Serious Songwriter: James “SoSoon” Gantt
James “SoSoon” Gantt
Location:
New York, NY, USA
Tell us about yourself:
My name is SoSoon which is an acronym for Sound Of Something Out Of Nothing. I'm a New York City born and raised Hip-Hop artist. My music reflects the black working class experience, which is a culmination of the highs and lows within said experience. My music could be best described as lyrical and conceptual storytelling.
Name of your most recent release:
Why are you a songwriter?
I've dedicated over half of my life to this craft because it has been the one thing in my life that I feel passionate about. Years ago, I thought I'd stop making music because I was disappointed with my limited audience reach. I couldn't stop though. Concepts always enter my mind. Living in New York inspires me. Current events inspire me. Love inspires me. Songwriting has always been the go to space to channel these inspirations.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
In 2016 I curated a rap themed youth competition that provided two young New Yorkers the opportunity to travel to Paris for an artistic exchange with French rappers and elected officials. The goal of the competition was to help young people between the ages of 14 and 24 understand the importance of civic engagement and social justice.
Share the most interesting writing experience you ever had:
My most recent release (link above). I did not enter 2020 with the intent of creating this project but I was able to write, record, mix and release my project within 2 months. Prior to this, I'd never recorded or mixed my own project which adds to the joy I feel. I call this an interesting writing experience because of the 5 solo albums I have under my belt, I'd never locked in with such a focus and level of success. All of my previous projects took 3 or more years to start and complete, and while I am proud of each of them, I feel like I hit a new level with my most current project.
What makes you unique as a songwriter?
Rap feels very oversaturated which has its pros and cons. I try not to focus on the cons. That said, I think that my use of cadence is a unique skillset that I have honed in the recording and performance of my music. I also think that my approach to song conceptualization is unique to my peers in the genre.
If you could write with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
Stevie Wonder because he is a multi-talented genius with a mastery of musicality.
How can the Serious Songwriter community help you?
I want to continue to evolve as a songwriter by making music that is relatable to more people. I want to remain the conceptual songwriter I am, and continue to utilize the skillsets that I believe set me apart from other writers however I want to make music that appeals to a larger group of people. One of my biggest goals is to get into song licensing which uses some unique skillsets that I feel qualified to learn on my own, but believe that I could learn in a community space such as Serious Songwriter.
What can you help the Serious Songwriter community with?
Self confidence and using minimal resources for maximum gain. One of the things I've been successful at this year is finding accessible and affordable resources to make music and create content for my YouTube and social media pages. I'm also a great listener and known by all of my friends, family and artist peers as a nonjudgemental person.
Fun Fact About You:
I have a word search tattoo on my arm which contains 10 words and phrases of my artistic inspirations (i.e. Music is Art | Art is Life | Spoken Word, etc.). The tattoo was published in a book years ago that highlights font types in word-based tattoos.