Reg Mason reminds fans what it means to “STÉ” | HHV On The Rise

Reg Mason reminds fans what it means to “STÉ”…

Reg Mason, a self-described misfit from North New Jersey, has released his new trendy track. His sizzling single “STÉ,” serves as a subversive offering in which the eccentric act addresses his decision between achieving his aspirations and seeking love. The pioneering production which was co-produced by CURT, Mason, and Nothing_Neue, is innovative and incorporates experimental, glitchy 8-bit elements that make listeners feel as if they are in an arcade. In addition, in the middle of a guitar center, the production lays the groundwork for Mason to serve a rich blend of personal experiences through his unrestrained flow.

Made up as a multifaceted musician, the promising producer and alternative hip-hop artist prides himself on remaining true to his New Jersey roots. Reg grew up in Union, New Jersey, listening to a wide variety of music and sounds. Including but not limited to, Punk Rock, Soul, and Electronic music. Reg started to rap with friends at the age of 14, which is where he practiced penning his own rhymes. He enjoys emphasizing storytelling in his music backed by high energy and lively sounds influenced by hardcore rock. Reg takes fans into his world with his real, raw and honest lyricism. He shares his experiences with love, family, friends, and impostor syndrome.

Reg Mason dives into the inspiration behind “STÉ”

Mason is a genre-crossing musician with a hardcore-punk background. In fact, he creates music that moves the masses. It’s for those who are unafraid of upsetting the current status quo. As well as those pushing people to step away from the assembly line to pursue their passions, even if it means leaving love behind. When speaking on the significance backing his new standout single “STÉ”, Reg Mason goes on to say:

“STÉ is about the internal battle that occurs when you’re with someone who you’re not entirely sure accepts the fundamental part of you that is being an artist. Anyone who has been in the position where they have to choose whether or not they will give up their dreams for a relationship knows this feeling, including myself, and that’s something I’m not willing to compromise.”

Nonetheless, New Jersey is known to be the diner capital of the world. With that being said, it’s no coincidence that Mason chose to shoot the accompanying co-directed Chris Andrade of SO-CALLED STUDIOS lyric video alongside himself. As a loyal New Jerseyan, the two decided to deliver the Jersey vibes in the lyric visual. As a result, the vision was brought to life in the heart of Roselle, NJ at the legendary hotspot — White Rose System cafe. 

Furthermore, the featured illustration highlights a sensitive moment of a first date’s initial exhilaration. Fans see the two become acquainted as they begin to share more of themselves with each other. However, in the back of his mind, Mason can’t help but to think of the unavoidable crossroads that are quickly approaching. Running rapidly with questions like: “Will this person be someone who can accept me for who I am?” It’s poetry in motion, serving as the prologue to “STE”. “STÉ” follows the release of the one-to-watch artist’s recent release “CHECKERBOARD!” The sizzling single earned Mason praise from Swidlife for his “confident and commanding delivery… [and] unique and dynamic sound.“

Why don’t you just “STÉ”?

With each and every release, Reg Mason reaches new hearts and ears which boomingly builds his fan base. 2023 is bound to be the year the trailblazing talent makes the transition from fan favorite to standout superstar. For now, get familiar with Reg Mason by pressing play on the Chris Andrade-directed lyric video here at Hip-HopVibe.com. Also, be sure to keep scrolling. We had the dope opportunity to talk about all things Reg Mason, Jersey joys, the artistry and more! Lastly, let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

Reg Mason stops through Hip-HopVibe.com for new interview

• Hey Reg Mason! It’s a pleasure to be speaking with you today on behalf of Hip-HopVibe.com! My name is Minnee and I’m excited to get into all things Reg Mason and more! Let’s jump right in. For those tuning in who may not be familiar, who is Reg Mason and where did it all begin? 

“Well, Reg Mason is a 23 year old producer, rapper, engineer. An overall just artist in general from a union New Jersey. I come from a background where my whole family has been from there, born and raised. So yeah, come from like a background of like, hardcore punk. And then I started shifting over into hip hop around like, freshman year of high school. Then I just stayed on that path for for a while now.”

• What’s your creative process like?

“Well when I’m in the studio, I make all my records at home. I basically have like a portable studio situation, so that I can make music wherever I go, and wherever I end up at. But my process basically, it starts whenever I’m listening to records because I’ve said it before that, I feel like I can’t really create from an inspired and refreshed like frame of mind, unless I’ve been keeping that channel of like listening to music pretty open and clear. So I just love taking in new records, and it makes me feel like I can be creative and like watching what other people are doing. Now really like rip them off, but it gets me in the mood to also be creative. So kind of like a monkey see monkey do situation. Then I can just go through the archives in my brain of like any melodies that I had lying around. Sometimes the full song will come to me all at once, and then I just have to translate that from my head onto the computer or guitar or whatever instrument I have at the time.

I am completely self taught. Every single interest that I’ve had in music has been self taught. I don’t really have any other members of my family outside of my older brother, that were creative or musical. You know, that was like actively making music. So yeah, everything that I’ve had in terms of music has been completely self taught. I’ve done it by myself.”

• That’s amazing! With that being said, What instruments do you play?

“The guitar, drums, bass, and I sing.”

• As a NJ-native myself, how would you say Jersey has influenced your sound and style?

“I definitely say that it influenced even deeper than my music, just like as a person. I feel like it’s made me just very appreciative of who I am, where I come from whenever I do go. Because as of right now, I moved to Florida recently, and it’s just not it’s not it.”

• Your hot new hit, “STÉ” serves as a relatable record that will move the masses. Most of us have experienced this inner turmoil when it comes to someone we love. Would you say this record was inspired by true events?

“Yeah, yeah, I probably say like 70% true events. 30% a little bit fictitious stuff in there to liven it up a little bit.”

• For fans and listeners tapping in, how  would you describe your upcoming release and how it differs from your most recent release “CHECKERBOARD”? 

“I guess I’d probably say this is definitely one of the more personal records that I’ve written. Not to say that I haven’t been personal before, but I feel like especially with this album, coming up and my upcoming project — I’ve just been beginning to be more okay with just trusting myself to just allow people in to whatever stream of consciousness I have growing up here in my head. So, yeah, I guess it differs from a lot of my older material and that I trust myself to just be more personal with the music I make now. Instead of being so detached and just being alright with that with whatever comes back from that.”

To chase love or dreams?…

• In fact, with your latest offering, you pose the question, to chase dreams or to chase love… which one would you say you chose? And do you think you could chase both?  

“Oh, dreams. Absolutely! Always chase your dreams. Do what’s best for you. I feel like if the love that you have is true love, they’re not going to step in your way of your dreams. And instead, they’ll help you enhance that.”

• Additionally, the audio is accompanied by a lyric visual located right in the heart of Roselle, White Rose System diner, what inspired the creative direction behind it? 

“I’ve been watching a lot of Wes Anderson films, basically. I always had a dream of filming something that kind of, like, just in essence, screams Jersey, without like, kind of banging it over somebody’s head. So you know, Jersey is like, the diner capital of the world. Seems like we have a bunch of them everywhere. I knew I wanted the location to be at a diner. Also, I kind of just wanted to capture that moment where it’s kind of like a first day. Or just more so that moment of bliss that you get when you’re like getting to know somebody and like you have all these questions flooding in in the back of your head.

Where it’s like, “oh, like is this just for right now?” “Or is this forever?” “Is this something a little bit more long term and substantial?” I feel like I wanted to capture that moment. Instead of the visual language of it considering that the music is a bit more focused on something a bit like negative and like drama centric, I wanted to capture something a bit more intimate. Instead of doing the whole “person A argues with Person B” and “throws dishes” and all that other stuff. I was like nah I’m not going to do that. I wanted to do something that was a bit more just like intimate. And then I wanted to have the visual be like kind of like before the conflict and have the song represent the aftermath of that.

• For a listener wanting to learn more about you as an artist and your artistry, which released record of yours would you have them press play on to have the best first impression of who Reg Mason is? 

I will tell them this one. But, a big one that I constantly get people coming back to me about is the last song on my EP, Speedway, “Babe I Think It’s Time”. It’s like a sample heavy record. And it’s kind of just talking about just me at a time where I was kind of on the outskirts of a relationship and things were just like winding down. We were about to split up and then I was kind of just thinking back to all the times where I could have been a better partner or I could have been a better person in general. The lyrics that I were using, were infusing with the sample really well. I chopped it up in like 2.5 seconds or whatever. But a lot of people really enjoy that one. It got to the point where I also did a reimagining of it with a live band. It was like a 10 piece jazz band for like a NPR Tiny Desk concert submission thing that I did last year. So a lot of people I’d probably say that one. “ Babe, I Think It’s Time” by Reg Mason.

• With that being said, what do you hope fans take away from your music? 

“I hope it inspires them and that it puts the battery in their back to do whatever it is that they’ve had on their heart to do for a while, but I guess didn’t have the guts to do it until they heard my music,. Yeah, that’s probably what I would want out of them. Because just from my background and stuff, as I said before, nobody in my family outside of my older brother was really into music. So for a long time, I had to be like really stubborn about this being what I wanted to do. I knew since I was four years old, that this is what I wanted to do, but nobody really understood it. There was a lot of records that I’m not sure if I would have kept doing this if I didn’t hear that at that specific time. So hopefully, I can be that for somebody out there.”

• Excited to hear more — what’s next for Reg Mason in 2023?

“Oh! You can expect some more music. One of one of those drops is going to be a really big one. More like a big bulk or you know, like full scale projects stuff. Yeah, more music, more videos, you’re gonna get some merch going. Some shows. So I definitely got some special projects coming down the pipe as well that I’m not going to talk about just yet. But yeah, just more in general across the board.”

• Lastly, is there a message that you’d like to leave with fans?

“Yeah, yeah, there’s definitely a message I’d like to leave with fans. Fans, hi. It’s Reg and the message that I got for you is that at the end of the day, when we’re all gone, we only have one box that we that we ride in. So live this life for yourself, don’t live it for other people. Everybody comes from different walks of lives and everybody has their own ideas as to towards how, you know life should be lived. But it’s ultimately up to you as towards what life looks like for you. So don’t live for nobody else and do it for yourself. Because at the end of the day, at the end, it’s all it’s only gonna be you. Nobody else. Also, nobody got your back quite like you. “

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Reg Mason reminds fans what it means to “STÉ”