Campaigne

Monday Mourning was fortunate enough to interview up and coming hip-hop musician Campaigne, who hails from Lansing, Michigan. Read below as he talks on his history with music, his approach to his craft, and what’s coming next for him. You can check out selections of his music on Soundcloud, Itunes, and Spotify.

Tell me about yourself as an artist and what do you hope to accomplish through your music?

It’s tough for me to answer who I am as an artist because my artistry has changed a lot. The music I have on Spotify is not reflective of my artistry today. That was my college music and my college lifestyle. What I rapped about then is far different from what I rap about today. After college I had a bunch of different stuff going on including having twin daughters and going through surgery. Those moments in my life had a big impact on my music. Ultimately, my mission with my music is to show people what is authentic in life and not to blindly follow the mainstream. You don’t have to be part of the mainstream and I am an example of that mindset because I do my own thing.



When did you start making music seriously and was there a moment when you knew you wanted to make a career out of it?

Since I was a child I always wanted to make a career out of music. I played guitar as a kid but I first got into rap when i saw Lil Bow Wow live. Since then I’ve been listening to rap and created a hobby of writing raps in addition to songs I was already writing. I didn’t have the necessary equipment until I was older and first started recording in college. When I arrived at college I was producing a lot and that’s how I initially got my name around. Only after that did I start working for myself.



Is there a backstory to “Campaigne” as a name?

For sure. When I was in college I was active in the gymnastics scene for the first two years. I was also a wrestler and even walked onto the football team. “Cam” was my wrestling nickname and as I started to party more it evolved into “Campaigne Champagne”. When I was back home my sister, who was eight years old at the time, insisted that I drop the champagne aspect of the same. At first I didn’t like her idea, but then I realized that it was juvenile and I really should change it. I kept just the beginning but decided to create my own unique twist on the spelling so “Campaigne” it was.

Honestly, I don’t even listen to the radio anymore. Not in three or four months. All I listen to is christian gospel music. Kirk franklin, Byron cage, Marvin Sapp, and Mary Mary. That’s all I listen to. Oh and Kendrick Lamar. I still love the old school hip-hop too though like Eminem, Nas, and Biggie.



I loved your Facts Remix, how much does the current music scene affect your own work?

I don’t want new music to affect my personal work. I used to have that struggle all the time. I had to keep current with the new artists to be relevant. I grew up in church with a conflict of listening to gospel music and then rapping. But I took the leap of faith and its been working. I feel like all the music on the mainstream radio today isn’t really helping the world. I want to change that. I want to change the direction completely. I’ve been going back to my roots with my music. College was a crazy time and it helped me to be a better person by bringing out my difficulties but my music is more focused on my roots now and less concerned with the current music scene.



Tell me about your creative process when making music, how does that work?

I like to start by creating and listening to the beat. Every beat has a right lyric that goes with it. I’ve tried writing without the beat and it doesn’t’ work for me. Every beat has its own story. If i hear an emotional beat, I’ll write an emotional verse. No matter who produces the beat, it always tells a distinct story. It needs personalized lyrics. I need rhythm to write. Whatever I feel is what I write. Whatever the beat is saying and needs is what I try to write.

What song should people start with if they aren’t familiar with your music?

Honestly, that’s a hard question because what I want people to hear is not out yet. “Calm Down” and the remix of “Facts” are what I would want people to hear if they are just starting out. My older songs are still mine but they aren’t representative of where I am right now.



What is one thing you really want possible fans to know about you and your music? That they might not know

When people hear my music, especially the newer stuff, I want them to know that it’s not too late to ever change. That applies to both yourself as a person and to the larger world. I”ve personally been through a lot of stuff, I’ve been in a bad place, I thought that was it,I was stuck in it for a while, but I’m grateful to come out of that, and now I want to help people better themselves. People see a distorted reality when they watch TV and follow social media and they need to understand that it’s not real. I want people to know that you choose your own path and people should wake up from the cold and lifeless world telling you what to be.

What’s next for you in regards to your music, are you currently working on something?

Yes I am currently working on a new mixtape. I honestly want to say that I want to have it done by summertime, but the release is very tentative. I don’t know where my mentality will be a month from now. But I would say September or October. I’ve unfortunately been cancelling shows I should have gone to because I feel like I want my music to be symbolic of me and it wasn’t at the time. I’m booking more shows now with my new music. That is what’s next. I’m also trying to build an empire on my label, sign new artists, and they are coming out with music this year and in years following. God gets all my credit, I’m excited for the future. - David Zahn