Rom Lawrell: Harmonizing Ambition, Artistry, and Advocacy in the R&B Realm

Have you ever stood at the intersection of raw talent and relentless ambition, only to feel the world hasn't quite caught up to your rhythm? Rom Lawrell, the R&B pop sensation with a narrative as enthralling as his melodies, joins us to share his tale of perseverance in both the creative realm and as a proud member of the LGBT community. Through the echoes of his childhood, shaped by musical giants like Michael Jackson and Prince, Rom unveils his multifaceted artistry in singing, writing, producing, and videography, all while chasing the elusive shadow of pop superstardom.


Host KC Carnage (@iamkccarnage), Rom Lawrell (@romlawrell) 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Because I'm a gay black name, right? You would think that you would be celebrated not only in the LGBT community, but also in the creative community, but you're not. It's like we are the last to be looked at.

Speaker 1: 0:14

We are the last to be uplifted. I've had people book me for something and then they'll see my video or see my content and they'll be like, actually you're not the right fit and you know what it is. I've heard people always say we don't know what to do with you, or maybe if you tone it down a bit and it's just like y'all not enough for me.

Speaker 2: 1:08

What up, what up, welcome to, that's it, that's all. I'm your host, casey Carnage, and today we're going to do another artist spotlight. Y'all know it's one of my favorite segments. And today we got Rahm Leroux, you know, upcoming still, you know, I think, as a star, definitely a pop superstar. Okay, tell them. Like you know, he helps on Chicago. Some of his influences in his music is a fusion of Chicago House, r&b, dance, rap.

Speaker 2: 1:35

I mean, I've seen this guy develop and his videos. If you haven't checked out any of his videos, make sure you go do that. They're always innovative. They're always innovative, they're always fun, and you might see me in a couple of them, no shade. So let's just jump into it. I don't want to talk more about him, because that's what he's here for. I'm Rahm, welcome. What's up. I'm glad you came on the show today. What's up, what's up? I want to get you know the world. You know that, don't know you. To know you, because I think that you're an amazing artist and all of that. You're a very good friend of mine. So tell us a little bit about you, rahm, and what kind of artists are you?

Speaker 1: 2:12

So what's up, y'all? I'm Rahm Leroux and I'm an R&B pop artist. I consider myself a pop artist because I don't just do like R&B, I don't just do rapping, I do everything, and most of the time I'm writing too. So it's just like I'm a pop star, like when you look at Michael Jackson, you look at Diana Ross, you look at Missy Elliott, even Beyonce, like those are the people who I aspire to be like, or like I aspire to have their you know notoriety in their level of fame. So yeah, I feel like I'm a multifaceted, multi-talented artist. And you know, I don't just do like music, I do some everything producing, writing, singing, video photography, photography so multi-talented, that's what I think.

Speaker 2: 3:04

And as you should be. That's how you make it in this world. Got a lot of tricks in our bag. You know what I mean To get the bag.

Speaker 1: 3:12

Now.

Speaker 2: 3:12

Ro was being an artist, or a pop artist as you say. Was that something you've always wanted to be, or is that something you kind of grew into?

Speaker 1: 3:21

It's something that I always wanted to be. I knew from a young age I used to be singing around the house at like two, three, four, and then, I think, when my family realized that I was a singer, they were just like, okay, it's something there Like we have to kind of nudge him or push him in the right direction. So, like my dad did music too and once he found out I could sing and do music, like he was just like you know, you got to sing like this, you got to sing with feelings, you got to be emotional, you know, you got to, you know. So he really was like pivotal with me wanting to be an artist. But I knew when I was like two, what's your dad?

Speaker 2: 3:59

and music as well.

Speaker 1: 4:02

I want to say he wasn't really in music but he wanted to do music Like I think growing up him and his friends did like a cover band new edition cover band and he sung a lot at, like the family reunions and stuff like that, and he even recorded a few songs too.

Speaker 1: 4:17

But he kind of was just like the person who you know. He bought me the first DAWs Cubase I think that was the first one we used. He bought a MacBook and he bought a mic. So I would go over his house every other weekend and I would just lock myself in the room and record my songs and write my songs that I have written over the years or whatever like that, and then it was always good, but the quality I'm not no engineer so the quality was always bad, but I used to make mixtapes in high school and pass them out to people in high school and that's pretty much how I knew.

Speaker 1: 5:01

And I also remember sitting right next to him watching Purple Rain and saying I want to do that. That was the movie that made me go. I want to be an entertainer.

Speaker 2: 5:12

We all love Purple Rain and we all love Prince. I mean as many people as I've had on this couch to talk about Prince. It's always going to come up iconic. But what about that movie and what about Prince? Did you see in yourself? Or did you say, wow, this is what I want to do? What about it? Touched you?

Speaker 1: 5:34

Well, Prince is so eclectic in the way he dresses. If he was out today he would be like non-binary, Like a non-binary artist.

Speaker 2: 5:44

I mean technically, he was without saying he was. He changed his name to the symbol.

Speaker 1: 5:49

So he was always the person who would go out there and do whatever he wanted to do. And then when I heard the music, it was just something that you didn't hear. From music like that, he has a specific sound. Even when he produced for other people, like Apollonia, ready for the World, all those artists you can still hear Prince, and then even artists today and writers today you can hear the influence Like Alien Superstar, by Beyonce. That is all Prince like influence. So I just always loved Prince because he would not like he wouldn't shy away from being himself and doing exactly what he wanted to do, and that's something that it's taken me a long time to develop that within myself, but he was always somebody that would be like he did this. So I know you need to go out there and do something like this, or you need to go out there and be just as fearless.

Speaker 2: 6:46

So Well, one thing I do notice and like, especially in your videos your dance background. Let me tell y'all some I'll be fucking it up. Were you a dancer before? You were a singer first, or was kind of at the same time. You were doing both.

Speaker 1: 7:01

No, so I've always been a singer. First. I always did music, even when I was young. I would like watch Barney take the Barney songs and like change the person's name, change certain parts of singing to people in my family like my grandma. So I always sung.

Speaker 1: 7:17

First, dancing came when I was about I would say like 12. And in Chicago there's a whole bunch of like different dance groups and dance. We call it the Chicago dance industry and I used to be in some of those groups. So I kind of developed like my knack for auditioning, like I learned so much and it was just like have y'all ever seen Bring it? It's kind of like Bring it Like we used to battle the other people and the other teams and it was very competitive and very, very like hard. Like if you suck you will have to be in the back, so you will want to strive to be in the front so people could be screaming your name, you know, calling out your name at the dance down and stuff like that. So that's where I developed my dancing.

Speaker 1: 8:04

And then eventually, when I got older I had moved on to a dance company full effect, the actual dance company and we like battled. We still did the battles and stuff like that. But we traveled are like the older people on the team. They danced in Missy Elliott lose control video and they went on tour with her. Our director was also Missy Elliott's choreographer, so it was just like we got that like on hand look at how to audition, how to be the best and how to just like exert your energy and really go crazy. So that's why I learned how to dance. But I always knew like I need to learn how to dance because I once would be a star and I feel like the stars that I looked at, they all could dance.

Speaker 2: 8:51

Unless you're Adele, who could stand there and sell out, adele, I don't need her to do no piece of choreo.

Speaker 1: 8:57

Yeah, let me tell you something.

Speaker 2: 8:59

Adele stand there and address and sell out stadiums. Man, let me tell you something Go ahead, adele.

Speaker 1: 9:05

Just give me Adele and a gown. That's all I need. That's all you need.

Speaker 2: 9:09

That's all you need. But I understand that, like, everybody has their different necks, and also, too, like it's something about like just just straight and strengthening your skills in your craft. So even if, like, I get that maybe you're not a dancer, maybe you're not a professional singer, but if one is lacking because, like, let's be real, beyonce couldn't dance back in the day and you don't have to.

Speaker 1: 9:29

Yeah, I would say, you don't have to know how to pick up on choreography fast, you don't have to do choreography. But I still suggest taking a dance class so you can know how to perform, so you can know how to move your body on stage. You don't have to. You can barely move. But you want to know how to captivate an audience. Absolutely, and you learn that through dance.

Speaker 2: 9:50

So Absolutely Okay, ron. What was your first song you ever wrote?

Speaker 1: 9:56

The first song I ever wrote. I would say the first song that I remember that I ever wrote. I was like probably 15, 16, even though I've been writing songs way before that, but this is like the song that I remember because it was so pivotal and me being an artist and this is when, like the techno sound was really big and like EDM was really big, I wrote this song called Blow that Bitch Up and I had Jeff got cheated on.

Speaker 1: 10:27

Wait what? Yes, it goes, I'm gonna put you on a spaceship and blow that bitch up. Blow that, blow that bitch up. Yeah, I wrote that in high school because I had Jeff got cheated on. So I wanted you know, my ex to know like I want to put you in a spaceship and blow it up, you know, because you broke my heart, you know.

Speaker 2: 10:46

That is amazing.

Speaker 1: 10:47

It was techno, so it was like dun, dun dun.

Speaker 2: 10:50

It's so amazing. I would love to hear that. Can you find it? I gotta find it. You should bring it back. You should bring it back because that sound, that sound still good.

Speaker 1: 10:56

I had to find it, but it was like bring it back. I feel like when I had that song out, everybody was like oh, you are artists, you know like well, I mean, especially now people call these catchphrases.

Speaker 2: 11:06

You should dig that up and bring that back because I would love to hear it, especially now when, like EDM and House and stuff is so popular, I need to bring it back and have somebody re-produce it for sure.

Speaker 2: 11:14

Because that is funny. Okay, well, let's talk about some. You know, as artists, you know. You know we have our highs, we have our lows. You know we deal with mental health. We deal with, you know, lack of faith and doubts in ourselves. Like, have you experienced any of that and what has been your process of staying the course?

Speaker 1: 11:36

All the time. I experienced that because I've known my entire life what I wanted to be. So, because it's not happening as fast, sometimes you get in your head and you allow like depression and those thoughts to creep inside of your mind and you think like what if this doesn't happen to me and I've dedicated every moment of my life to this and kind of make you go crazy. So I just started therapy because not only do I have like a lot of childhood stuff that I have to like deal with and like healing my inner child, but I have to be okay with knowing that my journey has is my journey and everything that I've ever put out into the universe and I've ever said my mind to I've achieved. So this is just something that I'm going to achieve.

Speaker 1: 12:33

Also, it might take a little longer because for legends and the greats it takes them longer. Like I don't want just like popcorn success where it's just like, oh, I'm famous here, then five years later nobody knows me or nobody cares. I want to be working in this industry until I'm 70. Like you see, diana Ross, you see like-.

Speaker 2: 12:56

Quincy Jones Quincy.

Speaker 1: 12:57

Jones, you see like I want to be in this industry until I die, because I know is where I'm supposed to be, you know.

Speaker 2: 13:06

And.

Speaker 1: 13:06

I know it's hard and it hasn't been easy, so I just try to stay mindful that, like you know, just stay the course, just stay the course.

Speaker 2: 13:15

Yeah, I went to this meditation session the other day and it was very good. It was like what did you call it? Freedom meditation, where it's not necessarily one that is derived from, like the monks, where we are normally taught, but it was more so finding your own mantra, and I thought that was very cool because typically when you go to these kinds of sessions, they're either telling you or guiding you, or telling you what you should say or this is what it could be, and within that meditation, you know, I found my own mantra and it definitely helped because, as artists, you know, especially when we're doing a lot of stuff and have to like pay bills and have to like put stuff aside that we don't want to have to decide, it does get cloudy and it does get dark, and then you feel like you're lonely, you feel like nobody understands, you feel like you're losing friends and people that you love, like so it's like one of those things where it's a tricky situation but like staying the course is it's not as easy as people want to make it. They see the overnight, they see the views, they see the happy times, but it's a lot that goes on into reaching your dreams. Like there's a lot of things that you sacrifice and people don't talk about that a lot.

Speaker 1: 14:26

And yeah, I just like through therapy is when I finally started like taking my head out of like the grind and like really dealing with my issues and dealing with my emotions, because I've been here for a long time like almost eight years, nine years and in that process I've lost, like my grandfather, my cousin, committee suicide, my grandma just died a few weeks ago.

Speaker 2: 14:54

I'm sorry to hear that.

Speaker 1: 14:57

My grandfather had died, like five years ago, my other grandfather and it was just like, because I'm focusing so hard on trying to make my dreams come true, I'm not home. I'm not experiencing those moments. So it's like with my family. Now that I'm going home more, I'm seeing that everybody has grown. But I was holding on to those things that I had when I left and like now people, they're not even in that same space, no more. So it's just like I owe it to myself to heal from that and I owe it to myself to move on from it too, cause everybody else has. While you still holding on to these things and still holding on to the thought that, like I wanna make it better for my family too, like I want my family to, you know, live a good life, my mom and I have to struggle, but you just lose sight of what's really important because you're still focused on work.

Speaker 1: 15:43

And you're still focused on doing these creative things On top of now. Everybody has to be a content creator on top of writing songs, doing the things that they do, you know dance class, trying to audition, like trying to pay bills, Like it's so hard. So I recommend everybody find something that makes you feel good. Find something where you can release, because it is not easy for us creatives at all.

Speaker 2: 16:08

At all. I mean you wanna say it's like I think Bosque out was. Like you know, artists were tortured souls.

Speaker 1: 16:15

And it's the truth. Have you seen his art Like? His art is so amazing and it's so like big now, but when you look at it you just see like he was very like trouble in his mind, like he was going through a lot of things and now we just consume his art like crazy for pleasure almost, and it's like he was so tortured and that's what our artist is Like.

Speaker 1: 16:42

Look at people like Beyonce. She has like the biggest tour. People love her, but it's still so many people who talk bad about her and she's given her entire life to the entertainment industry, like since she was what Born Pretty much. Like she's given her entire life to it. And it's still people who say she doesn't deserve what she has. Still people who say, oh, she's mediocre. It's still people that says, oh, she's an illuminati, like a black woman worked hard. And the only way to her success is that she sew herself.

Speaker 2: 17:19

Right right.

Speaker 1: 17:20

It can be that she worked hard.

Speaker 2: 17:22

That's the thing about. So that points me to my next question Facing the challenges in the industry. What kind of challenges have you faced? Do you like the Chukin Pinpoint?

Speaker 1: 17:34

or any. Oh, I was like I faced a lot, Like even this year I've dealt with people because I'm a gay black man. Right, you would think that you will be celebrated not only in the LGBT community, but also in the creative community, but you're not. It's like we are the last to be looked at.

Speaker 1: 17:59

We are the last to be, you know, uplifted. I've had people book me for something and then, like they'll see my video or see my content and they'll be like actually you're not the right fit. Or they will keep pushing me back like saying, hey, we have a bigger star or a bigger person coming in to do this interview. We still got you, but it's going to take, we'll get you next week, and then next week they say something else or say something else like that and you know what it is.

Speaker 1: 18:31

I've heard people always say like we don't know what to do with you, or maybe if you tone it down a bit, and it's just like y'all not enough for me.

Speaker 2: 18:43

You know y'all can't handle me.

Speaker 1: 18:47

Y'all can't think as creatively as talented as I am, so that's why you don't know what to do with me. I'm pretty sure they said the same thing about Lady Gaga. I'm pretty sure they said the same thing about all these people who beat the odds. So if I have to work a little harder to do things the way I want to do, them then I'm going to do that.

Speaker 2: 19:10

No, I feel that.

Speaker 2: 19:11

I feel that it's just like one of those things where you're like, like for me.

Speaker 2: 19:14

I've always, despite what people can say, like I've always tried to stay as authentic as possible, and not only as authentic as possible, but also as understanding and being able to see other views and move in that way.

Speaker 2: 19:30

However, you can't help who you heard or you can't help who you might put a little bad taste in your mouth based on the decision you make for yourself, but I feel like you owe it to yourself to be who you are, regardless and the people around you that can't understand that. They just not for you, and it's hurtful, especially when you're close to people. You know what I mean. You think that people are on this journey with you, but one thing that I realized, even like being with the show and dealing with having the friends that I have, I was just kind of like some journeys are just meant for you. They're just meant for you, and I think that the compassion in our hearts, so like wanting to come with me, like I'm doing this, let's do this, and it gets this heart in when they're not as into it as you are because it's not their vision.

Speaker 2: 20:21

So you have to stick to your vision and just hope that it all plays out. And it's the weirdest thing, like that double-edged sword is painful, but it's also joyous.

Speaker 1: 20:31

You know, yeah, but I feel like that's what everybody's journey is, everybody's journey. I always like to use this analogy right. So when you think about Diddy, diddy is this billionaire. He has everything that he's probably ever dreamed of. But there's other people who probably have been like you know, diddy did us wrong, diddy hurt me.

Speaker 2: 20:55

Well, speaking of Diddy, but he had to do that.

Speaker 1: 20:57

He might have had to do it that way so that he could reach the level that he's at Exactly.

Speaker 2: 21:03

But speaking of Diddy, let's talk a little. Let's talk a little bit about what? Do you think about him all of a sudden giving back all his artists, his publishing, do you? Think that there's some dirt on him, or do you think that he's? Because I have two theories on it, but I want to know what you think about it.

Speaker 1: 21:17

I think, you know, he's just probably at a point where I don't know, I wish I knew, but I mean honestly that ain't my business. But I feel like maybe he's at a point where it's not really been a fit of him anymore. I'm pretty sure he has so many like business opportunities where like music gives him just like the crowd.

Speaker 2: 21:37

I mean, but as an artist, but as artists yourself, like, say, francis, put, I had to think about it, like if I had to put myself in their shoes right At this point. I think. What's his name? Mark, somebody. I didn't think I was going to talk about this today, but Mark, whatever, his old artist was.

Speaker 1: 21:56

Mark Curry. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 21:57

Mark Curry he was talking about okay, now you want to give it back to us, what is it worth? Now? I was like those songs ain't going to be published in movies or things now, as they would have been when they pop. So it was kind of like, okay, yeah, you're giving back the publishing, but it's like what is it worth now that you made all this money out of?

Speaker 1: 22:14

it. So after a certain time they do go to the artist anyway. So I think it's like 20 years, after 20 years it's supposed to go back to the artist anyway. But I also feel like certain artists, like you, have to. Only you are responsible for your career, right? So if you had an opportunity and you didn't take the full opportunity to where you should have taken it, then you can't blame the executive. You have to also know what you're signing. You have to know what you're putting your name on.

Speaker 1: 22:52

So it's just like for people who say that it's like I don't know, that's not my business, honestly.

Speaker 2: 22:57

It's not my business, but I thought it was a very hot topic at the time. It was a hot topic.

Speaker 1: 23:02

Because it's like now we're talking about ownership and being independent and not signing those type of deals, but also I feel like I would want to sign a deal honestly, because being an independent artist is hard. It is hard being the type of budget that I need to like put out my vision, how I see it in my mind. I need big bucks, but I think the outcome would be triple the money and plus I already have so many songs that I already have the catalog. So it's like I'm not just gonna sign a deal.

Speaker 2: 23:40

And I have nothing, and I just write and I have nothing, so it just depends on what you sign.

Speaker 1: 23:45

You gotta know what you sign. You gotta be an independent artist. You gotta learn the business. That's the hardest part, Cause when I started learning the business I was like what?

Speaker 2: 23:53

is this you gotta do?

Speaker 1: 23:54

this you gotta get the split sheets, you gotta do the sound scheme, you gotta do all this stuff Like learn all that. It was hard.

Speaker 2: 24:00

It's a lot.

Speaker 1: 24:01

It's a lot. So it's like I do it because I have to, cause I'm an independent artist. But hopefully, once I build my fan base and I get you know the right fan base, I can negotiate my own deals and I can negotiate what type of money I'm willing to sell my catalog for, or I can negotiate my marketing budget, because that's the biggest thing. I feel like I need a marketing budget.

Speaker 2: 24:24

So yeah, Okay, so you also have a reality show coming up? Tell us about that.

Speaker 1: 24:34

So it's a reality show about LGBT love. It's called Love in LA. It pretty much showcases five couples in LA who happen to be gay black men and it just shows like the ups and downs of relationships. We've been filming for a minute but it's finally coming out next month, I believe September, so it'll be out when it's airs, okay, okay, y'all look out for Love in Hollywood. Yeah, it's juicy.

Speaker 2: 25:09

It's juicy, we're gonna get some tea.

Speaker 1: 25:10

Ooh, we, I'm not giving no tea. Well, just know, like it was a scene that's very juicy that we're in. I hope that it makes people really see that like it isn't easy being in love but you find the best way is possible to make it work and keep it pushing forward and moving forward and being your best self.

Speaker 1: 25:33

So, that's why we did this show because we wanted to show that, as black gay men, we are capable of being loved fully. We are deserving of unconditional love. Because a lot of us don't feel that or see that in ourselves. So we wanted to. That's why we did the show.

Speaker 2: 25:55

Okay, no, it's nice, okay. Well, he's about to be a reality star too. Y'all, I'm telling y'all he's a superstar, he's doing it all he's doing it all. All right, let's jump into the song that we're on feature today. Let it all out.

Speaker 2: 26:08

Give us a little background about that role, like what was your inspiration on it? The video is dope. The video goes ham. The dancing is amazing. The hair flips. I was like get them braids together, honey. I love it. Let's talk about that. What was your like? How did you come to that song?

Speaker 1: 26:27

Okay, so let it all out. It was mainly like I had dealt with. So if you look at my videos, from like the beginning up into this point, it has always kind of like teetered the line of like is he gay, is he straight, or like. I never really showed it because I had always been kind of afraid of how people would receive it, but I felt like I wasn't being authentic. So with Let it All Out, I had a few opportunities that fizzled out because people were just like oh no, he's gay. You would think it's 2023 and people still like block opportunities because you're gay. That's so weird.

Speaker 1: 27:04

So I was just like I want to create a song that makes me feel confident and that empowers me and in turn, I hope I empower other people. So I want to create something that just makes me feel good and I'm just going to talk about myself in a good way and let people know like I'm here. This is my statement. I don't care how you view me, how you see me, but I'm not going to hold back any of my potential anymore. So this was me saying Let it All Out. I'm letting it all out. I'm showing you who Rom LaRalle is in this state, and I might pull different parts of my creativity, but I'm never going to hold back who I fully am anymore. So this is Let it All.

Speaker 2: 27:50

Out. Ok, let's just jump into it. Kids, you, you, you. This is what I was. Wrong, little red, let it all out, y'all. It's definitely a banger. It's definitely a banger.

Speaker 1: 30:15

Makes you want to shimmy and show this boot yeah, everybody add that to y'all workout playlist so y'all can let it all out and give it all you got up in the gym well, I want to say thank you, rom, for coming on the show.

Speaker 2: 30:26

Please let them know how to find you.

Speaker 1: 30:28

Thank you for having me. Y'all can find me at Rom L'Oreal on all platforms YouTube, spotify, apple music, instagram, tiktok. Y'all might see me dancing on TikTok, who knows?

Speaker 2: 30:42

but yes, follow me like subscribe all of that. I'd like to wrap my shows with a message to the people, or message to your younger self. If you had to send a message to either you young rom or to a young rom in the world, what would you say to them about becoming who you are and letting it all out?

Speaker 1: 31:03

that's a good question and that's a good ending, because I always feel like an artist lives a life of serving other people and I always say I wanted to be that person that I needed growing up and that I didn't see on TV growing up. So my message to my younger self, or those little kids out there who are struggling with loving themselves and being who they are, I say fuck everybody and just do what you want to do, because, at the end of the day, people who don't see your vision is not meant for them to see it. You have to show the world who you are and we need you. We need that little creative boy, that little creative boy. I mean we need that little creative girl, that little creative boy. We need you to be yourself and I'm here to help you let it all out.

Speaker 2: 32:03

Well, there you have it, guys. We have Rom Lerrell on the show today and if you want to find any of his music, you can find him on Spotify, apple, all the things it will be posted in this video, in this live. If you just want to join the conversation, or is there anybody out there that you want to see on? That's it, that's all. Please don't hesitate to send us a message like subscribe, share and just be a part of the conversation, and that's it, that's all. That's it. That's all. Is written by me, kc Carnage, and produced by myself and Rick Barrio Dill. Associate producer, brie Corrie. Assistant producer Larissa Donahoe. Audio and video engineering and studio facilities provided by Slap Studios LA, with distribution through our collective for social progress and cultural expression, slap the network. If you have any ideas for a show you want to hear or see, please email us at info, at slap the power. Calm and, as always, go to that's it, that's all. Calm and sign up there to make sure you will never miss a thing. See you next show.