The World Of Anthony Harris

St John’s University student Lorenz Anthony Harris is paving his own path for musical success by staying true to himself. As Harris looks to the future after his graduating year, he knows that music is his passion and what he wants to pursue. He’s putting in the work to showcase his creativity to the world the way that he wants to. Encapsulating a whole world for listeners to dive into. Talking to Harris about his motivations and goals made it evidently clear that there is an artistry behind the music he makes.

Who are you?

My name is Lorenz Anthony Harris and My artist’s name is Anthony Harris, I’m 23 years old and I’m from Brooklyn, NY.

Where did your music journey begin?

My music journey began probably when I was like really young, I was infatuated with music. I didn’t know how to go about because you know you’re so young, but I would just see music and see people with guitars, and I was like oh wow I really want to do that. I would always write songs. I wrote love songs for girls that I liked. Or I would play Rock Band on my PlayStation, so I would be jamming all day on that, and my parents were like “He’s a Rockstar!” Through life I dabbled with instruments, I only took piano lessons once and learned what I could, so I know my notes and I know what each instrument is.

Where has this journey progressed to?

In high school my friend started a collective, but I wasn’t in it yet. They just had their own collective. My best friend, who’s a producer, and I would make music all the time and then they noticed us making music, so we joined the collective. After I joined the collective was when I started to take it more seriously. It was like we are all forming something, we’re all going in the right direction.

Who inspires you musically?

I would say Childish Gambino, Donald Glover. I think I see myself in him. I was in like the sixth grade, and he came out with 3005 and I heard that on the radio. That song just, that song does something to you. Then I remember one day just going through his whole discography, seeing the video for 3005 and being like this man is so cool. Then I saw his other videos like Sweatpants, and how in that video it goes right to Urn. I saw that change of him rapping so hard to him doing that RnB and that just changed my life. *laughs* I love how he can do both, because I want to do both. I want to sing but I also want to rap. I wasn’t just him but, he was a big factor of my music direction and who inspired that. Frank Ocean and Daniel Caesar also inspire me because I love the way they
talk about love and how they express their love.

Is there a piece of advice that you’ve heard that’s stuck with you?

Oh wow, there’s so many good pieces of advice. The thing with me is I love to watch like interviews of all my favorite artists because you know I’m studying them how they think how they move so to pick one right now is interesting. Going back to Childish Gambino, the way he doesn’t give a f*ck and how he pushes his music. In one interview he said as a rapper you kindve have to feel like you’re the best. You know people can say otherwise, but when you come out with an album where you do something you have to feel like you’re the best. And I’m working on that. I feel like I make music and I’m a little meek about it, but it’s like nah. This is some good shit. People love me and f*ck with me.

What is your goal in pursuing music?

I talk about this all the time I know exactly where I want to take this. First I want to have like a good cult following. Like I don’t want to be as big as Drake. I can’t even fathom that, like want to be able to go to the grocery store. If one or two people on they street say hey I know you that’s fine, I would love that you know. Of course, I want to be recognized but I don’t want to get to the point where I can’t breathe. I want just a nice big house and be able to song write and produce for people for the rest of my life. But I want to have a run right now, you know, while I’m in my twenties, maybe in my thirties of touring just out there. The ultimate goal is to have people say wow he was such an amazing artist,
like I want him to song write for me or I want him to produce for me, I want him to help
me make this album. For people in interviews to talk about me and say he was amazing, he was music. That’s the ultimate goal and to sustain off that.

Why has music been so beneficial in your life?

That’s a good question. I remember my mom said this, maybe other people have said it, but it stuck with me when my mom said it, music is therapy. Music is therapy. Again, I’m a psychology major so I took those words like very seriously. Because you have music. And you’re listening to this music. Diving into these worlds. And for me in my life, it gets a little hectic, and I like to chill, you know. I need some peace in my life, and I think music brings me that peace. Whether it be me consuming it as a listener, and I get to see people’s lives and the pictures that they paint or when I make it and release my feelings. It’s cathartic. It’s a release of whatever is going on in your life. Music is beneficial for me
because I can take in the positivity and give that back to the world as well.

What are the challenges you have come across in your music journey?

You’re coming across a lot. For me it’s when you are pushing your music and it’s not for everybody’s ear, or everybody can’t hear what you’re hearing just yet. So sometimes I play my music, and everybody got a blank face. And that hurts. That’s gonna hurt. But you as an artist must believe in yourself. You got to look at yourself and say I know I can do this. I know I can push out a good message and I’m musically inclined to get people groovin’. You have to know you love this thing and that everybody could love it too.

Another challenge is you have an idea in your head and your trying so hard to execute it but it’s just not coming out the way you want it to. It’s kindve heartbreaking because you’re like damn I really want to put this idea out into the world but it’s hard to put what’s inside your head outside of it.

What are some things right now about the music industry that you would change?

Bro. People be stealing. And it’s crazy. I’ve been on both sides of that. In hip-hop sampling is tricky so sometimes it’s tricky. Some people can see it as stealing. I was in a situation where I sampled an artist’s song on my own and people liked the song so I really pushed that song and somehow he got wind of it. I didn’t he would because I’m so tiny, but he reached out to me and just said “I Don’t want lawyers involved can you just take it down.” And I was like yeah no problem. On the other side I was working with this one girl and showed her a really heartfelt song that I made and then she just took the song, made a whole music video for it, and put it out. She just took my lyrics and sung them and I made the beat. I just wish she talked to me about that. People are also just fake in the music industry. Music is self-expression, so just be yourself.

What plans do you have in the future for your music?

The path might not be clear when I’m actually executing it, but in my head, it is very clear. Like I want to make these albums and these worlds that you can live in. That you can hear 10 years, 20 years, 30 years plus down the line and you hear that music and it is timeless. It is something that sits with you. It’s not only musically appealing but the message that is within it sits with you forever. Because I feel like I’m human and we’re all going through this human experience and I want to to give the world something that they can keep close to their hearts forever. If that’s f*ckin’ corny, that’s f*cking corny.

Links To Anthony Harris’s Music on  Spotify | Apple | YouTube