I don’t know how better to describe my most recent encounter with young DMV artist, Good Intent, other than by drawing some allusion to the whole concept of paying it forward. Now, I’m not talking about the 2000 Drama/Romance movie with Haley Joel Osment and Kevin Spacey, I’m talking about a movement purely built on the intent to spread a sense of simultaneous goodwill and fulfillment through gracious deeds and kindheartedness. As his artist name would imply, it seems Intent’s motive and direction with his music is to spread this sense of positivity with every ounce of effort he devotes to his craft. When I caught up with him on the phone recently, I got a chance to hear about some of what has led to where he is at as an artist, as well as where he is headed.
Although a native of Anne Arundel, MD, Intent recently graduated high school from Duke Ellington School of Arts in D.C. So, when you talk about the DMV, he is right there in the heart of it. When we spoke on how being a high school student, and more specifically an art school student, affected his craft and his sense of his influence, he kept it cool. He felt like he wasn’t really the only one making dope stuff, he just had a knack for getting his product into the places it needed to be to provide further opportunities for his ventures.
Flashback three or four years, and a young Good Intent was already pushing over 100k plays on Soundcloud with some remixes of popular songs. Despite that, he lacked a strong sense of direction for where he was trying to maneuver his music, and soon began to reach out to artists he saw potential in – not only within his local area but across the country via social media. Early on, he was already listening to some of your favorite rappers like $ki Mask the SlumpGod, Wintertime, and others. Not only was he hip to what was about to pop tf off, but he was in those same artists’ ears with his beats. At first, he admitted he didn’t really understand the process of how to market his production, dishing out beats he had crafted via their already public Soundcloud links. Once he had developed a better feel for the business sense of things, he saw yet another spark signaling him further down this path of Good Intent. He told me a story of him being awoken in the middle of the night by his brother violently shaking him. He had just found out that “Adventure Time” was featured on $ki Mask’s YouWillRegret, a major placement for the young producer. This would be one of many slick tracks where you can find Good Intent’s name hanging around the credits.
When you reside near the coordinates where you can call yourself a local of the “DMV”, there’s a special set of attachments and loyalties that lay within you and Good Intent has witnessed it for himself first hand. A lot of outside eyes and mouths have always claimed that the DMV is its own biggest enemy when it comes to the music industry, and that beef and disagreements often lead to lack of support for other artists within the community. Although this may be true, there are plenty of artists, such as Good Intent, that are pushing for more positivity within the whole area and with peeps like this at the reigns, it’s safe to say there are good roads ahead. Lil Dude, a frequent collaborator and DC rapper, recently dropped a dope track and video “Homicide” alongside Goonew and Lil Yachty. Intent handled the production, and the track was immediately received with a positive reception from fans across the country. Lil Dude and Intent come from admittedly different backgrounds, but he didn’t let that stop them from making some serious heat. Even as the dissonance within the DMV continues with feuds between artists like Lil Dude and Q Da Fool, he hopes that things can head towards a more united front in the near future. Although he maintains his loyalties to his collaborators out of respect, he knows that positivity and connection will only make all of their impacts greater. However, it seems he won’t be having to deal with these ails much longer, as he told me amidst this most recent sit down that he is moving out west later this year and wants to see what LA has to offer.
Although Good Intent’s name has clawed its way to the surface of attention via his production placements and clever tags such as “It’s Good Intent Yuh!” and the infamous “Ridin’ round in that Kompressor with my lil’ bro Good Intent!” (shout out Shonen), the young budding star is probably more due to see his stock continue to increase within his solo career. His unique yet distinct voice fits perfectly over his vivid production style and is a wonderful example of the diversity of sounds that are becoming more relevant to the world of rap culture. His signature sound can be described as somewhere between pop and the smoothest of sonics that hip-hop influence can have to offer. Throw in some top-notch songwriting that consistently finds new ways to convey uplifting vibes even in its most melancholy moments, and what more can you really ask for?
Intent cites some of his influences and favorite artists to listen to as anywhere from Tierra Whack to Greedo, so it’s evident that there is clearly a wide range of sounds and audiences at his disposal. Back when he was first starting to see real streams on Soundcloud, he told me he was already beginning to develop a unique profile of fans. His listeners were tuning in from all across the country and he even had a strong foundation of fans growing in Japan. He told me he has always been a fan of K-Pop and hopes that with this move to the west coast he can begin to dabble more into the world of producing for these types of artists. With connections already lined up and his knack of getting his sounds in the right places at the right times, it won’t be long till Good Intent is probably one of the most heavily streamed producers in Japan. There are already traces of the influence of Japanese culture within his music, just go check out his track “DOAx2” with Rezt and peep the clever use of the Dead or Alive volleyball video game series featuring sever spikes and major boobs to craft an undoubtedly catchy hit.
Good Intent Ft. Rezt – “DOAx2”
Although Intent is taking the steps to transition his solo music more to the forefront of his persona, he isn’t stopping producing (or even slowing down.) He says this move is more of a business transition and not a creative one. He’s still got music on the way with some of your favorite artists out and his production is only continuing to expand its range of listeners and the diversity of the artists that hop on it. With meetings lined up at some of the biggest labels out and more major moves on the way, it’s safe to say the future is bright for this young, pop/hip-hop genre blending artist. But let’s keep it real, it’s only right. It’s just the universe paying it forward and keeping it all about what Good Intent really is. Do yourself a favor and stay tuned for what’s to come when his debut video for “Lil’ Cupid” drops August 1st, and until then check out his most recent track “Desire” below!
Good Intent – “Desire”
