Ian Maverick (born Isaiah Smith) is a seventeen-year-old rising pop culture phenomenon who does not fit into the confines of any one genre. He's a rapper, a singer, guitarist, comedian, videographer and actor; a true Renaissance man, Ian is on a mission to leave his mark on the music industry.
I caught up with Ian to discuss his newest album, Jump off the Roof, as well as his experience with getting on The Fader and being more than just another voice on the internet.
What does "Jump off the Roof" mean to you?
A leap of faith, a shot in the dark, and chasing the stars. Landing on the sidewalk, cracking your head on the pavement and spilling your thoughts on the street. That's what all artists want to do.
Who is Ian Maverick?
He’s who I want to be. He’s everything I stand for. He’s you and I and everyone. Anyone who thinks like you and I. Anyone who is independent minded or free spirited. Anyone who wants freedom from any confinement or box. Anyone who trusts their gut and their intuition and doesn’t let anyone tell them otherwise. That’s what a maverick is. That’s who Ian Maverick is and that’s what he stands for. I took the name because that’s who I want to be.
How would you describe your music?
Pop. I rap and sing, but I also play guitar and keyboard. I don’t like labels much. When they see a black kid rapping they’ll call me a rapper. When they see a black kid singing they’ll call me R&B. I can be whatever I want though. Alternative Pop is cool though.
Who are some of your influences?
My heroes. The guys who I want my name to be next to and who inspire me to keep going and to be a maverick. Donald Glover, Kevin Abstract, Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, Kanye West, Andre 3000, Pharrell, Kid Cudi.
When did you start making music?
November 2014. I wrote a rap song about my ex-girlfriend. I told my best friends Nick and Jai that we should start a rap group. We all liked similar music and it was a cool outlet.
You released your first album at the age of sixteen. How have you grown between Paper Tigers and Jump off the Roof?
I started paying more attention. Paper Tigers was more for fun and JOTR was “Okay, the vision is clearer.” They’re connected in the story though.
The song 'Patriot' has, in a sense, three parts to it, or three different styles of music in one song. What was your thinking behind that?
Without giving too much away of the story, I wanted it to feel like a long car ride. Someone playing songs out of the aux or the radio. A long road trip is what it feels like to me.
Online, you've had quite the year so far. You went viral for a hot couple of seconds when Nathan Zed retweeted videos of you singing. How has your online reception felt for you?
Nathan is the homie man. When I made YouTube videos, he was my idol and I wanted to be friends with him. He deserves all the attention he’s getting. I think internet popularity is cool, as long as you do something with your voice. The trap cover thing was a really fun time. I got on The Fader, which is my favorite magazine. I want to be bigger on the internet than I am right now though. Once high school ends I’ll probably step deeper into being Ian Maverick. That’s all I’ll say.
What are your plans for the future?
Becoming a pop culture icon is the end goal.
Is Ian Maverick an era, or is he here to stay?
He’s here to stay. His story isn’t over yet. Just the beginning.
You said in a livestream that your dad has never heard your music. Does he know that you put out two albums?
Since the stream he has heard it. He’s only seen the 'Bullet' video and heard songs that I’ve worked on at home and stuff. Other than that he hasn’t heard any album in full. He knows what’s up for sure though.
How do you balance admiring other people's music while also maintaining confidence about your own? Or is that a constant uphill battle?
Every time I listen to Frank, Kevin, or Tyler or any of my heroes, I think about how I need to step everything up and work ten times harder. But I’ve realized that they got to where they are by trusting their hearts and being themselves. So I don’t stress. I know what I’m meant to do and I know that it takes time. Frustrating though.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be and why?
Romil is my favorite producer. He’s also a really cool guy and we get along. I think it’d be dope.
A lot of artists use their music to spread a message. What do you want people to take away from Jump off the Roof?
Trust yourself. Stop running from your problems, it doesn’t change anything. Do as much as you can with your time on earth, and in high school. Tell the people you care about that you love them.
Jump off the Roof is available on Spotify and on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1144136738?ls=1&a...
You can follow Ian Maverick on Twitter and Instagram @IsaiahSmith311, Tumblr at ianmaverick.tumblr.com, and Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/ianmaverickisdead
