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R&B SENSATION CHRIS NOTEZ

Published: Wednesday – October 7, 2009

GW: How you doin’ Chris?
Chris:
Ahhh, how you doin’ brotha!? GUTTA WORLD GUTTA WORLD! (laughs) And a shoot out to After Platinum Records, After Platinum baby!

GW: You have a debut album comin’ up, do you have a title picked out?
Chris:
Ya know, I was kinda thinking “Notez For The Soul” man. Notez-For-The-Soul, ya know what I mean, because that’s exactly what it’s for. It’s not in concrete yet. With titles it’s all about how it feels when the album is complete.

GW: How’d you start out in tha game? I heard rumors that Bizzy Bone found you, what’s the truth on this?
Chris:
Man, well the truth is we use to hold a whole lot of shows out here in Phoenix, Arizona; that’s where I’m from. We held a whole bunch of talent competition’s on Wednesday nights and stuff, and my guy Ernie [CEO of After Platinum] was up in there one night, and I was performin’, and he got at me and told me the jest of the situation. To make a long story short, we hooked up I did some records for him and stuff. They called me up, ya know what I’m sayin’, keep contactin’ me and we just made a nice relationship out of the situation. He had already had Bizzy Bone, so Bizzy Bone was already in the equation. I jumped on the song with him [Bizzy Bone] and everything just took off from there, and we’ve just been doin’ it since then.

GW: What was it like working with Bizzy Bone for the first time? Were you a fan of Bizzy’s before you met him?
Chris: Ah man of course…who ain’t a fan of Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony! I wasn’t like the craziest fanatic that knew all the lyrics and all that stuff, I knew the main singles and stuff. I knew who Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony were and I loved em’. I never thought I’d work with em’, I’ll tell you that! Bizzy’s my dude, nothing but words of love to say to him.

GW: You are both with the same label, After Platinum Records right?
Chris:
Yeah, After Platinum Records! After Platinum baby! Also new to the label is my guy Cory Gunz, God bless you baby! He’s so hard it don’t make no sense.

GW: I heard you had some obstacles with some family issues and stuff growing up, does that reflect in your music? What was the big change that made you say this is going to happen, I’m going to make my dream a reality.
Chris: Just watchin’ my momma everyday, truthfully man. Watchin’ my momma sittin’ up in a little kitchen cookin’ her food, so good as it is. My motivation is my family man, my family. My motivation is always my family. No more no less, you understand me, I want to make money doin’ my thing, and I do my best and take care of my family. That’s the driving force in this mutha fuckin engine. (laughs)

 

“Music is a part of me,

I’d me miserable without it.”

 

GW: Do you feel lucky that you got this opportunity? There’s a lot of talent out there, and people are trying to get their foot in the door, and that’s what GUTTA WORLD is all about. We’re trying to help the independent industry get out there. Even people that are acknowledged already by the industry, like yourself working with celebrities and comin’ up and becoming a get celebrity yourself, that’s what we’re trying to do is get people’s foot in the door. What would you suggest to a new artist to get their foot in the door?
Chris: I mean really you can be a talented artist, I mean I always thought that with me being talented, with my talent I would be in there [the industry] far far far, but ya know as far as I’ve gotten it’s all about who you know too. But the best advice I can say to a new artist comin’ up, because I’m still a new artist myself, I consider myself a new artist. But the best thing that I’m doing is just keep the music comin’. If you keep the music comin’ and make sure the music is A+, man let the critics say what they want and let everyone else say what they want. Let that beat bang, and its gonna bang and that’s what I say to new artist’s. Keep that music comin’. Worry about the music side, the stuff that your suppose to worry about, ya know that music side. Ya know keep your business right, that’s what you have a good team for, get a good team behind you, a manager, a couple people ya know what I mean, friends, family whatever, your most trusted loved ones.

GW: How was your family, were they supportive about what you wanted to do, or were they like get a job!?
Chris:
I definitely know that my family has the heart to do that, but like I said we; there wasn’t a whole lot of money coming in my family like that. I wasn’t really expectin’ nobody to nottin’ like that, as long a the love what I was doin’. I was like I’ll go out there and get it myself and bring it to my family. Ya know, I’ll go get my own microphone, I’ll go get my own studio. Ya know I don’t got it yet but that’s where I’m still goin’. That’s my attitude on the matter. I know my family approves about what I’m doin’, they love me, I love them and that’s what it is.

GW: When a lot of people start getting successful they let it go to their head, it sounds like you still chill and down to earth.
Chris:
Oh yeah, you gotta stay down to earth. You gotta keep God in your life, ya know what I’m sayin because if you don’t got that…Man if I didn’t have God in my life they would’ve already drove me crazy. (laughs) Truth, truth.

GW: Did you ever get to a point time where you were like, I know I’m talented but people just aren’t listening to me, I’m just going to have to go get a job and live a normal life, and put my music on the back burner.
Chris: I think everybody goes through those thoughts, but that’s not even reality in my head. If I ever said that out of my mouth, it would be out of some sort of frustration. But realistically this music is a part me, I would actually be miserable without it. Ya know what I mean, with a dollar in my pocket or not, shit before I had a dollar in my pocket anyway. That’s what’s gotten me this far anyway is the love for the music, it wasn’t even about no money or nothing. I never had no million dollars or crazy fancy stuff man. It’s all about the music, that’s all I’m concentrating on.

GW: Do you write your own material, your own lyrics?
Chris:
You better believe it, you better believe it. (laughs)

GW: What about the music?
Chris: I also work other people. There’s a lot of other people. The talented writers I work with, there’s Ernie we collaborate on a lot of stuff. A couple of other writers around town. I never turn down hot music, I’m not one of those artist’s that’s like I don’t want that, I want to write it all. Heck no! I’ll take a little piece of what you got, go ahead and take your 25%. (laughs) It’s gotta be hot though! If you want that 25% you better have some hot lines!

GW: So, basically the turning point in your career was meeting Ernie from After Platinum.
Chris:
That’s my buddy, that’s my dude. I’ll take care of him forever.

GW: It wasn’t like a one night thing where you wrote this song and went to that open mic night, and then oh my god someone signed me!? Oh and look I’m on a track with Bizzy Bone next week.
Chris:
Oh no it wasn’t that quick realistically. I know it might sound like it was but it wasn’t. It was pretty quick though. it’s the best thing that’s happened to me in my life so I’m grateful for it. I ain’t got no complaints about it.

GW: You worked with DMX on “Song For You”, on Bizzy’s album, how was it working with him?
Chris:
I wasn’t in the studio when X was there ya know, but yeah I was at the video shot when he was there. I had met with him for the first time there, he’s a cool cat. Nice, humble, down-to-earth guy, and very talented himself. I have only met him that one time and it was cool for me, what can I say, its something I had never done before. I was just very grateful for the situation.

GW: If you could choose anyone in the music industry to work with, who would it be?
Chris:
Beyonce! Duet! I haven’t actually reached out or nuthin’ yet. I would actually just like to dream storm with her and be in the studio, she is just too talented, ya know. She’s like salt and I’m pepper. (laughs) Beyonce dope, I’d like to work with Neyo, I’d like to work with the whole R&B world truthfully. I just want to bring R&B back, that spark, ya know what I mean. They all be doin’ their thing, Lloyd, Usher; man I got love for all of em’. I’m telling you they created me. I use to sit in my room and listen to every single one of them.

 
“I wanted to have swag like Jodec,

but I wanted to write like Boy’s II Men..”

 

GW: If you could choose one band or artist that influenced your music, who would it be right now?
Chris:
Boys II Men.

GW: Boys II Men, why Boys II Men?
Chris:
Yep, it’s simple. It was everybody’s group at that time. It was my group. I wanted to have swag like Jodec, but I wanted to write like Boys II Men. (laughs)

GW: Ok, now if you could work with any artist that has passed away, who would it be?
Chris:
James Brown…and Luther. We’d all be on a track.

GW: Luther had it goin’ on with the ladies, how’s your feed back with the ladies?
Chris:
They rough!

GW: Do you have a girl in your life right now?
Chris:
No, I don’t have no one right now. I’m single as a jay bird man.

GW: So you get a lot of girls that wanna hook up with you, because your comin’ up and all?
Chris:
If that’s their motivation they’ve never revealed it. It’s not like they’re like I wanna get with you because this or that, but you know I do get a little attention. But I can’t say its because of this or that, but I can’t say it isn’t either. (laughs)

GW: What’s the craziest fan you’ve ever had?
Chris:
I had a fan buy one of my one of my CD’s I had floatin’ around town for $40, and it was my performance CD. I don’t know if that’s crazy.

GW: That’s crazy, but I kinda wanted to hear a little more crazy, like someone bustin’ in your windows or something. (laughs)
Chris:
(laughs) They ain’t bustin’ in my window, I haven’t experienced that one yet.

GW: Oh you know it’s comin’ right! (laughs) You better be prepared for that.
Chris:
I ain’t scared, ladies I ain’t scared. Tell the ladies that Chris Notez said, none of the ladies are safe right now! Mothers and daughters, as along as the daughters are over 21, at least. And you look good.

GW: Are live performances something that you like to do, or do you prefer working in the studio?
Chris:
Man you know what, I think I like that live performance better. I love them both pretty equally, but I’m just about the live performance man. The feedback you just don’t get in the studio. In the studio you can take your time and it’s a different experience and a didn’t feeling. The live, its just feeling that energy and that crowd man, they given it to you, you given it to them. Your feelin’, their feelin’ it, it’s a wrap. Its just indescribable.

GW: A lot of major artist’s do this. Do you lip sync throughout your concerts or are you singing everything pure live?
Chris:
Ya know, if I don’t have no live band, I might be singing to the track or something, and it has the background vocals on the track but I sing my stuff. I got a old school soul, I gotta sing my verses do my adlibs, I can’t have that on the track. I never looked right to be on TV any way when others did it.

GW: Where do you get your inspiration? Some people get their inspiration when their on tour, or writing songs. Do a lot of your lyrics just freestyle out and your just like right here I gotta song, I have to go write this down and finish it, or do you just come up with an idea for a song write it down and then come back to it later?
Chris:
To tell you the truth, I’ve done all of the above. I’ve done all of the above of what you just said right there. Sometimes I get an idea and if I have a pen I’ll write it down, sometimes I try to remember it, but sometimes I forget it. Sometimes I sit in the studio and just try and brainstorm and come up with something, ya know what I mean without a track. Sometimes I sit down to some tracks, and ideas come all day. So pretty much I’ve done all of the above man. I guess I can say I go with the flow, of what the situation is or however I’m feeling. I take inspiration from life, I take inspiration from everybody. Everybody’s situations, I haven’t been through everything, everyone’s been through, but someone has been through it. Ya know what I mean, I take inspiration from a lot of different people as well as my own. If you do that you never run out of stuff to write about.

 

“Just keep the music poppin’, if you keep

writing 100 hits, they can’t say anything!”

 

GW: Are you doing any live performances now or are you just working on studio stuff?
Chris:
I’ve actually been in the studio a lot. I do shows around Phoenix and stuff but I haven’t done to many lately. I’ve been working on a little stuff in the studio trying to get some deals poppin’. I’m still doin some shows here and there. As far as everything else I’m just confusing on getting this release out, and making my introduction to rest of the world.

GW: What kind of artist’s do you listen to when your just chillin’?
Chris:
Man you know what, truthfully I listen to my own stuff a lot. I don’t know if a critiquing thing or if I’m just amazed at my own stuff or just hear how I sound back or whatever, but I listen to a lot of my own stuff. All of the R&B cats are my favorites, I take a little bit from them all, from Dru Hill to Lloyd to Booby Z down the line, I listen to all of them I take inspiration from all of them at the times that I’m listening to them. But if I’m chillin’ in the car I just like to pop my own stuff in there real quick. I do like to listen to them to make sure I’m in line with them at least, or at least on a similar page of where the music is goin, but definitely add my own flavor to it though.

GW: I’m going to go on a touchy subject, but it is noted publicly that there was an alleged murder of your father. I’m sure fans want to know, what’s the deal with that?
Chris:
God Bless my father. When I was fourteen I was told my father got hit by a car and that’s how he was killed or whatever. But years later I kinda got some word from the grapevine from his hometown, a couple people were hanging around talking about it kinda speaking up on my pops, a couple mutual friends and family and things and they were like he was murdered. I was like he got murdered!? And they were like, blah blah and they ran down the whole story. And yeah I had found out later that he had got murdered years later.

GW: Some artist’s claim a certain part of the county as “their” place, is that how you look at Phoenix?
Chris:
This is my state, Arizona, its my state AZ! Definitely representing the Zona, ya know what I mean. Born and raised, I definitely have to represent where I’m from. There’s a whole lot of talent out here that has gone undiscovered, and if can shed some more light to this city, man I’m going to sure do it.

GW: What are we going to see from Chris Notez in the future? Are you interested in being in the lime light or are you more interested in just making good music and just see what comes from there?
Chris:
I definitely just want to concentrate on doing good music, and I want that to take me to where ever it takes me. If it takes me into the lime light, I ain’t trippin’ on the lime light like that, but if it takes me there I’m not going to be like I don’t want to go! (laughs) I’m just going to take it has far as it’s going to take me, and whenever it drops me, is when I’m going to drop.

GW: When’s that debut album coming, do you have a release date?
Chris:
As far as the album goes we’re talking a couple more months, but closer to the end of the year. Who’s know, its could be tomorrow! But I’m just going to leave it up to the powers that be and just leave it at that.

GW: Anyone that heard you on a “Song For You“, knows that your talented and can’t wait to hear that album, because we know its going to be hot! If you could make a checklist one through five of the most important things to do to make it in the music industry, for all the artist’s trying to make it, what would it be?
Chris:
Just keep that music poppin’, if you keep writing 100 hits, they can’t say nothing man. And then get out there and let em’ know it! And that’s on your team, you gotta have a good team. You have to have people pushin’ you through stuff. Because you can’t be everywhere at the same time, God bless the internet, you have to have your people out there, face to face networking with Dj’s, get out there getting the relationships poppin’. And keep the music poppin’! I’m going to say it again KEEP THE MUSIC POPPIN’! You stop writing those hits and start writing that wack stuff, their not going to be into you no more.

GW: Are you available for other artist’s tracks?
Chris:
Absolutely I’m available for other artist’s tracks, just get at the After Platinum family, and someone will get back with you for sure, and we’ll make it happen.

GW: Are you going on tour with your album?
Chris:
I definitely want to go on tour with the album, and I’m pretty sure we will be setting up something like that. I gotta get out there, my face is to pretty to just be sittin’ around that house. (laughs)

http://www.afterplatinum.com
www.myspace.com/chrisnotez
www.myspace.com/afterplatinum

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