RNGLDR:  First and foremost, we want to say congratulations for the release of Misfit, which is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing and unique projects of 2018, all the while covering a vast spectrum of stylings that come to really define you as an artist. What is it like now having such a massive project in your rear view?

 

Naji:  Lol, thank you! I have to say, before I released it, I was already ready to work on the next thing, as it's still a giant experiment to me. And I'm grateful for the response it's received, warm and otherwise. I really don't consider it to be my strongest body of work, but it has some of my strongest work on it! So my next undertaking is refining how I approach projects and album-long narratives, as I'm very comfortable in the singlesphere and great at making little vignettes, but I just want to become a better storyteller overall, and that includes figuring out the best context and messenger for my ideas.

 

RNGLDR:  We want to ask, was the development of Misfit as a trio of releases always an intentional decision? From the very beginning, were you planning on releasing it in three stages, or is it something that simply happened organically?

 

Naji:  Absolutely. Me and my teammate, Montylov, love movies and greater overarching storylines (think Marvel Cinematic Universe). So we thought it would be a cool idea to conceptually make albums and EPs that all have an underlying canon. We actually planned on doing a larger-scale album trilogy as well, but life and plans change.

 

RNGLDR:  There is an obvious difference between the three Acts. Act l really feels like the most hip-hop-influenced portion of it all where you split time between vocals and cadence shifts that run Act 1 at a different pace. What was your thought process behind Act 1 and how did your creative process differ in its development?

 

Naji:  So in general, I wanted to experiment with different sounds. I keep coming back to that, because I strongly feel that "Naji" is a continual experiment. Act I was meant to develop a character in the overall story, but also allow me to flex my creative muscles and see what people really resonate with in this context. In this case, the character e we created was Rouge, an embodiment of my femininity fighting back at being suppressed throughout my career and life. I wanted to challenge what people think of as femininity and show this masculine aggressiveness with an archetypal face. In other words, kinda flipping the social perception of femininity on its head and showcase how much of the feminine perspective we take for granted and pervert to fit a patriarchal society. The colors and every detail of the artwork were taking these ideals into consideration. Red is power. Red is life and death. Red is love. None of these concepts are actually gendered, but we tend to assign masculine ideals & values to them. I could go on and on, but at the end of the day, It boils down to me wanting to highlight the flexibility of these ideas and my personality.

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RNGLDR:  Act ll is more or less a series of experimental R&B duets between yourself and the impeccable Sara Diamond. Obviously, developing a more emotionally-evoking, sensitive act in itself probably required a different creative process, as did collaborating with a vocal counterpart. That being said, you and Sara seem to have an insane amount of chemistry. Was the collaborative process between you two as fluid as it seems like in the finished product? 

 

Naji:  It's funny -- my relationship with Sara is actually one of the most incongruent in my life. We connect, deeply, on a subconscious and musical level but otherwise, we barely speak to one another! I suspect it's because I tend to bring out her most vulnerable self, and considering we've only ever met for the sake of going into that headspace, it's easy to kind of compartmentalize me into that specific part of her life/energy. That being said, when we are there, it's a great time and I love listening to her pour her heart out in a way that only music can. Making songs with her is one of the most enjoyable events in my life, and the process feels as such! It's raw and honest and a little scary because she's such a great singer and I know my vocal abilities pale in comparison. But I think that's why it feels so compatible. What I lack in vocal ability, I make up for lyrically. And vice versa for her. That exchange of energy and utilization shows up in the studio and (thankfully) on the record.

 

RNGLDR:  Can you give us an idea of how you two, from start to finish, go about creating such clean collaborative tracks?

 

Naji:  We've never done anything remotely. I always end up going to her house or studio, mid morning. I usually pull up some tracks I've been working on, pull out a mic and just go back and forth trading ideas until we have a rough direction. Sometimes, we'll re-record to get solid takes, but a lot of what we do comes from those initial sessions. After I get all of her ideas out and takes saved, I'll go back home and go through everything, combine takes, re-record my own parts and mix and such. That's pretty much been how we've done everything.

 

 

RNGLDR:  For you, how does the creative process differ when collaborating with someone as talented as Sara Diamond? How much of the process is mutual, and how much is really an individual effort?

 

Naji:  The process with Sara is pretty 50/50, and that's what I love, honestly. As two writers, I try to give her as much room as possible to contribute, because I know that's she's vital to creating that chemistry. We trade melodies, lyrics, perspectives, and it feels so genuine because it is. Most of the individual efforts are on my behalf afterwords, as I'm additionally playing the producer role in most cases. And creating that final product is often on my shoulders, just due to the nature of my purpose there in the first place.

 

RNGLDR:  You two do an amazing job of creating what is the most inventive and addicting series of R&B collaborative tracks in memory. And naturally, that portion of Misfit has drawn extra attention. For you as an artist, what about these tracks come so naturally?

 

Naji:  Thank you again! :) I consider myself a great nurturer. I love working with people who know how to plant the right seeds, and I love being able to help those seeds grow and flourish. For me, the natural aspect comes in choosing people who I feel have really, REALLY good seeds, as I naturally work best with them.

 

RNGLDR:  Lastly, the final three tracks which were added at the end of Misfit as the entire project took shape also came to have an identity of their own. What was the story behind those three? And why did you choose to have them close out the album? 
 

Naji:  Act III was meant as a combination of the two aspects explored in Act I + II, to sum up my own totality as Naji, The Misfit. Originally, it was gonna be 7 tracks, but I didn't feel the other 4 were ready for the project and decided to strip it down to the barest essentials needed. Drive, Blow + Id (When I'm Around You) I feel are the three closest representations of that femininity/masculinity balance I currently carry. They could tell a short story in and of themselves or be an A + B = C to the series. They're ironically the most abstract of all the tracks, and that's probably why I resonate with them the most. It's no attempt to distill myself into distinct parts, it is just me.