CSQUARED is one of those people whose artistry speaks before a word is spoken, or an instrument is within his reach. I was fortunate enough to experience his professionalism and sheer talent between April and June this year (2026 for the sake of chronology…someone is going to be reading this in about 50 years on their floating screen I tell you) - I was a BGV and he was the music director, and in some instances when a harmony would not find me he would get me back on track…I respected that.
He is an East Atlanta native, born with sheet music in his hands and rhythm flowing through his veins. He has carved a path of success through his faith, ambition and the foundations set during his upbringing which is nothing short of awe inspiring.
I got to chat with him about his journey to CSQUARED, the different facets of his music career and his music industry knowledge.
You navigate the Atlanta music scene with so much poise, as though you’ve been walking it all your life, is this a result of your upbringing?
Yes, I grew up in church and through my father I got to learn about the music business. He was and still is in the gospel scene and I saw him as an A&R formulating and handling contracts, signing deals, working with artists, as well as being in church leading praise and worship and assigning parts. This was very much an ecosystem that taught me a lot about the music industry.
A lot of musicians, both independent and those under a label are sometimes unfamiliar with the business of music hence we still see cases of artists being sued by their labels for breaching a contract, simply because they didn't truly understand a few clauses, or independent musicians getting short changed because they simply did not read the fine print. With you being exposed to the business for a long time, would you say that you’re well versed with the ins and outs of it?
I would say I am quite well versed, I’m not the best, it’s a constant learning journey and nobody can fully master it because it’s always changing so you have to stay a student. Marketing tactics like selling CDs back in the 90’s were popular but now we have streaming, contracts are also changing so navigating them isn’t always going to look the same for different musicians.
Now, I definitely know the music business enough to fight for my integrity. I can choose which situations require me to compromise or stand my ground because sometimes you encounter people that you’re willing to do favors for. I would encourage people to find mentors in the music business to help them navigate. Also It’s important to take time to read contracts and fully understand what deal you're signing into. Don’t just rush into situations that may end up harming you.
The fact that you have mastery over a plethora of instruments is one thing that really stood out to me during the first few interactions we had and I think being a multi-instrumentalist really sets you apart as a musician. How did you find yourself playing all the instruments you play now?
Contrary to what people know, before I started playing the keys, drums were my first instrument, but eventually my dad convinced me to lock in on the keys and I’d “always be paid”. With him being a keyboardist himself he taught me as much as he could. Between him, the school system and church I was able to make my daily life a playground to experiment with different instruments. After the keys I started playing the marimba in concert band, got into orchestra playing cello and bass which eventually led me to playing electric bass in the church. I feel like God lined everything up in a way for me to be constantly learning, and by 16 I became known as a multi-instrumentalist.
That’s very impressive…
Yeah, growing up with a lot of multi-instrumentalists really helped me get here, and I’m still learning till this day.
When did you decide that you wanted to have a career in the music industry, I know It probably feels like that path was carved for you but when did you consciously decide to make this your career?
College was probably around the time, I was a youtuber out there, I had studio sessions and podcasts where I got to network and Csquared was born during that time. Eventually with all the things I was doing I sort of slacked with school so I had to move back home because my dad wanted me to focus on getting my grades up and getting a real job, which I did. I finally was able to move out again and the music opportunities just took off. I had my 9-5 but I still had that 5-9 so it felt like I had nothing but time for gigs.
I brought a whole experience…production, instrumentation and leadership, that's what set me apart and helped me build those relationships in terms of live performances.
And I’ve seen that, I think you do a great job as a music director.
What has your experience been in the ATL music scene?
Atlanta is a melting pot of musicians, it’s important to know who to keep close and who not to because at the end of the day it is a business so you need to know what situations to put your heart in. For me I have God with me and that helps with discernment. It’s important to be cognisant enough to know which relationships are worthwhile…observe, don’t speak too fast, take things home and come back. We move in such a fast paced industry and world and that ends up putting you in situations where you regret the choices you make, so I think it’s very strategic to take your time with things and plan.
What does a healthy creative ecosystem mean to you?
It means everything. I think nowadays it seems like it's harder to feel as though it’s possible but I believe it is. I’m with a collective called Poetry on Peter, heading the music department and these are people who have been in my life for a long time and being a part of this family that I chose and who chose me back serves me because it’s an environment where everyone has autonomy over their careers but we still work together because we recognise the positive impacts being in a community has on us as individuals. It's so important to have this because If you just float with the wind in the music industry you're probably gonna hit some things that are not good for you.
It is without a doubt that when it comes to networks within the creative industry, your cup is overflowing, but I’m curious to know if there are any instances where you find yourself lacking access to creatives to collaborate with?
I think I’m blessed to say that right now, I have so many people around me who get me and I get them, so I don't have huge gaps in access and I don’t allow it because I’m very self sufficient, in as much as I’m still trying to build a solid team around me. Most times I have people to work with but if I can't find someone at all - which is very rare - It’s usually a situation I can handle myself.
As a man of faith and someone who definitely puts God first in your music career, what do you do to get yourself in a good mental and spiritual state before going on stage or being in the studio?
Definitely prayer. I always ask God to bring everything back to me and that all the practice and hard work shows in the best way possible. Prior to all of this though, I don’t overly practice. Once I’ve dedicated enough time to rehearsing, I let go and try not to overstimulate my brain before the show. I like to be able to Whoosah and let everything come back to me in real time with no stress. I trust that the gift is there.
You’ve been on the other side of the mic as a mix/master engineer, however you do release music as a singer/ songwriter as well. Your recent single “ What do you want” is a testament to how good you are at it as well, does navigating between the two feel challenging for you?
Not really, I’ve always been able to sing and because of the way I grew up, I consumed a lot of music, so It comes natural. I did put out a whole album In college, I wasn’t where I am now, but because I did everything on my own, it helped me get to this point. I’m in a state where my singing has gotten exponentially better and I’ve come to realise that I need to put my bid in and be the change I wanna see by putting more music out.
What was it like creating the song?
I made the beat and I heard a melody that stuck with me so hard that I needed to lay it down. I brought out my mic and went live, freestyling and adding onto the track based off of the feedback I was getting. By the time I got off the livestream I basically had a full song. I knew I had to release it because the reception from the live show was really good. So I released the track, and it’s doing really well.
Yes, keep releasing more music, we definitely want to hear it.
With all the weekly shows you play at, I would assume that your day to day is probably jam packed, how do you balance it all?
Honestly, it's controlled chaos, I have weekly residencies every week and outside of all of that I have people calling for studio sessions, random flyouts for shows and songwriting sessions so I consider google calendar my friend for sure, It helps that I enjoy it.
Your openness to learning has allowed you to find yourself in different spaces and the most recent one is film scoring, how did that come about?
I’ve probably been doing it for 2 years now. I started with a director called Amari K. Jones, She’s a powerhouse when it comes to black storytelling. She and an artist I work with, Jus10, reached out to me while making the script for Mechanical Pencil. They needed someone to mix the vocals, supervise the music and oversee the post production. They sent the film to me, gave me directions on their vision and I just stepped into it. I eventually ended up working with Dwayne Perkins and scored his new digital series I Swear We’re Friends, so it’s definitely becoming a bigger situation. I’ve been able to be at the Tribeca awards and the National black film festival and being in film industry spaces like that has sort of affirmed my work and I'm looking forward to doing more of it in 2027.
That is very impressive, I’m quite excited to see what more comes out of it for you.
Me too, me too, I’m surprising myself, It’s God’s plan.