Ayden George
Humble Beginnings — The Group 718: We were friends that like to sing together and as a young man, you singing with your boys, you get all of the girls’ attention. You're saying to yourself, ‘I'm going to keep doing this,’ and we kept doing it. We got better and people started recognizing us and wanted to work with us. We got more and more attention from females and we ended up getting a record deal with Capitol Records. A great chapter in my life, but I am ready for the new one. Still cool with my boys, they will always be some of the closest people in my life, but I am excited for what God has put us through, which have led me to be where I am today. I have the opportunity to still make music.
The group disbanded because the person who signed us got fired. So it wasn't a creative difference, and nobody else didn't step up at that time. And we were like we are not going to sit around and wait for you guys and keep us here for another five years wasting our youth and gifts. So we moved on.
Current Musical Projects: I was in the studio a little over a year just working. I don't know if you know who Gourdan Banks is, but he has done records with Meek Mill, you know the single, some n**** go to college, yep that's him, that's my boy. He and I are just working in the studio and we co-wrote songs for Vivian Green, K. Michelle, and Mario. I co-wrote Mario's second single (Fatal Distraction), so he was like I really believe in you and I think you should do this in a major way and I listened to what he had to say. And he molded the direction; he was the Quincy Jones of this project and we still working on my material and I feel like it's GRAND!
Launching the EP: You will hear the album; I’m currently looking at different companies and I'm trying to figure out a home. Once I figure out a home, you will hear the album. Artists from other genres get to put out music without dropping a mixtape. They get to sell their songs, but because we are a minority, we have to put out a mixtape and I don't believe in that. I bust my behind like everybody else, so my music should be appreciated. So I need to figure out which companies would allow me to put out the music that I want to put out and still be myself. I still want to be who I am and not sell myself short to the game. The music will come out when I figure out who is going to distribute it the best.
Challenges You've Experienced as an Aspiring Artist: I've slept on buses, on floors, airports, friends' house, ate Cup of Noodles for weeks, no money, lost jobs, lost my scholarship in school, everything about this business is about giving. You have to give everything you have in order to receive the smallest payback. But I have faith and I believe that God is doing something so major in my life through my gift and through my music that it will all make sense and be worth it. But, you literally have to sacrifice everything, including your relationships and friends. Not to say that you can't have relationships and friendships, but they have to understand what you're doing. They will respect it and not necessarily feel abandoned because it can be time consuming. Professionally, you're a nobody right now, so you have to sleep on the studio floor because you can't afford a room even though you're getting free studio time. I don't know how many relationships you have to sacrifice before you are really established because a lot of people just don't get it. It's doable, but it's difficult.
Keeping the Faith in the Industry That is Known to be The Devil's Playground: It's all about my faith in God. It is so powerful for me in my life because it's about communication and prayer. I think my relationship with God keeps me whole. It's like He's saying, "I'm going to be alright; you're going to make it." You're going to get through this and you'll be fine, and that's what keeps everything together for me. God keeps it all together and my family has helped me. If I didn't have my family's support, honestly, I would be on the street right now with nothing because my passion for music is so strong that I can't work a regular job. This is what I want to do, but my parents are like ‘yo, you are a grown adult, but we believe in you so much that we are going to provide in every way possible until you make your dream come true.’ They're like ‘Your dream is our dream.'
