Resilience is a word that not just any person can claim, but for 909Memphis, he might as well have it tattooed on his forehead after the strength and perseverance he has always exemplified. After listening to him copiously for years and years, it’s obvious that he is one of the most distinctive artists in the game, yet people don’t seem to give him nearly the respect he deserves. Although 2020 was a year that truly put him to the test after losing his job, starting a new life in Nashville after moving away from his home in Virginia, dealing with Covid, and losing some of his closest friends over various disagreements, Memphy continues to stay focused and keep his eye on the prize.
After dropping off a plethora of incredible loosies throughout the year, he had been alluding to an album that was to be released before the end of the year, and that album, cleverly called Resilience is finally in our hands and I couldn’t be more excited to not only share it with you all but actually premiere it to the world. Coming in at 11 songs and just about 29 minutes long, 909 makes sure to leave it all on the table and not let any of the very real, evident emotions he feels go by the wayside. When I asked him about what he wanted this album to accomplish, he explained:
“Usually my music talks about my relationships involving women. But with this tape, the experiences that I’ve encountered with the other artists in the industry and old friends, whether they turned out to be good or bad, gave me the ability to literally tell TRUE stories about relationships with the common man and how I feel like people are either praying that I don’t succeed or are supporting me behind closed doors. At the end of the day though I don’t want that fake energy around me. I keep my close ones close to me and stay resilient through all of the bullshit these lames throw my way. They always saying something about the way I look, talk, the way I dress, and the way I pose on social media. It’s truly hilarious.”
After recognizing these tendencies that are typically frustrating for many other artists, I think it’s quite notable and honorable that 909 chooses to laugh it off and keep pushing forward in his own lane rather than allowing these negative opinions and energies to truly get him down. Later on in his statement, he goes on to describe how the project is supposed to unfold as listeners make their way throughout the 11 songs, starting out with the anger, frustration, and irritation he feels about within a variety of the different aspects of his life, but these themes begin to slowly but surely change as we continue listening. Each and every additional song begins to incorporate more and more positive vibes, bringing encouraging and optimistic sensations to the forefront as it’s clear that Memphy is coming to terms with these broken relationships and focusing on his own happiness, understanding that at the end of the day, he can’t please others until he himself is truly happy first and foremost.
Despite the progression and emotional journey he leads us on, he makes sure to not get too down on himself at the start, constantly including optimistic narratives and sounds even at the beginning of the album as an attempt to manifest confidence, zeal, and positivity not only in his own life but the lives of his listeners as well. Whether it’s his selection of carefully selected instrumentals that are full of airy synths, jazzy and soulful melodies, and crisp, lighthearted percussion, or his irrepressible, confident vocals, Resilience is full of some of the most remarkable songs and even more significant narratives that are sure to bring even the most depressed listener out of whatever rut they might find themselves in.
At the end of the day, this album is as important for 909Memphis’s well-being as it is for anyone who tunes in. He clearly has a lot of weight that he carries on his shoulders, so seeing him unpack some of his stresses and reveal his emotions is as captivating as it is righteous. Not just anyone would feel comfortable revealing themselves to the world like Memphy does on this project, but the fact that he does it in such an artistic, creative, and actually amazing fashion is absolutely outstanding, to say the least. While it’s understood that after the countless years of work he has put in, he definitely deserves so much more recognition and acknowledgment than he receives, this has never stopped him in the past and he only uses it as additional fuel for his eternally burning internal fire.
Throughout it all, Memphis also wants to make sure to put Virginia on the map in the music world, never forgetting his roots or where he came from and always proudly representing his humble beginnings back in VA. The optimistic vibes he exudes within this project don’t end in the studio, either. In fact, he has been giving back to the community in his new home of Nashville by volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club where he enjoys giving back by coaching youth soccer teams, spreading even more positivity to the next generation even beyond his music. I expected something absolutely amazing from 909Memphis because he never delivers anything less but listening to the album in its entirety truly took my breath away, leaving me at a loss for words. I could go on for days and days dissecting each and every part of this project, but I’ll leave you with some excitement as you go in and give 909Memphis’s fantastic new album Resilience a listen as soon as you possibly can.