TeawhYB is an alternative R&B/Hip-Hop artist who ignites emotion and positivity through his music detailing relationship culture, personal identity, and mental health. Using a harmonic dialect, TeawhYB disguises intimate ideas with a mainstream sound that is curated for inspirational road trips, chill pre-games, and precious alone time.

In this interview spotlight, I chat with TeawhYB about the latest project, motivations, challenges and more.

Full Q&A along with links and streams below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

Coming at you all the way from up north! Green Bay, WI. I know what you might be thinking…that location is hella suspect. I assure you it’s not as irrelevant as you might think, most people that live in Los Angeles are not from there anyway. The style of music I create has been described as a mix between Hip-Hop and Neo-R&B. I typically refer to it as Alternative R&B because the content is atypical of Contemporary R&B and Hip-Hop. I strive to utilize gender neutral language for an inclusive sound that focuses on modern relationship culture and personality identity. You won’t find any cuss words, sexually explicit lyrics (misogyny), or glorification of substance abuse but you might not even notice. That’s the beauty of it.

What direction are you going with your music?

Honestly, I’m just trying to carve out my own lane with a unique, identifiable sound. I pride myself on having a household sound without compromising my values and integrity to connect with people. There’s a culture shift happening right now in America specifically with the Me Too Movement and Hip-Hop hasn’t really caught on quite yet. Even some of the mainstream artists we consider to be conscious use derogatory language towards women and exploit their sexuality. Everyone’s entitled to their creativity and I don’t mean any disrespect, I’m just wondering when we will we consider that unacceptable? Another goal of mine is to normalize the perception of LGBTQA artists. I don’t want my sexual orientation to be a barrier for people and I don’t want it to be the “token” reason for them to listen to my music either.

What inspired you for your latest project and what motivates you to keep going?

Inspiration is rooted in so many ideas and emotions so a singular answer wouldn’t do justice. The potential to pave the way for the great minds that value inclusivity and positive thinking is a motivation. Helping others see the brighter side of things has always been something I pride myself on and music can be an extension of that. I want to create music that spreads the right message without compromising the sound. I’m not the only one, but I want to bridge the gap so that music can be fun, insightful, emotional, and truly positive. Disguising intimate ideas within a mainstream sound that promotes positive behavior is my vision, I just hope everyone else can get on board.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

I think the biggest challenge is initially standing out from the crowd and not being just another “rapper” trying to promote thyself. I’m so passionate about my message and vision, so I get disappointed when people won’t give me a shot. That just means I need to build better relationships. Blogs, A&R’s, and Playlisters get flooded with new music everyday so it’s understandable that I’d be overlooked. On the flip side, the digital music age makes it MUCH easier to be discovered and gives all musicians a platform to gain new listeners and fans. I’m grateful for every listener, every opportunity, every download, every interview and I have modern technology to thank for that.

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

Where ever is convenient, connect with me there! Best place to start is my website: www.teawhyb.com
It’s a centralized place with links where you can find my music and social media. I encourage everyone to reach out, I’ll reply back.

• Twitter: @TeawhYB
• Instagram: @TeawhYB
• www.facebook.com/teawhyb
• www.soundcloud.com/teawhyb
• www.youtube.com/teawhyb
• Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Google Play, Napster: TeawhYB

Anything else before we sign off?

If you are questioning your identity, contemplating suicide, dealing with a mental illness, or struggling with addiction just know that your life is a gift to this world. Please be brave and seek out the necessary resources to continue being the gift that you are; www.teawhyb.com/help