Warner Bros. Records’ LG Malique shares his journey to landing a major label deal, the challenges he has faced along the way, Pandoraís Next Artist Accelerator program, and his vision for what lies ahead.
First of all, congratulations on signing with Warner Records. How has this milestone impacted your career and creative process?
I appreciate that. It’s allowed me to actually focus on being an artist. I’m actually trying to unlearn trying to do everything by myself because I was so used to doing everything on my own. Now that I have a good team, it’s kind of hard making that adjustment, but I feel like I’m getting better at it. Yeah, the situation has allowed me to just be an artist and trust everybody on the team is going to do their part.
Living Gold has been described as soulful and introspective. Can you tell us what inspired this EP and what message you hope fans take away from it?
What inspired this EP was the support of the fans because, at the top of the year, I was going through it, and I had nobody but them. And these were the songs that kept me afloat during the times when I couldn’t drop music. The people were keeping my name alive.
So that’s why I made the EP just for them. It was definitely catered to them, but it’s just about super motivational and inspiring to the point where I want people to understand that regardless of the situation they’re in, they can make it out of it because I did.
I read that you were on the verge of being evicted when everything blew up for you. How did that feel in that moment when the tables turned?
It felt amazing. I wouldn’t say it was a dramatic switch because I had to just learn other things as well before I dropped this song. But that turn just showed me if you keep going, you’ll be right there at the times you’d want to give up. You know what I’m saying? It’d literally be right there because there were times when I felt like, man, I need to step back from music and focus to make sure we’re straight. But thankfully, I got somebody who believed in me and didn’t allow me to step away from the music.
That’s awesome, man. “7 Years” with Lukas Graham has gone viral. How did this collaboration come about and what was it like working with a Grammy-nominated artist?
I mean, it’s surreal. I don’t feel real still. It’s just amazing because somebody had given me the idea to do the song, and I did it on live, and it has been crazy on live. So, the first day I saw it was viral. My mind was blown, and the collab came about. I just wanted to get the song cleared, you know, to drop. That was the idea. Lukas did that on his own. He wanted to jump on it and give me a chance. And I’m forever grateful for that.
Your performance of “7 Years“ on “From the Block“ was powerful, especially with your younger brother alongside you. What was the significance of having him there?
I see myself in him. He looked exactly like me when I was a kid. So, I definitely see myself in him. And it’s just crazy, the different types of lives we have lived when I was around that age. I’m just putting my family on. I’m just empowering the people around me, getting them out there more.
You have been named Pandora’s Next Accelerator artist. How do you feel about being part of the program? And what can fans expect from the promotion on Pandora and Sirius XM?
Man, I’m honored. I ain’t gonna lie. It’s really crazy because everybody has sent me pictures of the radio playing and me on it. They keep telling me I’m on this, I’m on that. They’ve heard me on this other platform. And it’s mind-blowing. I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude. And they could expect me to drop a deluxe around the end of January. Hopefully, I get this feature locked in with somebody.
Your music has been described as mixed as a mix of melodic street-inspired sounds with raw and unfiltered lyrics. How do you define your style and what influences have shaped it?
I define it as melodic rap. I ain’t too far on the melodic side because I have a lot of substance, and I like to talk about real things. I have found that bridge between them to where I could be melodic and still talk about something that’s real. I would describe my music as super motivational, uplifting, definitely impactful, and powerful because all my music is definitely about my experiences. I don’t really rap about something I ain’t been through or seen. So, I feel like the person who shaped that was Lil Wayne because I grew up listening to him my whole life. It’s the way he paints the images of people here with his music. I have always like that.
The fans have connected deeply with the personal themes of your music. How does it feel to see such an emotional response to your work?
It showed me that I’m more impactful than I thought I was. To see everybody from every demographic fuck with the song showed me, man, it’s bigger than what I think it is. And it’s just crazy. I mean, people can relate when all I was doing was venting when I was writing that song. I don’t think about whether somebody is going to like it or not when I create music. So, seeing everybody relate to it was crazy when it was literally just for me.
On that topic, each track on ìLiving Goldî offers a glimpse into your journey. Can you share a moment from your life that you feel is most reflected in the music?
I would say my childhood. I feel like my childhood shaped how I carry myself. My family wasn’t exactly close-knit, and we were not affectionate at all. It was tough love my whole life growing up… My relationship with my mom wasn’t always top-tier. I always felt like I was the one picked on in my family, being told that I wasn’t going to make it to 18 and shit like that at the age of 12. I feel like that was what I put in my music just to prove them wrong. You know what I’m saying? But I don’t hold any grudges, though. It made me who I am today. And I feel like that’s what’s still driving me.
How have they responded to your success now?
They love it. They tell me all the time they are proud of me, and that’s all I wanted to hear growing up. I think we all as kids do this when you’re like parents and grandparents proud of you. My grandma first told me she was proud of me probably like two years ago.
What is next for you? And can we expect more collaborations, tours, and projects in the near future?
I’m definitely looking to get on a tour. I don’t know with who yet, but I definitely want to do something big. And as far as collaborations, I really want to work with everybody and explore different sounds and shit, but I can’t really put a name to it. Maybe something with Finesse Two Tymes, and Kodak Black reached out. I’ll probably get a Kodak feature. Gunna also reached out. There are a couple more, but those are the ones that are at the top of my mind right now.
Be’n Original
