Raised in Chicago, IL, Austin Fillmore got into rapping at a very young age and has been consistently growing and working on his craft since then.
Austin has built an impressive following by using his social media platforms to continuously urge his fans to get to know him through consistent flow of behind the scenes footage, on-stage performances and daily stories that keep the masses on the edge of their seats. His recent performances on some of the biggest stages in the Midwest, including North Coast Music Festival and countless other local staples, together with his performance on Chicago’s #1 Morning Show “The Jam”, have marked Austin as a star on the rise in Chicago and beyond.
Austin once again proves his talent with one of his latest singles “U Lie I Cry”, an emotional and introspective piece that he completely freestyled after a breakup and that producer Remy Prosper helped him bring to life.
“U Lie I Cry” also happens to be the perfect anthem for #ThinkLessFeelMore, the movement that Austin created in an effort to confront fear of emotional pain, by urging his fans to submit to their emotions and to feel everything they need to feel.
We sat down with Austin to get to know him better.
How would you describe your style and sound?
My style is very versatile and open, I never stick to one sound or one genre and I want my fans to get used to that and appreciate that. I like to call myself a “pop rnb rapper”.
What are some of your biggest inspirations and artistic influences?
My eclectic style comes from my wide range in taste of music. I was influenced by church music - artists like Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond.
I also like rock music, some of my biggest influences were Kings of Leon, Fall Out Boy, Boys Like Girls, System of a Down - as well as R&B, with artists like Tyrese, Drew Hill, Brian McKnight and Usher. My biggest influence ever will probably have to be Michael Jackson.
What got you into rapping and when did music become the goal for you?
In seventh grade we would all sit around the lunch cafeteria, making beats and freestyling. I remember I was really good at making the beats, but I wasn’t that great at rapping so I would get made fun of a lot. That really motivated me to get better and I remember I would go home and instead of doing my homework, I would write lyrics and prepare for the next day.
One thing just led to another and from school freestyle battles, I got to smoking weed and freestyling at parties. I kind of spiraled from there and one day I got arrested and had to spend some time locked up for some drug charges.
While I was in jail I would rap for the inmates and it was actually something another inmate said that convinced me to pursue music as a career. So I did and here we are now!
What has been the greatest hardship in your career thus far and what helped you overcome it?
I think the greatest hardship is really just continuing to keep pushing on.
One of the biggest things that every person goes through is the fear of doubt. I fight every day to keep believing and continue to be the best person I can be.
Tell us more about “U Lie I Cry”. What’s the story behind it and how did the song come to life?
I made the song when I was going through a break up. I wasn’t In the mood to write so I freestyled the track and it all just came out.
I originally recorded it on a different beat but couldn’t use that beat, so my buddy Remy took the vocals and built a beat around it. It was a genius move and it just worked!!
If you could give one piece of advice to young artists that are just starting out in the industry, what would it be?
Be prepared for the long haul! This does not come overnight, it takes hard work and consistency to always put out a quality product!
What are your goals and projects for the near future?
I want to hit over a million streams on one song this year. One of my songs just broke 100k, so 1m is my next goal. I also have a lot of projects coming up, just keep your eyes open!
What’s the bigger picture behind your music? What are you trying to leave to your listeners?
Music is an outlet for me, I would be lost without it. My music gives me drive and purpose and I want people to know that I give my heart in every song, so that they can have someone to relate too.
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