USA: Kentucky Archives - ZO Magazine

Falling into Place with Prince MaGan

Kendra Beltran — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 19:09:11 +0000

Everything one experiences can push them in various directions. For Prince MaGan, whether it was a major move or the loss of a loved one – the direction was always creative. A master of sound, this multi-genre artist doesn’t let anything restrict his art. We talked about that, his Kenyan roots, and more in this back and forth exchange between an artist and a writer.

Kendra: When I was younger, the thing that always fascinated me was books about the everyday life of people who lived elsewhere. When you relocated from Kenya to Kentucky, what everyday life things did you immediately notice were vastly different?

Prince MaGan: It’s heart filling that you bring that up, that’s the same thing that fascinated me about coming to America. I honestly couldn’t even imagine it, all I knew was the things people would say about the land of opportunities. Like money grows on trees but to answer your question, what I noticed that was vastly different was the structure that was put in place for everyone to grow through. Me, my siblings, including my parents had to leave the house and come back at a certain time, everyone was either leaving the house for school or work.

Kendra: Being so young when you moved, were you able to hold onto things from your Kenyan roots?

Prince MaGan: People definitely come over here with their roots with them. With that being said, my mom would do her best to make sure her kids knew their roots. I just hope she understands we won’t be perfect because we are the first generation of kids to step foot on US soil.

Kendra: Your late brother is the one who first introduced you to music when you were around 11-years-old. What was the first piece of music he showed you and how do you think that shaped where you are today as an artist?

Prince MaGan: I appreciate the fact that you know that. I definitely believe God used my big brother as a vessel that would introduce me to music and to who I am today. The first piece of music my brother put me on was 50 Cent’s “Many Men.” That song definitely influenced me to put everything I feel and what I’m going through into my music.

Kendra: Because your style is varied. You cover everything from R&B and pop to hip hop all while bringing afrobeat to the mix. Was this choice to be so diverse in sound intentional?

Prince MaGan: Being an artist that can cover everything from R&B, Pop, Hip Hop, and bring afrobeat to the mix was not something I planned to do in the beginning but as I got older, my taste for the type of music I liked grew. That’s when I made it intentional and made my goal to have a version of me in all genres. This is of course to reach and meet the needs of all people.

Kendra: Circling back to your brother. You lost him, your home, and a girlfriend while writing a lot of your music. Do you feel that your music was in turn therapeutic?

Prince MaGan: I would definitely say my music was therapeutic while I was going through that part of my life. No matter what happens I know I can run to music to free myself, it’s crazy it used to be just for me to hear but now it’s way bigger than just me.

Kendra: 2020 pushed people in various directions personally, financially, creatively. For you, how do you feel 2020 has shaped your creativity and drive moving forward?

Prince MaGan: 2020 for me honestly was the best year of my life, personally I’ve been able to get closer with God, music, family, and old relationships. Financially as we speak everything is falling in place, and creatively I’ve been working on different projects with great publishing companies. These projects have been pushing me to different flows and songs.

Kendra: Usually, this is where I ask people what they have planned in the coming months but with the world in a strange place right now, plans aren’t as concrete as they typically are. You can go ahead and let us know what you have tentatively planned but can you also share a song that never fails to get you through when the world around you feels like a mess?

Prince MaGan: My plan is to launch the artist one so my fans can have a way to grow with me and have a chance to listen to exclusive music before it drops, discounts on tickets/ merchandise, and a chance to win my monthly giveaway. Also to get land more sync deals, and pumping out more content. For your last question that song would have to be my song “Through the Pain.” I was crying when I wrote that song.

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The Small Town Charm of Sam Tallent

Kendra Beltran — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 18:44:55 +0000

Every day big cities continue to be the focus of the world when all the while there are small towns all over the globe delivering charm and comfort for their residents like no other. That’s something country singer Sam Tallent has always appreciated about his small piece of paradise – so much so he put it to song on his latest single “Good To Be Gone.” We talked about the music, Bowling Green, and more in this back and forth between two small-town natives.

Kendra: You mentioned earning your keep in the family trade. Are you talking about coming from a musical family? If so, did you ever feel like you’d be the Black Sheep if you didn’t pursue something in music?

Sam Tallent: From a very early age I was drawn to my family and friends’ abilities to express such joy while entertaining and playing instruments. I always felt that I had an ear for music but it was never at the top of my priority list while growing up. As I matured and strayed away from sports, I found myself chasing after what I felt I always had the talent for.

Kendra: While Country has gone through some changes from its honky-tonk start to being mainstream and a bit poppy to even incorporating rap at times, but for the most part the heart of Country music remains the same. Why do you feel it’s one of the few genres that sticks so close to its roots?

Sam Tallent: Country music is about fellowship and about being down to earth and relatable. Although the style in which we write music and produce it may change, the stories always remain the same. I can’t honestly say I stick to one style of country. I love to challenge myself when writing and playing guitar to do something I’ve never done before. I’ve always appreciated all kinds of music and can enjoy anything from Tom T. Hall to the likes of Michael Ray. I tend to fall somewhere in the middle.

Kendra: I may be from California but I am from one of its smaller towns so “Good To Be Gone” spoke to me in a way as I’m considering moving back after the COVID-19 stuff dies down. Anyways, the song is about taking advantage of small-town living. For you, what is the biggest advantage a small town has over a big city?

Sam Tallent: For me, it’s about knowing everyone around you and having those people show respect to you and helping one another. I have been to big cities and although there is plenty of kind folk, all you see are strangers.

Kendra: Would you ever relocate to a bigger city – say Nashville – if you had to for your music?

Sam Tallent: Nashville is only 50 miles south of my hometown, Bowling Green, and has played a major role in my life growing up. I would not be opposed to living in Nashville or another large city if I was doing something I loved and enjoyed.

Kendra: Will “Good To Be Gone” be part of an album this year?

Sam Tallent: At the moment I don’t have any plans to include Good To Be Gone into an album. I have done a lot of writing recently, though.

Sam Tallent: I plan to write as much music as I possibly can while I balance life spending time with my family and operating my business in Bowling Green, KY. Honestly anytime I listen to anything Chris Stapleton I lose focus on real-life and get lost in the songs.

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The Mighty Ambition of Ellee Ven

Kendra Beltran — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 18:13:44 +0000

Living in Los Angeles is not for everyone. It’s fast paced, expensive and you never really know who’s on your side – at least that’s what I’d say about it and why I think of packing up and heading east every other week. For Ellee Ven though, she decided it wasn’t for her and decided after having to get behind the wheel for every little errand, that she needed something new. So when she stumbled upon a new place out east, she went for it, “I could afford to be there but it was exhausting. And then I discovered Lexington! Which is beautiful and wild and crazy enough with some elbow room. The arts community is great here too,” saying that she’ll visit LA again from time to time but this self-proclaimed dreamer has other travels on her agenda first, “I am just back from India and on my way to Spain and Morocco and France and Bali this year!” And when she’s not boarding a plane, she’s working on her own music as well as spreading creativity in a multitude of other ways.

Having been called the “Deborah Harry for the New Millennium,” could be pressure building for some — Ven doesn’t let it go to her head, saying, “I think I will definitely take that as a mind blowing compliment and frolic right back to work.” Like Harry though, who’s career is rooted in hip hop (yup!), Ven has had a rapper by the name of Prodéje by her side for over a decade now. They’ve worked together in front and behind the mic, and have teamed up for her latest, “You Me Us Oui.” The song is stellar and the video is even more so. Ven believes in being very visual with her craft “because it’s fun,” but notes she let director David Donihue take the reins when it came time to shoot the video, “I just knew I didn’t want to be in it very much . . . the song was kitschy and light so I wanted the video to be fun. I saw David Donihue’s reel and he pitched me the treatment. I filmed here on my iPhone. He filmed in LA.”

On top of being an artist, Ven also has her own label and decided to do so when she realized it was the only way she could have complete control over her own fate. Owning your own company though comes with its highs and lows, and Ven isn’t blind to them, “The ups and downs of being an artist seem natural in that it’s just life you’re singing about. There are ups there are down . . . there are moments of GREATNESS. And moments of weakness. It’s natural. Running a business is much much harder. You have to be a machine. Always on top … amaaaazing. Turns out I am not. I’ve made so many mistakes but with a handful of trusted cohorts I manage to stay afloat. Just writing and having the privilege of performing keeps me interested.”

Creating your own music and running a label, what more could Ven have under her belt? Oh you know, her annual “Give Into The Groove” benefit – a live music event, as well as The Virtual Quilt, which helps raise funds for kids’ schools. She’s very proud of it and says, “I am hoping that 2016 really gets us on the map. I love this idea because it empowers children to use their talent to support something other than themselves. The leaderboards and map are fun new components that create lessons for the teachers and connect the child’s effort to something tangible!”

When you call her an ambitious person, Ven would disagree. Noting, “I’m a dreamer. Very in love with the best case scenario. I can be careless and not very results oriented which is a confusing quality. But I love music because it is very free form and it’s done when I say it’s done. Unless someone wants to take another stab at it . . . and in that case it’s called a remix! Buuut, I do wish I were more ambitious. I don’t feel that I’ve given every song in my catalog the attention or “life” that it deserves.” With that, Ven is traveling this year as a gift to herself, making music and spending a good chunk of March dedicated to launching The Virtual Quilt’s site.

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