Tremelle

Our WorldArts Spotlight Artist for October is T-mell! Aka Tremelle Wiltz, this Reno native is now in the Windy City sharing his faith through his hip-hop artistry and uplifting sound. T-mell sat down with WorldArts to talk about how he got his start, his upcoming CD, and his plans to hit the Apollo stage in New York City!

1) How did you get started in music?

One of my best friends growing up named Big Tone (now, Darth Tone) was a popular local rapper in Reno, NV. He would always push me and my friends to write music and eventually I fell in love with it. I would be his hype man at shows and watch him record at studios. That led me to me getting opportunities and it took off from there.

2) How did you hear about WorldArts?

I heard about WorldArts through Tunecore, which I use to distribute my music digitally. I love the mission of WorldArts, it’s great for artists!

3) What’s the music scene like in The Biggest Little City in the World (Reno,NV)?

The music scene in Reno is very alive, so many great young artists, but it’s still budding. Local support is great for mainstream artists, but local artists find it hard to gain traction. The city has gotten behind a few people and definitely shown me love, but a local rap artist has yet to be fully backed, the way other cities back their own artists. As I’ve lived in Chicago for the past year, I see how people in Chicago back the local artists, they blow up here, then get national recognition. It’s so important for the hometown to put you on. I would love for Reno to get behind more people, because they have some diamonds waiting in the rough.

4) Tell us about how your faith inspires you creatively?

Presently, I’m more creative than I’ve ever been. Making clubs songs is easy and doesn’t take much thought. My faith compels to explore my emotions and state of being, which releases ideas, I would’ve never dreamed of otherwise. I can truly feel the Holy Spirit come over me, as I write songs that will touch people’s souls.

5) If you could go on tour with any artist (past or present) who would it be?

This is the question that forced me to take a while to respond, wow! If I could tour with anyone, it would be an Emcee/Spoken Word Artist from St. Louis , MO named Jackie-Hill Perry. She reminds many people of Lauryn Hill, who would be number two on the list. I would choose Jackie, because she speaks the most truth of anyone else I hear. Her faith influences her music and she isn’t afraid to say what she believes. She has a powerful voice, phenomenal wordplay, and she just makes wonderful music. The scary part is her spoken word might be even better than her music!

6) What’s your ‘go-to’ karaoke song?

Only you – Ashanti, no doubt! Shortly followed by “In The Air Tonight” – Phil Collins

7) WorldArts is all about giving tools and opportunities to artists. What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

Have the most confidence in the room. Talent only gets you so far, to be successful your work ethic and grind has to be twice as much as your skill.

8) If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

The Radio system. Radio stations purposeful play ignorant music to keep our minds numb. The radio needs a heavy dose of music that reaches beyond the flesh and touches the soul. It’s so sad.

9) What can you tell us about your upcoming ‘The Adventures of Young T-mell (Vol. 2): Raindrops’ which drops on October 14th?

This is one of the best hip-hop CD’s to come out in a long time. The way I approach releasing records is as a fan of music. I record every song with intentions of it being a classic. The goal is for people to listen to the CD from cover to cover, not wanting to skip a song. The CD deals with the soul: our brokenness, temptations, failures, our longing for affection and ultimate longing to know God. It’s very transparent, it brings you down, lifts you up and keeps your head nodding as you travel through emotions. My favorite song on the CD is “Trust in the LORD”, however most people love “Come Back” and “Raindrops” the most.

10) What next on the horizon for you?

I will be doing shows and events around Chicago, introducing myself to the city. Most recently, I was invited to compete on Amateur Night at the Apollo in New York in February. This is one my biggest dreams, I’ve always wanted to win the Apollo, so I feel so blessed right now. - Dwight Wells