Arshad Goods

Arshad Goods named a "rising star" by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in August, Arshad Goods is a standout member of a thriving St. Louis hip-hop scene that's been in the national spotlight lately thanks to the success of Mvstermind's "Mali Moolah."

The 28-year-old Goods had only spent about a year and a half developing his musical abilities before releasing his debut EP, Black Sunday, in February 2015 — a short turnaround that seems almost unbelievable given the level of polish and depth displayed on the EP. On Black Sunday Goods — despite his limited musical and lyrical experience — sounds mature to a fault, expertly expressing desires and aspirations diametrically opposed, oftentimes poignantly contradicting himself in the course of a single track. Nowhere is this better exemplified than on the track "Marginalized Monday," with lines like "Sometimes I wanna be famous/Other times I wanna be nameless," and "I be all of the above/ Jew, Gentile and Christian."

As you might expect of the first release from an unknown artist, the EP garnered little attention. Since its release, though, Goods has continued to perform, steadily gaining a loyal following thanks to his charismatic on-stage presence and top-notch five-piece backing band.

Goods plans to continue performing in support of Black Sunday throughout 2017, in addition to releasing an as-yet untitled album that is currently in progress. - Riverfront Times

the largest showcase in stl history!
more than 100 bands including:
SLEEPY KITTY • BATES • ARSHAD GOODS • BRUISER QUEEN • 18ANDCOUNTING & THEONLYENSEMBLE • - Riverfront Times

All it takes is seeing Arshad Goods and his band hit the stage one time to be sold on his potential as a rapper.

He has the energy and stage presence that has been the exception to the rule in hip-hop since singing to backing tracks with pre-recorded vocals became the new normal.

But Goods prefers conversation over the new school’s karaoke style of performance.

“I’m really just trying to talk with people,” Goods said. “I’m not trying to get you to turn up – I’m not trying to force you to do anything. If you decide to listen, we can have some great dialogue. For me, all this is about being a human being and knowing that I have something to say. Just give me your ear, that’s all that I ask.”

The surprise comes in learning that he’s only invested a year-and-a-half into his craft and that his recently released album “Black Sunday” is his debut.

Political at its core, the album’s tracks offer insightful musings of Goods’ doubts, fears and the internal struggle that comes with staying true to one’s self in an industry that capitalizes on catchy club bangers from blinged-out rap stars.

Goods’ beats go as hard as any, but the content tackles everything from police brutality to slut shaming in a manner that’s not repulsively righteous or preachy.

He defines the music as “backtrap,” a blending of the backpack rappers and the trap stars he grew up listening to in University City.

“I like live instrumentation. I love jazz over 808s. I’m a walking conundrum,” Goods said with a big grin. “I’m not really worried about where I fit in on the scene – or if I seem different or look different. I’m just focused on giving my truth.”

It was a chance visit to the movie theater to check out “The Dark Knight Rises” that put him on the path to getting serious about his lofty ambition of pursuing a career in hip-hop full time. (We’ll get back to this.)

He already had the name for it – Arshad Goods is actually his middle name.

Rap was something he wanted to do, but before he knew it he became a master of his backup plan as opposed to his passion.

After working to attain a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a master’s from Purdue, Goods had no intention of living from beat to beat as a starving rapper in search of a big break.

“I had these degrees, and I was kind of banking on that,” Goods said. “I was like, ‘if rap doesn’t work it’s cool’.”

Cut back to “Dark Knight Rises.” There’s a scene in the film where the title character is attempting escape from a notorious prison where only one person had been able to survive a successful attempt.

“He was like, ‘Why can’t I do this and this child did it? I’m Batman,’” Goods said. “And the other guy was like ‘You have to do it as the child did it – with no rope.’ That spoke volumes with me. When I left that theater, my mind was changed. It was like, ‘Succeed or die. Those are your options.’”

The grind has been exactly that, but he’s already seeing the residuals with respect to the intrinsic rewards of waking up – or losing sleep – and doing what you love.

“I’ve passed up a lot of jobs that could have had me in a very comfortable position,” Goods said. “But with this journey, I see that you can sacrifice and struggle and still be content. It showed me what happiness is and peace is – and it has little to do with your outside surroundings.”

For him, the external success doesn’t look like superstardom – or an industry shutdown.

“I want people to listen to my music and know that I’m a human being,” Goods said. “I want people to hear what I’m saying about being true to yourself. We are all unique, but we are all the same in that we are all different. So be you.

If you give your best you, I’m gonna say 100 percent of the time you are gonna be giving something that only you can give to the universe.”

He knows he has his work cut out for him but is full of unwavering optimism as his journey unfolds.

“I hope the city really like believes in me and feels connected with me,” Goods said. “That’s something that I know I still have to prove, but I feel like as long as you hold true to you and you come from a place of love things will work out.”

Human being first, rapper second is what he stands by and feels it has helped him ascend on the scene in such a short period of time.

‘My life’s motto is “work hard and treat people right,” Goods said. “That’s what I focus on. And with that I think the universe works some things out for me.”

The traditional trappings of success aren’t a part of his happy ending in hip-hop either – with the exception of being able to pay the people that work with him what he feels they are worth.

“I want to be known as somebody who gave their truth – they didn’t sell out or change who they were to get whatever they wanted,” Goods said. “As far as the rest of the story, I couldn’t care less.”

Arshad Goods album “Black Sunday” is available for stream at: Stream https://soundcloud.com/arshadgoods/sets/blacksunday

His social media handles are as follows: Facebook: Arshad Goods, Instagram: Arshad_Goods, Twitter: @Arshad_Goods and YouTube: ArshadGoods - The St. Louis American

Interviewed by Glo(w)/Written by Glo(w)

Intimacy is a sacred element produced when vulnerability and authenticity collide. To be vulnerable merely means that one has the ability to feel and be felt. To be authentic in the expression of those feelings births pure intimacy. Sometimes, we don't value the truths one spills when they clearly express their deepest darkest thoughts: intimacy isn't always perfectly prosed. Sometimes, it rambles, it bursts into a space with clanking symbols, obtrusive and uncomfortable. Not everyone is prepared to receive. Intimacy is one's own ability to know their truth and share their truth, and it is a tool that has the power to create bridges of connectivity.

Arshad Goods is a metaphorical mason, using lyrics as bricks to bridge the gap between generations and genres. His music is open and honest. Every song is dipped in humanity and peppered with his own personality. His songs are the embodiment of intimacy as he shares his own truths. He discusses topics of love and lust, good and evil, wisdom of both the physical and spiritual kind. It is through the open use of dichotomies that each listener can learn something about their own beliefs while listening to Arshad Goods as he shares his.

Sitting in a dark room lit by a groovy screensaver on an overlarge computer screen, Arshad Goods shared his perspective with a group of St. Louis creatives. His soft voice made fingers used to writing stop and rest. His honesty made skepticism melt. Arshad Goods is a representation of the full expression of an artist. He performs without fear and speaks with tenderness. Check out some of his thoughts and regain some of your own balance below.

For the record, do you do anything else besides make music?

No, I don’t. I just make music, that’s it.



I didn’t know that. You know a lot of other creatives, they have other avenues that they take as well. You said before that you had been rapping your whole life. What made you actually start sharing it with people?

I made a bucket list when I came back home from grad school at Purdue in Indiana. When I came back home, I made a list, twenty-five things I wanted to do before I turned 25. And one of them was to make a project. It was really just for me. I ain’t really care about people hearing it. I just wanted to do it. That eventually turned into me taking it seriously after some friends told me I should take it seriously. Then I saw a Batman movie.

Which movie?

Whichever the second one was that had Bane. Homie was in the prison in the basement and he’s talking to old man about how to get out. It was like just a well. You just gotta climb out that joint with a rope. He’s like how do you do it. And the old man is telling him you gotta do it like this kid that got out. And the kid did it with no rope. It spoke to me hellas cause I got some degrees, some things to fall back on as people would say, but I really had to start thinking like, “Nah, ain’t no plan B.” It’s like succeed or die. And once you accept that, things become way easier as far as decisions.



For sure. What is your creative process like?

I be banking on God. Like, its experiences, what happens. It can be the smallest thing. I think I was going down Washington one time and passed the Hundred Black Man building and it made me start going off on some stuff. So yeah, it’s just life. Whatever happens in my day to day, or a vibe that might get created in the studio. It’s not often premeditated so much.

How has your spirituality influenced your creative process? You’re one of the few rappers I know who I wouldn’t flat out call your music gospel, but there’s definitely a lot of heavy spiritual influences clear in your music.

Yeah, I get caught up on duality a lot. So with that, I have these concepts of good and evil, like God and Satan kind of stuff. But sometimes it’s just representations of things and no so much me speaking in a spiritual sense.



What have you learned about yourself through the creative process?

You don’t hit a home run every time. And it’s a humbling experience to accept that you have to keep working to get a joint sometimes. Everyone ain’t gone be a knock out the park. Learning that you’re not perfect and you’re still growing. That’s helped my work ethic and humbled me a lot.



What is the most important lesson or factor you want people to get from your art? Why do you create?

Be true to you, I would say. I feel like a vessel half the time. You asked my inspiration. It’s life. So a lot of times I’m just speaking how things come to me. So I would just say, people just doing them. Whatever that is just do it, and do it because you feel like you should do it. Don’t do it because somebody told you.



What memorable responses have you gotten from your work?

Randomly coming up on people. I’ll be honest: I pigeonholed my crowd at first. So, seeing people I wouldn’t expect coming up to me and saying “I tell her lies, I tell her lies, I tell her lies”, g, like that’ll trip me out. People coming to me after shows and showing love. The amount of love I got off of this project was the biggest surprise. I wasn’t expecting that.



Name something you don’t love, and why.

Closed mindedness. I think being open to people’s ideas, I think you get a piece of truth in everything.



What is your dream project?

Three stacks (Andrew 3000) has to be involved in some way. It would mess around and be a visual with some cool music in it. It might not even be straight music. But I would, like, want to work with people I’ve looked up to my whole life. Jay. Nas. Michael Jackson gotta come back somehow. A hologram or something gotta make an appearance.



What do you think the difference is between being inspired by someone and being compared to them? Like, you listen to the people who have inspired you, but would you necessarily want to be compared to any other artist?

I don’t think any artist wants to be compared to anyone. I mean, you can call it ego. You can call it whatever. But, like, you wanna feel like you’re giving yourself and there’s something unique about yourself. I think comparisons are cool when you’re talking about, like if I play basketball and you compare me to Jordan. That means I must be doing something well at least. I guess it could be flattering in that sense. But I think every artist wants to be their own.



What’s the most unique thing you want people to get from you? What makes you different from anyone else pursuing their music?

I mean nothing's different about me making music. That’s like a common thing. But as far as my story, I think people I have come in contact with, and nah, nobody can replicate that because nobody’s lived that life.



What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Know yourself.



When can we expect a project to be released?

Dot dot dot dot dot. (Laughs)



When it’s done?

When it’s done. I’m working on it now. I can say that.

Follow Arshad Goods on all social media platforms and get into his last release, Black Sunday, available on SoundCloud. - ArtBae.com

Last year Arshad Goods released his debut album Black Sunday, a stellar first offering from the University City native. Wide-ranging and rife with contradictions, Black Sunday garnered national attention and showcased Goods’ internal tensions with lines like “Sometimes I wanna rap about money and bitches instead of saving the world,” found on the album’s final track, “Marginalized Man.” Fans eagerly awaiting more from Goods got a taste of things to come in late March when the rapper posted a new track, produced by Orlando Vaughn and entitled “Resurrection,” to his Soundcloud. If “Resurrection” is any indication, those who enjoyed Black Sunday have a lot to look forward to. - Riverfront Times

Arshad Goods’ current slot as one of St. Louis’ most watchable rappers may come as a surprise to some — even himself — considering this wasn’t his original path.

Goods, 28, who released his debut EP “Black Sunday” in 2015, studied electrical engineering at Purdue University but didn’t think it was for him.

“I knew I could do it. But I didn’t want to. I asked myself ‘OK, what am I supposed to do?’ I was always taught don’t jump off one ship unless you’ve got another one waiting.”

After 2½ years of study, Goods left graduate school and returned home to University City.

While studying for the GMAT to bring him closer to his dream of working in marketing at Google or Apple, he made a list of 25 things he wanted to do before age 25. One of those things was to record a project, if only for his own ears.

“I’ve always loved music,” says Goods, who used to listen to whatever music his sister was playing in the house, from Lauryn Hill to Outkast. He also remembers his mother playing a lot of 2Pac.

He used his phone to record a rap, which he sent to his sister and a friend who both gave him the thumbs-up. “They said I had something to say,” Goods says.

He applied for a Guitar Center credit card and maxed it out on studio equipment so he could begin that project.

He released the EP “Black Sunday” in early 2015, offering something more thoughtful than the “ratchet” rap that’s so popular. “The project taught me not to pigeonhole myself,” he says.


In creating his own EP, Goods ripped a page from one of his idols, 2Pac.

“He had a willingness to contradict himself — show his different sides,” he says. “I deal with battles of duality. We’re not always one person. One day you want to save the world; another day you just want to have fun.”

The EP includes the title track along with “Fear No Man,” “Marginalized Monday,” “4our Letter World” featuring Clay Cahill (video directed by Emmy-nominated Brendan Logan, a St. Louis native), “Communion” featuring Conner Low,” “Tell Her Lies” features Jai Gaines and “Mary Go Round” featuring Aloha Mi’sho.

The songs are broken off into three parts: Black, Sun and Day, with each having a different focus. “I don’t know if everybody gets it was a three-part thing.”

Of the release, he says “it had to be something I would be comfortable with people saying is my starting point and something I would be comfortable saying is my starting point.”

Since the EP, he has released three more songs — “Resurrection,” “Famous” and “Everybody” — and has been working on the follow-up to “Black Sunday.”

“The main thing is I want people to hear is growth, sonically and lyrically. The message — I want to go a couple of places. But it’s going to be introspective,” he says. “And I’m experimenting a lot more.”

He’s such a perfectionist, it’s anyone’s guess when the follow-up could surface. He’s in no rush.

“There are still a lot of people who haven’t heard ‘Black Sunday’ yet.” - St. Louis Post Dispatch

On his debut LP, Black Sunday, University City native Arshad Goods is a man divided. Over nine tight, soulful tracks, Goods presents myriad versions of himself with any number of knowing contradictions: a hedonist with a higher calling, a status seeker who rejects the material world, a college-educated African American man in a city that will always see him as a black boy.

Closing track "Marginalized Man" serves as a mission statement for everything that precedes it and ends the album on a note of soul-searching uncertainty: "Sometimes I wanna rap about money and bitches instead of saving the world," Goods delivers in a dry croak.

He does both on Black Sunday, and that duality, among others, serves as the engine for Goods' pinpoint lyrics as he examines the external and internal. The hard-hitting 90-second title track opens the album with a critique of hip-hop tropes, some of which he'll deploy later in the album. Even the simple, arresting album cover offers no easy answers: Goods' body dangles from a noose made from a mic cord -- was this self-inflicted, or a modern update of "Strange Fruit"?

Goods' refusal to be put in a box goes past his rhymes; the rich sonics and stuttering beats (many were supplied by local talents Orlando Vaughn, Davy Jones and Ace2euce) range from hard-hitting trap music to funky Soulquarian vibes. One of Goods' strengths is his willingness to not just bounce around styles and subgenres of hip-hop with comfort, but to subvert expectations and change directions within the track.

The Quiet Storm jam "Mary Go Round" is as close as the album gets to a slow grind (aided in no small part by Aloha Mi'Sho's breathy vocals), but Goods drops a particularly spitfire verse where most emcees would keep it smooth. That he ends the track with an emasculating voicemail message from his paramour is further proof that these songs thrive on conflict, tension and a refusal to play straight.

Though not overtly topical or political, Goods' best lines are rife with questions of race and identity, and this smart, searching album comes at a time when those personal questions have citywide implications. - Riverfront Times

Hailing from Nelly’s hometown, recording artist, Arshad Goods has shown no signs of slowing up in 2016. The St. Louis-based rapper just released the new visuals for his single, “4our Letter Word.” The short clip is directed by Brendan Logan, who was Emmy nominated for directing the short film, BK For Andre, under the moniker, Brendan Smith.

The fan favorite cut from Arshad’s latest album, Black Sunday, shows a playful back and forth between Arshad and his significant other that recalls the heydays of 90’s funk/soul/hip-hop groups, The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest.

Arshad’s had a busy 2016 with his song “Classic” playing in a recent episode of VH1‘s Tough Love and his song “Resurrection” being premiered on 88.1FM KDHX last week.

In addition, Arshad Goods headlined the Chronicle Charity Launch event which raised 25K for the organization who documents footage, photography and personal accounts of the Ferguson, MO conflict of 2014 to create an accurate account of history.

Arshad is known for his powerful videos, such as his latest release for “Fear No Man,” also off of Black Sunday, which you can watch the video for here, also on RESPECT.

Watch the visual for “4our Letter Word” above and purchase your copy of Black Sunday today, on Arshad Good’s website. - Respec Mag

Before heading hitting the road with Sir Michael Rocks for the Sport Coat Willie Tour in Texas next week, St. Louis' Arshad Goods drops off two, brand new records.

On the Bam-produced "Everybody" and "Famous" (produced by NonDrifter), Arshad documents what it's like to be a celebrity in his own right, and having to deal with constant rollercoaster flux of ups and downs, as well as "the risk and reward." Listen below and purchase tickets for the Sport Coat Willie Tour here. - 2dopeboyz

With all the news out of Ferguson over the past year that has been relevant and important to the hip hop community, I want to clue you in about one of the area's artists standing for change. Tino is a St. Louis native and has come up as one of the city’s most talented MCs. Not only is his lyrical style conscious and clean, but he truly stands for positivity and opportunity for the young people in his community.

After the controversy and tragedy in Ferguson involving Michael Brown, Tino took it upon himself to send a positive message to the Lou and his peers. Today, he links up with fellow STL native Arshad Goods to revisit their “Sh’oll Know” single with visuals shot in Ferguson. - Thisis50.com

Check out Arshad Goods with his exclusive on what we expect from him in projects to come! Could we be looking at the next to join the Super Jam stage for next year? - WHHL HOT 104.1

A Solid Hip Hop Project That Leaves you Wanting More

Keeping your ear close to the street is important in a city with so much talent. While exchanging texts with Roach a talented photographer and branding expert he hipped me to Black Sunday. It did not take me long to find out what all the excitement was surrounding Arshad Goods audio masterpiece. Take a listen to the project and you will see what all the fuss is about also!

Stream Black Sunday below but be sure to purchase the project from his bandcamp! - Delux Magazine

Arshad Goods took a unique route to a music career. As a graduate student studying electrical engineering at Purdue, Goods realized he was not happy with the path he was on. He finished school, moved back to St. Louis, and recorded a voice-memo of himself rapping on his phone. Goods sent the file to his sister and his friend, who gave him positive feedback. Now, he's one of the city's most promising new artists.

Your path to music was unconventional. When you were in graduate school at Purdue, was there a specific moment when you thought to yourself “I want to do something else?”

It wasn’t actually while I was at school. When I was at Purdue I was in a Ph.D. program, and I wasn’t happy, to say the least. I knew I wanted to leave, but I figured I’d get my master’s degree first, so I finished my requirements and left immediately. I honestly don’t know if I actually got a degree from there, because I left as soon as I was done.

Is that when you decided you wanted to fully pursue rap?

I guess the moment that really sparked it in me was seeing the Batman Movie, the one with Bane. The scene when they’re in the underground prison trying to climb up the wall and they ask, “How do you make it up?” and the answer is to do it without a rope or safety line—the next day I think I maxed out a credit card at the Guitar Center.

Has your education shaped the way you approach making music?

Definitely. I think education of any kind changes the way you approach things. In engineering, you have to be clear-minded and have a clear hypothesis, then do things in the right way. I think that’s helped me with making music, and with time management.

When you took the leap into music, who were your biggest influences?

There were so many. All the different kinds of music I listened to growing up: jazz, hip-hop, soul music… all of these influenced me. And a lot of it was the support from my sister and my friends who encouraged me to make the kind of music I wanted to.

Much of your music is extremely personal and intimate. Would you say that the intimacy behind your songs is what makes you so intriguing as a rapper?

To say what sets it apart, you know, is hard, because this is art. I write about my experiences, which is a wide-range of things.

You’ll be performing at LouFest U in Forest Park later this summer. Is it special for you to be performing at such a prominent event in your hometown?

Definitely. Especially when you’re talking about local artists, there’s a stigma in the city. Only certain kinds of people go to local shows, so it’s cool that LouFest has the finances to pay local acts, and that it’s not us performing for free. It’s a big thing that they have finances to bring in regional and national acts because I know that I’ll be able to get some exposure to an audience that might not have gone to a local show. Especially when you’re independent, it’s a huge thing, because that can be the momentum that you need.

In your song, “Fear No Man,” you have a line about hating the way the media portrays St. Louis. Do you think your music is directly influenced by the city?

Yeah, I kept seeing things about drugs and syphilis and STDs and stuff like that. It was just random articles that I would see about St. Louis that I didn’t think were highlighting any positives. And then Mike Brown happened. I wrote a lot of "Black Sunday" way before anything happened with Mike Brown, it’s just that history repeats itself until things actually get addressed. So It’s sad. Not to say I knew about Mike Brown, but I knew that what I was talking about would probably always be relevant in this country.

LouFest U will be a crowd of almost exclusively university students, and you’ve obviously been in their shoes before. What advice would you give them as they look to begin careers in their respective areas?

So much comes to mind. I would say there’s value in learning what you don’t want to do, almost as much as learning what you do want to do. So if you go to school and realize “Hey, I kind of don’t like accounting,” or whatever, it is that you’re getting a degree in, that’s OK. It’s still important information. Another big thing is to actually make a choice. A lot of the time it’s as simple as making a decision on what you want to do and following through on the work. If you know that 80 percent of people won’t put in the extra mile, then make sure you put in the extra mile. Most people won’t even do the first mile, so if you can do the extra mile, then it will set you ahead of a lot of people that might be trying to do the same thing.

Arshad Goods performs at LouFest U on September 8. The event runs 4-10 p.m. and is free to any student with a valid student ID. Find it at LouFest's 2017 festival site on the Upper Muny Grounds and Festival Plaza in Forest Park. - St. Louis Magazine

Arshad Goods took a unique route to a music career. As a graduate student studying electrical engineering at Purdue, Goods realized he was not happy with the path he was on. He finished school, moved back to St. Louis, and recorded a voice-memo of himself rapping on his phone. Goods sent the file to his sister and his friend, who gave him positive feedback. Now, he's one of the city's most promising new artists.

Your path to music was unconventional. When you were in graduate school at Purdue, was there a specific moment when you thought to yourself “I want to do something else?”

It wasn’t actually while I was at school. When I was at Purdue I was in a Ph.D. program, and I wasn’t happy, to say the least. I knew I wanted to leave, but I figured I’d get my master’s degree first, so I finished my requirements and left immediately. I honestly don’t know if I actually got a degree from there, because I left as soon as I was done.

Is that when you decided you wanted to fully pursue rap?

I guess the moment that really sparked it in me was seeing the Batman Movie, the one with Bane. The scene when they’re in the underground prison trying to climb up the wall and they ask, “How do you make it up?” and the answer is to do it without a rope or safety line—the next day I think I maxed out a credit card at the Guitar Center.

Has your education shaped the way you approach making music?

Definitely. I think education of any kind changes the way you approach things. In engineering, you have to be clear-minded and have a clear hypothesis, then do things in the right way. I think that’s helped me with making music, and with time management.

When you took the leap into music, who were your biggest influences?

There were so many. All the different kinds of music I listened to growing up: jazz, hip-hop, soul music… all of these influenced me. And a lot of it was the support from my sister and my friends who encouraged me to make the kind of music I wanted to.

Much of your music is extremely personal and intimate. Would you say that the intimacy behind your songs is what makes you so intriguing as a rapper?

To say what sets it apart, you know, is hard, because this is art. I write about my experiences, which is a wide-range of things.

You’ll be performing at LouFest U in Forest Park later this summer. Is it special for you to be performing at such a prominent event in your hometown?

Definitely. Especially when you’re talking about local artists, there’s a stigma in the city. Only certain kinds of people go to local shows, so it’s cool that LouFest has the finances to pay local acts, and that it’s not us performing for free. It’s a big thing that they have finances to bring in regional and national acts because I know that I’ll be able to get some exposure to an audience that might not have gone to a local show. Especially when you’re independent, it’s a huge thing, because that can be the momentum that you need.

In your song, “Fear No Man,” you have a line about hating the way the media portrays St. Louis. Do you think your music is directly influenced by the city?

Yeah, I kept seeing things about drugs and syphilis and STDs and stuff like that. It was just random articles that I would see about St. Louis that I didn’t think were highlighting any positives. And then Mike Brown happened. I wrote a lot of "Black Sunday" way before anything happened with Mike Brown, it’s just that history repeats itself until things actually get addressed. So It’s sad. Not to say I knew about Mike Brown, but I knew that what I was talking about would probably always be relevant in this country.

LouFest U will be a crowd of almost exclusively university students, and you’ve obviously been in their shoes before. What advice would you give them as they look to begin careers in their respective areas?

So much comes to mind. I would say there’s value in learning what you don’t want to do, almost as much as learning what you do want to do. So if you go to school and realize “Hey, I kind of don’t like accounting,” or whatever, it is that you’re getting a degree in, that’s OK. It’s still important information. Another big thing is to actually make a choice. A lot of the time it’s as simple as making a decision on what you want to do and following through on the work. If you know that 80 percent of people won’t put in the extra mile, then make sure you put in the extra mile. Most people won’t even do the first mile, so if you can do the extra mile, then it will set you ahead of a lot of people that might be trying to do the same thing.

Arshad Goods performs at LouFest U on September 8. The event runs 4-10 p.m. and is free to any student with a valid student ID. Find it at LouFest's 2017 festival site on the Upper Muny Grounds and Festival Plaza in Forest Park. - St. Louis Magazine