Indie Music

Indie Music Artist Spotlight – Lani Mackin

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Unsigned independent hip hop artist from the Bay Area, California and currently reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. The newest talent to play through your speakers.
Artist name: Lani Mackin
City: Las Vegas but from the Bay Area
IG: @iammoemoney
Facebook: KD MVP
Twitter: iammoemoney

1.) What elements and/or characteristics made you say to yourself that you wanted to do music for a living? Who are your influences/heroes/role models?

I’ve been freestyle rapping my whole life with family and friends and everybody would always tell me I’m on some lil Snoop shit cause I could freestyle through entire songs and that I need to take it serious cause I got it. My response every time would be “Na bruh you’re trippin, I ain’t no rapper lol.” I guess when i was hella little i would dream about the lavish lifestyle of being a rapper. But as I grew up my mind wasn’t with that. I was heavily into the streets. The one person who would press me about rapping everyday was my little cousin Monique who’s nickname is Moe Money. That was my best friend and the closest person in my life like fa real fa real my best friend in the entire world. She would record me gassing and just hype me up more than anyone knows lol. She would post videos of me rapping and would always be like “cuz you go hard, you better than all these niggas make some songs so I can slap it and let niggas know that’s my cousin lol”. Literally I would be hella mad at something or whatever and somehow my cousin would get me rapping lol. Out of nowhere she would throw on an instrumental and start laughing like c’mon cousin gas this shit. When her friends were around she would always brag about me lol and if someone started talking about someone who has a good song she’d be like na my cousin better. Well in 2018 one of my closest aunties passed away in march, she happened to be my cousin Moe’s mom. That same year my cousin Moe Money passed away and that shit killed me too. 13 days after that I find out my God Baby/niece, my little cousin who is basically my brother because of how we grew up and how close we were, his daughter passed away. That shit changed me like I’m tearing up talking about it right now. Shit is hard still but when it was fresh fresh, which it still is to me, I broke down. Cried everyday was in this deep ass depression to where I couldnt take it and quit my job, me and my girl broke up cause I wasn’t the same and became this person who hated everything and everyone and people who thought I was rude before couldn’t even picture the rude person I was then after august of 2018. I hated life and was trapped in my thoughts and misery. I legit spent months in my room broke as fuck staring at walls getting high avoiding the home owner cause I hadn’t paid rent in months. But I didnt give a fuck about anything shit kept getting worse days kept getting harder. The only thing that gave me a few minutes of happiness each day was talking to my cousins and us telling each other we love each other. Eventually I came to the realization I was at rock bottom and i just wanted to feel a little happiness again, so I was willing to try anything and everything to get the feeling back. That’s when I said fuck it and tried healing stones. That shit worked and I felt a little positivity, which caused me to look more into that stuff like astrology, meditation and the subconscious mind. I did some serious soul searching and as of now I can honestly say I’m finding myself. In the midst of all this soul searching I started writing songs about my cousin and that’s when i figured out that I had talent like no other. All my songs I write in a hour and a half or less, some 30 minutes. After this I decided for my cousin I’m gonna try to take this serious. I realized I’m better than 99% of all rappers in the industry and this could be a way to end the struggle for my family and everyone close to me. I started manifesting my thoughts and then I decided I’m not giving up at all because this is what I really love to do. I have a passion for this, Im so talented and music is like a first language to me. My whole life I knew I’m meant for great things and to be wealthy and not work a 9-5. I used to cry to God to guide me and help me find my purpose cause the hard times and struggle isn’t how I was meant to live. Somewhere within the past few months I realized this is my true purpose and when I figure out how to fully tap into my true self I will be wealthy. It started as a thought that I can make money and take care of my family get them whatever they want with a successful career in music but now I am so grateful to just be able to do what I love to do and I’m great at it and I know any day now my time to let the world see me shine will be here. I’m fueled by making my mom proud and being able to buy her whatever she wants and travel places different countries see the world with my family. Help my family thats struggling financially and mentally with the recent losses that just took place. I just wanna see my dad not have to worry financially anymore, same for my mom to get everything she deserves. I still remember me and my mom in her orange Opel I was like 7 we were listening to Mariah Carey “Always Be My Baby” which was our song lol but I told her I’ma buy her a Corvette and big house its like I knew I was meant to be wealthy but shit I have to do that while I still got her cause life is short and can be gone in a blink of an eye. I have to help my little cousins/brothers and sisters Jayme, Matt, Jon and Kayla see the world in a new light help them find happiness again or at least put them in a position to win, eat good, have luxuries, travel and see the light in life which can be hard if you don’t have the type of money to see the world and travel. I know money isn’t everything but when your mind wants to explore and go places and see places it takes money to get there sometimes. Not to mention my other family I’m hella close to but the family I named are the ones who are my sole motivators and reason why I am pursing this career. If I win we all win. My family and our situation is why I do this. I want the good life for all of us cause my circle is so small I don’t really have too many friends just like to be around my family, my cousins are my best friends when they’re sad I’m sad, when they’re happy it makes me happy. The universe and my family are my influences it’s simple other than myself  I DO IT FOR THEM they’ve inspired me to be the best I can be and that would complete my life to know we all living good if I can put them in position to win I will. I’ll give my own life for them shit I love them they all I got and my music. I want my family especially who passed away especially Monique to be proud of me. Miss them every second of the day.

2.) If you could compare yourself to an already established artist, who would that be and why? If you don’t like to compare yourself, then music-wise, what separates you from other musicians?

I would say Mozzy because his wordplay and his choice of words shows his intelligence. That’s what I try to do use wordplay that stands out and use bigger words even if I am rapping about the struggle or what other people rap about I’m gonna always stand out because my bars and wordplay is on another level. Other than that I’m in a league of my own. If I didn’t know me, I would fa sholy listen to me and I have great taste in music lol.

3.) Everyone in life goes through adversity of some sort. Is there anything in your life that has any influence on the kind of songs you write? What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure on your path to becoming a musician?

Losing loved ones to drugs, the streets and jail and growing up in the Bay Area trenches are the things that influence my music. Growing up in poverty my entire life, watching my mom struggle and my dad struggle not being able to afford nice anything, using candles as light when PG&E gets turned off. Sleeping in my car at times, sleeping on park benches at other times. I could of got a full ride to a D1 college in basketball and track and field but I let my environment get the best of me. But with music it’s different, it’s the only thing I actually have a passion for and I just figured it out its hella crazy. I cried one day when I was up late night and it clicked in my head all the signs were and are still apparent that this is my true path and I’m unleashing the potential within thats been dying to come out, and this is barely the beginning. I found a new love for myself and life in general. Like Mozzy says life is beautiful struggle and it really is!!! The most difficult thing I had to deal with was losing my aunty, cousin and niece back to back to back literally. It changed me but for the better cause I feel like theres nothing that will ever be worse than that feeling so its only up from here. That shit woke me up and gave me this motivation I didn’t know existed in me. I have a fire inside of my soul burning and I’m finally ready to let the world get some of my talents. I wasn’t made to be a worker literally if you believe in astrology, my personalized reading even says that shit everything how my ideal career will be in entertainment anything that has to do with creativity, art and/or music. The craziest shit is I read this after I realized this is what I’m meant to be doing, which confirms it even more for me but mark my words I will be one of the greatest rappers to ever enter the game. Everyday I feel more and more sure of it, it’s the best feeling in the world. I’m fa real enjoying the journey now and not sad about my past anymore. I am who I am, a solid ass mf because of it and I’m hella loyal which is one of the biggest things I stand for, even before I decided to do music seriously I had this feeling that came after my niece passed and I didn’t know how my breakthrough was gonna come but I felt all the years of struggling are almost over. That’s where the song I see the light came from cause that’s real, hard times are almost over!!!!! 

4.) How do you prepare yourself to write certain songs? What is your song-writing and recording process?

I just basically find a good beat. I am hella picky with my beats too but once I get one I like it’s easy I just start writing I get in this mood where I write song after song when I write I write for hours and it’s so easy to me it’s natural. Whatever mood I’m in or whatever I’m feeling is basically how the song comes out. All of my songs have a reference to my cousin Moe Money because she is always on my mind. I started writing after the deaths in 2018 so the songs I have so far are about the struggle and pain and stuff like that but recently I found a new light a new love for life and myself so my new shit coming up is more uplifting and more of a positive type of vibe. I’m still in the struggle so of course there’s gonna be a little of that but I don’t lie and rap about shit I never lived or did. The struggle made me so even when I’m wealthy I probably will always reference it. I write about my life. I can write on spot tho I don’t even need a beat just have to be in the right mood and my thoughts go crazy so I end up writing songs in a day.

5.) Unfortunately the music industry is full of talented individuals who just don’t get any recognition for their talent and/or work. What do you plan to do to make sure you stand out and get noticed?

Honestly I plan on just following my true path, I know this life was made for and the spotlight is mine to claim. I will follow my gut and instincts in making the right decisions for my career and life. Get involved with the right people and stay grateful for everything I do have and not dwell on anything that I don’t have. And everything will manifest itself. I will change my reality for the better with my thoughts and actions. Whatever you want in life is yours it’s just a matter of fully believing and action. Trust yourself and know that the life you want you can have even if you’re unsure of how to get there once you get fully in tune with your true self you’ll find happiness and when it’s all said and done that’s all that matters. I know that stardom and wealth is in my life path I don’t know if this fully answers the question but thats my plan, don’t give up, go hard, promote, release lots of bangers, make music videos, believe my time is here and manifest everything I know I’m meant for. Keep my faith, never doubt it!

6.) Would you rather be on a major label or would you rather stay independent? Why or why not? In regards to the music industry itself, do you think that the traditional music industry model as we know it is dead?

As of right now I want to get signed to a major label because the money I can get from signing a major deal is what my family needs and at the end of the day my family and I financial situation could be a lot better like we want to go places, travel and shit but money is what holds us back most of the time. I swear I cant wait to see the smiles on their faces when it’s like ay pack your bags we going to Bora Bora. Don’t get me wrong if I could make that money right now independent I would stay independent but the truth of the matter is I recorded my first song on October 11th, 2019 which is crazy cause thats Moe Money’s bday and it wasn’t planned like that it just happened and fell into place like that which is assurance this is the path I should take because without her I wouldn’t be doing this at all, but anyways i haven’t even released a song on any profitable platforms yet, haven’t gotten a cent from rap yet but it already changed my life and happiness for the better. I don’t really have a fan base yet but I know all it takes is my music to hit the right ears for the world to hear me and the money to come in. If those ears happen to be from a major label offering a deal then aye where’s my pen I’m signing with my eyes closed lol. I just want to live how I want. I can make any type of music and the bars will still be fire. People don’t wanna sign to labels because of different reasons like restrictions, ownership and copyrights. At the end of the day as long as I’m getting paid and able to go where I want and buy what I want idgaf ill still change the world and be wealthy because for example if I gotta be in a pop song or they say to rap about something or don’t rap about something that’s fine, my song and bars will still be fire. I’m versatile in all degrees and I’m learning how to step out of my comfort zone and excel at it. I just want my family to be in position and I want to create a wealthy family tree. Cause where I’m at and where I been at just to have money and not have to do crime and worry about the police and going to jail would be a blessing. I know I’m on path to great things finally. Im versatile I can do it all. I want it now not later so if someone wants to sign me for the right price I’m signing if one of my songs goes crazy soon and mfs know who I am and I get checks being independent I’ll stay independent. Whichever comes first. I’m going to make the best music regardless. 

 

7.) How do you think the internet and social media affected the music industry and how musicians are able to market themselves?

I’m new to everything about being in the music game. So I don’t know much but I do know promoting your music and the right promotion is the only way to get discovered and build a fan base and make money. Even if you are the greatest musician to ever leave without promotion you won’t get discovered. I’m finally realizing and learning that.

 

8.) Social media is obviously an extremely important element in today’s world, especially when it comes to business, branding, marketing, etc. With that being said, do you think an artist will be able to survive in today’s music industry if they’re not social media savvy?

No they won’t, but if you have the right promotion on other platforms and the right people promoting you and advertising your social media you can get followers and peoples attention. For example if Drake or Chris Brown tagged someone with 500 followers and said follow this person, that person would instantly get a cool amount of followers. It’s all about who you know not so much what you know nowadays.

 

9.) Artists who try to make music for the general public and make more money are usually seen as “sell-outs.” Do you see it that way and if so, what do you plan to do to make sure your music stays true to your brand and make a good living at the same time without having to “sell out”?

No I don’t think they’re sell-outs. I think they are doing what they love to do, either making money, being famous, and making popular music. You gotta step outta your comfort zone to get where you are meant to be. All I have to do to stay true to my brand is do me, like I said I’m versatile I can do any type of style or music. In reality as long as I’m happy and making money I’m good. My bars will always be gas no matter what. I been through so much in my 28 years of life I can literally rap about anything and it be true for me. I doubt I’ll have that problem. I’m very confident and sure about every decision I  make from here on out.

10.) Professionally, where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

5 years from now I see myself touring with the hottest mfs in the industry. I see my family and I wealthy and traveling. I see myself with a solid female and some kids. Living exactly how I see it in my head. Huge house with lots of dogs, nice cars, the finest things life has to offer, materialistic and spiritual. Completely aligned with the universe. Successful career and the Number one female rap artist in the industry. Happy and fulfilled. Probably living with my cousins on g.o.d. lol

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