Some people reasonably fear singing in front of crowds; others live for the moment.
Originally from Cleveland, Columbus rapper and singer Terrence Allen lived with a family of musicians –– his mom and sister were singers and his dad played the keyboard. Allen said his passion for music developed over time and he eventually began to take music seriously, gaining attention through performances at local venues like The Avalon, located in downtown Columbus.
Allen said being on stage is an unexplainable feeling.
“Once you actually get on the stage and you realize people are actually there to see you perform and see you do what you do, it’s a different feeling. You feel like all eyes are on you, but you also feel like the spotlight is on you,” Allen said.
Allen started making music by freestyling and joking around with friends during lunchtime in high school.
“One day my homie was like, ‘Yeah, that was hard. So, we about to go record it.’ And I just looked at him, like, ‘Yeah, you’re just talking,’” Allen said. “But he actually ended up dragging me into the studio and throwing me in a booth.”
Allen’s friend, Stephen Tutt, also known as Steph, is a Columbus music producer. Tutt said he helped to produce their joint project “Boomin 2 Soon,” which allowed their already established friendship to blossom into a professional brotherhood.
“This one time, we recorded a song that we wrote together a while ago, and since then he just took off,” Tutt said. “And honestly, I tell him all the time I didn’t necessarily think he was going to hold on to it as strong as he did, and at that point it wasn’t even really him holding on. He took the reins himself and started moving into his own thing.”
Allen said he is not concerned with making the most popular songs but focuses instead on making music from the heart and telling his story.
Part of telling his story involves being true to himself and his identity as a Black man, Allen said.
“It’s hard being a Black man in America, to be honest with you,” Allen said. “We did experience some hard times, and my inspiration comes from within. My mom always told me to speak from my heart.”
Allen said he chooses to look at the positives of being Black, ignoring the negative stereotypes of growing up in a Black neighborhood in Columbus.
“Being Black, it’s a blessing, it’s something I wouldn’t trade for the world,” Allen said. “Just to feel like you’re making a difference in your community. There’s a lot of negativity when it comes to, you know, sometimes like being in the hood, or how people perceive us to be, but there’s a lot of positivity too.”
Allen said he only makes music for himself, rather than out of a feeling of obligation to be a spokesperson or representative for Black people. He said everyone is their own person, and Black people are more than a collective identity.
“Everything in my music is for me, I’m not trying to be like anybody else. I’m not necessarily trying to speak to anybody specifically. I’m speaking how I feel, how I perceive things, how I take things into play and how things go through my mind,” Allen said. “That’s what I’m projecting into the mic.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic, live performances have been put to a halt, but Allen said performing in front of people is a feeling that can’t be explained until one experiences it for themself.
“You feel like you’re on top of the world for that moment, even if it’s for a split moment of time, that moment of time is precious to you,” Allen said.
When it comes to his life and music, Allen said at the end of the day, he always has to believe in himself, regardless of how anyone else may perceive him.
“Confidence is key in anything that you do,” Allen said. “If you put your mind to it, you definitely can do it. That’s not any ‘cap in the rap’ when people say that. You have to have confidence in yourself before anything. Like, if you don’t believe in yourself, how are you gonna convince anyone else to believe in you?”
