Today we’d like to introduce you to N8 Carter.
N8, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
The history of me as an artist comes from being in the industry at an early age. I was an actor, I was a dancer, I was a performer. I was one of the best. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. But the business taught me early that it was cutthroat. You got to have tough skin or it will eat you up and spit you out. As a child in the business, you’re asked to be something that most “kids” would never have to be. And I was never the star so I could only imagine what it took for some of the other kids I was around. I was just as normal as anybody who just had raw talent. I’d go work a film, commercial, concert, etc. and I’d come back to regular life and school and everybody would think I’m this rich kid with everything handed to me. And I was just like nah man y’all don’t even know how many hours of hard work it took to get here. But people will never understand that.
The overwhelming feeling of trying to feed my family and still be a kid took its toll. I just didn’t fit in anywhere isolated, to black for the whites, to white for the blacks. I was always the only black kid a lot of times because let’s be honest; it’s not a lot of black parents even putting their kids in stuff like that. When I was young and had the people around that really knew who I was, it kept my head on. But once I got deep into the entertainment industry, I lost touch with everyone that knew me and it took its toll. I just wanted to be a regular kid at that point. I was depressed, lonely, confused. People never knew my mom got fired from her job and it was just up to me to provide.
At 12 years old my family don’t eat because I don’t get this gig? It’s tough. I hit rock bottom. I just didn’t want it anymore. I stepped away from everything freshman year of high school, it felt good to be a kid again. But I’m an entertainer before I’m anything else it didn’t take long to need that high of performing, doing what I loved doing. So late sophomore year of high school I decided to want to do it all on my own. N8 Carter was the name my mom came up with actually. She said “Nocho”, N and then the “ocho” was the 8. We laughed but that didn’t fly. I ran with N8. I got a few of my childhood buddies and we just started doing music together.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I make music, hip hop/pop music. Inspired mostly from artists like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Jay Z. I really create with concepts mainly for people to live their own truths. I create for people to feel good. I create and write music with the idea of creating a masterpiece every time. Every song has to have a vibe. Every song has to put you in a setting and make you feel like you are somewhere. What I hope people really take away from my music is passion to do things, not for likes and views, but to inspire themselves. And most of all BEING CREATIVE.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
I think conditions for artists will get better. There’s so many ways to connect with people and other artists it will only get better. I will say it is really tough for passionate artists that are really doing it for the love, and not the fortune or fame. It’s tough to say if life truly has become easier or harder though. But you can say life as an artist is easier because we have so many ways to connect but it’s also much harder because the market is so saturated. It’s so competitive and then you also deal with so many copy cats. As an “LA” artist so many people want to be like each other. I can point out so many artists who literally sound like one another and I don’t like that. I think as a city and culture what just have to get more creative and dig deeper within ourselves and not chase the quick dollar. That’s what most people are doing.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can support my work through Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube and SoundCloud. By sharing, posting, and getting involved with my art, I love putting people in my videos. I love input and other concepts I just love hearing what others have to say.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gawdly-ep/1454936077
- Email: n8carterbusiness@gmail.com
- Instagram: @lilgawd
- Facebook: Facebook.com/therealn8carter
- Twitter: @lilgawdd
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealN8Carter
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Image Credit:
Blaine Alexander
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