Before being signed to EMPIRE and being featured in Complex, Mir Fontane was just a kid with artistic dreams. Raised in Camden, NJ, Mir has created his own sound and aesthetic based on his upbringing, as well as his talents as a visual artist. The ‘Who’s Watching The Kid’s 2’ rapper has built a buzz for himself since releasing He So Crazy, a Martin-inspired project, and his song “Frank Ocean” in 2017. 

The world knows him as a gifted artist, yet I was able to dig deeper into the mind of Fontane. Throughout our interview, he discussed his artistic talents, the inspiration that came to him for his latest project, being himself in today’s industry, and the inspiration on his Godfather-inspired rap name.

Bre Rob: Who is Mir Fontane?

Mir Fontane: Mir Fontane is a rapper from Camden, New Jersey. I’ve been signed with EMPIRE since 2018, being featured in Complex to release my latest project ‘Who’s Watching The Kid’s 2’. 

Where did you get the stage name Mir Fontane from? I had noticed you had referred to the Godfather for influence. Kinda go into detail about that.

So there’s this character in The Godfather called Johnny Fontane. He was very well connected to the mafia but was a successful musician and ladies man. Fontane was the mafia’s front for positivity, but when he had problems, he would consult with the mob to see if whether the problem would be career damaging or not. I kind of have that relatability in a certain type of way with the people that surrounded and believed in me in the beginning. They know me as Mir, and I want to keep it that way.

Being influenced by some hip hop’s lyricists (The Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent, 2Pac, Nas), does that push you to go harder in your own music?

For sure. Growing up listening to them, I knew that I wanted to one day kind of be compared to those people they were. I had fallen in love initially as far as hip hop and storytelling go because my favorite subject in school was English. So the way that they were able to put together words on a beat and have it slowed to a melody and somehow you get some connection to trap and you feel it. They put you in the shoes of whoever they’re talking about. I always admired that about them and that was something I wanted to portray on my own when I became an artist.

How would you describe your musical style?

That’s a good question. I wouldn’t try to box in what my style is, but if I could describe it, it’s like throwing a bunch of different colors on a canvas and somehow they’re all cohesive. I never wanted to be labeled as one type of rapper, I didn’t want to be a conscious rapper. Growing up and being inspired by the people I was inspired by, I didn’t want to be labeled as a person that just makes slow beats and tells stories, because at the end of the day, I know I like to have fun and get lit, so I want my shows to be able to do that. I know I have to make a certain type of music in order for that to happen, so it was all about finding the middle ground. 

It was mentioned you’re also a visual artist. Could you go into detail about that?

It’s more so a pencil and charcoal. I went to a creative arts high school from the age of 3. I ended up really owning my pencil and stuff like that once I got into high school. It was set up to where I had to draw pretty much every day, like an hour and forty-five minutes throughout the week. That’s pretty much how I began to get my thoughts out visually on paper without having to write it out. I had also taken a liking to realism art. I wanted to draw what I saw, like mini portraits. I used to go out and get Word Up and Ebony Magazine, any publications with hip hop artists and black people on the covers. I would flip through the pages and find pictures that I liked. Once I was home, I’d open the pages and try to draw the pictures with a pencil or charcoal, and that was my thing before I go into music. 

That’s pretty dope that you were able to bring together the elements of drawing and storytelling. 

Since being signed to EMPIRE by Ghazi Shami himself, how has your carer taken off since then?

I feel like the situation I’m in with EMPIRE is a lot more hands-on and you can really feel the excitement just as much as I’m excited about my music. They’re just as excited to help me push the music out and become a bigger artist in my own aspect. It’s deeper than music and they truly understand the power in creating that comes to the artist. Finding EMPIRE was something I should have pursued a long time ago. 

So has being signed to EMPIRE helped elevate you to higher ranks that you probably didn’t think you could get to?

Yes. They definitely put me in the faces of important people, just off of their reputation alone. Once they heard the music and saw the support behind it, they helped me get to higher elevations than what I was able to do on my own. 

Your latest release, ‘Who’s Watching The Kid’s 2’ brings together your worlds of hip hop and art with raw street stories. Where did the inspiration for this project come from?

Back before I started rapping, my only job was at the Boys and Girls Club. I spent a lot of time working around the youth of Camden, becoming a mentor to a lot of the kids that were younger than me at the time. I was in charge of the gym and me being an athlete, I always loved playing with the kids. I wanted to be their favorite counselor, more like a big brother, than an authority figure. Sometimes, the kids would take advantage of that and I would get in trouble with my supervisor for not properly watching them. It became something that resonated together on a deeper platform to me. The average age group in Camden is 25 and younger, with the majority of the kids lacking supervision, having the streets raise them. That stuck with me as a story I wanted to take and tell once I got in the right position. The youth is our future and if you can give them some type of hope and inspiration to look to, it will make a difference in the long run and that’s pretty much where I got the inspiration for WWTK2. 

Sometimes our best stories come from our own personal struggles or other people’s. I think that’s interesting that you were able to incorporate the youth from your city into your storytelling as a way to reach them in a positive way. 

Are there any artists you would like to work with on future projects?

I know I’ve wanted to collaborate with Ty Dolla $ign for a long time. Post Malone. I know me and J.I.D. have been trying to collab for a while, but he’s been on tour. A dream feature of mine would definitely be with Frank Ocean. Drake as well. J. Cole is my favorite artist. Just anyone I think can add another level to the type of music I make. 

With the state of hip hop changing, what keeps you authentic as Mir Fontane?

I just stay true to what I know. The easiest thing to do is to be yourself. Once you start doing that, then it won’t be hard to keep up with your own persona. I’m gonna keep making the type of music I like, the type of music that I want to experiment with, the same way I was experimenting with different mediums when I was doing visual art. I feel like with my fanbase, they never know what to expect, but they know they’ll get quality music.

Aside from hip hop, what keeps your mind going creatively?

I try to draw as much as I can. I also play chess and video games whenever I’m trying to get away from the music sometimes. I try to keep making music fun, so sometimes a break from it helps. 

As a young entertainer, what type of advice would you give to young underground artists trying to get label attention?

Get yourself a solid sound and role and play it to the best of your ability. Invest in yourself, not just financially, but also getting out and meeting the right people. Network, exchange social media and stay in contact with them. Surround yourself around creative people. Also, be patient– things don’t happen overnight.

Listen to ‘Who’s Watching The Kid’s 2’ below:

And follow Mir Fontane on Instagram and Twitter.