself missing my cultural food. I was like 11 when I wrote my first raps Whenever i'm back in New York & I want which were pretty trash but hey look at that authentic Caribbean flavor, I have to me now lol. It took a lot of practice for stop by! - AK sure. I use to record every day in my basement for years so I guess it payed off. - AK I was 21 when I wrote my first raps - Issa

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

8. Top 5 producers of All Time? Top producers for me are Pharrel, Alchemist, Powers Pleasant, Erick Arc Elliot & Kanye West. The way those guys put sounds together is always amazing and they can do various vibes like soulful and uptempo banger type beats. AK My top producers: Alchemist, Daringer, Erick Arc Elliot, Ronny J, Powers Pleasant & Chuck Strangers - Issa

9. Do you guys remember your first big show? I remember one of our first shows we had overseas in Paris and being a kid from BK, just starting out in the music game, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to expect traveling over there. It was one of the most "fire" shows ever at the time. It was crazy to see that people & fans who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t speak English, knew the words to our songs and it felt surreal as fuck. SHOUT OUTS to Paris! - AK Unfortunately I don't remember my first big show lol. They're all a blur at this point. - Issa

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

10. Since being on Tour whatʼs been your favorite city? If I had to choose one city, it has to be Paris because it was one of my first experience overseas and it was amazing. - AK There are too many!! Shit there are whole countries that go crazy but shout out to London, Paris, Berlin and anywhere in Germany, Los Angeles, Brisbane/ Perth/ Melbourne - pretty much all of Australia, Boston & New York. Issa

11. Do you feel any extra pressure being rappers from NY? I don't feel any pressure at all being a NYC rapper. The lyrical shit is in our blood and if you don’t think i'm nice it doesn’t matter to me really. I make music to express myself and spread my experiences to others in hopes to help their lives.- AK

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

12. WhatĘźs one thing you want your fans to know about The Underachievers? We love them and we couldn't do any of this without them. Thanks for the support and for riding with us going on 8 years! - Issa We definitely love you and wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be shit without you guys. We just dropped the beast coast project "Escape From New York" in May & we got LOF3 (Lords of Flatbush 3) coming this month in June! - AK

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

CJ FLY BY ANTHONY SUPREME

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

BUY MERCH ONLY AT PREME.XYZ Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

PHOTOS BY ALEX HARPER STYLED BY MAZ INTERVIEWED BY TIFFANY BULLOCK DESIGNED BY TIFFANY TRAN

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

COVER Jersey set by @IRISHLATINA Top @abelhonornewyork Shoes @blendsla ALL WHITE LOOK Top & Bottom @KarlKani Jewelry @fopseven Shoes @abelhonornewyork PORTRAIT Jewerly @nowpr

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

When I was first introduced to, a lot was going on in Atlanta. You had the Migos, Future, Youth Thug, and Rich Homie Quan; then, on the other side, there were Awful Records. You all were different. The first time I heard your music, I couldn't understand it, but it was dope, and learning about the various members, Ethereal, Carti, and Slug, it felt an introduction to a cast of characters, that I couldn't fathom were real. It was all super cool, but very confusing, it was trap, but it wasn't mainstream. The flows and production, the vocals, it was like how does one do this? What was his listening to, and how did he find so many people that like the same thing? How did all this happen...how did the look and music that become synonymous with Awful come to fruition? It’s hard to say truly but I’ll try my best to synopsize what I think it was. We all enjoyed different types of music alternative to Atlanta rap, but were all still joined by a common thread and that thread was our love for our city’s music. While our influences and origin stories may have all varied we were very much Atlanta. When I was younger I mainly listened to electronica, house and techno. Likely from playing a bunch of Rockstar’s Midnight Club. When I got into rap and started to develop a style of my own I started initially by mimicking artist like Nas and members of WuTang. Once Awful started forming that hodgepodge of influences naturally became more southern. I think many members of the crew have similar stories and that similarity linked us. Ethereal was one of the first people I took a liking too. Honestly, being from the suburbs of Connecticut, we don't see too many Ethereal's, let alone hear them. For me, he's not just a beatmaker; he created a sound. He's a composer, an artist, and curator, how did you meet, if I walked into a studio session, what would the room look like, I feel like y'all are a whole other level. We met through Keith Charles, they’d been making music together for some time already. At the time I was just sort of a support guy, making visual art, branding and etc. Really since that initial meeting and now ain’t much changed in terms of how a session would look, a bunch of us cramped in a low lit smoked out room. None of us really liked being in professional studios and still don’t, so you’ll find us in the back room of one of our houses that’s been fashioned into a studio. Everyone having different conversations loud as hell, it can start to sound like a psych ward.

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

Man, I have to ask about the Carti situation because from my viewpoint, everything is fine then one day he's no longer in Atlanta; he's in New York with Asap Rocky, and I'm beyond lost. What you all had with him is forever; those records, Beef, YungXanhoe, Come Here, Broke Boi, Faster, 4 The People, are classics for the "SoundCloud, underground" era. Life just lifes honestly, A$AP provided something at the time that we couldn’t so naturally he went that way when they reached out. Things change, people move on, nothings permanent. There was the odd press release or two trying to omit us from the story, but I don’t put that on him. People bring up Carti often but fail to realize that there’s many members of Awful that I haven’t seen in years. It’s no hard feelings, we’re adults and got our own shit to deal with. Speaking of that, I've always wanted to ask, do you ever stop and realize you created something that will stand the test of time? Awful's sound opened the door, for what I'd call "weird Atlanta" or merely, "Avant-Garde Atlanta? True but there’s others that did it before us in Atlanta too, we were just the first of the major streaming age and reached a higher level of popularity on the different digital service platforms. I could say Outkast and Goodie Mob opened that door, or a Kilo Ali. We really just bumrushed it. Something that stood out about Awful was along with rappers you 66

showcased your other talent, Alex Russell & Zach Fox. How did you come in contact with Alex, I remember him from his writings, and is Zach Fox ever dead serious? Zack is deadass. People find it difficult to take a lot of us serious because of the humor but don’t let that fool you. We just all use humor to talk about real shit. As for Alex, we met at a restaurant in NYC, he was doing an article on us for Complex I believe. That turned into him letting us crash at his loft for like two weeks during a snow storm. We got him turnt on the lifestyle and philosophies, we were heavy on our ego death, hedonistic shit back then. Next thing you know he said fuck all that regular shit and became clique. As a de-facto leader of a crew, do you ever have alone time. I'd find it challenging to balance mental peace, mainly when y'all lived together. When the Boiler Room doc was recorded, what was happening, w what was the group's energy like, and how is it today? I didn’t balance mental peace back then, I was constantly irate and the energy was real off at that particular time. Mind you, it was lit and I wouldn’t take shit back. We were all over the place at that time, trying to organize but heavily unorganized and dysfunctional. Today, were all a bit more in our right minds, calmer, less in the mix, a bit separated. We’re like your uncle from the 70s that dropped way too much acid and is kinda permatripping but still got his shit together.

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

Favorite food to eat while on tour, and when you're in New York, what is your bodega order? Sunflower seeds and Taco Bell. As for bodega orders, I usually ask if they got a beef patty but lately I been turnt on them chopped cheeses. Collaboration with Huff, could you speak on how this came about? They’ve always shown love, since the beginning. Geared me out on some of my first trips to LA before most people even knew who the fuck I was. And please, in regard to new music, what do the fans need to know, and who are a couple of artists you'd like to collaborate with? It’s nothing like the old shit, I haven’t changed as a person but sonically I’m not the drugged out, deadpan guy I used to be so I hope they can accept that. As for collaborations, it’s few and far between now, but if I could I’d put Drake and Drakeo the Ruler on the same song. When I was working on Young Hot Ebony I was only listening to Nothing Was the Same and PJ Harvey. And Drakeo the Ruler is one of the few artist I’ve heard in the last few years that once I heard them I had to listen to their entire discography. FREE THE RULER.

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

Preme Magazine Issue 14: DaniLeigh, Luke James, Father and Jackson

Articles inside

DaniLeigh

Luke James

Father