Fryenation shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Fryenation, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
Right now, I’m chasing happiness and personal peace within myself. After the sudden back-to-back passing of my parents and grandmother, my entire world came to a halt. I didn’t/couldn’t make music, pull myself out of bed, or even engage with anyone for the longest time. This chapter of my life, hands down, has been the lowest I’ve ever been, but I noticed everything I loved until this point started to die along with me. As an artist, I feel the heavy responsibility to carry on the talents, teachings, and experiences I’ve gone through in life. I can’t let the support and audience I’ve built be abandoned due to my emotional trauma. Instead, I’m going to use this pain to create the next few chapters of my life that all I’ve lost knew I could.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Fryenation. I’m an artist from Washington DC with a long track list of high energy performances alongside some of the most notorious names such as Travis Scott, Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg, and more. My music and presence is an exact translation of my life directly through sound & aesthetic. With a wide variety in genre and overall feel, I’ve been able to reach a vast demographic of listeners from all over the world. The brand, since its origin, has grown from just music, to merchandise, live curated events with other collaborators, and more. Currently, I’ve been releasing singles monthly for the past 4 months and plan to continue that trend until the beginning of the year in 2026 where I plan to focus on visuals, live performances, and building more of a physical presence after such a long hiatus from the performance circuit both in my city, and ideally, worldwide.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I think the two people who’ve always seen me for who I am, without a doubt, have always been my mother and sister. I speak all the time about how at an early age my mom & sis would teach me how to sing and control my voice. The best memories I have are of them singing throughout the house as a child. As I grew older, I looked up to them so much even though I didn’t believe myself to be a singer or have anywhere near as much natural talent as they had. However, they would always reassure me that I was destined to have another lane within music that would be specifically for me. Fast forward many years after discovering that lane, I often laugh at how I’m just now finding traits about myself both as an artist an individual that I never saw in myself before when they did. I didn’t think I was a singer, but a rapper, and that dictated a huge portion of both my identity and sound as an artist for the longest time. Now however, I find a lot more of my music to be vocal based and it’s funny. I remember recording many days and my mom would pop in the room and begin to coach me on how she wants me to hit certain notes. I would sometimes actually get upset because it’s like, “mom, THIS is how the line should be delivered.” She would say her part and just laugh, but now those same notes she spoke on, with skill and time, are naturally coming through in current songs that completely change how people hear my music.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I like to remember the phrase: “suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” That one quote has been so symbolic to my life because, honestly, it feels within the last 4-5 years all I & my family has known is suffering. I was always taught to believe God gives his toughest battles to his strongest warriors, and that if you’re too close to the blessings he has intended for you, then the Devil will do everything in his power to deter you from obtaining it. I feel as though, while I hate to have lost so much, if I don’t go through this storm now, I’ll never see the vivid rainbow I’ve always wanted for me & my family. What comes easy is never worth it, and my life has been the furthest thing from easy. I hope it pays off.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I do believe the public version of me is my truest self in every way, both as an individual as well as an artist. I don’t believe in gimmicks, nor do I believe in “selling a character” to gain attention. When I create music, yet alone present it to the public, I’m in a full state of transparency that at some level often even scares me. It’s not easy when your entire being and heart is out on a plate for people to pick over at their own will, but in the end, it’s the only way I’ll ever have true peace and happiness. I don’t want my success to be based on a lie and/or image that doesn’t correlate with who I am internally.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing?
From my recent experience, I think I’m going to regret not sacrificing certain vices, possessions, and other material things that I use in order to cope with my stress, depression, and state of well being sooner than later. There’s a lot of money that I could be using that goes into “survival expenses” versus “building expenses.” While there are a lot of things I can/should do in between that would compensate for that, it’s a matter of personal will that I first have to accept full responsibility for. Only then can I use that personal awareness and knowledge to my advantage and capitalize on my full potential.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/fryenation
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/fryenation
- Twitter: https://x.com/FRYExNATION
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FRYENATION
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/FRYENATION
Image Credits
Jordan.mov
Juwanuwild
Jack Wiles
Antione Frye
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
