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EXCLUSIVE: Gene Noble – The Name of Nobility

Mark Harris
Feature, Music, On The Block, Studio Xclusive, The Studio, The Vault

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Gene Noble is one of the most successful artists that you do not know about. Although he is not a household name, he has been nominated for a Grammy. He has written for plenty of artists that many of us listen to daily. He has even played as background singer for Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. album. Still, he is a man with his own music that possesses its own story. With this interview, you will get to learn more about the man named Gene Noble.

 

What was the inspiration behind “Imagination?” What inspired both the song and the video?

 

GN: It was really kind of like going through a breakup, and that sometimes you are in a place that you don’t realize the whole situation really happened. You are in that place that you are contemplating the whole thing. It just feels like “Did this just actually happen?” Or is it a bad dream? So that is where the whole video, concept and process came from. It was that thought of the situation ending and it being so far away that you don’t think that it happened.

 

How would you describe your sound if someone was to ask you?

 

GN: I call it “future throwback”. I combine elements of live instruments with ambient sounds. It draws from my inspirations and who I grew up listening to. It also pushes the genre forward as far as blending other types of sounds from different styles of music.

 

The musical landscape that makes up the song “Aware” is quite lush. What were you thinking about when the concept of that song came about?

 

GN: I feel like, with how fast moving the world is right now, sometimes people you care about don’t recognize that you care about them. So, that is where the song came from. It was the whole thought process of making sure someone understands your feelings in spite of not being able to show it or say it.

 

As guys, we aren’t always the most expressive with our feelings. Sometimes, it is moreso in the actions than saying how we feel.

 

You worked with Emilio Rojas on the track “Vices”. How did you link up with him? Are there any other artists you plan on working with in the future (rapper or otherwise)?

 

GN: Emilio is my boy. He’s been my homie for a long time. He is a dope rapper. He was out here on tour. I was like “Yo, I got this record and it would be dope it you could get on it.”  Actually, I think the reason why he did it was because he played it for his girl and she liked it. It came out dope and I am so glad that he wanted to be a part of it.

 

Yet, I have so many other artists that I would love to collaborate with. I want to do something with Jazmine Sullivan. I want to do something with Joey Bada$$. There is just so many people. I look forward to collaborating with a lot of people in the near future.

 

“Vices” comes from a deep place of loss and hurt. Do you care to retrace the thoughts and emotions behind that song?

 

GN: Hell no! (laughter comes in). No, I don’t really. But I would say this: the whole point of it is that I think anybody could connect to it. I think we all, on a daily basis, use certain things as vices to deal with what is really going on. I think that everybody has that thing they go to for escape. It is really just a general place of where everybody goes to.

 

Your father was a big influence on your work. Yet, I read that you didn’t really get to “know him”. How much has your father affected your music? And please tell me how.

 

GN: Well, my dad’s name was Gene. My dad died when I was four. I spent the first four years of my life as a military brat. When I came back to the states and lived in New York, I started expressing myself through my music. It was the way I could get over things and deal with things. That was initially where my love of music came from. This is where the influence comes from.

 

On a more recent level, I have passed the age my dad lived to. That is why I wanted to go back to that place that inspired me to do music. Also, it was to pay tribute to my dad. That is where the whole “Rebirth of Gene” comes from.

 

How grand was it to be influenced by a D’Angelo concert? How was it? And do you think D’Angelo needs to hurry up and come with an album?

 

GN: We can start there and I can say this: hell yeah, he needs to hurry up. I flew to London to see him not too long ago. He had a show out there and that was amazing. He’s a big influence on me. When I came up, the singers that were out were these high tenors or like R. Kelly’s range of things. I was a baritone, but I had a strong falsetto. I also play the keys so I related to him a lot. After seeing him live with his musicianship, I knew that was what I wanted to do and the type of musician I wanted to be.

 

It just connected. I really connected with his music. I have been a massive fan. Also, it is his influences that you can definitely hear in my music.

 

What makes Gene Noble who he is today?

 

GN: What makes me what I am today? I guess what’s most important to me is creating music that people can live to. Music that I can live to. We are overwhelmed by music that can be played in the club. Most people only spend a couple of hours a week in the club.

 

We need music that tells a story about our lives and what we’re going through. We need a music that will let people look back at our times and actually see what was going on. We are one of the generations that, if you were to listen to our music, you would have no clue as to what was going on.

 

So, I think that there needs to be music that people could live to. I think that is what is inspiring me lately to write songs and do music. That is why “Lies” was important (the visuals). I wanted to touch on some personal issues.

 

I really feel that we should expand and music should be diverse. Right now, that is the space that I am in.

 

Being an independent artist, how tough is the grind for you? What are the bigger benefits that you have seen? What are the drawbacks?

 

GN: I think that the biggest benefit of being an independent artist is that you can do what you want to do. There is nobody telling that you can’t make a certain type of music or you can’t do a certain type of visual. You can pretty much do what you feel like doing.

 

The drawbacks is the “reach”. You always have a further reach when there is more money and people involved.

 

But back on the benefits side, you kind of get a sense of what you should be doing and what type of who your fan base is and what type of songs you should be doing. That, to me, is a big thing because by the time you expand and get bigger, you already know what you should be doing. You have already went through that trial and error process.

 

It is definitely a grind. I wear 60 different hats a day to make sure I get the word out there. I will book shows or promoting to make sure everything becomes bigger. But, I know every aspect of the game in a different way as opposed to me being at a label. I probably would never have the different type of relationships I have with people now because I have to build them on my own.

 

I think the game is evolving to be in that place where you have to take it upon yourself to figure it all out. You know: take the lead on things.

 

Have you been able to live off of music alone? Or do you have to do other things to provide income?

 

GN: I have been living off of music for the past six to seven years. In addition to doing my stuff, I am a song writer. I do stuff with other artists, but I am signed to BMG as a song writer. I also tour with a lot of different artists. I have been pretty lucky that, as a result, live comfortably from doing music.

 

This past year, I was nominated for the R&B Divas album in which I wrote songs for Faith Evans. The year before that, Shaggy was nominated for best reggae album and I produced five of the songs from that album.

 

I currently have the single for the UK pop group, The Wanted. I have their single called “Glow In The Dark”. I’m doing a bunch of writing for a few different artists. I also wrote Aubrey O’Day’s entire EP. I co-wrote for Amber Riley from “Glee”. I’m actually singing on that song. It is importantly for me to write.

 

 

Stay updated on all things Gene Noble via Twitter @IAmGeneNoble or online at www.GeneNoble.com. 

 

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