Today we’d like to introduce you to Esper Supplice.
Hi Esper, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story starts in 6th grade, when one night after finishing my homework, I opened Microsoft Word and wrote my first rap verse. I still don’t know what compelled me to write it, but that disjointed, inconsistent-flow-ass verse is the reason I evolved into who I am today. From there, I started writing verses over rap songs I would listen to until the 9th grade when I dropped my first project, entirely comprised of other artists’ beats. I’ve come a long way since then, but I’ve never forgotten the surge of pride I felt when I initially read back that first verse I wrote. There is this otherworldly space I feel connected to when I first listen back and experience something I just made; that’s the whole reason I make music. I really lucked out because it just so happens that other people like the music I make too.
Modeling is a much more recent undertaking; I started modeling in my sophomore year of college. I was familiar with being in front of a camera ever since high school because one of my friends had a camera and needed people to stand in front of it. But I never really considered that modeling. They were just cool photos for me to use as cover art for the amateurish music I was making at the time. It wasn’t until 2016, when I got casted for a shoot for a fashion magazine ran by students at FSU, that the gears started turning. By that time, I had multiple people telling me I should model, and since I wasn’t a complete amateur or camera-shy, I started pursuing opportunities to model. That’s what led me to that first magazine shoot. The next semester, I was in four magazines. Two semesters later, I did my first magazine cover. By the time I graduated from FAMU and left Tallahassee, I had done 14 photoshoots for 12 magazine issues and had a photo accepted into Vogue Italia’s digital database.
Music was the formative medium of my artistic identity and is still the fundamental component, but modeling has grown from just a hobby to something I am truly passionate about as well. And boom, now you’re up to speed.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’d say the road itself has been pretty smooth, I just haven’t been the best driver. There was a point in time I lost sight of why I was making music and was focusing on its commercial success, which was none at the time. This led me to become really disillusioned for a while, and I lost my motivation to make music. Luckily for me, I didn’t really have a choice in the matter, as I was continuously tormented by random fire ass bars that would float through my stream of consciousness. My subconscious mind is always writing lyrics, 24/7, every day. So before long, I started making music again. But I didn’t publish any of it.
For an entire year, I made music without the pressure of showing it to anyone else, except my housemates who had to suffer through hearing me record the same verse repeatedly for more times than I could count. (Shoutout to them for taking it like a champ.) Taking that year off allowed me to experiment like I’d never experimented before. I came out of that year with a much more personal tone in my music. I had transitioned from my lyrical-but-not-personally-relevant voice to a much more intimate and vulnerable one. My music became the diary I would tell all my secrets to; the Notes app was my confidante who would listen regardless of how I was feeling or how convoluted my thoughts became.
Nowadays, the process of making music is completely personal; I don’t think about anything other than making the song exactly how I want to hear it. I only start factoring in things like commercial appeal when I’m picking which songs to release. Not only does this bring me peace of mind, it seems to be working pretty well. My return to releasing music in 2020 was my most commercially successful year. The road is as smooth as ever, and now I’m in full control of the vehicle, enjoying the drive.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So formally, I’m a music artist and fashion model. I also do a bit of digital art and dabble in photography, but those are more hobbies than anything serious. Music is my first love. Modeling is my (relatively) newfound passion. I think before last year, my music was living in the shadow of my modeling, but I’m pretty happy that things seem to have evened out this year. I’ve got as many musical opportunities coming to me as I do modeling opportunities, which is great because I don’t plan on prioritizing one over the other or being successful in one field at the cost of quitting the other. I am a music artist and a model, and there is no future I would view as successful that doesn’t include both. That duality, that ability to thrive in both disciplines, and my confidence in my ability to apply my artistic sensibilities to any situation or project, is the source of my pride nowadays. I also pride myself in being an ethical, honest, caring human being whom my loved ones can rely on.
I find it hard to define my music or describe what sets it apart, but let me try. Musically, most people would say I reside in the genres of hip-hop and RnB, but some of the music I’ve been making lately has been really stretching the limits of those labels, crossing over into alternative pop (is that a thing?) territory. Labelling music is hard these days because every genre has influences from other genres. Pop is becoming increasingly influenced by hip-hop production, hip-hop is frequently borrowing rock instrumentation and aesthetics, and RnB artists have heavily adopted a more hip-hop ethos in their lyrics. I guess the crossroads of all of that is where you’ll find me. Sometimes I’ll do more traditional hip-hop or RnB song, but it’s in my nature to incorporate elements from multiple genres into every song. So all-in-all, I’d say my genre-bending vocal styles and intimate lyrics are the trademarks that set me apart.
Any big plans?
I have goals for the future, but I wouldn’t call them plans. 2020 has shown me that the future isn’t nearly as guaranteed as we all assumed it was and that flexibility and adaptability is the key to surviving and thriving. I’m very sure of what I want to accomplish, but I am keeping an open mind on how I will accomplish them.
On the modeling side of things, I definitely feel like I am approaching a ceiling as far as the type of jobs I am able to do versus the types of jobs I want to do, that I can only break through with the help of a modeling agency. I could be wrong (and I’m kinda hoping I am), but that’s a primary goal for this new year. I will of course, be continuing to pump out fire ass shoots with the photographers I am blessed to know and work with, but I’m well aware that certain modeling opportunities, especially the more prestigious and higher-paying ones, are only available to models represented by agencies. So, if anyone reading this is connected to any agencies, holla at ya boy. My portfolio and comp cards been ready.
Musically, I’ve just wrapped up one of the projects I’ve been working on and am very excited to finally be able to talk about it. “Hedon” is a collaborative EP between myself and SOLOJT, a talented producer/photographer/painter I’ve known for a while but hadn’t connected with musically until now. I’m very grateful to SOLOJT and this project for helping me conquer my fear of creating and releasing multi-track projects. The lead single On Purpose is set to drop mid-late July; and it’s a real fuckin banger. Keep your eyes peeled, you don’t wanna miss this one.
Contact Info:
- Email: EsperSupplice@gmail.com
- Website: https://esper.world
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/EsperBeats
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EsperBeats
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvfh5LTUiYzn7u-Enfvym_A
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/EsperBeats
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0OG7KTist9Mqax1EIJQrYT
Image Credits
LukiAvi, Rodhimself, Kiana Govind, ItsIrisG, LjaiBrown, Dannography, Lauren Alsina
