“Joke” came to me after an unwanted encounter I recently had with my old Honor’s Chemistry teacher from high school (who I NEVER got along with). He often made passive aggressive and patronizing remarks about my passions because they were different from his. While working an odd job in May, I bumped into him, and thus came the passive aggressive remarks that he would so often make 10 years prior. He continued to insinuate that my career, work ethic, and overall presence was laughable. I played the bigger man in person, killing him with kindness, and when I got home I spazzed. But “Joke” became more than your corny “diss track to the teacher who never believed in me” type song. It became a work of art that encompassed an everlasting theme in my life. Being Yourself, and being proud of who you are. I realized that I have spent so much of my life here on earth wearing masks, trying to fulfill other people’s perceptions of me, only to burn out some days wondering why I’m this way… wondering who I am in general. Subconsciously, I have surrounded myself with so many people that are unapologetically themselves no matter the situation, and I’ve always admired that skill. A lot of those people have said that I exhibit that trait as well, but I’ve never felt that way about myself. Maybe I am mirroring their energy and I feel comfortable enough to shine in front of them because they showed me the way. This year, I started really listening to what THOSE people have said about me… really taking in why I am loved by my friends and why I am unique as a person. With “Joke” I wanted every aspect of myself to shine through the song’s production. I performed a sketch with funny voices during the intro of the track, I produced an 8-bit video game styled instrumental, I sampled my grandmother and mother, and I added an instrumental and tonal shift midway through the track. That being said, I love doing funny voices, I love video games, I love my family, and I love beat switches and moody contrast. So why not put all of those things in a song, regardless of what other people think? These are just some of the things in a long list of interests that make me: ME! And I plan on showing the rest of those special attributes throughout the rest of my career.