Jamaican rapper and freshman at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music Tydell Brown — also known as the artist TyBass — is perpetually creating with no plan to stop.

Growing up, Brown’s family affirmed him of his skill, power and intelligence that they thought could easily land him in politics or even the presidential chair if he properly applied himself. This unconditional support, coupled with his ability as a natural leader and intense care for his community, tied a pretty bow for Brown around the idea of a politically-involved future.

“I was always really fascinated with foreign affairs and sh-t that happens in other countries,” Brown said to WSN. “I used to have dinners with my local political people so I could be social and see how sh-t was happening. The more time I spent with them, the more familiar I got with how politics actually work and I noticed they were just lying and I hated it.”

This abrupt realization prompted Brown to reevaluate his life plan.

“What am I going to do to influence the world and make change without having to lie to people?” Brown questioned.

Brown has always made music, having written his feelings down as poetry his entire life. But Brown, only exposed to reggae at home and wanting to experience other music genres, had to sneak out in order to listen to the radio.  

“One person that stuck out to me was Bob Marley,” Brown said. “He never had to run for office, but he was someone that shifted the entire political climate of Jamaica without ever having to become a politician. I was like, ‘I want to influence people and inspire them to do sh-t!’”

Cognizant of the specific influence artists have on other people, Brown’s relationship with music blossomed. Different symbols stick out to him throughout the course of an average day that inspire his creative process, which is full of perspective and intention.

“You have to be open and vulnerable 24/7,” he explained. “A lot of the time, I’m on autopilot … I’m physically here, but mentally and spiritually not present because I’m just in my head observing everything, writing or seeing how things inspire me.”  

“One thing I always want to do is make people feel,” Brown said. “Everyone is so focused on being cool and having clout and doing all this non-human shit that they forget that it’s okay to have feelings — I just want to make it cool for people to feel like themselves.”

Now, he says, Clive Davis is providing him with the technical knowledge of music that his natural talent never provided him — teaching him to read notes and sing in scales, for instance. With this teaching, he dreams his art can bring him close to those who consume it. Brown is not here for sitting around and hoping an opportunity falls on his lap. He believes limits are fabricated in the mind and need to be destroyed in order to succeed. Determination, motivation and inspiration can lead anyone to finesse anything.

“Stop trying and do it, life is what you make it,” Brown said. “The only thing getting in the way of what you want to do is yourself. Lost time is gone forever, if you’re not doing sh-t — that’s time going by.”

Email Avani Jurakhan at [email protected].