ARTIST NAME: FANGZ
ORIGIN: Manhattan, New York
GENRES: ALL
OCCUPATIONS: Singer-songwriter, Musician/Performer,
Exotic Dancer, Music Producer & Video Director
INSTRUMENTS: Vocals, Piano, Guitar
YEARS ACTIVE: 2014 – present
LABEL: TBABIO:Zelda Nicole Smith (Born May 19, 1991)
Also better known as her stage name "Fangz" is an American producer, singer-songwriter, vocalist, rapper, and music video director.
She was born and raised in Harlem, New York. Smith had a very rough childhood and her parents lived in a Section 8 Housing living arrangement. After dropping out of high school and attempting to pursue a Dej Jam Recordings contract Fangz moved out to Los Angeles, California at the peak age of 17 in hopes for a better funding job to pay for her music endeavors.
Being "Zelda". "My mother wanted to name me Nicole because she was a huge fan of Nicole Smith and my father shared her last name, so if she named me Nicole, I would simply be Nicole Smith but my father wanted Zelda, like the video game. My father was a huge fan of the franchise and so in the end they settled with naming me Zelda Nicole Smith. I really liked my name growing up, it worked to my benefit, especially in school because I didn't have that many friends. People were always like 'Oh my gosh you have such a cool name' but after they really got to know me, they quickly counted me out. For a long while I wanted to do something different. I didn't want to be known as the replica of something else. Also, considering that I'm a bit darker and grimier than Zelada, I decided to name myself Fangz at the age of 17 and that's what I been called since then. Only people that I'm really close to really call me by my name Zelda".
The End that leads to a New Beginning. Zelda initially began recording music at the age of 12 at her local underground studio alongside her older brother who was a rapper at the time. By the age of 13, Zelda had already begun understanding how to produce records due to her listening attentively at her brother's sessions. Zelda's brother was then murdered in a drive-by shooting due to his affiliations with a gang.
"Growing up in Harlem definitely changed my life. My brother being killed was something that left me empty and confused. It took a while for me to get over that loss. I didn't really go out much because I hated my surroundings. I was also a really fucking weird music kid, I wasn't into pop music or doing what normal kids did. I was more into the underground house, rap, and metal. I was into dark architecture, art, and horror films. While to me it seemed normal, to others It was really strange for me growing up being so vastly different from them. I was teased and bullied for it too. I think the time I disappointed my parents the most was when I dropped out of High School and ran away. A sudden change of character inflicted between, they felt like they lost their daughter, and that's when I couldn't take it anymore. Eventually, I got fed up with it and moved on. I didn't want to play the victim anymore and I just packed my shit and left. My mother cried, I really hurt my mother. My father wasn't so surprised with me leaving."
Finding Her Definition and Purpose. By the age of 16, Zelda produced her first set of songs solely. Despite the songs never being released, they were eventually remastered and used for demo submissions. Zelda simply titled those demos "FANGZ" in capitals, which would later become her stage name. Zelda would often attend underground rap battle competitions and fashion shows to gain inspiration and quickly began losing interest in her education at school. She would often skip school and isolate herself from the neighborhood she resided as much as possible. Her parents were outraged by this and would often restrict her to leave the house leading to family arguments and outbursts.
"I was a rebellious teenager, so you can only imagine how annoying it was for my parents to deal with me. I was really trying to discover who I was as a person and I was also trying to define what my artistry actually was. I had this dream that someday I was going to make it, someway somehow I was going to be signed. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be popular or if I was really doing it for the music. Eventually, I became blinded and just went for what I wanted, and I wasn't really scared to be me anymore. Which lead to me calling myself Fangz. The name is something that represented me more. It just felt right".
Dej Jam Recordings Controversy. In 2008, Zelda was able to schedule a meeting with label executives of Dej Jam Recordings in New York to discuss the possibilities of a recording contract. The label wanted to re-brand Fangz's image, including changing her stage name "Fangs" and sound. Fangz was desperate for a contract but decided to work with the label as an intern instead. After 8 rigorous months of volunteered work, Def Jam Recordings declined their deal offer and left her with 20 dollars to her name. Zelda then met her music brother and mentor Blaze at a showcase in New York. He convinced her to move to Los Angeles California, for a promising new start.
"Def Jam paid me 20 dollars so I can take the bus home and grab a bite. I felt like the world was going to end. I remember crying myself to sleep, tears would not stop coming out, I was really in a dark place. I had sacrificed friendships and family and I had no one, literally. It was scary but I somehow figured it out. I kept fighting and eventually I met my awesome friend Blaze who was working as an independent film student and DJ. He flew into New York for a school project and we met at a showcase in which I performed a cover of Stephanie Fierce's "Where I Belong". He was the first person that I met that actually respected my art. So much that he convinced me to move to Los Angeles with him, so he can manage me. Blaze's also father owned a restaurant and night strip club so I became a waiter there and I was making good money, enough for me to at least have a roof over my head and not look a starving child. It was the only option I had then. That's when I found hope in my life and that was 4 years ago, and since then I've been writing music and working on my craft. Everything has turned differently. I've become so empowered and now I'm ready to do this."
Fashion Fangz is known for her not so ordinary and high priced fashion. Fangz fashion evolved heavily after moving from New York to Los Angeles.
"I'm in love with metallic dresses, I hate to wear heavy materials, but I'll sweat as long is for the name of fashion. I like playing with my hair a lot. I use to wear a lot of black growing up, I was technically emo but when I moved to LA I had to look like a barbie doll and that's when I really started to experiment with my look and I really found a side of me I never thought I had. I like dressing up a lot, it makes me feel animated and sometimes music and fashion go hand in hand".
Music Fangz is known as an experimental artist and vocalist. While growing up, Fangz was keener on urban and heavy metal music. Most of her early demos consist of rap, metal, and screamo. As she moved to Los Angeles, her sound began shifting to more pop, electronic and R&B melodic compositions. Fangz's shift in sound was mainly inspired by the lifestyle she was living at the time. While she does explore those genres, her sound still remains very experimental and alternative, but you will never know what Fangz will serve musically.
"The music I make is definitely different from anything out on the radio at the moment. I don't like to stick to one genre of music and I really like to explore experimental music composition. I'm not going to be the cookie-cutter artist. I really want to change the way we limit ourselves to express artistic messages. When I want to convey a message I don't want to be worried, if it's going to make it on the radio or on TV. If I do plan to do something commercial, then of course I will make sure to gloss it up. I really love anything as long as it sounds right to my ear".
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