The Rundown: Trevell Hudson
We recently revamped "The Rundown” interview series with bringing emerging artists to the forefront and giving them the chance to tell their story. We sparked our first conversation with rising Houston rapper, Paris Le Rouge. He had an opportunity to speak on his stylistic approach to music, why he’s different from other artists in the city, and how he ultimately wants to separate himself.
We continue the series with speaking to Trevell Hudson, someone who’s been on our radar for quite sometime. Due to his different features on other people’s projects, he finally came with something of his own with his project, “For The Time Being”. Since then, we’ve been hooked on his serenading sound and how he brings the new elements and components of R&B to his music.
Hudson had a chance to speak to us about his upbringing in Baton Rouge and Houston, why he thinks R&B is not a dying art, his essentials for when he needs to record, and more. Check out this exclusive piece below.
How’s Your Modern Life?
My modern life’s cool right now. It's normal. Working hard on changing that very very soon but for now it's all good got my health, so I can’t complain.
How was your upbringing and how has it shaped your current state of music?
Coming up was so cool too, I’m from Baton Rouge, Lousiana & as y’all can see from the news report & all this crazy shit that is going it is not the best place to come up in but I love my city to death because its no people to me like us. I lived walking distance from where the CD man, Alton Sterling got killed. It's real wicked, most of us are a product of our environment, but I moved to Houston like a month before Katrina w/ my mom & brother, so I like to say I’m from both. Houston influenced me just as much as Baton Rouge, which I think shows a bit in my music. Both cultures are so historic, and you have no choice but to be inspired I think.
Who were some pivotal influences of yours when it comes to music?
I listen to pretty much everything to get inspiration, as long as its good, but the three people that influenced me musically has to be Chris Brown, Drake, and Pharrell. I always looked up to Chris, Drake is most def my favorite artist period, how can you not be influenced? Then there's Pharrell because he’s my full out idol & musically a fucking genius, so I'd have to say those three if I had to choose but its so many people that influence me.
Being a singer, but doing in a different way shows that you’re not limited to stretching the genre. How important is flexibility when it comes to crafting your music?
Flexibility is crucial, especially if you’re like me & not content w/ shit. I don’t want to sound the same on everything I make. I embrace growth & I use it to my advantage. I never want to be that artist where everything seems identical because those people never last in the long run plus that's no fun to me I'm out to make the best music possible I can make.
Coming from your position, you are doing something that’s kind of lost art since it’s a number of rappers that come out of the blue all the time. How do you feel about the state of R&B and how it’s a dying art to a certain degree?
The state of R&B right now is cool, it is not too many of us which makes it better for me. The guys that're representing this new R&B shit on the big stage right now are doing a great job. Like Tiller killing the whole game right now & other niggas like Jacquees killing right now too. Those two & a few more holding us down right now, I'm big fans of those guys. If you ask me, music needs R&B so I don't think it’ll ever fully die out. I wanna be bigger than R&B though, I need them pop hits.
In your first full project, “For The Time Being”, you showed many different sides of yourself in it. What are some essentials in life that inspired you to be as versatile when it came to recording this?
Love as corny as that shit sounds inspired me probably the most. Its so easy to write & sing about shit that's actually going on in my life. Every instrumental brings something different out of me. I just try to capture it the way it's actually happening & not no fufu shit or lies.
Another thing to consider was the project’s length, which was only 4 tracks. Why did you choose to do something short rather releasing something that would be extensive?
Originally it was 6, but I ended up not liking how I was sounding on 2, so I made it four songs long because of 2 reasons.
1. Being the title cause it's just for the time being. All songs were actually throw away tracks but I figured somebody would like them & I needed new music out badly, so I gave you all that.
2. Being that people attentions span sucks when it comes to long projects unless you’re their favorite artist & I doubt I’m a lot of peoples favorite or one of their favorites yet so I had to keep it short & sweet. BUT I soon will be & my real project titled “long overdue” will have more than four tracks fa sho.
What are some essentials for you when you step into the studio?
I have to have like at least 3 bottles of water & some juice & weed always, gotta have weed really for everything & situation, for sure. I’m tryna become like the R&B Wiz Khalifa. I have to have my laptop & snacks too that's super important.
Who are three people you need to speak to on a daily basis?
Three people I need to speak to on the daily are my girl, my brother, & my cousin Dave.
What are three things that define Trevell Hudson as a person?
"Flexibility is crucial, especially if you’re like me & not content w/ shit. I don’t want to sound the same on everything I make. I embrace growth & I use it to my advantage."
I wanna say my attitude/aura. I really vibe with everybody because I don’t think I’m better than anybody. My mindset is another thing too, I’m real genuine and I find the best in everybody until they show me otherwise. Thirdly, my sense of humor too because I’m always smiling or laughing. Life can be sad but you real life gotta laugh through it, well that's how I think.
What are three things that define Trevell Hudson as an artist?
My voice is unique in a way, I don’t hear too many people that sound like me voice wise. My originality, I try hard not to sound like other artists just because they super hot at the moment or something else because that take the joy out of creating. Lastly, I would have to say my persona. I’m not the usually corny soft R&B artist nor am I trying to be a tough guy or anything, I’m super cool really. I’m into fashion, well when it comes to dressing myself & shit & that's important because that's what ALOT of artist lack to me is their style & how they come off to people. It's so easy to come off corny especially being an R&B artist. I just present myself differently.
What are three things you want to accomplish before the year is over with?
I have to get like 5 or 6 visuals out, that's the most important to me. I just have to do them perfect like I want them. Definitely dropping more songs soon & another tape, the “Long Overdue” project. I’m really aiming for September sometime as far as the release. Lastly, I want to get better at producing. I started making beats the end of last year/the beginning of this year I can't remember w/ my cousin Dav. I just wanna get to the point where I’m producing & writing my whole shit & just get better period as an artist all together ya know?