First Sammy Adams, now G Curtis. First Round Records really knows talent when they see it. There is so much to say about this young rising star who has many goals and all the motivation and dedication in the world. We wanted to sit down with the young Usher sounding star and get a better idea of what it’s like to live in G Curtis’s world.

Getting big

“Things are definitely taking off. I’m crazy excited about it, crazy motivated, definitely blessed. It’s a profession that I take very seriously. To have so much fun and do this professionally, it’s a blessing.”

Did you really get discovered at a dive bar?

“(Laughs), The Nine O. Dive bar at USC. I had an 8 piece band. They’re all music majors at USC. The CEO of First Round was there one night and he was just blown away.”

The move from the minors to the big league.

“The move to 1st Round is definitely minor to major. This wasn’t new to me though. I’ve been professionally recording and involved in music since I was 14. Things just never quite worked out for me in the past, so I had been laying low, writing music, playing in the band.

Then 1st Round found me and they decided they saw something in me. They saw the ambition. And they were willing to go behind me 100%. Ever since then, we’ve been going real real hard and it’s been paying off.”

Touring with Sammy Adams.

“Oh man, it’s been a wild experience. A great experience and wild at the same time. From the chemistry that we have already just from the bus, bobbing off of each other, its great you know, were goof balls, we like to have fun. And then of course when we get on stage and give the people what they want, every city, every show, every night, put 100% into it, it’s one of the greatest feelings ever when you got 2,000, 3,000 people yelling and screaming. They’re feeling you, you’re feeling them, the connection is crazy. It’s a really good feeling to give people what they want. That’s the one thing I ask after every show. People ask me, ‘Can you take pictures, can you take pictures?!’ I’m like ‘yea, that’s all good,’ but I ask, ‘did you enjoy the show?’ I look at people and they go, ‘what are you talking about, of course I enjoyed the show!’ ‘Ok, well I just needed to hear you say that.’ It’s just a good feeling, being on stage, doing what you love, once again, it’s really a blessing.”

When did you hit that G Curtis is getting big?

“It hit me at the House of Blues in Boston. That was about 4,000 people. I open up for Sam and then I come on at the end of his set for the last two songs, Still I Rise and Driving me Crazy. But before I went of stage with him for my solo set and did 3 of my songs, people were losing their minds and they were singing along with me. I was like oh wow, they really know this music, they know my songs. And then in the middle of my single, Falling Up, I saw everyone jumping up and down and heard everyone doing the chant of my song. That’s kind of when I was just like ok, alright, this is kind of serious now. It was a crazy feeling, mind blowing.”

Big goals?

“Oh yea, I’m thinking too many to even say. I have high expectations for myself. That’s one thing about me. I’m a stickler when it comes to that. In the studio and everything. If I’m working in the studio, I’ll be like no I can do it better, I can do it better. People have to sometimes stop and tell me, ‘listen it’s really good.’ So, I have really high expectations for myself when it comes to selling records, making the best song I can possibly make, doing things for people, doing things for fans, it’s too many things to say.”

Tell us more about your music.

Coming up in Texas, I listened to a lot of different styles. Of course I listened to R&B and a lot of pop. Michael Jackson was a huge influence on my music career. And then to be honest, a lot of country music, like Rasco Flats and Garth Brooks. In my music, you’re definitely going to hear the main genre of pop, dance, r&b. but I also include a lot of different aspects to it and I think that’s from my background. A little bit of hip-hop too, I get my drink on every now and then. We try and change the game, give people what they want. I think people aboard.

Heros

“One of the people I go to a lot is my father. He has been a huge influence on my music career. He is a music producer himself, a Grammy Award winning producer. He’s done music for Keyshia Cole, Eric Clapton, so he’s definitely been in the game. We’ve done music together. It’s like a father, friend, mentor relationship. And then if I need some good real advice, I go to my mom. There ain’t nobody like Mama Dukes.”

If G Curtis wasn’t doing music, what would he being doing?

“Oh that’s easy. If I wasn’t in music right now, I would be playing football. That’s my second passion man. I would’ve done anything I could to get to the NFL. Out of high school, I was about to get recruited to the Cal Bears. I was nice little corner. I was pretty good. I ran like a 4.4. I had a nice size on me. When I was in high school, I had to make a decision. My father came up to me at 18 years old and he told me to decide between music and football. I chose music and I definitely don’t regret it. I still play every chance I get.”

Collaborations?

We’re definitely looking big. The Jamie Foxx’s, the TIs and the Gucci Manes. Those are three main artists that have come across the table.

Go grab G Curtis’s EP, Falling Up here.
Follow G Curtis on Twitter.
Check out G Curtis’s Facebook page.

G Curtis Music by GYBSmusic