A Closer Look Introduces: Advo
Updated: Aug 29, 2019
Fun fact: Baltimore is Maryland's largest city out of roughly 99 cities - and with that comes an extensive amount of extraordinary talent! Inspired by artists like Lil Wayne, Outkast, Kanye West, and J.Cole. DMV Aux presents to you, the exceptional artist from B-more, Advo.
Advo was born and raised on the east side of Baltimore, Maryland. Growing up, he didn’t live in the gravest neighborhood, but it also wasn’t the safest. In his younger days, Advo described it as being quite “interesting,” as he was raised in the church, but also dealt with the culture/environment the city dispensed.
“Baltimore is rich in culture, but there’s a lot of violence that comes and goes,” Advo stated. However, he does take pride in being from the city and appreciates the life lessons/experiences he has learned so far.
At the age of 7, Advo’s mother placed him into music lessons, where he learned how to play the piano. “In the church, I’ll play a little as well, but eventually I got tired of it,” Advo stated. He then picked up the guitar and used YouTube videos to learn and perfect his craft.
Although music has been around most of his life, Advo didn’t take music seriously until his college days. He stated, “A lot of the times I doubted myself, but then people start taking a sudden interest; I eventually started picking up a following, which gave me reassurance that I should keep doing it [music].”
As an adolescent, he pulled inspiration from different rock bands, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Outkast, etc. However, as he matured, Advo’s grown to see music as more than just noise and beats. Instead, he studies the song itself and the way it was constructed, which then brings him inspiration. “I would find myself studying artists like J. Cole and would think to myself, wow, it was cool the way he did this or that.”
One characteristic that all of his influences share is that they’re not afraid to be themselves. “Whether it’s Kanye West or anyone else, yes, he’s an a-hole, but he stands for something and does what he wants,” Advo stated.
When it comes to his musical style, Advo differentiates from others because he incorporates extra musicality into his raps. “Before, I just rapped to rap and added a cool hook, but now I’m focusing more on catchy mesmerizing lyricism,” he stated. As a songwriter, He hopes to connect with his fans and convey to them that they’re not alone with their problems. “There’s an alternative to it all.”
Regarding the DMV music scene, in Advo's opinion, Baltimore has been all about to Trap when it comes to the hip-hop scene. “I wouldn’t consider my music, Baltimore type music, but more so D.C. or Philly stylistically; my music is wavy and all-around vibes,” Advo stated. On another note, Advo admires the dance atmosphere in Baltimore, which inspires him to create music people can dance to.”
One of his favorite performances so far has been at the “Day of Hope" concert, a one-day event striving to help the Baltimore City community. “We went to different communities, had great food, and performed. It felt good to give back and do something for the community.”
Two years from now, Advo has goals to release more singles and about four to five more projects. So far, his greatest accomplishment has been attaining 40k plus streams on his collaborative single with Mike Guess, “Living For The Moment.”
Aside from music, he’s passionate about a program he’s developing with his co-partner. This program will teach high school and college students about financial literacy, workforce development, and entrepreneurship. “A lot of the times high schools don’t prepare you to learn how to own a home, loans, good/bad credit, etc. unless you take a course,” Advo stated. In a year, they plan on implementing an after school program or an extra curriculum in schools.
When it comes to advice for aspiring artists, Advo would tell them what struck him deeply before, “Don’t try to build a brick wall in one day; Build one brick day by day; Then one day, you will look up and have a brick wall.” Everything is about consistency and quality, “Make as much noise as you can!” Advo concluded.
Read more about Advo with a closer look below.
What song do you currently have on replay?
Nipsey Hussles’s whole album and Lucky Daye.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
My mother would always tell me, “Think before you speak,” and “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.”
I appreciate her telling me that because those principles apply to everyone.
If you didn't have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
If I didn’t have to sleep, I would be in the studio making more music.
What’s one of your biggest pet peeves?
My biggest pet peeve is passive aggressiveness.
If I do something wrong, come to me, and tell me. From there, we can figure it out and get through it.
If you can hang out with any celebrity for a full day, who would it be and why?
I would hang out with Johnny Depp. I enjoy hanging out with people that are different and set apart from others.
I think we would have a cool time together!
Would you rather Win $50,000 or let your best friend win $500,000?
I would let my best friend win $500,000 because he would definitely give me some.
Written by Dejah Moné