Exclusive Interview with 'BWY' | Illustrate Magazine

German musician bWy creates songs in both German and English, frequently mixing the two together as if they were one and the same. When questioned about why he uses English instead of solely German, he responded: “I didn’t even consider it when I wrote my first song; it just came out in English. I constantly follow my instincts and believe in my inner guidance, not simply when it comes to music.”
bWy, pronounced “be why,” is not afraid to express his opinions. In his primarily self-produced tracks, the self-described “FIRE PRINCE” makes his aims clear: uplifting lyrics to build a better future. What I admire about hiphop the most is the original rebellious attitude & impactful themes, and I’m trying to bring that back to the more modern sound in my own ways. I’m just trying to make a difference with my music, whether I succeed or not.
Over the past few years, the young artist has released a number of ambitious songs and projects, always demonstrating his unrivaled work ethic. It’s only a matter of time before bWy receives the respect he deserves. Constantly surprising listeners with new directions and styles, bWy is currently one of the most distinctive & varied artists in the industry. Check out his single crEATe and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

BWY: I’m 23 years old rn, we were moving around a lot during my early childhood, but I ended up spending most of it in our area 931, near Ratisbon in the south of Germany. I’ve always been a creative guy and created everything from paper cut-outs to YouTube videos. Shortly after I realized that music production is also a possible creative outlet, I had a serious car accident which made me take the decision to buy FL studio and get into music. I knew that way this accident might end up being the best thing that happened to me and I wouldn’t be able to regret it. I started writing to my beats a year later.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

BWY: I’m self taught, but ofc I learnt a lot from YouTube. (Shoutout Nick Mira for sharing his beat-making sauce). Nowadays I’ve invested in many different coachings and trainings to push myself to the max, especially in terms of marketing and stuff like that.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘BWY’?

BWY: The artists that inspired me the most when I started out making music were XXXTENTACION, because he showed me how much positive influence you can have on people with music and morten, a german underground rapper / producer whose beats I tried to emulate early on. But I have countless different influences ranging from classic Queen and AC/DC songs in my early childhood to EDM songs I cherrypicked from Trap Nation to the whole spectrum of HipHop (from old school to new school).

My name is an abbreviation from my old gamer tag, but it got a whole new meaning – to me at least. Besides being pronounced “be Why” which kind of describes what I want to achieve through my art (be the reason why someone doesn’t give up, realized their self-worth etc.) to me bWy is the name of my soul, the truest and deepest version of myself.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

BWY: My sound is honestly all over the place (because I don’t want to limit myself) but mostly tied together by my own taste (atmospheric melodies & heavy bass lol) and the spiritual references / messages I share. I think what resonates is how honest and real everything is that I put out there through music, the right people definitely feel that.

If I had to describe my sound in particular, I guess I’d say something like a modern emo rap / trap-hip-hop hybrid vibe with intricate lyrics and often times mantra-esque / hypnotizing vocal deliveries.

5. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
**BWY**:
Freedom! Besides the fact that no one will ever experience a song the same way another person does, I feel like that everyone can take away something different from a song is exactly what makes it great! Often even I don’t understand the “true” meaning of a song until it comes out haha. But in terms of my message, my goal is honestly to just plant some positive seeds in the minds of the listener. Ofc, it’s up to them if they want to water those or leave them dry..

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

BWY:

Music is deeply spiritual and directly influences your subconscious mind. That’s why a positive underlying message is very important to me, even in darker tracks. The state of current music, where most of it is infested by distorted messages, oversexualization, drugs and greed is really sad to me, and I hope to be able to make a difference by working towards the opposite.

My vision is for us people to evolve mentally and spiritually to be able to handle the incredible responsibility that comes with being a technologically advanced society, especially since we’re progressing faster than ever now. At some point we HAVE to stop being our own worst enemy and return to unconditional love in my opinion.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

BWY:

Music saved my life tbh. Everything that I couldn’t or wouldn’t share with other people can directly end up in songs being therapeutic for both me and the listener. Nothing compares to the feeling of finishing a great song and having it on repeat for the rest of the day! But of course, I hope to be able to live off my music rather sooner than later.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

BWY:

It’s always different, since I started out being a producer first I have the creative freedom to do whatever I want. Usually I’d start with a beat that inspires my lyrics but often times I also have an idea for a song and produce the beat around that. It depends, really. Back in the days my producer ego was too big and I wanted to do all of my beats, but I’m working with more and more other producers now because they can channel another side of me than if I was always working alone.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

BWY: I’m a single child and grew up without my father so I’m used to being along and doing everything by myself but the sheer amount of work you need to do as an independent artist to get heard is insane. Personally, I wouldn’t use social media except YouTube if it wasn’t for me being an artist and wanting to connect to the people who listen to my songs. Balancing the creative work with marketing is always a hustle. But I’m grateful for todays blessings because not long ago you had no chance without a label and I’m not someone who wants to be depending on that.

10. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

BWY: I like haters because I realize that their anger towards me is a projection of their own insecurity (which means I gotta be doing something right). I either ignore it or use their comments / whatever as a way of making more content. If someone is just sharing honest and constructive criticism I’m always open to hearing that. But no one can get between me and my vision.