Introducing California’s Own GRANDVIEW


“My lyrics focus on youthful optimism and the almost delusional idea that everything will work out exactly as I envision it will.”

-GRANDVIEW

Today we had a chance to sit down with California’s very own GRANDVIEW! From Manhattan Beach to be exact. With over 500,000 streams total, he’s definitely been making waves as of recently with his releases. From his lyricism all the way to the top notch production, GRANDVIEW aims to become one of the next important lyricists in this era of music. Let’s get right into it.

Billboard: What is your stage name?

GRANDVIEW. 

Billboard: Where are you from?

I was born in Queens, New York. I grew up in Manhattan Beach, California. I would consider myself a west coast artist through and through.

Billboard: What would you say the purpose of your music is?

The number one thing I’ve always wanted to do with my music is connect to each of my listeners in an authentic way. Creating music that is sonically appealing and or commercially acceptable is something that all artists strive to do, however, my interest lies more in the feeling the listeners take away from my sound. Creating a body work that is considered a classic or to the highest quality critically is also an ambition I always have my eyes on.

Billboard: Everybody’s got their own type of thing going on, what makes your music stand out?

Great question! The key aspect that I try to keep in mind with regards to my music is authenticity. Authenticity in my lyrics is a big part of that, however, I would say the authenticity of what sounds I choose to use is very important as well. My sound is heavily influenced by electronic artists like Flume and Porter Robinson, but also still rely heavily on traditional hip hop flows and cadences. Instead of choosing drums, synths or pianos that are played on the radio, my producers and I look to only choose sounds that appeal to our ears and the type of music we want to hear in the rap game. The combination of the electronic sounds and old school hip hop lyricism I think is still a very fresh and unique sound, and I aim to make it the staple of GRANDVIEW.

Billboard: How long have you been in the music industry?

I have been writing for about 7 years, recording for about 5 and only putting out GRANDVIEW music for less than a year. I feel as if I have just entered the music industry after being on and off committed to my dream for the last 7 years. I now have a team around me that is checking all the boxes of what needs to be done to put out and grow quality music.

Billboard: Who or what was your inspiration to do what you do now?

It's a pretty personal story, but when I was 18 I tragically saw a friend pass away which in turn shifted my whole perspective on how I viewed life. It took the innocence out of my mind set while also leaving me with heavy trauma. Writing in particular was the coping mechanism I used to process that trauma and I have not been able to put the pen down since.

Billboard: What are some of your milestones so far?

I’m pretty fresh to the game but I would say there are still milestones in the rearview that I can sit and appreciate. I was the opening act on LA Legends Shwayze’s fall 2021 tour which helped exponentially grow my stage presence and confidence in my live performance. (Shout out Shwayze by the way, he is one of the most genuine people I have met in the music industry) One of my tracks recently hit 250,000 total plays on Spotify while another one from my first EP is about 100,000. Most importantly though, I would say each individual DM I get from a fan is a milestone in itself. Those messages from my fans mean more than any number or unit sold could ever, and I hope that when they see this they know each one means the world to me.

Billboard: Where do you see yourself in the future with your artistry?

I see myself being one of those artists that brings a completely new sound to each one of my records.

Confidence is key and I see myself growing into an artist on the level of Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, Kanye West, and Mac Miller in the sense where you can see tangible growth and uniqueness in each body of work. I'm here to be a breath of fresh air in the music industry and I want each of my albums to push the boundaries of what fans expect.  I want to compete with myself and outdo me from last year on each body of work.

Billboard: Out of all your songs, which one is your favorite and why?

Good News is Here will forever be the record where I feel like I became GRANDVIEW. It was me reaching a level of rapping I always wanted to reach.

Billboard: How is your recording process like? What’s the ideal vibe?

Big shoutout to my executive producer and sound engineer Eli, my head in house producer and DJ Ionious and my other crazy talented in house producer Boss Vass. Eli and I have an incredible work flow that allows us to work almost 6-7 hours straight at a time during any given studio session. The sound design of tracks is very collaborative and everyone I named above has a hand in making the GRANDVIEW records sound the way they do.

Billboard: What is your dream collaboration?

I just can't name one so I'll just give a few.  First, Logic is someone I have to be on a record with when it's all said and done. The Young Sinatra series holds such a special place in my heart, and being given the opportunity to try and outrap one of my idols is something I am looking forward to. Baby Keem is someone who I would love to do a record with because I think sonically he would bring the exact type of experimentation I love to see in modern hip hop. Cordae, Marlon Craft, Redveil, Chris Patrick, Deante Hitchcock and Tana Leone are also some new school guys that I want to build a relationship with and collaborate with sooner than later.

Billboard: Anything else we should know about you?

A Vibe Called West, Vol.3 is the finale of my EP series. It will also be a statement to the entire rap game.