Jordan Beckford – Rising Star
By Ross Pollard
The name might seem familiar but perhaps the story isn’t, we recently got the chance to talk with rising music star Jordan Beckford, about life, his growing career in the music industry , and also a growing future in the fashion industry.
Given he is still so young, I couldn’t wait to pose a few questions about his huge success and more about his life.
What inspired your love of music, and how did you decide to develop that as a career option?
Ahh man, it goes back to sitting in a booster seat in the car listening to Snoop Dogg, Dre, Pac, Biggie & Pharrell to name a few. My love of music developed as a career option as a result of growing up within the industry with my mother (April Roomet) being a professional wardrobe stylist to some of music’s biggest icons and my father (Tyson Beckford) humbly being one of the biggest super models for Ralph Lauren in the 90’s Super model era.
It’s interesting that rather than gravitating immediately towards preforming you started out on the more technical side of production and engineering, what have you learned from that?
Rather than gravitating to the performance and releasing aspects of music, starting out with the technical side of production and music in general taught me to view things more broadly and look at my life lessons and everyday examples conceptually as I did my beats and mixes.
Alongside music you’ve been rumoured to be appearing on runaways and in ad campaigns for some serious labels, it’s quite divergent from creating music, how did it come about?
It’s a really amazing experience to be able to work with these brands, I just recently got back from my first Paris fashion week and have had some dope opportunities to work with amazing companies on great campaigns. Growing up always involved in fashion and being exposed to the great taste of my parents, my love for clothes was born and has grown very similar to my love for music.
Always going hand in hand with each other, I feel like the balance of music and fashion in this internet age are more tied together than ever. Growing up inspired by campaigns I saw first-hand or through magazines/Instagram, I always looked at photography and being a part of images as a creative process, very similar to making a song or making clothes.
You’re currently working at Human Resources as an A&R man, what does that entail?
I’ve always been a fan of the creative direction of being an artist creating a portfolio to span across multiple aspects of media and content. The artist development aspect has become like second nature to me from learning first hand and researching how to execute different aspects of the ins and outs of music industry. With Human Resources I’ve been able to work with breaking and other artists on their own development from an A & R seat. it’s an amazing perspective to see the executive side of the industry as I navigate forward as a producer, songwriter, engineer and artist and begin meshing the worlds together
Do you think social media requires careful curation, it’s very easy to post content that at the time seems great but may in the future be an issue?
I personally use my Instagram accounts as though they are galleries. I really enjoy curation and strong overall bodies of work, but I do a have a special place in my heart for one off impulse posts and art. As I move forward, I’m trying to perfect the balance in the two not only on IG but in my music and design
As someone who has grown up as part of the social media generation, how do you feel about it, both as a business tool and on a personal level?
Growing up in the social media generation there’s definitely a lot going on, I think finding your roots/baring’s outside of the social media world from friends to business relationships, allows you to find your own peace with Instagram and turns it into more of a tool than a vice. As time moves forward, I think that being 100 percent authentic is becoming more appreciated and is blending the lines between personal and business accounts.
Things are being seen for what they are and putting a new spin on marketing yourself solely on your own.
Coming back to your music career, have you found bands off Soundcloud, Instagram etc?
Music wise, I definitely find a lot of artists on SoundCloud and YouTube. I’m currently working with a number of acts such as Noiseofcory, Poundside Pop and other artists coming up through Human Resources on our own particular sound. It’s exciting to work from our perspective of coming up in different major cities such as Los Angeles Philadelphia and New York
You’ve worked with some amazing people including an internship at Alicia Keys & Swizz Beats Jungle City, ever had a fan boy moment with someone?
Working at jungle city studios as a studio assistant really put the routine of the industry at my fingertips directly after graduating from high school. I got a great feel for the different aspects of working on music being able to work in the same rooms as Alicia Keys, Swizz Beats, Jay-Z, Madonna and a list of other music legends. It allowed me to really understand that my goals and aspirations would only take hard work, being that I was already in the right space and frame of mind. I’m not really one to fan out, more shocked that I crossed routines with guys like Andre 3000, mike dean and young guru. From running to get Moogs and making tea for 3 stacks to getting caught making a beat on the clock by Mike Dean I was reassured constantly I was exactly where I wanted to be.
What’s your biggest goal?
I feel like my goals are always growing and changing but at the moment My biggest goal is to curate a world tour of artists in a show to be performed in a concert every summer. organizing acts that complement each other, yet are still exclusive and have family-like energy, while taking part of it as an artist myself and artists I producer for.
With millions of young people trying to make it in the music and fashion industries, what piece of advice would you give them based on your own experience?
To the millions of young people trying to make it in the music and fashion industries, a piece of advice I’ve begun to live by is just flat out doing exactly what it is you were looking to do by gathering the info and tools leading up to execution.
Not waiting for anyone or anything to fully immerse yourself in the craft, learning multiple aspects of both industries to be able to succeed and grow within both worlds.
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