So blessed to be working with the quadruple talented @alvestermartin 🎭🎤🎬🎞👊🏽💯 _________________________________ SMEG Client: @alvestermartin @smegsavvymarketing - A Boutique PR Talent Agency with Global Results" _______________________________________________________ #AlvesterMartin #Singer #Producer #SongWriter #Actor #Dancer #Model #Choreographer #International #EntertainmentWeekly #BoutiqueAgency #TrailBlazers #BusinessOwner #PublicRelations #Marketing #ArtistManagement #Production #NewYork #NewJersey #LosAngeles #Atlanta #Europe #Canada #SouthAfrica #SouthAmerica #Miami #Chicago🎤🎬🎤🎬🎤🎬🎤🎬🎤🎬 (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqhhdAglo5_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=12j5tcawk4u4b
The love continue to pour in from my quadruple treat talented brother @alvestermartin 👊🏽❤️💯 Singer-Writer—Producer-Actor-Model-Dancer-Choreographer-Pure🔥👊🏽🎤🎭 . . . SMEG Est. 2008..... Work In Silence SMEG Social Media: IG - @smegsavvymarketing. FB - @smegllc Twitter - @smegllc www.smegsite.com🎭🎞🎼 . . "A Boutique PR Agency with Global Results" . . #AlvesterMartin #Singer #Producer #SongWriter #Actor #Dancer #Model #Choreographer #International #EntertainmentWeekly #BoutiqueAgency #TrailBlazers #BusinessOwner #PublicRelations #Marketing #ArtistManagement #Production #NewYork #NewJersey #LosAngeles #Atlanta #Europe #Canada #SouthAfrica #SouthAmerica #Miami #Chicago🎤🎬🎤🎬🎤🎬🎤🎬🎤🎬 ____________________________ @mafnewjersey @njsoulman @smegsavvymarketing (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnM-r7EnLXh/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ken3tj0fjlbg
#FORE!!! So proud of this incredibly talented and really sweet individual who's new single "OVERDOSE" just dropped on iTunes along with the crazy video on vevo I see you @alv3ster doing your thing at the #BETGolfClassic #BETX2016 #BET2016 #alvestermartin #overdose
When I walked into Patchwerk Studios I was immediately drawn to Alvester - I’m not sure if it was because he’s easy on the eyes, or because he used to dance with Beyoncé, or if it was his presence, or a combination of all three (I’m banking on all three). When we introduced ourselves he actually hugged me and thanked me for retweeting about the Impressions Tour, and once you get to know him you start to appreciate the fact that you’re in the presence of one of the most humble and genuine artists in the entertainment industry. The following interview will probably be one of many in a long music career that was paved from an already successful dancing career.
Denielle Johnson: How’s the [Impressions] Tour going?
Alvester Martin: It’s going great, it’s different being an artist, but it’s been great! We have so many dope things going on… it’s the new artist grind, and I love it. I love being on the road, so this is like an added bonus you know? It’s been good for me.
DJ: You started off as a dancer and you’ve progressed towards becoming a singer - how did that happen?
AM: I moved to LA for music, and I fell into dancing…I didn’t intend on being a dancer - one of my homeboys was like ‘Yo, you should do extra work’ and so that happened, he called his agent, his agent signed me, and then that developed into this long and successful dance career. I’ve been working on a [music] deal for about 10 years now, so now it has happened! I signed to Universal Music Group about two-and-a-half months ago, so yeah, it’s been a crazy journey; I’ve been grinding for a minute.
DJ: Talk more about the grind you’ve been through and how it’s prepared you for what you’re doing now.
AM: I happened to be in the studio with Teddy Bishop - he’s amazing, I might do something with him too we’re talking about it now…that’ll be hot! That means I’ll be in Atlanta for a good two-to-three months, but back to the grind, every artist I’ve been with, I’ve been with them at different points of their career. I was with Rihanna when she was brand-new when she just got to Def Jam; I was with Beyoncé for 10 years, so I saw her progression….you know with Mariah [Carey] being an icon, and even more recently with Tamar [Braxton]. I’ve been around different artists, so I’ve seen the grind; everything I could take in and learn from them, I did.
I already knew what it was to be a new artist and how that grind had to go, so I was mentally prepared for it. I also knew where I wanted to go, I mean studying behind B - she’s amazing! She taught me so much, so everything we’re going through right now, and what I’m going through as an artist was expected. To be honest, the success is exceeding my expectations…I thought it was going to be a longer process. The grind is fun to me, so I thought it was going to be a harder grind, I mean it’s still a grind don’t get me wrong, but I thought it was going to be an impossible one…It’s like I expected the worst and it’s not the worst! I expected it to be not as nice as it’s been [laughs], so I’m good right now.
DJ: Do you write most of your music?
AM: I write pretty much 98% of my music, and the reason why I say 98% - I would have said 100% a couple of weeks ago - is because I just did a joint that Eric Bellinger wrote….and we’re about to do a joint that Elijah Blake and David wrote together. That’s a little different for me because I usually write everything, but Eric’s song was just dope, he’s sick with the pen and I can relate to the song. I actually learned it as I was recording it, I heard it and I said ‘I want this’ so they called Eric and we made it happen and as I was listening to it I was literally recording it and getting the words together at the same time. It’s dope though! It may be the lead single, we’re not really sure yet.
DJ: What impacted your decision to sign with a major record label?
AM: I got a good deal, I can’t even complain! I did a lot on my own before like I already shot videos, I put a lot of work and time into cultivating my sound and even into writing music. My manager and I went in on the development side, so by the time I was even presented to Universal, actually they came to me, that was the good thing, they came to me with the a deal, but by the time that happened I was pretty much developed already. I would say we did it by ourselves up until the point where the only way we could have become bigger was to sign with a major label.
DJ: That’s great to hear! What do you want your mark to be when it comes to the music scene?
AM: You know a lot of people think that because I was dancer they can say ‘Oh, he just wants to be in the front,’ and no it’s not like that; I want people to understand I’m a singer first. I’m sure that’s weird to hear, but I’m actually a singer first; I don’t get nervous when I have to sing, I get nervous before I dance. I just want people to know that everything that comes from me is 100% passion. I’d never just do something for the hell of it; I’ve put my heart and sound into whatever I said, whatever I did like I really felt everything.
I’m singing and of course I have an affinity for 90s music, and my music is definitely going to be current, but those 90s melodies that music and how it moved you - that’s what I’m incorporating into my music. It’s going to be less about the fame and the sensationalism of it; I do understand it has to be commercially valuable, but I also want to showcase how much I put into crafting the music - that’s what I want people to take away from my music and ultimately from my career.
DJ: So you want your music to be timeless?
AM: Exactly! I go so hard on my craft, it’s all I have. God forbid I could lose my deal tomorrow, but I’ll still have my craft. The deal is not going to make or break me being an artist. You know what I’m saying?
DJ: That’s a powerful statement especially with all of the success you’ve previously had. Do you ever take any time off?
AM: No, I work hard on my craft everyday so that I’ll never take for granted any of the blessings I’ve received thus far! I love working, I get bored when I’m just sitting there like somebody asked me the other day ‘What are your hobbies?’ and I said I do them for a living. I wish I could tell you I had another cool job where I could say if I wasn’t doing this I could do that, but this is all I’ve ever wanted to do. Whatever it takes to do it - I’m grateful to work hard to get it done.
DJ: I definitely understand and respect that! So when can we expect 'Love Me or Leave Me?'
AM: I want to be able to release it by February, my birthday is February 16th, so I would love to release it on my birthday; I also want to take my time and not rush it because February is right around the corner, but who knows? I told my manager last night, ‘Yo, I love the A, I want to stay here and record.’ I’ve met so many dope people, I was with Teddy last night, I was with a dope producer named Damien - he’s done a lot of Ludacris joints, he’s sick! I was in there vibing with him too during the session with Teddy and I enjoyed that so much! I’m from the south, I have an affinity for the South because I’m from Miami, so I want to stay in Atlanta and record. I want to have the album done by February, but when I feel like it’s ready that’s when we’ll release it, I’m not rushing it, but I’m not going to take too long either. I don’t want people to be like ‘I was checking for him last year.’ Hopefully y’all will have it the First Quarter.
DJ: Ok, so I wasn’t going to do it, but we can’t let you go without asking you about the Michael Jackson video.
AM: The Michael Jackson video that you forgot to ask me about [laughs] nah I’m just messing with you [laughs]! So the Michael Jackson video, first and foremost, Michael Jackson is one of my biggest influences; I started in entertainment because I wanted to be like Michael Jackson. I broke my leg in my grandmother’s kitchen trying to do the moonwalk when I was three.
This is the real UnderGrind exclusive:
The audition came up, my agent called me for it, and I said ‘I’m not going,’ and I wasn’t going because there was a rumor about how Michael felt about this music actually being released. You know as an artist when stuff isn’t right we don’t want you to hear it, so with that being my idol I was like I don’t know if I feel comfortable going to something that’s associated with the fact that he may not have been 100 with wanting that released. I went though, and I was three hours late, I didn’t expect to get it, I walked in and it was a small square space and they said, ‘Just go and do what you feel as far as the music.’ I had a female partner that I had to improv with and I walked out and was thinking there were so many people auditioning for it that I wouldn’t get it. I never think that because of my career that I’m automatically going to get something and I don’t get overly excited; I go in, I give it my all, and whatever happens is in God’s hands.
So on a Sunday, I got a call and they said, ‘Hey we want to book you for Michael,’ and I was like ‘Oh, really?! Wow, thanks!’ It was actually the day before I got signed to Universal, so we went out and shot the Michael video in the desert…the same exact location he shot “In the Closet” with Naomi Campbell, and my beautiful co-star Danielle - shout out to her we never met prior to the video shoot. We never rehearsed for that video, there wasn’t any choreography, we got direction from Michael’s choreographer, Travis Payne, but people always say “You guys had so much chemistry,” but we never rehearsed!
The first time that you see that I touched her or we’re laughing - that was the first time we actually did it. They just turned on the music and said, “Go! Let us see what you guys can do” and it came out dope. I was nervous prior to seeing it, and it turned out so dope; I felt like a little kid I mean it’s Michael Jackson, I danced in one of his videos, to one of his songs! I was bummed out that I never got to work with him before he passed, and I got to work with Michael by doing this video…Michael Jackson and Beyoncé are two of the greatest entertainers and I just hope to follow in their footsteps.
Heed visits NYC based custom suit, shirting and tailor shop, Heights + Kenchi (heights-kenchi.com).
Alvester Martin stands in as Heed’s muse.
CREDITS:
Videography - Brian Luman
Model - Alvester Martin
Subject: Charles Bryant for Heights + Kenchi
Interview - Carrington Bester
