We linked up with one of the youngest A&R’s in the game right now. he currently works alongside Ruff Sqwad Arts Foundation as well as Grm Daily; additionally he’s worked with us at VE Media under his Brand named Roadside Reloads and brought together some sick artists for a Cypher we did together last summer.
We linked up with him to ask him a few questions about his role as an A&R, how he got into it, tips for budding artists and A&R’s and more.
For new readers & viewers who are you and where are you from?
My name is Shaqir (Mainly known as HUSSLE), I’m from Chadwell heath, East London.
What made you pursue music? & become a A&R? Is it a stressful role?
My love for music stems all the way back to my childhood. In my home I was exposed to a lot of music from African artists as well as Gospel music, R&B, Grime, Hip-Hop and more. Some members of my family partake in music such as my uncle as well as my elders so i guess i was bound to be in the industry one way or another.
Why did you become an A&R?
I have always loved finding undiscovered talent, because growing up in Barking & Dagenham as well as Newham I’am exposed to new music frequently as music is a vital part of the community. In early 2024 I ended up linking with Ruff Sqwad, more especially Slix (one of the founding members) as he was mentoring me a lot, teaching me about trusting your instincts and one day he said to me “you got the natural instincts to know good music or potential for good music off first glance“ and then he gave me the title (Of A&R) before I really even learnt what it truly meant.
Is the A&R a stressful role?
All roles in music come with stress but you just need to balance that we true love and passion for the art, once you do that things slowly get easier but they’ll always be bumps along the way, you just have to trust the process. As of more recently I have really been actively searching for new talents they often just find me or hear about me through someone and then we interact, I try to get to know the talent on a personal level to understand their reason for what they do and what keeps them going.
What’s the best way for an aspiring artist to work with an A&R like yourself?
In the past a lot of the talent you guys would have seen around me from RB, Amzzino, Lil Shakz, Shelbee and others are really just people I was either friends with first or a fans of. I’d personally like to say the best way for an upcoming artist to work with an A&R is to first build a relationship with them that’s isn’t strictly based on work, that way you build trust and not only that you feel more free to listen to their advice when they offer it. They’ll also be a lot more open to listen and try to understand the direction you as a creative want to go in.
What’s the best way for someone to become an A&R?
Becoming an A&R is a unique thing, there’s no right or wrong way to become one, however I would say try not to confuse that with being an artist manager because they are very different so read up on the roles beforehand.
What’s your proudest achievement?
I have two achievements I am equally proud of. The first is being able to get away from the path of wrongdoing that I was once on and begin making a positive impact in the lives of others. The second is having my opinion respected by a multitude of prominent people in the scene. This includes Grime legends Ruff sqwad, Roachee and Novelist as well as people I see on a day-to-day basis.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, if all goes well I’ll be travelling the world with artists, being paid by labels to consult on their artists development as well as just living a bit more comfortably.
Tips for a budding A&R?
Tips I’d give to budding A&Rs:
- Trust your instincts.
- Work with music that you can listen to yourself.
- Try to understand your talents on a personal level.
- Find something you love in music and cling to that as it’ll be what keeps you motivated.
- Don’t be afraid to ask.
- Try to have a team around you to support you because the journey is easier when you have people to uplift you.
