Artist debuts own music/poetry publishing company

Adrian (7 Hykoo) Watson II is a songwriter, singer, vocal arranger, musical producer, spoken-word artist, and instructor. And can now add both entrepreneur and music publisher to that list with the opening of his own music publishing company, Sevanna Sounds.

Growing up in church back in his hometown of Cleveland, Oh with a mother as an organist and a father as a singer, Watson had music in his genes. At the age of 4-years-old he began playing drums and by 18 began composing music lyrics.

Created in February 2013, his publishing company was created after a mentor gave him a behind-the-scene look into the music-publishing industry alongside his own personal research.

“I did a lot of research myself and I have a mentor he gave me a lot of insight. I’ve known a music publisher and he explained to me how the publisher has so many rights. The publishing company was solely to keep my creative control intact,” he said. It’s kind of like the bridge between artist and copyright. A song itself is worth 200 percent. The first 100 percent of the song is dedicated to the writers and the other 100 percent is for distribution”.

According to Watson, all to often artists, particularly in the African-American community lack enough education and mistakenly shy away from the business side of the industry—a mistake he asserts he is trying to avoid.

“I feel like there is a lack of education in the music industry in the black community from a communal stand point. It’s a lot of gifts and talents that aren’t reaping what they’re sewing. You could be really good at something but if you can’t recoup off of it, then what are you doing?,” he said.

Watson will be releasing his first project titled “The Relationship (EP)” under Sevanna Sounds and says it won’t be long before he begins extending his expertise to assist his fellow artist.

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“I solely opened it [Sevanna Sounds] up for me so I could test the waters on my own success. I do indeed want to open it up to others artist to catapult their success,” Watson said.

Jayaira Grhim is 'Painfully Beautiful'

In just a little more than a decade, 22-year-old Jayaira “Artistic Genius” Grhim has overcome more obstacles than many of her peers, yet has found her own unique way to tell her story through spoken word.

The Youngstown State University student transformed her trials into triumphs with the release of her book of poetry, “Painfully Beautiful” in January 2014.

“It feels kind of surreal because I never saw myself here with a book and everything. I can’t believe that I am where I am today. And to have people say that I’m inspiring is a great feeling, but it’s also humbling,” she said.

Grhim, who says she began writing as a means to escape the harsh realities of drug addiction and violence growing up in the projects of Campbell, Ohio, developed and honed her skills 3 years ago but never considered herself a poet.

“I [was] always a writer but it wasn’t really poetry. I started writing from pain”. She said. “I moved to the projects when I was 6 from a house to an apartment complex then the violence and the drug abuse started to pick up heavy even in my family".

In her book, she combines the same vulnerable grit that she uses to captivate her audiences while on stage. Her words are unapologetic, yet honest—something she asserts surprised some of her readers.

“A lot of people were kind of shocked when they sat down and read the book. Everyone who got the book can relate to a different poem in the book. I just want to bless at least one person,” she explains.

The outspoken artist has continued to blossom since the early days of her writing, releasing a mix tape, “Raw but Real” and performing across the country such as, but not limited to the Apache Café in Atlanta and True Voices in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has been featured as a RAW artist in Cleveland, Ohio, won first place in Warren Ohio's African Festival, second place in Youngstown Ohio's All City Variety Show and performed alongside Christian Poet, Karness Turner in Kentucky's Amplified event.

She is the co-host of S.P.E.A.K (Silence Prevents Education And Knowledge) Up Sundays, which is an event every first Sunday of the month located at the Fresh Oil Community Center (2333 glen wood Ave). It is free and open to the public and provides an opportunity for artists to express themselves.

Though the young artist says she has crossed off many goals on her list, she has no plan of stopping.