Momentous up-and-coming rapper, Faaris (pronounced FAR-ISS), is pure Texas excellence hailing from Austin but hurtling toward heights that can and will take him everywhere. He has been steadily amassing quite the following with almost 1,200 followers on Instagram, over 1,300 followers on Spotify, and having two of his top singles drum up a collective streaming total of nearly 100,000 plays. Not to mention his one takes on Instagram typically averaging at least a few thousands views every post. The most presidential thing about this is the fact that he’s done all of this in the span of just over one year.
I can talk numbers and analytics all I want, but the old cliche best applied here is the proof is in the pudding. In which the confectionery is Faaris’ music. He is a beast with the bars from sunup to sundown but the true grandiose of his soundscape is that he does not confine himself musically to just boom bap and trap beats (no disrespect to those styles at all). Faaris just isn't afraid to get a little wavy, kick up the groove, or flow over something bouncier. It’s a side effect of the mastermind that comes with being slick with the syllables, the flow is there as long as you can find it. In that respect, Faaris is a regular real life Nathan Drake (Uncharted).
It is an absolute pleasure for Moved By Music to be able to feature and chat with this booming underground frontrunner who is climbing rung by rung to the top of the Lone Star State’s most prestigious rising musicians. Without further ado, please welcome: Faaris!
MBM: Faaris, my man, thank you so much for agreeing to this feature. I suppose the best way to start this conversation is…well, just tell us a little bit more about yourself? How did you come to get your artist name? And when did you first realize that music was “your thing?”
FAARIS: Thank you for having me, man! As you mentioned I’m an artist from Austin, TX. I’ve always loved to create whether that was YouTube videos, music etc. Funny enough my artist name is actually just my name. Not even an altered spelling or anything just my legal birth name. I played around with the idea of a stage name for a bit but honestly nothing felt too natural, and my main priority is always just to be taken seriously as an artist while being my authentic self. I’ve definitely always had an obsession with music, but not necessarily always rap. I started playing guitar at 10 years old, where I would learn alternative rock songs for weeks on end. I’d say this was the beginning of my musical journey for sure.
MBM: What is it that moves you about music and what are some of your earliest memories with some of the music you grew up with?
FAARIS: Growing up I was learning all these popular rock songs from Green Day to All American Rejects to Bowling for Soup. Even though this was pretty far from the genre of hip-hop, I was always intrigued by the songwriting aspect and loved the idea of an artist/band being able to tell stories, paint pictures in their music, etc. Lyrics definitely always caught my attention over everything else. In high school I was introduced to rap past the more popular acts of Eminem, Drake, etc. Diving into the catalogs of (say) Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole was really like opening up a whole new world for me; where it seemed that every word added value to the song, and the combination of each line contributed to some bigger picture. I found this incredibly fascinating and took it upon myself to start learning how to do the same.
MBM: How would you say your taste in music has evolved over time?
FAARIS: I definitely have found a “groove” element that has become surprisingly prevalent in my music. Something about that bounce that forces people to nod their heads has become my new favorite style, which is different from the purely lyrical driven music (that) I was initially focused on. It hasn’t been too long but I also find myself becoming more comfortable with melodies and R&B songs. I wouldn’t consider myself a great singer by any means but I do have a lot of fun introducing catchier and more melodic parts in the song to create a break between more technical verses.
MBM: Is there any music that you listen to that people may be “surprised” by?
FAARIS: The rock growing up was probably a surprise within itself, I’ll definitely enjoy the occasional day of listening to some more indie music to just relax and clear my mind. Outside of that I’ll also get down to some Bollywood classics that I grew up listening to. If you throw those on at a function the dance floor fills itself up and I’m definitely quick to take part in it.
MBM: If you could build your own bill of 6 artists (local, regional, national, or international, with you headlining of course), who would you choose and where would you want to have the show?
FAARIS: I gotta have JID from Dreamville on there just because he’s my favorite rapper right now and an absolute madman on the mic. I’ve also gotten the chance to see him live so I know the energy he brings to his shows is something special and something I take a lot of notes from. I’d have Drake in there, I mean the guy is a hit machine and he has pretty much dominated the music industry since my elementary years. His longevity is something I’ll always respect and aspire for myself. Tyler, the Creator is another artist with an unforgettable stage presence, so many unique sounds and styles I’d love to have in my lineup. Another incredible stage presence is Kanye West. After seeing him perform and witnessing the worlds he’s able to create, you quickly realize he sees no limitations and I know I could expect something memorable if he was a part of it. Outside of rappers I’d say Zayn is one of my favorite R&B artists and one of the best singers I’ve heard, I’d love to have a strong vocalist there too to keep things interesting.
MBM: Where do you see your music taking you from here?
FAARIS: It’s hard to say but I just hope that I keep progressing. I’ve already met so many great people and artists and gotten to have so many different experiences all in this last year because of a hobby I decided to pursue further. I can only imagine what the future holds if I continue to work hard but of course growing my name and sound is always a priority. I’d love to be able to travel and maybe do some shows outside of my local scene.
MBM: What sort of advice or motivation would you extend to your fellow contemporaries?
FAARIS: For me the most important step was to stop thinking about it and simply just going for it. It’s easy to spend time worrying about obstacles and what may lie ahead but it really boils down to just taking action. Like any other art-form, overthinking is super common and it’s easy to psych yourself out and become insecure about your work, but that’s just something we all have to learn to push through because some of my favorite songs I’ve ever made are the ones I was most unsure of; where I felt like I was really going out of my comfort zone and unsure of how people would perceive it.
When cultivating a craft, there are a multitude of building blocks that go into producing a final result. What I love the most about Faaris’ music is that you can hear how much work and dedication he puts into producing a track. Like he said, “...overthinking is super common and it’s easy to psych yourself out and become insecure about your work…” and that can certainly lead to a downward spiral of self-doubt and creative regression. There is no smoke and mirrors when it comes to Faaris’ process, presence, or final production. He has steeped himself in music from all reaches since a young age and possesses the skill and fire to not only keep his tunes coming…but to keep them fun and interesting to listen to. He is no stranger to fine-tuned wordplay and lyricism; that paired with a variety of taste leaves no crumbs on the plate.
Check out his music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and almost anywhere else you can stream music! Also be sure to keep up with his movements (and sick one takes) on Instagram!
*all photos provided by Faaris Sattar
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