Diandra Interviews UFO Fev: Keeping The Faith

UFO Fev keeps it real. He is sincere, kind, and tremendously grounded, which is why his journey into an industry of images has been rough. Yet, he loves music enough to bear with its industry. Why? Because, for him, rappers are preachers and reporters; men that can can show those in need a path to God or tell them the hell they are seeing is not just in their head; it is real and newsworthy. Thus, in our interview, we discuss everything from grandmas to graciousness in the face of of world that does not appreciate either enough. 

Diandra: How do you feel in these times ? 

UFO Fev: I haven’t really been inspired, honestly. I haven’t really written any new music. I draw inspiration from living life, but things are picking up. Luckily, I have enough music recorded to hold it down. I have two daughters; so I am homeschooling one of them and she is in kindergarten. So I’m really just trying to stay healthy. 
UFO Fev – Nightclubs Ft. Spice (Prod. StreetRunner) [Official Video]

Diandra: Your eyes twinkle when you say home-school like you are reliving the past few months? 

UFO Fev: (he laughs) It took a little while to get acclimated with the family, you know, because everyone is used to their own schedules and spaces, but now we are all here. I used to be about home-schooling and thought about it, but this experience has shown me she needs to go back to school.(he laughs) 

I realized that basic knowledge kids receive from interacting with each other. They all learn from each other and together, whereas an adult, trying to teach basic knowledge to a kid can be excruciating. Teaching is a hard job. I appreciate teachers a lot more, not that I didn’t already, but I learned you have to gather your thoughts and keep it cool. I even called their teacher for advice because I know I shouldn’t just be yelling at them to learn, and she said make it fun. Don’t make learning so serious or they lose their focus. 

Diandra: Have you noticed if one of them is getting your talent for music? 

UFO Fev: My six year old just started thinking she can sing. She is an artsy kid: more than an entertainer. Most of her talent comes out when she does artsy stuff like, ballet or drawing. I hope she maintains that. I feel like artsy kids don’t get as distracted by the “cool stuff” or trying to be cool like other kids. They don’t get easily distracted from their studies. She likes watching coloring with Kimmy The Clown, and I am trying to encourage that.

UFO Fev & Statik Selektah – Slow Dancin [Official Video]

Diandra: You work with Static and Fat Joe. Similar to them, do you think as a rapper you also have to be a brand?  

UFO Fev: Yes! I think corporations have known that since forever, and I think we are in a renaissance, where people are learning to invest in themselves. You have people who have 15 million followers, and they are cooking and selling plates. Now, they are a brand; people follow them and buy from them because of that. Hanging out with Fat Joe, Static, and Khaled, these men have always marketed themselves like brands. They super positive men and they understand they are all they got. They have gambled on themselves, and they live on that same methodology of, “You are the best! You have to stay motivated!” People love them for that. As a brand, for me, its about people getting to know me, and all I have to do is stay true to  myself. 

Diandra; So what is your brand message? 

UFO Fev: I am here in faith: walking in faith. Music chose me, and I have reached this point, where people are listening, but it wasn’t always like that. You can’t be afraid of the journey. You have to have faith in the journey; the losses are lessons and, sometimes, they are protectors. It is a long road but trust it. When you gamble on yourself, there will always be people that try to stop you, but you have to trust yourself because the journey is rough. 

Diandra: So if you believe God placed you in this path, then do you see this path as a debt or destiny to him? 

UFO Fev: This is what I asked for, so I ride it out. Celebrations are a gathering of people recognizing what is happening for you, but it is hard not to get jaded. I think you have to go through some traumatizing stuff to get to where you want the Lord to place you. I would not, necessarily, wish this path on anyone because you go through some pretty rough stuff. 

Diandra: How do you not stay jaded then? 

UFO Fev: I believe in the Higher Power. The music industry can keep you jaded because you can, sometimes, feel unwelcome or do business with someone you don’t want to. I want to do music and spread my message the way I want to so when I get to work with people I want to or experience situations I never did, like Dubai, I am so gracious. I see the blessings. I am not afraid to show I am thankful. You live out your path, not just with the people you love, but the people you need to; with the people the Lord thinks you need to take that path with. It sucks, sometimes, because you want to bring your family and show them what you are seeing, but that experience is for you. 

UFO Fev & Statik Selektah “Fresh Air” (Official Video)

Diandra: Have you always been a traveler, and what is the most special place you have seen? 

UFO Fev: I always traveled. I don’t know why? If I got a little bit of paper, I would just travel. It just feels like the things you should do. I got to see all the islands: Haiti, Turks and Caicos, and DR. As far as architecture, Dubai is surreal. Its like the highway splits old Dubai with new Dubai, and people are doing construction 24/7. On one side, you see tall buildings and the other is like the Arabian Desert. I can’t explain it. Then, in the states, I have been to places like Detroit, where you have to ride around with guns. There are so many places in this world. 

Diandra; Any hardship music healed? 

UFO Fev: I think the poverty. I am no longer upset with growing up poor, and now I see it as a badge of honor. I went through a phase where I was angry about being poor and how I grew up. Creating music is a form of expression. So I say things on a record, and even if I don’t listen to that record again, I got it off my chest. My music is street-conscious; someone who is aware of what is going on and is trying to bring up the people. 
UFO Fev – Fentanyl Flow Ft. Fat Joe [Official Audio]

Diandra: So do you see rappers like preachers? 

UFO Fev: Yes! Absolutely! And I think it is like, for another comparison, reporting. You know, “This is Trevor Hicks reporting on the scene.” Breaking News! The person is on the scene. I think those two best represent rappers. You either have the “preacher” side whom is reformed from the streets and wants to show you, “There is a God,” and then there is the reporter, whom is someone that is really good at telling you what is happening on the streets. 

Diandra: Being raised by your grandma, what is your favorite memory of her and lesson that she gave? 

UFO Fev: I don’t want to say she was an opera singer, but she would listen to it and she would clean the house to it. It got me into studying music, and she got me into learning different styles of music. She was Puerto Rican, and hardly spoke English, but she would listen to music in French and Italian, and she would hit the notes. 

As a person, she would make sure everyone ate, but would tell me to eat before I went to anyone’s house, in case, they couldn’t give. She said never to trust anyone in the streets because everyone has an agenda. Grandmas are different; they are taking their “second- round” at parenting, so they are able to keep things smoother. My uncles were real f**k-ups, and my grandmother’s house was where everyone came when they got out of jail or needed a home. So she would always call them out like, “Look at them! They ain’t s**t!” 

She always had rules, but she always gave me comfort. I was her baby so my uncles would be tight because I had the biggest room, and she would give them the smallest room. I had a big plush room with my toys. I struggled with her, and, even though my dad had his success, I struggled with her. So she kept me grounded, and taught me how you treat people shows where you land. I hear her all the time, in my head, even when I give advice to my daughters.  

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