One of the purest joys is finding new talent and shining a light on it. My experience with artists and musicians helped me understand that they are the early adopters of everything from art to fashion to tech. Their boldness and penchant for experimentation, combined with the herd mentality of their fans, is one of the main reasons why artists are so adept at changing culture.
One weekend this summer I had an exploratory experience of this very kind. I was visiting Hudson, New York during the Level Up retreat and I came across a new artist. This wasn’t your typical 2018 discovery with Release Radar on shuffle or Twitter on scroll. This was an old fashioned, IRL experience (on foot!), the kind I wish I had more often. The artist, who had the town buzzing that weekend, was Young Paris. He was performing alongside his sister so I stumbled into the gig without knowing what to expect.
There’s no other way to put it: the kid blew me away. His sound, rooted in Afrobeat, was like nothing I’d heard before and his style was equally attention grabbing. Post-show, I wound up at a nearby spot where, lo and behold, Paris was hanging with his crew. I took the second random encounter as a sign and struck up a conversation. I knew this was something for Nue.
Paris grew up in Hudson, so this was a local show. He was already being managed by Roc Nation. We exchanged contact info and have met up several times since. I love his energy. He has a true vision for global expansion and the ways in which he wants to permeate music and fashion, and he’s the focus of our latest Soho House Showcase taking place this Wednesday at 9pm in the Meatpacking District. Stumble in and feel the same excitement that I did that day. RSVP to me and I’ll add you to the list.
P.S. This Sunday night we’re bringing our hit web series, CRWN, back to NYC with Meek Mill as the guest. Free tickets are still available on a first come, first serve basis. If you’re not in New York, tune in for the live stream on Tidal.
Also published on Medium.