Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sean R. AKA LAVISH. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sean R., thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
My whole life I have battled with being a standout character in this story called life. As a child my family couldn’t afford to buy me the “designer style” and couldn’t dress me in the same clothes everyone else was wearing. As a youth growing up in the public school system, it was definitely a struggle being the standout. As I matured and started learning who I was and who I wanted to be, I learned to embrace my uniqueness. Whether it was the shoes I wore or the clothes I styled, or even my hair styles, I always managed to keep it 100% authentic.
In high school is when I learned that looking like everyone else and fitting into the box everyone is put in, was not my goal in life. I started frequenting my local thrift stores looking for any shirt, tie, shoes, pants, etc… that stuck out and was “loud”. By loud I always aimed for eye catching attire. As a senior I was voted best dressed in my class, and I’ve taken that with me and applied it to my music and “brand” as Lavish.
Instead of making the music and content everyone wants me to, I experiment with almost every song I release. Any time I try to follow in suit and walk other people’s lines, I get no recognition. But, when I do my own thing and have fun with the creative process, and show vulnerability, that’s when I see the results that I wanted from the jump. I’ve learned in my 26 years of life, the people we deem as celebrities and desirable are never the people who conform to societal norms, it’s always people who push the boundaries of entertainment and content.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As I reflect on the journeys I’ve taken in life, I have to realize it’s not the same cut dry path most people take. In 26 years of life, I have done more than most people have or ever will do. I chose to take the not so functionally correct paths in life. While my friends graduated high school and went to college, I decided to travel the world. While friends and family started building careers and starting businesses, I was performing for sold out venues. When people around me decided to be realistic and turn their backs on dreams, I found motivation in that to continue following my dreams.
As of January 2024, I have produced my own music videos, taught myself to engineer music, taught myself to edit film and learn digital art. As of 2024 I have received over 500k plays on my music and gathered over 2.5k followers on all platforms. It’s by no means the finish line but it’s a lot farther than most people ever thought I’d get.
What to EXPECT:
I just released an EP on January 17th called “LavishlyPosted” and it’s 4 songs that are unlike anything I’ve made before. It’s a step in the direction I want to take my music/brand. I recently performed in Washington State on New Years Eve, and it was the first time since 2019 and it relit the fire to want to perform again. This year, 2024, I have at least a dozen songs I’ve been asked to feature on being released, as well as 2 more albums. The 3rd and final one of the year will be my “debut” album as LAVISH and it has music from the last 3 years composed together to show who I am as a human/father/artist.
If people want to collaborate or work together I urge anyone to reach out on social media at @Lavishlyposted
or via email at ebestudiomgmt@gmail.com
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The 3 most important things to me are learning self-perseverance, music/visual engineering, and patience.
The first, self-perseverance, is the most important thing that you must learn to be successful. You have to learn to motivate yourself and also how to congratulate yourself. Everyone wants admiration and applause from people around them and sometimes you just don’t receive the type of support you’re wanting. You have to be able to tell yourself ” I did my best and I’M happy with this outcome.” I’ve had people tell me a song/album is garbage, those same songs/albums received over 50k-100k plays and caused strangers on the internet to tell me I did great and to keep going. Self-perseverance is key to be successful. You have to be able to tell yourself you’re doing good, even when people don’t see it.
The second skill I believe that helped me was learning musical and visual engineering. I always wanted to go to school for music production but never had the money or support to do so. Instead of telling myself my dreams are over, I spent over 6 years teaching myself and learning the ins and outs of my editing programs. We live in a time that you can learn anything on the internet or at least find platforms that allow you to seek help and guidance from professionals. As an independent artist, it’s not possible to pay someone to record and edit your voice, pay someone to film a music video for you and edit it, pay someone to promote your music, pay someone to make cover art for you. By the end of it all, you have no money for normal day to day life like bills, rent, food, gas. So, teaching myself made a huge difference in how I perceive myself as well as how others perceive me.
The third skill is Patience. Patience, I think is something you cannot learn from someone else. You can seek guidance in how to become patient but at the end it’s 100% up to YOU as an individual to learn the skill. As a musical artist I wanted to blow up by 18 and become the next household name or to go viral, but it doesn’t always play out that way. I had to learn to keep on going and not to give up. I’ve had friends give up and stop making music. I’ve performed in circuits with people who one day just give up and move onto the next idea/dream. When you look at famous people you learn that it’s all a waiting game. I tell myself everyday Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his breakout role until he was 42 years old. At 40 years old, Jelly Roll won the best new artist of 2023. It’s about patience and evolving your skills, it’s a marathon not a sprint.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for other creative minds to collaborate with. Whether that’s other rappers, or singers, or even digital artists or directors. I am a 1 man show when it comes to developing my styles and “brand” and would love help with it. As of 2023 I have focused on collaborating with singers and song writers, but would love to collaborate with more people on the visual side of music.
My ideal people to collaborate with are people who have a love for musical arts and who are open minded. Someone who can give and get criticism. I am always open to ideas as well as constructive criticism. It doesn’t matter age, style, or fanbase. I prefer working with people who are still developing a sound or developing a face on the internet.
I would also love to collaborate with clothing brands or companies that produce products, as to be an “influencer”. I love fashion and styles that stick out from the norms that have evolved to this day. I would love to rep brands I genuinely enjoy. In all my music videos and almost all my pictures I rep a brand called “Prolific” they are great quality and just my style.
If YOU are an artist or brand or even someone who wants to talk music/business please find me on Twitter/X, Instagram, or Tiktok at @Lavishlyposted OR reach out to me at ebestudiomgmt@gmail.com
I look forward to meeting new creatives and entrepreneurs!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavishlyposted/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LavishlyPosted
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGw9nLNazf1h0M3-1vzcUFQ
Image Credits
All Images were taken by myself (Lavish) and any edited song covers were edited/made by myself (Lavish).
