Check Out One Peace’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to One Peace.

Hi One, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My family has always been big on music. Sunday brunches, you would hear anything from Bob Marley to Korn. I didn’t actually get into hip hop until about 6th grade when a friend showed me the song Mo Murda by Bone Thugs. My mom and dad grew up in the hair metal era in California. They told me a story that they saw Mötley Crüe perform at a house party before they were famous. My dad shreds on guitar and both my big brothers can play drums, bass and guitar. Joey, the oldest sibling who I currently live with, played in hardcore punk bands and eventually got into making beats. He had a beat machine that I would take to school with me and make beats in class. We eventually started making songs together and I released my first album: Vintage solely produced by him in 2015.

I wrote my first rap to a Twista beat when I was 13, it was the day before I had to do 10 days in juvenile detention. That day I felt the cathartic outlet that writing lyrics was. Some buddies and I started making songs when I was about 16/17. We realized we had a lot of talent but knew we had a long way to go.

Trouble seemed to follow me throughout high school and the years after I graduated. I was always getting into fights at parties and just acting wild and careless. This caught up with me. I ended up sentenced to three years in prison. I spent most of 2017 locked up and half of 2018 in a halfway house in Greeley. I was always checking out to go to “work” when in reality, I was sneaking to Fort Collins to record and hang out with friends and family. I felt like the time I spent in there gave me a different understanding of life and a new sense of gratitude. When they turned me loose, I was in go mode. I was constantly writing and recording, sharpening my pen and learning how to produce. Here we are in 2022 and I feel like I have absolute access to my soul via my pen. Not only that but I’m learning how to play guitar and bass and I plan to learn piano as well. My latest album – A Glorious One, is a testament to the trials I faced throughout the pandemic and the last several years of my life. I met a young producer by the name of Sagan Petr Smith who supplied me with all the beats for the project. It’s for sure my best work so far. The way our styles blended created a classic album that will for sure stand the test of time. Some of my favorite artists include Isaiah Rashad, Biggie, Wu-tang, Ari Lennox, J Dilla, UGK, Outkast, Kendrick Lamar, System of a Down, A$AP Rocky, MF DOOM, Frank Ocean, Freddie Gibbs and plenty more. The first album I ever bought was Demon Days by Gorillaz.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I definitely haven’t had an easy road to this point. Of course I deal with all the same struggles other artists go through. Self-doubt, writer’s block, and lack of inspiration. And of course, the pandemic put us all in a weird place. All the time we had to spend alone taught us a lot about ourselves, the good and the bad. I had some friends pass away over the last couple of years which put me in some dark places. I just keep pushing with the intent to live for them, in their honor. The struggles I go through only make my purpose more apparent. I’m aware of my role as a healer, I plan to take the hardships I’ve been through and use them to help others.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I feel like my energy and lyrics separate me from the pack. I have BARS, and I can ride a beat like no one’s business. My versatility is something that I take pride in. One song from an album could be a slow RnB type joint, then the very next song is something you could mosh to. I am a pure Emcee.

I’ve been blessed to work with so many talented producers that have helped elevate my game. I think an artist’s beat selection has a lot to do with how successful they can become. I love using jazz samples, airy wavy stuff, psychedelic music and spaghetti western-type sounds. There’s no way to pinpoint my exact sound because it’s so broad. Sometimes when I’m making beats, I’ll type in something like “70’s Japanese Funk” finds something that sounds nice and chop it up.

Being 6’8 also separates me from the pack because I have such a presence on stage and just in life. We don’t just make music either. I love to draw, paint, design clothes, sew, take pictures, shoot videos, skateboard, and play basketball. All of which are ways to express creativity. I love to indulge in other cultures and let those influences show in my work

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Empathy and understanding will be the key to the healing of the World. Unity will come from sharing our experiences as humans and storytelling will be the bridge for the gap that divides us. That’s why music is so important. I’ve learned how I’m going to use my influence once I start popping off. I want to inspire people to harness their genetic potential, both physically and mentally while living out my own truth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/onepeacenugget
• Instagram: @onepeacenugget
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnePeaceNugget/
• Twitter: @onepeacenugget
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VqGnLmVX1Y
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/sagan-smith-186063923/sets/a-glorious-one