Guess Pre Shares How His Own Instrospection Fueled His New Tape “Clarity”

Intro:

Midwest artist Guess Pre recently dropped his new introspective project “Clarity”. He truly is a multifaceted creative that raps, freestyles, battles, fronts a live band, paints murals, tattoos, produces, sings & more. The new release comes at a perfect time, as Guess has a slate of upcoming performances in the near future. Our interview below touches on some key details about the album's inspiration & creation. Before reading our brief conversation, make sure you follow Guess Pre today @guesspre on all socials.

Me: What was the creative process while making “Clarity”?

Guess Pre: I didn’t originally set out to make an entire album. This came more from a place of needing to fill my time and get back to being creative and rediscovering myself as an artist. I made a habit of coming home after work every day and making something. Good, bad, or otherwise.

I think that’s a great habit to have for any creative! Did you draw inspiration from any specific genres or artists?

My inspiration was my internal struggle and the experience of daily life. Everything in this album is personal. It’s me. It speaks to what I think is a common human experience in this day and age. Punk, hip hop, jazz, EDM. It’s all in there. All the stuff I enjoy.

And generally, how would you describe your overall current style of the music we hear on this release?

I think this album really encompasses what I love most. It’s on the verge of pop more than hip hop or rap at times, which is definitely an evolution. I love harmonies and melodies and have been taking more chances to sing when I can.

What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from “Clarity” following its release?

I hope people see this as a raw look into my experience. That they feel my emotions, an up and down. It’s supposed to be beautiful and chaotic and a journey from start to finish.

Nice! Now tell me, what was the most challenging part of the recording process?

I think getting over my own fears of rejection and being a perfectionist were the toughest. I could have worked on this release for years and still change things. Ultimately, I just wanted to put something out I was proud to have people hear that I didn’t take forever to release.

And how did you come up with your current stage name? Has it ever changed in the past?

It was originally Guess. Taken phonetically from my initials. I didn’t want to be affiliated with the clothing company, which is what came up when searching Guess online. So I added Prefontaine, which was eventually just Pre inspired by Steve Prefontaine the track star. I used to say I ran the rap game like a track meet. It was tough for people to spell the entire thing, so I shortened it to Pre. I think it’s more digestible that way.

Great story, man! Do you have any upcoming releases or plans that you're comfortable sharing with the readers?

I’m going to let CLARITY spin for a bit, but I’ve got plenty of singles on deck to drop as well as a few collaborations in the works I’m excited to share when the time comes.

And finally, in your own words, why should a new listener check out this song today?

To any new listeners, if you want something different, that you can play at the different junctures in life, give me a try. I try to keep things fresh by creating what I like to hear and not feeling the need to follow other people’s standards. I know it might not be for everyone, but I still try to make music that everybody can enjoy.