Interview - Noble Barz

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Hey there!  Thanks so much for talking with us.  So, you recently underwent a little name change.  You were previously known as Barz Noble, but now you go by Noble Barz.  Can you tell us about that?

Thanks for having me I appreciate it. The name change came about as a result of me getting legal representation concerning all future business matters that involve my brand. Upon advisement of my lawyer to avoid any potential legal ramifications due to name similarity with an already established US business chain we wanted to have some things set in place so resulting in the name change to Noble Barz which is still cool to me.

You last track Fantasy (2019) is wild.  You seem to utilize sonic elements that are not run of the mill hip hop sounds.  Organic instrumental elements. The piano is super melodic, the drums are so cool and different.  It all comes together to sound very hip-hop but very unique.  Where do these influences come from?

You definitely got it the sonic elements in Fantasy as it is not from the usual run of the mill hip-hop sounds as it was produced by musicians Hashaun Adderley & Darien Francis. I first heard the original track after completing a recording session with Hashaun we both had some time to spare he played a few new tracks for me and when I heard that one in particular the creative lights came on and that single “Fantasy” was birthed.  

In hip hop, who are your heroes and why?

My hip-hop heroes are the poets and lyricists alike past and present who skillfully tell their stories or do it through another person’s eyes that someone can connect to or identify with in the art of rhyme in song translated to life without compromising their style or lane.  

You are from the Bahamas. Are you currently based there?  What kind of impact has that had on your music?

Yes, I am from the Bahamas and I am currently based there. I am an island boy and will always be an island boy at heart growing up being taught to have a reverential fear and respect for God, to have respect for my elders and to those who sacrificed before me so that I can have and be who I am today. Additionally, you know that African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” I still believe in that today and those values I embed lyrically in my approach through songs.  

How do you describe your music to people that have never heard you?

I sum it up in a phrase from my bio that persons can see on my website “insightful poetics through spoken word and rhyme over composed beats is what one can be described or coined in a nutshell whenever you get to hear from a Noble Barz sound.

How has the pandemic influenced your music?  Have you written more?  Do you miss performing live?  

Yes the pandemic has influence my music to the extent that it has afforded me the time to write more as you know very well schedules in every aspect of our daily lives have been affected in some capacity big or small. I do miss performing live but I am using this quarantine during this Covid -19 pandemic to create more content to would be in align the name change to Noble Barz but I will still proudly acknowledge that body of work that I had accomplished under former moniker Barz Noble which some will still know me by. 

Is there a message to your music?  Why do you make it?  What are you trying to say with it?

Yes, there is a message to my music a message of hope and a consistent spirituality relatable even if  the listener don’t necessarily have to share the same beliefs. I make it because I enjoy doing it the music is an avenue of release for me that hopefully connect with others on whatever level they maybe at. 

A lot of musicians are forgoing releasing full albums in favor of releasing an endless stream of singles.  But I’m listening to your last album Soul Chapters of a Poetic and I’m really grooving on the journey I’m taking from track to track.  Which do you prefer and why?

Thank you Sir I appreciate the feedback & listen to the last album but before answering your question Soul Chapters Of a Poetic album was mainly produced by the co-producer of “Fantasy” Hashaun Adderley we also brought in at the time when we were creating that project fellow producers Zoltan Johnson & Todd Marshall did co-production & engineering on tracks for that body of work. I also have to shout to fellow vocalist & artist Natino, Ebony Muzik, Sketch, Philocypha, the artist MCK & on the trumpet-sax Ronald Campbell. To answer your question I do prefer making full albums solo-wise that reflect a cohesive body of work that’s my personal preference but I do see myself releasing singles as some songs may not necessarily be a fit for a full project & I am open to doing EP’s  as a number of artist are going that route project-wise whatever works for the times.  

You get to sit down for a meal with any famous person, living or dead; Who would it be and what would you ask them?

I really can’t say one famous person in particular for me it would be cross-sectional of persons having a group like setting on a retreat have a huge roundtable from various disciplines, ethnicities & different eras in history. I would ask them so many LIFE questions but to channel it in particular they would be within the lines from their own experiences and respective impact that was made as a result of their actions & commitment that the world has come to benefit from while they are living or if they had departed and now persons & generations alike finally got what they had envisioned when what they had envisioned was not the acceptable or popular thing at the time.

What’s next for you?  When can we hear new music?

The next full-length project is titled “T.S.I.R.” it’s a play off from the word ‘teaser’ you will get the further meaning when the project comes out before year end as the title track will go by the same acronym. For your information the “Fantasy” single is off from that upcoming project with some visuals music video-wise for the track “Fantasy” coming soon. Fans or those just curious alike can look out for updates on the upcoming project at the Noble Barz website & my available social media platforms.

Thank you so much!

Stream FANTASY by Noble Barz (Barz Noble)

Stream SOUL CHAPTERS OF A POETIC by Noble Barz (Barz Noble)