Loyal is a songwriter from the South Side of Chicago who chose his name because of who he is as a person. Sometimes he feels like being loyal may not be a good thing depending on the situation; however, this trait has managed to provide him inroads to success. His best friend, Michael Phipps Jr., was murdered in Chicago and it motivated him to continue his journey. We talked to Loyal about his inspiration and his process.
Tell us who you are and what you do.
I go by the name of Loyal. I’m a songwriter. I’ve been writing songs for the last two and a half years.
What made you decide to pick up the pen?
The death of my close friend Michael Phipps Jr. He was murdered in 2008. His death inspired me to keep the legacy going.
What is your perfect picture of success?
It depends, wow. I want to say the typical big house, fancy cars. I have that stuff and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Inner peace would be my perfect picture of success.
How did you deal with the death of your friend?
Honestly I dealt with a lot of anger and frustration. I wanted to retaliate, but instead I had to seek God in order to get understanding. Once I started seeing signs I ventured off into other things. I had to change my mindset and my out look on life.
Where did you grow up in Chicago, how was it?
I grew up on the low end of Chicago. It was rough. I didn’t take my first shower until I was 12 years old. I was known to hand wash. I thought everybody hand washed. [I didn’t know what a shower was] until we moved and I went to my friend’s house and he showed me what a shower was.
Talk about your creative process. How do you approach a song.
It depends on the beat. It brings out different things to me. Some beats I may hear may feel like a single, I might to a certain type of hook to some beats. It just depends on the music. When I work with other artists I like to build from the ground up. As the producer is building the beat I’m building the song. If they can’t do that I can work through email.
What would you say your responsibility is as a song writer?
Get the job done. We are responsible to get the job done and try to uplift a persons mindset. I write to get a reaction and get a message across through the music.
How has Chicago influenced your sound?
I can’t say Chicago really influenced my sound. My sound is kind of versatile and I’m still working to develop my own personal sound. I travel around and grasp bits and pieces from the places I go.
Which artists have inspired you?
As far as major artists I would say J. Cole, Jay Z and Kanye.
Would you rather be in front of the camera or behind the scenes?
I would rather be behind the scenes, because you can [work] behind behind the scenes and make more money and have more privacy. I’m not really a people person like that due to past issues, but it’s something I’m going to have to get used to.
Talk about the meaning of your song “Save Everybody.”
At the point when I wrote the song, [there were] six billion people in the world. I want to help everybody but you just can’t. Everybody is not going to be happy with your vision. Trying to save everybody can be a draining issue.
What are you working on now, and what’s next?
I’m actually working on three EPs now. I have two projects out now. One is called The Painful Process hosted by DJ Pharris and the other one is What Part of the Game Is That (part one) hosted by DJ Holiday. I’m just waiting on the perfect time to drop the other projects I’m working on.
What has been the most challenging part of being an artist?
The most challenging thing has been getting comfortable with hearing my voice on the mic, other than that everything has been smooth sailing.
What words do you have or anyone following their dreams?
Stay consistent, no matter what anyone else says. Try to find some type of balance and keep going.
@Nbb_loyalty_is_me
