Ron Solemn

The artist’s mind will never fail to fascinate me. If you create and release music, you’re setting in motion an unknown chain of events. People can guess and assume, but at the end of the day, “the fans are always smarter than you,” to paraphrase John Mayer (a quote I bring up way too much). That does not mean that the artist is not smart, it means that the artist never knows exactly how the world will interpret what they let it consume. Ron Solemn, for example, released his song, “Body Bags” in 2018 and it continues to receive 10’s of thousands of plays as it climbs closer to 1 million on Spotify alone.

As Ron mentioned in the interview, “Body Bags” was one of a series of songs released in 2018, and he did not expect it to gain the traction that it did – something I find so interesting as I come across more examples of the market knowing what’s good more often than the artist.

Ron Williamson is a rapper, singer, and songwriter releasing hiphop and RnB music with a focus on mental health. He’s done this under the name Ron Solemn for the past 5 years.

In this podcast we cover:

Ron’s transition from singing to rapping and songwriting, and how friends influenced him to rap.
Gaining confidence on stage by singing covers.
Songwriting, going by feel and creating a full song from an idea.
Marketing music, and remarketing released songs.
His song, “Bodybags” and how it went viral and gained almost 1M plays.
Using music to say what’s on his mind.
And more…
Follow Ron Here

Listen to Bodybags Here

Listen to Ron on Spotify

Listen to Ron on Apple Music

Stereotype Co. and Ron Solemn Collaboration Shirt

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The Honest Hustle interview series highlights some of the amazing artists we have listened to and had the pleasure of supporting. We ask questions that will help people like us, listeners and fans, learn about the artist and discover more about their music.

For this installment we chop it up with New Jersey artist Ron Solemn.

Ron Solemn

LFL: Tell us who Ron Solemn is: Who you are, where you grew up, and anything you feel like sharing with us.

R: I’m Ron Williamson, also known as Ron Solemn. Ron Solemn is essentially the artistic, and creative side of me, my alter ego. I’m 23 years old, and I grew up in Hillside, New Jersey, a tiny town that I’ve lived in my entire life. I’m an artist determined on being heard, telling stories and spreading messages through art. Making a living through art and music is my main goal honestly.

LFL: When did you get started creating music and why?

R: I started making music back in the summer of 2013, right after graduating High School. I always had a love for singing but only in private. After going through a pretty terrible year in school and personally, I just felt the desire to sing and record vocals – which I did on my laptop. A gift I got before going to college. Singing and recording was such an emotional release, serving essentially as art therapy for me. I felt so free, and I loved it. I realized I could use my voice in creative and artistic ways to manifest the ideas in my head, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

LFL: Almost every artist considers themselves a fan of hip hop first. Are there any influences that have stood out to you?

R: My biggest influence would actually be Motown, popular funk and soul music from the 60’s, 80’s, etc. like Stevie Wonder, The Jacksons, The Temptations. These were the first artists I ever listened to and I was/am a student of their music. I honestly didn’t get into hip hop until around 2007 – 2008, when I started listening to Kanye West and Lil Wayne. These would be my first hip hop influences, especially Kanye because I loved how he told stories with his music, and it was true art, you could feel the emotions and visualize the story, like a movie. I’m not a fan of his much anymore due to all the political nonsense, but he definitely is the reason I love hip hop and rap. I’ve pretty much had to go back and study hip hop after the fact in order to fully appreciate it and understand the roots.

LFL: Who are some of the current artists you are listening to? Thoughts on current hip hop landscape?

R: Current artists I listen to are Kendrick Lamar, Bas, J.I.D. and Travis Scott, the artist I bump the most would be Travis Scott. The energy and storytelling he brings in his music is amazing and an influence as well. In terms of the overall hip-hop landscape I think we’re in a pretty tumultuous time. I respect breaking from molds and being different but I think we’ve reached rock bottom; a point where rap is more like a circus. There are a few standout, legendary artists, and artists with potential. Unfortunately, with that the game is now oversaturated, too many people want to be rappers just for the sake of it, – they lack originality and they can’t actually rap. I’m not a fan of the trendy, goofy outlandish autotune rap that’s out now. It has its time and place, at parties or for hype but it’s taking up too much of the culture in my opinion.

LFL: What do you feel is the best song you’ve ever released and why?

R: Probably “War” because it’s a great example of the sound and all the elements I want to be associated with. The beat was amazing. It bumped, had a great melody, was funky, but also had a different sound than what you usually hear. I want all my music to stand out, and to sound like actual “real” music mixed with modern rap and trap. The lyrics had the right amount of messages in them, which I always aim to include, but it’s also an upbeat song with a catchy hook that can be played in any occasion. It’s like a song made of every part of me.

LFL: How do you want to be perceived by the people who listen to your music? How can your fans get to know you better?

R: I want to be perceived as a great, revolutionary artist. One that values the art and creation and has unique ideas that can impact society for the better. I aim to make music that you can enjoy sonically but that also makes you think when you truly understand the lyrics. The goal is to create art that you can’t forget, that’s controversial and rebellious, as well as honest, and motivational. Supporters of my work could get to know me just by actually listening to my lyrics and hearing me in my songs, because I essentially tell everything in them. I’m also pretty reachable on social media like Instagram – I like conversing with others and learning about them just as much as they may want to learn about me.

LFL: As an independent artist, the struggle can be real…From school, to studio time, to work outside music, what’s a week in the life like for Ron Solemn?

R: A typical week for me is pretty average, I go to work full-time from Monday – Friday, working in customer service and dealing with annoying ass people. After I clock out I’m mostly at home working on music or art in some form, thinking of what to do next, recording a song, or trying to build my following. I also play video games like a normal dude. The social stuff like going out or chilling with friends I save for the weekend.

LFL: What are your biggest challenges as an indie artist?

R: My biggest challenge as an artist is being heard and seen. There are so many outlets now such as social media and online in general but building a fanbase of loyal supporters and getting your music noticed where it counts is the hardest obstacle of all. Everybody raps, or does music as I stated before, so it’s annoying to those outside of this interest. No one wants to give an artist a chance because it’s overwhelming having so many artists in your face trying to be heard, so when you tell someone that you do music, they laugh at you until they actually hear it. Staying motivated in these dry times, and establishing a consistent following are the hardest tasks I’ve faced.

LFL: What skills/personal attributes do you think are most important to being successful in this industry?

R: I think the most important attributes to have with this are confidence, dedication, and perseverance overall. You have to believe in yourself and your goals no matter what. Even when it seems like you’re not going anywhere or no one is behind you. You also have to consistently put content out whether you want to or not – no matter how long it takes. Years come and go and we all are waiting for our time, but giving up just makes the goal a lost cause, literally.

LFL: Based on your own journey as an artist, what would you tell a young aspiring artist just getting started?

R: I’d tell a young aspiring artist to truly think about why they want to do this, what’s driving them. I feel like if you don’t really know the reason, or it’s not genuinely what you enjoy doing that your pursuits won’t last because the energy isn’t there. We all have moments when maybe making the art isn’t the only motivation, but it still has to be something you love at your core. If you have that love and dedication then you’ll always be happy in this field and your dream can never actually die.

LFL: From an artist’s perspective, what does social media mean to you? As an artist, do you think there are more pros or cons with it?

R: Social Media is a powerful tool for any artist if used correctly, it’s all about making connections, networking, and putting yourself out there 100%. At first it was just something for me to use out of boredom or to pass the time, but once I became focused on music, I realized that I could use it to spread ideas and show my art in innovative ways. You can’t just be about yourself though or your connections will be useless. You have to want to see others win as well, and truly support them, be there for them. Any artist can use social media, but the goal is to be your best “self” through it to connect with and help others. Those are the definite pros, the only con I can think of as an artist, is that you can become a slave to it overtime. There’s a pressure to always one up yourself and put out content consistently or you’ll lose your momentum and fans. t starts to feel like a race, but I guess this keeps artists active.

LFL: If you were start your own label, what are you looking for in your first artists?

R: I’d look for originality first and foremost, because originality is what transcends trends. The goal is to be successful and known as one of the greats forever, and in order to accomplish that your music has to be relevant at all times. I’d like to work with artists that have the same mindset, and that want to be remembered as legends, always, not just in the mumble rap era or whatever comes next. The next criteria would be talent. I think demanding actual talent from artists needs to be implemented – a standard set for art. We can’t let trash fly by as art. Its unacceptable and insulting to people who are truly invested.

LFL: What is your songwriting process like?

R: My songwriting process is a feeling more than anything. I often write a couple of lines randomly throughout the day, connected to a thought or emotion I may have, but I don’t fully dive into writing a song until I hear a beat that really resonates with me. The music is everything, once I hear that it fills me with an idea or an emotion, after that, I establish a flow or melody in my head. I hum how I would rap or sing over that beat, once the melody is established I write the words to fit the flow I’m using and then finish from there. That’s about it.

LFL: What does being an artist mean to you?

R: Being an artist, to me, is vowing to show your true self and the world inside your head, to the world around you. Its devotion to your emotions and your desires, and thoughts. Living life truly free from the limitations forced by society. People let their inner child die, and they abandon their dreams to live a secure and comfortable life doing what others want and tell them to do. Being an artist is allowing yourself to be in control and not letting the world suppress the potential of your mind, or heart.

LFL: Aside from music, what other things are you passionate about?

R: Aside from music, I’m very passionate about Civil Rights, and Mental Health. I’m outspoken about racial issues, ethical issues, etc. in America and as much of the world as possible. That’s actually what I aim to be involved in along with making music. I want to work in advocacy and social justice, protesting community injustices, and raising awareness for the mentally ill. So many are neglected in society and lack adequate resources for help, I want to fight for those of us in that situation and eliminate the world’s stigma on these topics, serving as a voice for the voiceless.

LFL: It says “Become Yourself” in your Instagram bio. Care to elaborate for us?

R: Yes, “Become Yourself” is a slogan I established a few years ago, it summarizes my perspective on how people can live their best life. I recall how my personal issues with anxiety and life in general made me feel lost and alone, yet they led me back to art as my way of healing and fighting back against my struggles. Through the suffering, I found my true self in art and creation, who I am, and who I have the potential to become. I carry that message into my music and spread it with others as a call to self-discovery. Life sucks many times until it’s over, but you can still make diamonds from that pressure by living true to your energy and finding out who you really are.

LFL: Shameless plug time……Tell the people what’s next, what’s coming for Ron Solemn. Where can they find your music? What you have going on? Stage is yours.

R: I plan to keep spreading and creating from here on out. I hope to continuously grow a large and loyal fanbase of listeners and get my music out to more ears around the globe. There are songs from 2018 that I plan to make videos for, and I want them to be unfiltered, controversial, as gritty and real as I can possibly make them. I like when people are uncomfortable, and I plan to confront them with real life social issues through my music and visuals. That being said, I’m going to try to dedicate these early days of 2019 to mapping out more visuals and innovative ways to be seen. I still plan to supplement that with more songs as well, hopefully more performances too, just aiming for bigger and better overall. My music is available everywhere pretty much, YouTube (Ron Solemn), Instagram and Twitter (@ronsolemn_), Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud, Tidal, Facebook, you name it. Search Ron Solemn on any platform and I should (hopefully) pop-up. Thank you for this interview, I appreciate it greatly.

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Hillside, NJ rapper Ron Solemn is already paving the way through his conceptual analysis on the role of mental health and its impact throughout his conceptual release, Ronald, where the layout of the album features various skits, set in a therapeutic setting with a female actor with a British accent as the main character’s therapist. Ronald also features a variety of songs that experiment and blend with various genres, such as indie rock and R&B, while covering many topics such as mental health, Solemn’s life, and experiences, relationships and heartbreaks, fake personas and false realities, and much more. I had found out from the Hillside act from a brief review by Instagram music review page @liluzivertsboyfriend, where he gave the project a 7.25/10 due to the stellar themes portrayed on the project, the lyrics and concepts, and much more. To follow up on the rating, I decided to check out the project and it amazed me in a variety of ways like never before. Speaking with Ron Solemn, we discuss the New Jersey music scene, the Ronald project, mental health, and the awareness in the Black community, COVID-19 and its impact, and much more.

In his perspective, the Hillside rapper feels that New Jersey has an amazing scene in terms of the culture it instills and values, as well as the strong networking among artists and the positivity that they have for others, in which people are more willing to check out an artist’s track and listen to the impact of their sound. He also feels that the artist space within Jersey is also great. The only downside in Jersey is the competition between artists, but it varies from time to time. On his experiences with his musical history and background, Ron grew up listening to Motown, soul music and has listened to acts like Stevie Wonder and Jackson 5 as a kid. He didn’t start listening to rap music until he was thirteen years old and once he started to listen, Solemn listened to a lot of mid-2000s rap, and one of his favorite acts at the time was Kanye West and he enjoyed most of his projects like Late Registration, Graduation, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. From that part of music, it was an exact moment when Ron got into hip-hop, based on the storytelling and viewpoints.

When discussing the creative process for Ronald, Solemn stated that his reason for getting into music was through his experience in college and how it became therapeutic through the lifestyle as a coping mechanism. Towards Ronald, Solemn stated that he had gone through some relationship issues (ex. breakups) and he had experienced pain from that process and felt alone all over again. As far as the album, he wanted to create something true to himself, in which he would explain his life story and the different emotions he was experiencing and how he is trying to learn his purpose again. Knowing that the concept of mental health was a big part of Ronald, Ron explained that his purpose to display the project and seeing the impact it had was due to how mental health is the main factor in his main involvement in music. Without his experiences and struggles, his impact wouldn’t have been serious; from mental health and music, Solemn explained that his way to cope made him find his personality, and the purpose wouldn’t be right if he didn’t use his platform to speak on these issues that his listeners are suffering through. Ron mentioned his willingness to tell his story to the masses and informing the public that it is okay to be open about their insecurities and struggles with mental health, especially for minority communities.

When speaking about the importance of mental health awareness in the black community and if progress in knowing that the stigma of mental health is reduced in the community, the Hillside rapper explained that there is much work that is needed to be done, in regards to mental health awareness. In one of his tracks, Suicidal, Solemn mentioned that older generations tend to dismiss one’s issues of having mental health problems, especially in the family environment. In discussion with the environment, Ron explains that when one is suffering, it is hard to be open with any relatives with mental health issues, leading to suffering by yourself. The reason for that is if you do explain your issues, relatives will seem to think that you will be ‘psychotic’ and will ensure you to rest and feel better from that. Solemn promotes the fact that the black community should be more supportive of explaining to one another with mental health issues instead of leaving it behind closed doors and assume that one will be fine since the stigma will be reduced and progress will be made on the idea of awareness.

When explaining the COVID-19 crisis and if it has impacted him, the Hillside rapper explained that one of his goals for 2020 was to perform in many states and travel across the US and experience different moments. Although it has impacted him in that instance, his new plan is on how he can be big on the internet and spread his music all around. Knowing that this experience was a good thing due to the importance of time and a chance to reflect on his opportunities, Solemn feels that he just wants to grow in all aspects and mentioned that marketing in the music industry is hard to do due to the over-saturation of artists in the industry. With his progression and his opportunity to make a concept album and such, Ron feels that standing out and being different is essential to bringing those creative ideas to life. The rapper explained that he can drop an album with decent tracks if he wanted to, but there will be no benefit since listeners will tend to get bored easily with constant releases from him. For Solemn, his love for the storytelling process and his creative direction is what he values and he has the opportunity to drop something whenever he wants. But either way, he will always make content for the rest of the year, just not as much.

As far as his favorite artists and genres, Solemn loves all types of music besides country, but he loves indie rock, hip-hop, and R&B more, and for artists, he’s into artists like Frank Ocean and Tame Impala. As far as collaborations, the Hillside rapper wants to experiment with other genres and would like to work with notable acts like Travis Scott, Tame Impala, or any of the Dreamville rappers one day. For his other plans for the year, Ron explained that he is working on getting his released music heard to the masses, and building his brand on all of his DSPs, in which he wants to see genuine, organic numbers with his fanbase, and still drop new content as well.

Asking Ron Solemn on any final words to say for any creative or any person thinking about pursuing their dreams, and he said:

“For artists, I would just say that make sure you genuinely love doing this and you don’t have some type of side motive, like you just want to be famous for no reason because it’s not going to give you the endurance you need to make stuff like this. I’m already years in and still a beginner at the same time. Make sure you love what you’re doing or it’s not going to work out.”

Check Out his social media below:

SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/ron-solemn

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ronsolemn_/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ronsolemnofficial/

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3O9TR4sFUYGfeFeBbn7MNz

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ronsolemn_?lang=en - Lens of Yashu