Meet Josh Blaines

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Josh Blaines. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi JOSH, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

In this copy & paste era we live in, I genuinely enjoy, “going against the grain.” Finding what works FOR ME & honing on those specific things/traits.. I CREATE music that I would wanna listen to FIRST before the public even gets a crack at it.. “Would this resonate w/ me?” Does this, “STAND OUT?”

Since a teen, I’ve ALWAYS gotten a kick out of being, “rebellious.” Dressing differently, tying my shoes differently, etc. U name it.. I think being yourself has MANY perks BUT requires TRUE inner confidence.. Something MOST lack..This ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY WE ALL so desperately wanna live & coexist in requires SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THE NORM!! SOMETHING NEW SOMETHING DIFFERENT SOMETHING APPEALING TO THE EYE.. The music is secondary.. YOUR authenticity is FIRST!! BE YOU BE DIFFERENT

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I was born Matthew T. Montgomery February 16th, 1993. I spent most of my early childhood growing up overseas in England, Germany, Spain. I grew up w/ 2 Air Force parents. My dad working swing shifts while my Mom raised me. In 1996, my Dad received orders to California where we lived in the desert up until Fall 1998. We celebrated my baby brother’s 1st birthday while packed up & drove from California to Bossier City, Louisiana & that’s REALLY WHERE MY ENTIRE LIFE CHANGED!!!

The CREOLE COCKPIT. We call it, “THE BOOT.”

When my parents split in the early 2000’s, my grandpa & his girlfriend packed up everything & moved down from Virginia to help my Mom while she pursued her degree as a teacher; taking night classes at LSUS. These were MY middle school years growing up in Louisiana. WAYYYYY BEFORE my first music video NESSY. Way before joining MY FIRST rap group DKMG. Way before I even went by the stage name, “Lil’ Slim” hahaha.

My cousin Mychal (8years older than me at the time) introduced me to HIP-HOP at an early age in my grandma’s basement, but LOUISIANA has & ALWAYS WILL shape my music.. Living out there for 18yrs sharpened my sword as a musician.. It has taken my music to a WHOLE ‘NOTHER WORLD!! I will NEVER forget where I COME FROM!!!! ..always

From proving myself to VETERAN artists in my neighborhood to getting kicked off my own song to being part of a RAP GROUP to releasing my FIRST mixtape in high school (DatPiff LiveMixtapes era) to getting signed to an indie label at 19 to investing in MYSELF & buying my OWN studio equipment to teaching myself how to engineer in 2013 to packing up EVERYTHING & moving to Jacksonville, FL & eventually starting my OWN RECORD LABEL (Spoken Wordz) to EVERYTHING falling apart, losing life-long friendships, family, & MYSELF along the way.. RESILIENCE isn’t the word.. It’s an understatement..

I released MY FIRST album Summer of 2024 & shot music videos to ALL 7 SONGS!!! BEASTMODE MUSIC VIDEO COMING THIS FEBRUARY!!!!!! 😉

I create for the people LIKE MYSELF that need a get away or just wanna take their minds somewhere elsewhere before a stressful shift. Do I motivate? MAYBE.. I aim to INSPIRE!! I look at MY MUSIC as a story that needs to be heard!! We ALL have a voice 😉

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back on my journey, EVERYTHING I’ve learned, was from just trial & error.. I TOOK ABSOLUTELY NO SHORTCUTS ONCE SO EVER!!!! & I WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING!! The road less traveled shaped me tremendously!!

I’ve learned that GOD isolates YOU from the rest of world because HE has SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU & YOU ONLY, so don’t feel alone… Something game-changing is coming YOUR WAY & it’s for YOU & YOU ONLY.. I can’t tell u how many times I’ve blocked my own blessings from having way too many people around at the time.. Sharing MY OWN BLESSINGS w/ ALL the wrong people.. TOO MANY people give up right before THEIR BLESSINGS present themselves too!! PUSH THRU!!!!! TRUST

Learning to engineer has saved me COUNTLESS TIME & MONEY so taking that skill set for granted is something I’LL NEVER DO!! It puts me in a self-reliant position: NOT NEEDING ANYONE to help me create!! That’s POWERFUL in just itself!! Even if I’m not the best, it’s STILL good to have that in my back pocket. I FULLY mixed & mastered Rainy Dayz & Unforgettable off of my debut album, “UP TA NO GOOD” all by myself so w/ practice, so can you.. I impressed myself hahaha

Embrace being MISUNDERSTOOD!!! The same people calling u a weirdo will convince THE WORLD on how much of a GENIUS u were years later!! Embrace being everything they’re NOT!! Embrace standing on your OWN 2 & standing firmly on what u feel is RIGHT!! Embrace YOUR OWN creativity.. It’s YOURS!! nobody else’s.. Embrace your own style.. Embrace giving THE WORLD your story.. EMBRACE your own STEEZ.. QUIT copycat’n n just BE YOU!!!

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

BEING COMFORTABLE w/ putting MYSELF + MY MUSIC out there for THE WORLD to see/judge.. Promoting my ALBUM. Dealing w/ the NEGATIVE criticism; getting made fun of/hate comments. Feeling like this sh*t ISN”T RESONATING WITH ANY ONE at times!!!! Giving my all.. feeling like it’s NOT ENOUGH!! Feeling like it’s time to “grow up.” Looking CRINGE still pursuing a high school dream in my thirties lol. (I turn 32 in February)

AT FIRST, it was VERY uncomfortable.. NOW I EMBRACE IT!! I LOVE IT 😉

EVERYONE HAS THIS IDEA ON HOW I SHOULD BE LIVING MY LIFE, BUT I’M THE ONLY ONE WAKING UP EVERYDAY & LIVING IT.. NOT THEM!! SO DO WHAT MAKE YOU HAPPY!! Protect your bubble, It’s YOURS!! I have that hanging up on my closet door. I walk past it/look at it EVERYDAY!! It’s my mantra 🙂

I enjoy giving THE WORLD a piece of ME. Each n every day… ONE LOVE!!

Jxsh Blaines Wuz Here..

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Felix Graner (Graner Photography)
Kiana Fowler
Oksana Wagner (Kseniya Wagner)

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