Jordan De La Cruz
Using an alternative mix of R&B and hip-hop, Jordan De La Cruz is looking to be the music industry’s next one up. Making music from his home studio in Brisbane, Australia, the rapper, writer, and producer brings witty lyrics that are seamlessly rapped to his signature beats. Since his 2017 debut album, Road to the Valley, De La Cruz has released five singles, most recently “Still Waiting” on May 27th. In the process, he’s earned himself hundreds of thousands of streams, not to mention spots on 3 Spotify-curated playlists, including the ever-popular Fresh Flows collection. We recently spoke with De La Cruz about some of his musical influences, what you can expect from him in the future, and more!
How did you start making music?
Haha! Damn, it sounds so cliche reading this out loud, but I started writing songs in high school to impress the girl I liked. Initially, it was acoustic love songs with secret messages written as lyrics in an acronym. I soon got hooked on the production elements that made early 2000’s R&B so dope. I used a dodgy voice recorder app with a headset microphone and an old version of FL Studio that a friend gave to me for the family PC. It kinda paid off... The girl not so much :P.
Favorite things to do when you aren’t making music?
Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of Mario Kart on the Switch. Otherwise, I’m usually doing something visually creative like video and photography. I love a good board game night with a bunch of friends or a chill night in with my girl.
Which musician has had the biggest influence on you?
This has always been a tough question for me to answer. I’ve always been influenced by so many incredible musicians. However, if I could only choose one I’d say Donald Glover/Childish Gambino. I’ve always been inspired by his genius and versatility as an artist.
Most artists have a dream venue: Where's yours?
To be honest, I’ve never really had a specific venue in mind. Every venue I’ve ever performed at has always been such a unique experience. I’d be so keen to do a huge festival like Coachella or something, that’d be dope!
It's collab time; Who are you choosing to make a song with?
There’s so many. I’ve always learned so much collaborating with different artists and producers but I think a session with Dr. Dre would be a rewarding and insightful experience.
Which has been your favorite song to write and why?
Oh, once again it's hard to pick just one. “Down for Whatever” was really fun to write and produce. I really tried to challenge myself with the lyrics. There’s a lot of sneaky wordplay and double entendres throughout the entire track. Lately, I’ve been bumping ‘Still Waiting’ for the same reason ;).
Any future projects for fans to get excited about?
I’m always working on new projects! I can never really make up my mind on release schedules so I'll leave you with that until further notice.
