Interview: Thrizzy

By Sammy Lowdermilk

We linked with Thrizzy with the NLB Collective out of Knoxville, Tennessee, to catch up with his journey as an artist and what's on the horizon for 2019. 

What got you started in music? Where did the name Thrizzy come from?  
I’ve been creating music for the past 15 years, starting out rapping/singing at 16 and slowly learned to produce and engineer my own sound. One of my people back in Ohio gave me the name Thrizzy, which was a spin-off of “Thrax City”, a mixtape which I released in 2012. I was known as Thrax in Ohio for some time before my move to Tennessee. Once I started to dive into the RnB side of things, Thrizzy seemed to stick for people more.

What inspires you to create? What does that creative process look like?
My creative process is a mess lol! I rarely finish a song fully until I am I’m laying it down. I may write a chorus, and have a verse and a half finished, with no bridge or true approach to the song. I find that once I’m ready to lay it all down, I let the record tell me what it needs, then add as I go. That’s when it all comes together. Until recently I only trusted myself with my engineering and mixing. I’ve gotten so used to my own sound and doing it all in my own and never trusted others to get me the sound in looking for. Working close with producer and engineer PettyBoyBeats these past few years has really expanded my sound. I trust him with my music to say the least. He sees my vision. 

What artists do you listen to currently and who has inspired you over the years?
Currently I keep Khalid, Darrein STL, The Holdup, Dear Silas, 6LACK, Craig David, Tory Lanez, and a handful of local artists on repeat. But mostly I listen to myself and my team to make sure we put out the best quality product out. 

What are you currently working on and what can we expect from you in 2019?
We just released the official music video for “Nobody” Feb. 11th followed up by the release of The Broken EP on Feb. 14th. I have 2 upcoming shows in February in Knoxville, TN, at The Bearden Brickyard with the NLB Collective, followed up by a new single release in mid-March. Expect nothing but hard work and good music and visuals coming from the team and I. 

What's the music scene like in Knoxville? Who are some other artists in your area that you've collaborated with?
The music scene in Knoxville is full of talent and drive. The amount of QUALITY music coming out of Knox is crazy. So far I have had the pleasure to work with Litty Lee, Skewb, Mac Tuk, Raymond B, Crisis on a few tracks. I’d still like to work with Prince Trell, Cos#420, B.L.A.C.K., Raysean J, Ukamea, Hardaway 1K, Honcho and B. Lee. All those guys have mad talent!

Who do you like/listen to out of Chattanooga? 
Interstate Tax, Swayyvo, Orion Hunter and Elijah Daxx got some dope cuts. Still haven’t heard a fraction of what Chatt has to offer but trust me I’m going to dive in! Is Hardaway from Chattanooga? If so he’s up there too!

What has been a defining moment in your music career?
Getting invited to NYC to open for Juelz Santana was an awesome opportunity. I also won a competition for best artist out of 15 or so acts in Dayton, Ohio, which gave me the chance to open for Ace Hood. Winning that was a huge personal accomplishment for me. These were my peers I was up against, people I’ve watched do this stuff for years. It was an awesome feeling coming out on top. Lastly, I’d say moving to Tennessee. It was the biggest change I have ever made in my life. I ended buying a whole new studio setup and pretty much reinventing myself as an artist. 

What do you want the readers to know about you?
First, I’d like to say THANK YOU to Tha Milk Drop for this awesome platform for upcoming artists, and giving me a chance to be a part of it. Second, I want to invite everyone to go search THRIZZY and follow me on all social media platforms! The "Broken" EP is OUT NOW!