In a world where authenticity is often sacrificed at the altar of trends, BRIEL the Artist stands unapologetically in his truth. The Bronx-born multihyphenate—producer, singer-songwriter, and visionary has carved out a space where raw emotion, cultural defiance, and genre-blurring sounds collide. His debut mixtape, DAMN GENESIS, isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a rebirth. A middle finger to the boxes society tried to force him into, and a love letter to the fractured, healing self he’s learned to embrace.
BRIEL’s music dissects love, identity, and the messy journey to self-acceptance with surgical precision. But beyond the melodies lies a deeper mission: to mirror the struggles of those still “eating struggle meals,” still wrestling with faith, still fighting to be seen.
In this exclusive interview, BRIEL pulls back the curtain on his creative process, the Bronx’s influence on his sound, and why DAMN GENESIS is more than a mixtape—it’s a manifesto. Buckle up.
RM: First of all, Who is BRIEL the Artist?
BRIEL the Artist: BRIEL the Artist is the product of Gabriel Lawrence — but he’s so much more than that. He’s a producer, an engineer, a singer-songwriter, a storyteller, a creative, a messenger, a motivator, an inspirer, a vision, the architect behind the entire brand… and let’s be real, he’s sexy too.
Everything you see, hear, and feel from BRIEL the Artist? That’s me — the sound, the message, the emotion, all crafted with intention. BRIEL the Artist isn’t just a name — it’s my story, my brand, my purpose, and my truth all wrapped into one.
RM: Congratulations on your debut mixtape, “DAMN GENESIS”? What does this title mean to you?
BRIEL the Artist: Thank you. DAMN GENESIS is really me damning the beginning of one of the most important chapters of my life. When we hear the word “damn,” we usually attach it to something negative — like, why are they damning that? What about it is so condemned?
To answer my own question — I’m damning the parts of my past that shaped me, but not in a pretty way. My story isn’t neat or polished — I’ve been through a lot. It’s damned because those situations broke me down — the anxiety, the depression, the insecurities — cycles I thought I’d never escape. It was damned because I felt trapped, silenced, scared to tell my story, believing nobody cared or that my truth didn’t matter.
This project is me reclaiming that power. After feeling damned for so long, I realized — I have the right to damn the pain, the fear, the doubt that tried to keep me quiet. DAMN GENESIS is me saying, “I get to control my own narrative now.”
And please — don’t take a shot every time I say “damn”… you won’t survive the interview
RM: You mentioned that “DAMN GENESIS” represents the death of who you were told to be and the birth of who you truly are. Can you elaborate on that transformation?
BRIEL the Artist: Yes — that transformation has been overwhelming at times, especially navigating life within multiple communities — being Black, being gay. I always felt like I was being pulled in every direction, like people were tugging at my arms so hard they could pop out of their sockets.
As a Black person, I felt this pressure to conform to my environment. Like, Rap had to be my favorite genre just because it’s considered “ours,” or I couldn’t be into certain hobbies or interests because they were labeled “white.” But it didn’t stop there — even within the gay community, I faced those same expectations in a different way.
I struggled deeply with accepting my femininity. It always felt like I had to choose: masculine or feminine. And the way society — and sometimes even the queer community — paints it, masculinity is seen as good, powerful… feminine energy? Seen as weak or undesirable. And that’s wild, because even in spaces that are supposed to exist outside of societal norms, those same toxic ideas still show up.
But during this era — through DAMN GENESIS — I’ve been learning to strip all of that away. I’ve started embracing who God created me to be, not who the world tried to force me to become. I stopped caring about how other Black people might judge me for loving things that aren’t always widely accepted in our community. I stopped shrinking myself to make other gay people comfortable with my femininity, because of the discomfort around femininity. Let’s be honest, that’s rooted in misogyny, and that’s not my burden to carry.
This year taught me to release all of that. I’m committed to being true to myself because when my time here is up, I want to stand before God knowing I lived in alignment with my heart, not in fear of people’s opinions.
RM: Your music blends Alternative R&B, Hip-Hop, and Indie influences. How did your diverse musical background contribute to the sound of this mixtape?
BRIEL the Artist: Honestly, it came from listening to a lot of music. I’ve always had an ear for a good beat — I can hear something, pull out my notes app, and throw some sickening lyrics on it like it’s second nature. But the real foundation of this mixtape started during one of the hardest times of my life — my depression era.
I remember being stuck in my living room, lights off, just blasting music for hours, from early afternoon until the middle of the night. That’s when I discovered artists like Ambré, Jean Deaux, Destin Conrad, and Joyce Wrice. The way they’ve reinvented the sound of R&B was so inspiring to me. In those moments, when I was just sitting in the dark with my thoughts, I dreamed about creating music that felt that unique, that honest, but in my own way. And it wasn’t just Alternative R&B — bedroom pop artists played a huge role too. Artists like Monsune, Jakob Ogawa, and Victor Internet — they blended that softness with R&B in such a cool, unexpected way.
Their music gave me that extra flair, that seasoning, that made me want to take all those ingredients — the Alternative R&B, the Indie influence, the rawness — and mix it together to create something completely my own.
That’s how DAMN GENESIS came to life — a little bit of all those worlds, filtered through my story.
RM: Standout tracks like “SITUATIONSHIP” and “PRETTY” tackle themes of love, identity, and emotional honesty. What message do you hope listeners take away from these songs?
BRIEL the Artist: These songs definitely explore love, but at their core, they’re really about security, both emotional and personal.
With SITUATIONSHIP, it’s easy to hear it and think it’s just about saying no to a toxic relationship — and on the surface, it is. But if you dig deeper, it’s about understanding how those types of connections rob you of security. A situationship doesn’t come with real commitment. One person always ends up more invested than the other, and when that emotional imbalance sets in, you’re left feeling unsafe — emotionally, mentally, even spiritually.
It brings chaos, especially when people start sleeping with others, jealousy creeps in, and suddenly, your peace is gone. There’s no foundation, no boundaries, no shield protecting you. A real, committed relationship — when both people are locked in — that’s where the security is. A situationship? It’s open, exposed… like a bleeding wound left untreated. Eventually, it gets infected.
PRETTY connects to that same theme, but on a more personal level — self-security. On the surface, it might sound like it’s about wanting to feel beautiful in your partner’s eyes. But if you look deeper, it’s really about how hard it is to expect someone to love or validate you when you can’t even face yourself. We want someone to look us in the eyes and see our worth, but can we look in the mirror and say that to ourselves first?
PRETTY is more than a love song — it’s a reminder that the love we seek starts with us. You have to love yourself as deeply as you expect someone else to — because that’s the only way it feels real, secure, and lasting.
RM: How has your upbringing in the Bronx influenced your music and the themes you explore in your work?
BRIEL the Artist: My upbringing in the Bronx was definitely ghetto — but it was a good ghetto. I had the privilege of growing up in the birthplace of Hip-Hop, surrounded by Black and Hispanic culture, and that shaped my entire sound and worldview. The music blasting through the streets, the cyphers, the energy — it all lived right outside my window.
I also grew up in a household where my late father was a vinyl collector and DJ. And when I say I lived in a hoarder’s house full of vinyls, CDs, and cassette tapes — I mean it was everywhere. It’s almost funny now, but back then, I was literally surrounded by music 24/7.
Growing up in a mostly Black and Hispanic neighborhood also exposed me to a lot of Latin music early on. Those rhythms, those sounds — they cracked my ears open to things I might’ve missed otherwise. Even now, I naturally gravitate toward people of color in the music space, especially Black and Hispanic artists. There’s something about how seasoned, how rooted, how creative our communities are when it comes to music and the industry. You have to learn from them, you have to give them their flowers, because they built this.
RM: Your breakout single “LADIES SONG” was well-received. How does the emotional depth of “DAMN GENESIS” compare to that earlier work?
BRIEL the Artist: Singles like LADIES SONG, THE BLINDS, and even BLUR were intentionally chosen as introductions to this project — they were pieces of the bigger story, but I made sure they didn’t expose too much emotionally, at least not right away.
THE BLINDS was my way of stepping into the industry — it was playful, it showed my personality. LADIES SONG was for the women in my life — an anthem of empowerment, but still easy to digest. BLUR gave a little more vulnerability — the sound, the message, it added that emotional edge that hinted at what was coming with the full project.
But DAMN GENESIS as a whole? That’s where the real heart lives. Beyond the singles, it goes much deeper — it holds my full story, the raw emotions, the pain, the lessons. The singles were the doorway — the mixtape is the full house.
RM: You recently headlined your own concert series, “The Coming of the Year Sessions.” What was the feeling like?
BRIEL the Artist: It was honestly the best feeling in the world, especially coming right off my return performance at the Brooklyn Museum. To go from being a part of someone else’s show to headlining my own first show? That was surreal — I gagged myself, no lie.
Running a show taught me so much, especially the business side of things. It’s just me and my manager doing it, so I had to quickly learn how organized you have to be, how crucial the promotion is, and how absolutely annoying and unprofessional some of these venues can be. Half of them need to take an “Email 101” course, but that’s besides the point.
More than anything, this series showed me how to step into being a leader for my team and how to create The Coming of the Year Sessions around community. I had some incredible openers like Gabriela Centeno and Ramen, the God — even Kean Lane popped in to perform 75th Street and his own single.
After every show, the love and gratitude I feel are unmatched. I truly love every single opener and my entire team. This concert series brought us all closer — it created a bond I wouldn’t trade for anything. It makes me feel whole in my career, even though I’m still just getting started.
And trust that energy and excitement are coming back. Shows Three and Four? They’re already on the way.
RM: What do you want people to feel or experience when they listen to “DAMN GENESIS”?
BRIEL the Artist: I want people to feel seen when they listen to DAMN GENESIS — I want them to feel like they’re not alone, like they can relate.
I’ll say this — I know people already connect to certain big artists, and that’s valid. You hear someone say, “Oh, this artist tells their story so well, I feel seen,” and that’s beautiful. But let’s be real — sometimes, it’s hard to see yourself in their shoes. They’re living the success story most of us are still chasing.
But what about the artists who are still in the thick of it, just like you? The ones still figuring life out, still hustling, still going through it? That’s where I come in. You might share more in common with me than the major label artist waking up in Beverly Hills for a magazine shoot. And I say that with no hate — they’re still human, success doesn’t erase your humanity. But my story? It’s raw, present, still unfolding.
I’m that artist still eating struggle meals, still living at home, still navigating poverty, still wrestling with my relationship with God — and I’m not afraid to say that. I want to say that. Because I want people to get to a place where they can own their truth the same way, without shame.
DAMN GENESIS is your mirror. It’s me throwing my story out there — the mess, the healing, the in-between — so you can look at your own life and feel empowered to face your reality, to fight through it, to reclaim your power. That’s the journey I’m on — and I want it to inspire you to unleash your own version of that, in a way that’s real to you.
RM: What motivates and inspires you to keep creating music, and what keeps you going on your artistic journey?
BRIEL the Artist: Honestly, life itself is what keeps me going. I mean, I wouldn’t be able to sing about getting cheated on if I hadn’t been cheated on — ha! Real experiences are what fuel real music.
But if you’re making deep, personal music, there comes a point where you have to pause, step back, and touch grass — maybe literally, but definitely figuratively. You can’t tell a story if you haven’t lived it, and you can’t truly express it if you haven’t processed it.
The things life has thrown at me forced me to become vulnerable and unfiltered — and that’s what inspires me to create. Unless you’re making parody or straight-up party music, that kind of emotional honesty can only come from real lived experience. No shade to anyone who makes music differently — I respect all the art, but for me, life is the ultimate motivator.
RM: Any influences or people you look up to?
BRIEL the Artist: My original influences — the ones who shaped the foundation of my creativity before I even knew I was BRIEL the Artist — are artists like Summer Walker, Ari Lennox, Doja Cat, and SZA. They each brought something unique to the table that inspired how I approach music and storytelling.
As for people I look up to? I’ll be real — I only look up to God. That’s how it should be, at least for me. It’s amazing to have mentors, inspirations, and people who pour into your journey, but at the end of the day, nobody’s perfect. People can — and will — disappoint you.
I learned to make Jesus my idol, my foundation, and honestly? It’s been working for me. I’m sitting here being interviewed for my debut mixtape DAMN GENESIS — so clearly, the path I’m walking with Him is leading exactly where it’s meant to.
RM: Any Dream Collaborations?
BRIEL the Artist: I’ve said it before — my dream collaborations have always been Victor Internet and my good friend Vernon Maxwell. But if I’m being honest and digging deeper, there are definitely more artists I’m dying to work with as my career grows.
First off — Santigold. She’s been a staple in my life since the 2010s. Her music was literally in every video game soundtrack I played, and to this day, I can’t get enough. She makes me feel young — even though I’m only 23 — but if you know her music, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.
Then there’s Tame Impala. There’s no way he created one of the greatest albums of all time — Currents — and I don’t want to work with him. If I’m not blasting my playlist, trust and believe Currents is playing front to back. It’s timeless.
And lastly, Bibio. His sound gives me so much peace — no disrespect, but I lowkey put him on to nap sometimes, and I swear I sleep like a baby every time. But that’s how beautiful and calming his music is. I’d love to collaborate, though after hearing I nap to his songs, he might block me — but I say it with love! His music is truly in a lane of its own, and it would be amazing to create something together.
RM: What’s next for you after the release of this mixtape?
BRIEL the Artist: I’m promoting the Heavens out of DAMN GENESIS — to the point where the police might knock on my door to make me stop, which… realistically? They never will.
I definitely have upcoming shows lined up where I’ll be performing tracks from DAMN GENESIS. So if you’re in New York City, you’re more than welcome to pull up and experience the love and community of The Coming of the Year Sessions, which is starting back up this August.
As for upcoming projects, the next one is DAMN GENESIS physically in your hands. I’ll be working hard behind the scenes to make that happen, so definitely stay tuned — the journey is only getting started.
BRIEL the Artist isn’t just making music—he’s building a movement. DAMN GENESIS is more than a debut; it’s a declaration, a sonic exorcism of the pain, doubt, and expectations that once defined him.
