Starlyfe, “The Nightmare Before Reality”
Starlyfe is a musician and lyricist from Charlotte, North Carolina. Writing and poetry were a keystone to Star's expression in his formative years. At only age 3, he was writing his own short stories and poems, thanks to an early effort from his mother, who taught him to read and write "as soon as (he) was conscious". His youthful passion for poems grew as he discovered his love of music through learning to play instruments, especially the trumpet and piano. Starlyfe would frequently use the grand piano in his elementary school and freestyle lyrics over the instrumentals he played, ultimately spawning the creative essenses that now encapsulate Starlyfe's discography and art.
The young creative has released 7 singles so far in 2024, with the latest "The Nightmare Before Reality" releasing on September 16th, 2024. This two-part conceptual track tells a story of Starlyfe's dreamscape, entering this unconscious world with the impression that this would be a "good dream". Slow, deep, and wavy sung lyrics describe a lavish lifestyle of new houses, cars, and girls, with Starlyfe singing "I can't believe it's all mine". The lyrical tone and beat develop and grow darker as Starlyfe sings about seeing his demons, standing ahead of him dauntingly as they seemingly "want smoke". These entities control and mock Star as he freezes, standing paralyzed in this hell until he realizes this is not reality, and he is in a nightmare, ultimately finding the strength to "wake up, wake up".
A beat break spins the slowed intro to a punchy, fast-paced, and upbeat flashback to "reality", where Star regains his conscious power and control over his life, defeating this negativity. "All of of my demons they catching fatalities, I am the master of my own reality."
This "Back to Reality" segment also includes some references to the artist's personal faith and spirituality, uncovered in the recent RSO exclusive interview with Starlyfe. Here he shared his biggest inspirations which include, "Jesus Christ my lord and savior, Lil Uzi Vert, Kanye West, Young Thug and Nav." Star's religious connections are shared further with lyrics like, "Stand close to the Lord and he grounding me, Word to my Father, he found me," alongside, "I'm not afriad of the reaper, because I know where I'm going."
Also within this "reality" section, Starlyfe describes spending time in the "Trap with (his) people," taking a turn back to the religious tones by saying, "Nobody know what we on, we be spreading the Word, we gon turn it to a theme song."
This dynamic beat instrumental was produced by dripclout, a fellow Charlotte-NC-based artist and producer. It was originally comissioned by Starlyfe as a custom beat last year, intended to be used for a freestyle before being set aside for months because Star "wasn’t liking what (he) was hearing". Thankfully, the poetic lyricist and creative jumped back on the track recently, writing and recording the entire conceptual single in only 2 hours!
In an exclusive interview with RSO Underground, Starlyfe describes his experiences releasing his debut SoundCloud mixtape in high school, with insight into his peer and classmate reactions to this initial release under a different name, his hopes to make a positive impact with his music, and a message to the world of "Be kind to others. Treat folks the way you’d want them to treat you as you never know what someone could be going through. Remember that two wrongs don’t make a right and that violence is never the answer."
RSO Underground Interview with Starlyfe
Who are you?
I am Starlyfe, an artist from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Where are you from? (How is the music scene there?)
The music scene in Charlotte is interesting to say the least. There’s definitely a lot of talented artists here but the typical Charlotte sound isn’t really my style. In my opinion a lot of Charlotte artists sound very similar to each other. I do my best to differentiate myself while also making music that I genuinely enjoy.
Why did you get into the music/creative industry??
I got in to music to make a positive impact on peoples lives. When I listen to music it makes me feel better. I would like to do the same for others and give back in a way.
Who and what inspires you?
My biggest inspirations are Jesus Christ my lord and savior, Lil Uzi Vert, Kanye West, Young Thug and Nav. I’ve always enjoyed how their music made me feel, so it’s a goal of mine to reciprocate those feelings for others through my own music.
Do you have any stories of your artistic journey to share?
A story from my artistic journey: When I was in my junior year of high school I recorded my first song on a beat from YouTube and posted it on SoundCloud under an old stage name. My friends gave me a lot of valuable feedback and told me to keep going so I did. I made music just for fun for a couple of years before I started taking myself seriously. This happened after I dropped a short mixtape on SoundCloud. Multiple people told me it was amazing and that I should take my music seriously. After that I began making music with a purpose. It’s a lifestyle now.
What song/project are you currently promoting and what is the story behind it?
I am currently promoting my latest single “The Nightmare Before Reality” produced by dripclout. I had the beat custom made for me last year. I attempted to write to and freestyle on the beat, but I wasn’t liking what I was hearing so I set the project aside. Sometime around March of this year I picked it back up and started writing… and writing, and before I knew it I had the entire song written and recorded in under 2 hours. I decided I would tell a story on the track. The story is about me waking up from a dream that appeared good at first, but turned to a nightmare by the end of it. The Nightmare Before Reality.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I think people would be surprised to know that I’ve been writing my own poems and short stories since I was 3 years old. My mother taught me how to read and write as soon as I was conscious. I also grew up playing instruments, specifically the piano and the trumpet. When I was in elementary school. I would play the piano and make up my own lyrics to whatever song I was playing. That’s where my love of making music originates from.
Where can we find your music and art?
My music can be found on all music streaming platforms under the name “Starlyfe” There’s a link in my bio for easy access.
What is your message to the world?
My message to the world: Be kind to others. Treat folks the way you’d want them to treat you as you never know what someone could be going through. Remember that two wrongs don’t make a right and that violence is never the answer.
Check out Starlyfe Everywhere!