Nūes, oftewel ‘Never Underestimate Extraordinary Souls', oftewel Craig Palm, de keuze aan jullie. Nog zo iemand die hier eigenlijk niet aan bod zou komen, ware het niet dat Revolution een inspirerende boodschap brengt, op een visueel sterke manier én de man net iets minder hiphopt dan hji gewoonlijk laat horen. Want meneer Palm is een 'indie' muzikant met roots in de Chicago hip-hop en underground electronic scene, niet echt onze tas tee dus.
Luister ook naar: Okay Mission Statement (A Narrative of Hope)
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My music story starts in the basements of Chicago. From freestyle rapping for fun then onto national tours just a few years later, it was a crazy journey. Music was the furthest thing from my mind as far as a career. But my older brother/manager urged me to record some songs professionally in a studio, and I eventually had a mixtape that was solid enough to get me some gigs at the hottest night clubs in the city. I grinded on the scene for almost two years while I was trying to balance my 9 to 5. Struggling financially and at a crossroads….but after growing a local buzz, an investor saw potential and stepped in. He wanted to take things to the next level, so we formed our own label and the whole camp moved to LA in 2011 and things were off and running.
Fairly quickly, I had some songs pop off on some blogs and before I knew it, I was opening for some of the hottest acts in the country, most notably the late great Mac Miller. RIP forever. I went on a six city string of shows for his sold-out TX run – performing in front of 1,500+ cap rooms. Those were some of the most inspiring moments of my life getting to see his stage presence and energy he created. Soon after, I had my own 25-city college market tour and invited a young Machine Gun Kelly to join me before he got signed by Diddy. It was crazy. We had built this all from the ground-up and had made it all the way to LA.
But the worst was ahead…many, many things contributed to the downfall that was around the corner. Egos, drugs, broken trust, large sums of money being spent unwisely and non-stop tension led to the whole label and machine imploding. Less than nine months after being in LA, it was all over and I was stuck in a dramatic war with attorneys and trying to get released from the contract I was locked into after the investor called it quits.
Flat broke and no momentum, with no idea what to do with music, I rolled my sleeves up and went back to the 9 to 5 life to try to get my next chapter in life moving…knowing that someday, somehow I would get back into music. I slept on couches, extra rooms friends had, even stayed in a mobile home park in Orange County before I landed a job in 2013 and settled in Venice. Feeling like such a failure after everyone truly believed I was on my way to something big in the music game, I knew I just needed to stay positive and focus on this new life. To find my own way, fend for myself. I worked tireless hours on the phone in a high pressure sales role, rode the bus to work at 530am for the first 2 years, and hustled incredibly hard to save money during what would be a nearly eight years hiatus from music.
In full-circle fashion, after 7 years of sweat and grind, I recently left my 9 to 5 to give music another shot full-time. The songs started flowing again and coming from the heart. I knew I was ready to give it another go. In 2019, a game-changer was joining forces with LA’s Scotty Postl on the lenses. We shot over 15 music videos in less than a few months. We took epic adventures across Alaska, Oaxaca, Mexico and Joshua Tree to capture all the epic visuals. I’m now prepped and ready to drop my debut album “INDIE” this fall. 10 songs, accompanied by 10 videos!
I’m fully confident in the vision and more ready than ever to get back on stage and share my story…my message of light, forgiveness and love with the world. At 37 years young, I hope I can inspire anyone out there, no matter what their dream is, that it’s never too late…never. My future is in my own hands now and nobody else can stop that or hinder my vision. Leading with love and having full faith in what I am doing is all that matters now.
This is hope…this is perseverance…this is The Nūes. I’m most proud of all the visuals on the way. Every one of my music videos are shot among epic naturescapes like Alaska, Mexico, and the stunning vibes of Joshua Tree which sets me apart in my own lane; combining nature and music for a unique experience for all listeners and viewers.
On top of those, I’ve put my heart on my sleeve to share my story through two mini-doc series on the way. First will be “Faith Through Fire”, a 4-episode mini-series which documents my present day life and finding internal peace after chaos.
And “Long Road Home” is coming later this year as well; an 8-episode mini-series detailing my humble beginnings in the Midwest, live tour footage, into the steady climb and devastating fall.
