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Artist Spotlight

Exclusive Interview With Leroy Booker, A Hip-hop Sensation Who Is On The Rise To The Top Of His Game

Leroy Booker

Music is most enjoyable when you can hear the artist being free. Not being held to any standard or format of what can make a great record, and being daring enough to use their full creativity. Those songs are always fun to enjoy as you get a piece of the mind of the artist on what is a well crafted sound that can only be done by them. That magic is what you will love about Leroy Booker when you listen to his songs.

Leroy Booker is a multi-talented singer and songwriter from Kenosha, WI, who is quickly gaining buzz for his catchy hooks and clever lyrics. His lyrics are often drawn from his personal experiences, but he is careful to strike a balance between reality and exaggeration. His journey as a music artist started after his audition with American Idol. This artist’s come up was not overnight, as Leroy Booker has invested countless hours into his grind on his rise to the top. His career has started to take off to new heights with his breakout single, “Ponder”. Other hits including “No Idol” and his most recent release, “Black Card” have landed him in the palms of his ever growing fan base.

Check out some of his songs on Spotify below:

Hi there, welcome to Honk Magazine! Thank you for taking out time to respond to us. To kick things off, Can you tell our readers about what really inspired you to write music?

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Leroy Booker – I’d say the thing that inspired me to write music was, it was the only way I knew how to express what I was feeling. In a time where I was growing up in the hood and legal family dynamics left me in the middle of two people I deeply carried about. Going to war was the only way I could process that as a kid. Going into my teen years, I started to just love writing poems just like Edgar Allen Poe who are some of my inspirations for what I talk about in some of my music.

When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?

Leroy Booker – The moment I hit my middle school talent show stage, the feeling I got then was that I fit in up there. That’s when I knew it was something I was gonna do for the rest of my life no matter what. It’s the only thing that makes me feel comfortable being me.

Leroy Booker
Tell us what is so unique about you and your music?

Leroy Booker – I just feel it’s raw and real. I don’t just write or create to make hits and money, I create to connect. I wanna show people the mistakes or right decisions I made to get me where I am and where I’m gonna be. Whether it’s the pitfalls of dealing with a break up the wrong way, drug abuse, or having a good time it’s all in the music and it’s there to connect, help and create a safe space for fans to go to in order for them not to feel alone.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

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Leroy Booker – I think it was forgetting my own lyrics at a talent show one year in highschool, I just started making up lyrics at one point. My friends knew but everyone else was like that was great and I was like “really” haha. I think what I learned from that is the importance of being prepared. If people are paying or willing to sit there and connect with you, you owe it to them to be on your P’s and Q’s no matter what.

Can you tell us about your latest releases and what inspired you to create them?

Leroy Booker – Actually my latest single came out of friends getting me out of a writing funk. I had just gone through a break up and I couldn’t stop writing about it. I’m sure you will hear some of those tracks in the future, but I was out with a group of friends one night and we talked about it and it so happened to be my friends birthday so I was broke and instead of buying a gift I told her I’d write a song about her cause why not I needed to write about something else and that’s when the song just flew out. It was one of the first more uplifting kinda independent women attractive tracks I wrote in a while and my producer from Nashville had sent me the arrangement that night so it all kinda happened perfectly.

Can you give us a brief insight into your upcoming projects?

Leroy Booker – My upcoming projects are my best work to date, I really think my fans and new fans will like the route it’s going. The stories that are going to be told. It is probably the most vulnerable I will get with my mental state this past year. Which is hard for most men to even express let alone let strangers in to inspect and digest. But if it helps men and women alike work through and maybe feel it’s okay to feel what they are feeling then that’s what it’s all going to be about.

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What do you wish you were told when you first started making music that you think would help artists just starting out?

Leroy Booker – It doesn’t go as fast as you want it to. What makes you stand out is the willingness to fail and keep failing. Most people give up after the first few months cause their hit song isn’t popping but that’s not how this business works. It’s a trial and tribulation thing where one day you could be on top of the world and the next day plummet back to square one. I’d say I wish I was told that it isn’t rare to work years on this before you see any results. I probably wouldn’t have been as harsh on myself and have those writing blocks I did due to my own thinking.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Leroy Booker – When you’re on a hot streak at work, don’t stop. It’s not going go be easy so experience life. What ever you were writing about in the first place, that’s what makes you relatable so go live your life then come back and write about that. Everything else will come when it’s supposed to. Don’t compare work ethic, just sharpen yours. No horse has ever won a race looking at the horse in first or last place at the start, middle or end of the race.

What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?

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Leroy Booker – I’m passionate about finding ways to raise money for crohns and colitis foundation as well as the Suicide prevention line. I hang with family and friends and make memories and I enjoy going and supporting other artists on their journey.

Any last piece of advice for those artists who just started making music?

Leroy Booker – Stop trying to be the next and be you. F*** all the noise in your head. You can quiet that by just putting effort in what you desire. Stop saying this will not happen and hope it happens, and most of all just enjoy the beginning stages. That’s when you’re free to create whatever you want but once you find your brand and niche it’s hard to break out of that box so enjoy finding yourself and your sound.

How can our readers follow you online?

Leroy Booker – Feel free to Hit me up on Instagram: @Leroy_Music

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Also don’t forget to follow and save my music on Spotify. You can also add me on SnapChat: @Leroybooker222 where you will hear most of my unreleased snippets.

Artist Spotlight

Honk Magazine’s Artist of the Week Spotlight on Rising Talent

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At Honk Magazine, we take pride in finding and backing the next wave of the hottest artists that will shape the music industry. Our Artist of the Week spotlight is on five artists with one-of-a-kind sounds, lives, and grinds that set them apart in the music world. From emotional rap to genre-defying Afro-fusion and gritty indie rock, the following songs are a vibrant reflection of the future of music.

Tuknight – “Campagne”

Starting off our feature is a Canadian Rapper based out of Sarnia, Ontario, Tuknight. Spelled “tuknight,” the name is great for boys with a deeper, human story. He started making music at 14, taking to it as an outlet for coping with the pain of losing his older brother to an overdose. That visceral feeling he translates into his music, and it really shines through in his most recent song, “Campagne,” a stripped-back and reflective number that delves into the heart of affliction and adversity.

Performing live for his second year, Tuknight shows no sign of slowing down. He’s opened for big names such as Roney, Mar Mar Oso, MLNY, and Kryple, slowly but surely carving out a spot for himself in Canada’s underground rap landscape. His centered energy and earnest lyrics establish him as one of the genre’s most promising new voices.

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M For The Movement – “I’m Alive”

Up next is an enlightening act, M For The Movement, a deep-thinking emerging artist with old-school influences and too much fire. Their recent single I’m Alive is a sonorous cry of resilience, of being and of being present. With this album, M’s been waiting for the come-up, with collaborations with Juno award-winning Choclair and the iconic Snoop Dogg being teased.

M For The Movement has already commanded opening duty for some of music’s big names, including Sean Paul, Sean Kingston, and Nelly. By no means do they fit into that small talk; it’s big league stuff. A veteran in Performance, M is crafting a legacy rooted in Art and Activism with lyrical storytelling that captures both personal evolution and cultural momentum.

Huss Nem – “Lemme Tune In”

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Raw energy, street-wise wisdom & versatility are what you can expect from Chicago’s own Huss Nem. The music industry is not new to Huss, who has been writing songs for over a decade. And on his latest offering, Lemme Tune In, one can see that KOK’s grimy delivery and larger-than-life stage presence prove that the street rap purveyor has street rap in his blood.

Aside from music, Huss Nem is a seasoned actor with a couple of movies, ” Chi-town Down for Life and 8 Dayz: Part 2.” He is also shooting for his second season of Decatur, Where It’s Greater, to show his multitalented side. A real hustler, he manages two streetwear brands, Rip Clown and Chitalo, bringing that entrepreneurial swagger to his impressive resume. Huss Nem is building a cultural empire.

Drela – EP “RAIN”

Up-and-coming Afro-Fusion talent Drela is changing the concept of what it means to be genre-fluid. With a new “RAIN” EP this May, Drela combines smooth vocals, AfroBeats, alternative R&B, and pop for a heady concoction. Her songs are incredibly personal, grounded in self-examination, change, and emotional pain.

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Drela has cultivated a dedicated following with its live shows and frequent single drops on topics ranging from love to perseverance. She’s bridged the gap between sonic identities and still been true to herself in one of the toughest meccas of hip-hop. RAIN is shaping up to be a refreshingly different project that takes risks and pushes the art while helping to transcend its listeners.

Inland Years – Album “Keep Your Eyes On The Road”

Lo-fi indie rock fans will want to remember the name Inland Years. About Inland Years is the solo project of Brooklyn’s Ryan Daniels, who crafts warm, nostalgic tunes strung with tape warble and fuzzed-out emotion. Titled after the recently released album “Keep Your Eyes On The Road,” Elements breathe is a reflective voyage through pensive songwriting and analogue tones.

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And, influenced by Lou Barlow and the ’90s four-track phenomenon, Inland Years has earned praise in underground circles. WFMU spins, playlist love, yay-di-over from DIY tastemakers. The music is close. It hums softly, imperfectly in just the right way, dripping with the simple honesty from which great music arises. Daniels’ method for making music seems like a love letter to anyone chasing clarity through chaos.

The music industry is changing, and guys like Tuknight, M For The Movement, Huss Nem, Drela, and Inland Years are the living proof that they are in good hands. Be it raw lyricism or experimental sonics or, in one case, an impressive lifestyle grind, there’s something all four artists this week share: they’re all a little different, but more importantly, they’re all themselves. We’re looking forward to following their progress and invite you to do so. Met someone on this list that you’re vibing with?

Let me know in the comments if you think someone else deserves to appear on the crown this week! 👑👇

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Artist Spotlight

Marnix Emanuel drops a heartfelt anthemic ballad with his recent single, “You Got Me Hurt”

Marnix Emanuel

Marnix Emanuel infuses emotion into every note in his newest single, “You Got Me Hurt.” This beautifully crafted soulful pop ballad captures the lingering pain of losing a love that seemed irreplaceable, destined to last forever. Right from the first note, Marnix reels audiences into his world with a unique voice that’s equal parts raw silk and aching steel. He exudes a genuine vulnerability paired with a confident stage presence that only a truly seasoned artist can deliver.

What’s striking about this track is how effortlessly it balances heartbreak with resilience. The song doesn’t merely wallow in sorrow; it channels that bittersweet emotion into something intimately powerful, pulsing with the quiet strength and endurance, a timeless anthem that feels personal and universally relatable. “You Got Me Hurt” hits home in all the right places with its poignant lyrics and soaring melodies.

Marnix’s talents shine through as a vocalist, songwriter, and producer. Every element of the song’s production feels intentional, from the heartfelt lyrics to the lush, timeless pop instrumentation. The chorus has a warmth that touches modern and nostalgic, showcasing why the melody resonates so deeply. It features an undeniable rhythmic hook that echoes long after the tears have dried, inviting listeners to experience it repeatedly.

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Coming out of the Netherlands as an emerging independent artist and singer-songwriter, Marnix Emanuel continues to build on a promising career with a strong foundation. “You Got Me Hurt” is a bold sonic statement affirming that his music is here to stay. For anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak and is seeking to navigate the complexities of love lost and desire to rebuild after love falls apart, this single offers genuine emotional gravity. It perfectly represents heartbreak done right: soulful, innovative, and utterly human. As he looks toward new releases in 2025, this single sets the tone: honest, compelling, and impossible to ignore.

For more information about Marnix Emanuel, please visit [website]. 
CLICK HERE TO STREAM Marnix Emanuel’s You Got Me Hurt on Spotify.
CONNECT WITH Marnix Emanuel | Instagram | Facebook |

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