Most people who think of the state of Montana wouldn’t consider it a hotbed for rising talent within the world of hip hop. But fast-rising artist Preston Wayne is on a mission to change that perception.
Hailing from Billings, Montana, this young artist with an original style has been making waves in the music industry for the past two years. He’s made his way out to Los Angeles where he’s been hard at work recording new music and booking shows for tours across the U.S. His one-of-a-kind sound has been described as “eccentric lyricism with wavy melodies that reveal an artist unafraid of taking the urban sound with a hint of rhythmic pop to the next level.” His most recent single, “Problem,” has been drawing a lot of attention since its release in late June. He said he’s eager for more fans around the globe to check it out.
“The first people who come to my mind when I write songs are those people from Montana which makes me think about how far I’ve come so fast,” he said. “I want my music to be motivational. I want my story to be motivational. The lifestyle I’m living out here in LA is like nothing I would have lived in Montana. I’m in crazy cars right now and putting together late-night vibes and it’s just a whole different lifestyle than what you could access in Montana. And I want to inspire people from back home to dream – to give them a glimpse of what is possible if you work hard and don’t give up on what you want.”
Preston said music has always been in his blood, almost literally considering his father was a DJ when he was born. For as long as he can remember, his father was playing all kinds of different music around the house – everything from 1940s jazz to 1960s disco to 1990s old-school rap. It was impossible for him not to adopt a deep appreciation for the music industry and as such, it was perfectly natural for him to start rapping as soon as he could put two words together. By age 6, he was making rap videos with his older brother, Austin, using their father’s old little VHS camcorder. He and Austin continue to collaborate on music today with the older brother focusing more on Pop music while Preston fuses his R&B and hip hop vibes.
“I’ve always had the ability to touch on any genre, and I think that’s one of the things that set me apart from anyone else out there,” he said. “Rap is always my first baby and always will be, but I love exploring other genres. Lately, I’ve been trying to rap and sing which I think is really interesting. Also right now, I’m really into mixing R&B and rap – I like to infuse things that are traditionally more fast-tempo with things that are super groovy. It’s not a sound you would expect to come out of a place like Montana, but there’s actually a big music scene there that no one even knows about. I’m trying to represent it as best I can, and people can expect a lot of music in the next year.”
Instagram: @prestonwaynemusic
