[Editor’s note: Graphite Publications presents a new column, “On The Rise”, featuring interviews with musical artists of all kinds that we believe are on the verge of a major break. Enjoy!]

There’s no school like the old school and luckily, our debut rising artist Audubon is gaining the young generation’s interest in classic hip-hop grit alongside tender R&B flavor, for he is a true builder. Combining several music genres and influences, Audubon is gracefully forging his universe. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the artist:

Graphite Publications: With today’s humanity craving social media exposure and stardom, we find ourselves bombarded with endless tracks and videos. How do you distinguish yourself from existing artists?

Audubon: The way I distinguish myself is by not bombarding the inter-webs with content. I tend to space it out and build a bit of anticipation. Everything under the sun has been done. I just try to find ways to present it differently. My goal is not to compete with them but to compete with myself.

Your music treads a lot of boundaries genre-wise, shifting vibes drastically from track to track (from The Substitute to Riot for Kiko to Birkin etc.). How do you describe your own style?

I describe my style best like Bruce Lee’s fighting style Jeet Kune Do. It’s a mixture of styles in order to defeat the opponent. In my case, I’m using different styles to reach the listener. I was raised in a Dominican neighborhood but my mom is Cuban and American so I would listen to many genres. That in turn let me know I don’t have to stick to one specific sound.

Your compositions are catchy, yet extremely elaborate and well built. What’s your process like for producing? Is the writing created from your sound or vice versa?

Thank you, well I approach every song differently. I at times have a melody in my mind and I’ll produce around that. In another case I might produce a beat then go in and record. When I record I lay down melodies and gibberish in order to get the feeling and emotion I wouldn’t get had I written first. Then I’ll come back around and think of a concept if I didn’t during the melodizing. I’ll add the words after that. I have no one style though; I go with the flow of it with the understanding that a song is an ever-evolving art piece in the process of creating.

Rappers are singing more and more these days, but many rely on effects and auto-tune in place of traditional vocal training. Your voice, on the other hand, sounds highly skilled and fairly thoroughly trained; is that the case?

Again, good looks for the compliment; I was indeed a choir singer for many years. I think what’s going on is artists are using the auto-tune turned all the way turned up. It’s a style. What I tend to do is if I do use auto-tune, I use it in pitch correction mode. What that does is it very quietly keeps your notes in the right key without changing the sound of your voice or have it sounding too digitalized.

What was life like for you growing up? Did you always live in Washington Heights?

Well I was raised in the Heights till about 12 when my mom had had enough of my shit. I was pretty wild coming up. When a friend died she got scared and said enough. We moved to Miramar FL till I was about 17. I graduated high school luckily and I moved back after dropping out of college. I never lost touch though because I’d go back every summer. I’ve been in NY since then. I met some friends down south that I still have till this day though.

Who inspires you, both inside and outside of the world of music?

I’m inspired by John Mayer, Jadakiss, Denzel Washington , Jacque Fresco, Ghostface and my Grandma to name a few…

Who would you really like to work with (producers, artists) that you haven’t gotten a chance to yet?

Man that’s a tough one. I would love to work with John, James Blake great all around musician; Anthony Keidis his bars are crazy! Nineteen85, Sampha, Thom Yorke, Romeo Santos…. man I could go on for a while lol…

What does a regular day of your life look like? Do you have any hobbies we wouldn’t necessarily expect?

A regular day for me is waking up, checking my emails and news (aka social media), hitting the street grabbing coffee, then I’m making a few moves. Afternoon I’m either in a meeting or just with friends out exploring for a bit, that breeds inspiration in me. I love Legos and building stuff. I work on music pretty much everyday whether its producing, song writing, mixing something down etc. I help friends with their projects as well. No day is the same. It’s scary and exciting at the same time.

Is there one song in particular that is extremely close to your heart? Tell us about your writing experience on this song.

I have a few I feel that way about. One of them is probably Panic Park it’s my way of shining light on what’s happening out there. I wrote it with the intent of making people a bit more aware. They say the truth and entertainment don’t mix, I am a living, breathing example that that statement couldn’t be any further from the truth. I made a video for it as well.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years I see myself successful in the music realm. Label on my back, making TV shows and film as well. A philanthropist and a racecar driver.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

You should know I plan to be here for a while.

Any advice to young artists trying to launch their careers?

It is very important to put in a lot of work outside the studio nurturing your relationships so that the work you do inside the booth actually gets somewhere. That was my problem at first. Be you. Stay true. That is all.