Get to know upcoming artist: Arnae24k

Tell us about yourself: What’s your name, where are you from, and how did you get into music?

How you doing man my name is Arnae. I was born in the DMV area, grew up in dc and moved out to Maryland at around 12 or 13. I got into music when I was playing tennins at the Tennis Center At Collage Park right near UMUC, and a buddy of mine heard a poem I wrote for an event that the tennis Center held. He came up to me after I recited my poem and asked if I wrote song lyrics, he told me that he was a singer, and was looking for a songwriter to collaborate with. We worked together on our first jam way back like 2015-2016 and I enjoyed the process of making a record so much, that the rest was kind of history from there, I fell in love with music.  

What genre of music do you primarily identify with, and are there any specific artists or bands that have influenced your style?

I primarily identify with pop and  R&B, and some afro beat, but I like to cross genre’s. I love all kinds of music. I can go from lightnin Hopkins blues, to Miles Davis jazz, to Nirvana Rock n Roll, to some mellow Bob Marley and a blunt, to some Mozart and a glass of wine, it don’t matter to me. I just love music , so sometimes I really just let myself toy with all kinds of different styles and energies. And I’m influenced by every single style of music I listen to so the names of the artists I’m influenced by are endless . You got your heavyweights and your big names of course, Drake, Kendrick, Cole, Kanye, Jay Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande , Justin Bieber, I could go on and on, I love those artists and their art influences me on a daily basis. 

Could you describe your songwriting process? Where do you draw inspiration for your lyrics and melodies?

I draw from everyday life, my thoughts my feelings my emotions. My reactions to the world around me. I focus on the feeling and the energy that comes with it. From there I kind of let the energy transform into words. Whether I’m writing a song about the pain of heartbreak or the happiness that love brings I let whatever I’m feeling at the time, whatever is on my mind and my heart, I let that take control and communicate it thru a song, through the lyrics. Writing started out as a way for me to let out my pent up emotions, I didn’t have a lot of people I felt like I could open up to about certain things so I would just write it down as poems. I know who the poem was about, and what I felt when I wrote it. Almost like my own little diary, I’d write things down that I wanted to get out

Do you play any musical instruments, and if so, which ones do you feel most connected to in your creative process?

When I was a kid my parents had me at a private musical school playing the piano. I had to be about 7 or 8 years old, I was good at it too man. I don’t know how to play that much right now but I definitely want to get back into it. If I had to say I was connected to any instrument, it would definitely be a piano or keyboard . But I loved classical music as a kid. I was listening to Beethoven and Tchaikovsky young young, it’s what my mom used to listen to. I got a whole lot of musical inspiration from her. Classical, rock ‘n’ roll, reggae, my mom used to listen to it all, even country. And I’d be right there listening too. 

What are some of the themes or messages you aim to convey through your music?

That depends on where I’m at at the time, that depends on my mood. That depends on a lot of things, you’ll never find me in the same place twice. I’m like water, I flow. I can be here today and there tomorrow. But I always look to convey what I’m going through or what I’ve gone through, I like to tell whoever’s listening exactly whats up with me. Tell em a story and make it sound good. Keep it interesting, give a show. This is my diary we’re talking about so I always look to open my world up and make them feel that.

Can you share a memorable moment or story from your musical journey so far?

It isn’t really one memorable moment. It was more like months on top of years full of memorable moments. I’ve made family in this music game, I’ve lost family too. I remember it being 3 AM at the studio feeling like we was making magic so many times. Feeling like we was on top of the world, even if the world outside of that studio was crumbling around us. It didn’t matter, we was home. We was in the booth. Everything was gonna be alright. We was gonna make that hit that would change our lives forever you know what I’m saying? So it wasn’t one memorable moment. This whole journey has been memorable for me, and I’m gonna take these memories with me to the grave smiling ear to ear . It’s been a wild ride, but we got a long ways still to go.

Tell us about your latest project or single. What’s the story behind it, and what can listeners expect from it?

My latest single, “Told You That I Want You” released August 18, 2023, is actually about someone. It’s about a girl from my childhood, she played tennis with me at the tennis center back when we was both younger. We had sparked up a relationship a few years ago you know, I thought she was gorgeous, I was head over heels for her, writing poems, songs about her and all. I had came to DC and took her on a date, and in the ride I let her DJ the music. She put me on to some afrobeat type music. Some Burna Boy, some Rotimi, some B Young. I wrote that song for her inspired by Afrobeat style Music. We’ve since gone our separate ways but I’ve been hoping she’d give me another chance, we’ll see. She knows who she is.

Do you have any upcoming performances, releases, or collaborations that you’re excited about?

I have so much unreleased music, I have so much written music. So many different styles, so many different sounds. I’m just excited to drop, that’s all I wanna do. Drop, drop, drop. I got a whole EP I’m working on right now, focusing on releasing that next year, I’ve been networking with all kinds of artists looking to collaborate and make magic. I’m really just excited to drop and record and repeat. New music videos coming, whole tape coming. 2024 is going to be big for me I can feel it.

How do you envision your music evolving in the future? Are there any specific goals or milestones you hope to achieve as an artist?

Right now, I wanna make sure all my business is solidified. I wanna make sure that I’m strong on the business side of my music, because the records are there. The vibes are there. I just gotta make sure I don’t get lost in it all you know what I mean? Once the business is good then I can think about the fun and the parties, and the cars and the clothes and the this and that, but right now, my focus is solidifying my business. Because my music is very much so a business, I’m treating myself, “Arnae,” like a business. And I just want to make sure that I’m correct. Other than that I’m definitely focused on this tape I’m working on. Looking forward to getting deep into that.

Lastly, is there a message or piece of advice you’d like to share with your listeners or aspiring musicians who might be inspired by your work? 

Some advice I can give is to learn yourself and be yourself. When you make music, don’t shy from or be afraid of yourself. Music is strongest when you use it as a form of self expression, people can feel that. Next time you want to make a record look inwardly, and see what comes out.