Introducing Noah Fense, a gifted rapper and talented clothing designer within the community
In this article we turn our attention to Noah Fense. An individual within the community making an impact in music and fashion.
Tell us a little about yourself, where your from, grew up, what H.S./College you attended, etc.
I grew up in the city of Rochester. My father lived in the 19th ward area, and my mom lived off Monroe. I went to elementary school at School 58, World of Inquiry, before my mom moved to Penfield, which is where my brother and I began going to school while going back and forth between parents each week. So I went to Penfield and eventually dropped out in the beginning of my junior year.
What inspired you to get into music? What inspired your clothing brand? Early experiences worth sharing?
I’ve been in love with hip hop since I first heard my dad bump Eminem’s “Marshall Mathers LP”, which shortly lead me to DMX, Lil Bow Wow, Big L & NAS to begin my early journey into hip hop when I was about 7 or so, and started writing around age 11 or 12. I’ve always been a fan of music, fashion & street wear, & I was rapping & writing every day, but growing up, I never actually imagined being on stage or designing clothing. I believe that stemmed from a lack of confidence and belief in myself, which is why a major aspect of my music is to evoke self belief & self confidence in the listener. As I went through the struggles, lessons, trials & tribulations of life, I had a spiritual awakening that completely shifted my paradigm, my perception of myself, others & my relationship to the world. I discovered a purpose and a need to express my soul & creativity in a way that can assist in the collective awakening of humanity, and deeper discover myself through following my passion.
Talk about a time where you have faced adversity/conflict and have triumphed.
From ages 18–24 I was wrapped up in the legal system between jail, probation, prison & parole, and at 17 I was on my own. Before this, I struggled hard in middle school and high school, trouble with my grades, focus, fitting in & anger/emotional control issues. I was prescribed medication to help me focus but it just made me more depressed and numb. I got into drugs at a very young age, began skipping school and really just stopped caring about life whatsoever. At 17 I was on my own, homeless with a worsening drug addiction and at 18 I was in jail. I eventually went on the run from probation, then went to prison and got off parole in 2018. While I was locked up, I was writing and meditating every day, and made a decision to take music more seriously, and more spiritually. I began rewriting the narrative of my life and watched it transform from the inside out, and now I wake up everyday full of gratitude & belief in what many would deem impossible.
What do you believe sets you apart from other artists?
- I run my own collective/label/clothing line called Foresee (4C: Conscious Conduits Constantly Connected). We are a music & arts collective, we curate events/experiences, have a clothing line & a videography/photography studio downtown. I began feeling unenthused by the standard local show, and began thinking of way to freshen things up, so I decided to bring in more interactive experiences like virtual reality, I started to design stages/art installations, art sculptures, live painting, massage tables, art vendors, visuals & unique ways to light the stage. I have been curating events for years now , and team up with Flour City Station every January to throw our annual Winter Sizzler, which is an indoor music & arts experience where we completely transform the venue with a new stage design, lights, vendors & live painters to create a colorful indoor winter wonderland.
- My vision / My versatility
- My flexibility / ability to adapt
- my attention to details/ the intention behind my music
- ability to connect with and relate to a very wide spectrum of an audience
- my ability to lead and provide value while seeing value in others that they may not see and extracting that essence out of them
- my live performance quality / my studio recording quality
- My authenticity / vulnerability / positivity / honesty
Do you have other interests or hobbies?
Other interests include playing basketball, studying quantum physics, neuroplasticity, epigenetic, psychology, consciousness, videography & photography, going to music festivals, hiking, camping, drawing. I play basketball 2–3 days a week and I’m a huge Golden State Warriors fan (yes, before Steph, I was a big Baron Davis fan). I love the NBA!
Any projects you have out or or currently working on?
I’m in the final stages of releasing my album, Transformation: Destruction & Creation. This is a concept album about my personal journey, our collective spiritual journey, inner transformation & redemption. I’ve been working on it for the past 2.5/3 years now and I’m beyond excited to release this. I feel it will lay the foundation for my career, and help many people on their own journey. I currently have one project out, called Integration, it’s more of a mixtape of all of the first songs I ever finished and was happy with at the time in 2019. This new album is the sequel and on a whole new level. I also have a live band production/film for my song “Call & Response (Live)”, on YouTube. It was filmed at the Wicked Squid Studio downtown, with an Eastman string quartet and my live band. The official studio single is yet to be released and is on the album.
Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years I see myself in a new reality. In the same rooms as my idols, headlining my own world tour, curating & throwing an annual outdoor festival, working with underprivileged/special needs kids, investing in solving the homeless issue, owning multiple successful businesses, have my own charity, owning a beautiful home with my Queen, getting ready to have my first child, spending time with family & helping them with bills, running a record label and providing value to those who I believe in, traveling the world, not stressing about a bill, blessing people constantly, running a holistic health & wellness center with my Queen, and of course one most leave room for the unknown!
What advice can you give in regards to individuals looking to enter your line of work?
My advice would be to create what YOU love, what lights YOU up. Don’t try to impress anyone, just impress yourself. Don’t compete with anyone else, just compete with yourself. Do it for the right reason, and push yourself to be the greatest you can possibly be. Be a student of the game. Study the greats. Most importantly, believe in yourself, in your vision, take risks and LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. Don’t rely or expect your career to make it on a hand out, build it yourself and if something like that happens then that’s a blessing. Pay attention to the details in order to separate yourself from the pack. Meditate & stretch everyday. Keep your family & relationships with loved ones the most important thing. Drink water, eat healthy.
How can we follow along in your journey? YouTube? Social media? Sites?
I will be performing on the runway for Rochester Fashion Week on May 19th this year! My next performance is May 14th in Buffalo at Buffalo Iron Works with Biggie Smalls tribute band The Frank White Experience. I’ve got some other things in the works that I cannot announce yet but you can follow along on social media if interested!
You can follow along at…
-Instagram: Noahfense_official
-Facebook: Noah Fense Beers
-Music is on ALL streaming platforms under “Noah Fense”
