Adam the Bard

Who’s Adam the Bard

I am rapper from Los Angeles who’s just getting started in the game. I go to school in Dallas at SMU.



How did you get started in the music scene?

I’ve always been into performing, whether it was high school sports or acting, and I’ve always tried to express myself through music. When I realized I couldn’t sing, rap seemed like the perfect fit so I started writing for rap.



What’s the story behind “the Bard”?

Well, it comes from my last name Grosbard. Bard means storyteller or poet, so it seemed a perfect fit for my stagename.



What are your musical influences?

My biggest influence is the Beatles because they are who I grew up listening to. My hip-hop influences are guys like Kanye or Slug from Atmosphere, MCs with a variety of styles and a lot of meaning in their lyrics.



What’s your method at the time of writing new material?

First I have to find the right beat to fit my mood. Once I’ve got that I listen to it on repeat as I write my lyrics. I stop after writing every two to four lines to go back and work on the flow and to make sure everything fits together before writing the next few lines.



What makes you different than other rappers?

Most rappers are looking to make it big with one song without really thinking about what comes next. I’m all about the big picture, making songs that people can relate to and will remember for a long time.



New mixtape?

Yes, I’m working on my first mixtape right now, called “Fast Forward”. It’s the story of a young rapper who comes up and becomes successful and how that success affects both himself and his relationship with his wife. It spans the early stages of both his career and his relationship. I’ve been recording back in Los Angeles whenever I come home from school. I work at Mas Music Studios in Los Angeles with my man Tim Moore, who produces for Katrina Parker, a semifinalist on the show The Voice. The release date for “Fast Forward” is February 15.



What are your hobbies?

I watch a lot of sports, especially my Yankees and Lakers. I been obsessed with the show Breaking Bad recently, just waiting for the new episodes to come out. And I partake in California’s favorite medicine from time to time as well.



Funniest moment at a gig?

I was performing at an open mic night and had been bragging to the crowd about how the song I was going to perform (“Paid Dues”) was on a Coast2Coast mixtape hosted by Wale. Not five seconds into the song and I step on my mic’s chord and disconnect it, so I have to do half of the first verse without a mic. When I connected the chord again, I got a huge round of applause and got another at the end of the song, so it worked out in the end.



Where can we find your music?

My first LP is on hotnewhiphop.com and datpiff.com as well. You can always check out my Facebook page too for more links to music.



Are there any plans for the future?

I’ve already begun work on a follow-up mixtape to “Fast Forward”, and right now I’m trying to iron out a performance schedule.



Do you think you are on the right path?

In the first eight months I been recording, I’ve gotten songs onto Coast2Coast mixtapes hosted by Wale and Kendrick Lamar. I’ve performed at the Dallas House of Blues and been the headliner of a show at SMU. I work my ass off and my mind is always on the next project. I’m going places, so now it’s up to you to decide: Are you going there with me? - Vents Magazine

Submission Pick - undergroundhiphopblog.com

Independent Hustler: Adam the Bard
California native Adam the Bard is going head first into the music industry. Even though he released his first mixtape this past summer, he has already been featured on mixtapes with Kendrick Lamar and Wale. With determination to get his music to the masses, he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.


“Success means that when I'm dead and in the ground people still remember my name.”

- Adam the Bard

Coast 2 Coast: How did you first become a recording artist?

Adam the Bard: When I realized I couldn't sing, but still wanted to express myself through music, I began rapping. I found a studio in Los Angeles called Mas Music Productions where I like to work and that is how it all started.

C2C: Where are you currently based?

AB: Born, raised, and based in Los Angeles, but attending school in Dallas (SMU).

C2C: How did you come up with your stagename?

AB: The word 'bard' means storyteller or poet, and is in my last name Grosbard, so it seemed perfect.

C2C: Who are your musical influences?

AB: My primary influence is the Beatles. They changed music forever and to ignore that influence is a disservice to yourself as an artist. In terms of hip-hop, MCs such as Jay-Z, Kanye and Black Thought have been influential because each has a variety of sounds and intelligent lyrics.

C2C: How do you define success?

AB: Success means that when I'm dead and in the ground people still remember my name.

C2C: What do you ultimately want to accomplish in the music industry?

AB: I don't want to be viewed as just a rapper. I want to bridge the gap between different genres and different audiences; blur the lines separating everyone.

C2C: What sets you apart from other artists?

AB: There are deeper layers of meaning in my lyrics than most other artists. I study English in college so I really put a lot of thought into everything I'm saying. That's why I don't freestyle; it would be selling myself short as a lyricist.

C2C: What have you accomplished so far in your career?

AB: I released my first LP this summer and have been featured on Coast 2 Coast mixtapes hosted by Wale and Kendrick Lamar. I also performed at the Dallas House of Blues in October and have started producing my own beats.

C2C: What’s your opinion of the mixtape game?

AB: Mixtapes are released for the most avid of hip-hop fans, but rappers release these shallow, sugar-coated songs that have no real meaning. If I'm making something for my most serious fans, I want it to be of serious value, which is what I am doing with my upcoming mixtape "Fast Forward."

C2C: What can listeners expect to hear from your music?

AB: Well thought out verses that are carefully arranged with layers of meaning. They can expect verses that tell a story and are put together in a specific order with beats that make you want to move.

C2C: What project are your currently promoting?

AB: My first mixtape, "Fast Forward," which tells the story of an upcoming rapper named Fast Forward. As he becomes successful, he starts to see how success affects himself as a person and his relationship with his wife. The release date is February 15th.

C2C: Where do you think the music industry as a whole is headed?

AB: It will go wherever this generation decides to take it. I hope to be leading the movement. Rappers today think about making it big with one single with no thought about the big picture. I'm thinking about staying power.

C2C: What are your career plans for the rest of 2012?

AB: To continue to grow my fan base. I will be performing at the Dragonfly Club in Los Angeles this January, and releasing my first mixtape.

C2C: Where can we find you online?

Facebook: AdamTheBard
Website: hotnewhiphop.com/adam-the-bard-the-story-of-fast-forward-lp-pt-1-mixtape.57824.html
- Coast2Coast Magazine