Meet Henry McLaughlin | Music Artist, Creative Activist And Free Spirit

We had the good fortune of connecting with Henry McLaughlin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Henry, what is the most important factor behind your success?
What I have realized through self exploration and growing my spirit is that success is defined by accomplishing and continuing to accomplish and expand upon the goals you set. With that in mind, the most important factor for my success has and will always be merging my passion with how I want and deserve to live my life. This is because you will not naturally do anything your heart doesn’t want to express itself through, ultimately resulting in short lived or inconsistent work ethic towards that thing. I focus all the time I can possible on doing the things I love, and by doing that it forces me to figure out how I can earn a living by doing that. The way anyone does that is by providing a service to a group of people, so I make real, soulful music and art that others can subsequently resonate with and want to feel, hear and see.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What separates me by far from other artist’s, respectfully, is that I do everything creative by myself. Everything everything. I write, sing and perform live with no backing track my own songs, produce my own beats- WITHOUT LOOPS OR SAMPLES, mix my own audio and tracks, and do my own cover art, as well do hand drawn shoes now as well, which started because I decided to make a shoe inspired off my album coming soon, “Misunderstood Monarch”! That’s also what I’m most proud of, because it’s been a looong and painful journey just getting here, and I have soooo much more to accomplish in the future! I’m most excited in growing to the point where I can leverage the resources I’m working towards attaining and sustaining, like a studio and a house, to give back to the communities that would most benefit from having minimum cost sessions, and having a place to live while actively grinding towards their goals. As far as where I am now, this is nothing compared to where I need to be, but it’s taken countless nights and days of staying up 24 plus hours, making beats until 7, 8, 9 a.m, sometimes 4 p.m to get to the skill level I’m at now. I’ve learned that if you are not obsessed with your craft or goal, then you will most likely not achieve it or will not sustain it if you do, which is what keeps me going no matter the obstacle. What I want the world know about me and my story is that you can truly do anything you set your mind too, as long as it stays set on that and you make that your purpose in life. I spend most of my adolescence and teen years in group homes and I was homeless for a good 6 months, not including the program I stayed in after that and the years I spent sleeping on couches or constantly switching room rentals. With all that said, which I know is a lot, I represent living your truth, which is living through love and keeping your focus on what truly matters to your growth as an individual. When the world thinks like that, we will never have another war again, and we will live in a much more empathetic world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is real interesting question, because I honestly rarely go out unless its music related, but my best friend is in Jersey so this is perfect! I’d definitely say we going to Piedmont Park, and getting some bussing food from a food truck, probably some oxtail or some chimichangas cuz this is an occasion. I really don’t know too many places to go in Atlanta, but I haven’t really been around little 5 points yet so we’d go there and walk around the stores, there’s a cool record place I saw driving past there the other day so there for sure! He likes games, so if there’s an arcade type thing people go to then I’d have to take him there, even though I don’t think he’s really a pac man guy.( He’d find something I’m sure.) Of course we going to an open mic, because he hasn’t seen me perform in person yet, so that would be real big for me! Honestly though, most of the time would probably be spent at my spot, and I’d show him my music, and we’d be cooking food ourselves, there’ nothing like homemade meals. And if there’s no money limitation in this scenario, we seeing a bunch of concerts because I’ve never been to one, so Coast Contra, Kendrick, Cole, Sir, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill and any contemporary jazz concert are all on the agenda for sure! One for each day! All accompanied by this magical herb that does wonders for your mind (in moderation)!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a bunch of people, honestly endless people that are included in the shout out category, as I do my best to learn from everyone and the experiences I gain from them, regardless of whether they were detrimental or beneficial. At the same time, there are those who have contributed willingly and more than others, so I’d like to number one shout out my life long friend who I consider my brother Kareek @king_ky_kingdom for being the one person I can truly trust and express myself too without limitation other than those I place on myself, which I’m working on everyday. Big shout out to the Covenant House, specifically in Newark, New Jersey, for providing a safe place to stay when I was homeless and actually caring about their youth by providing job resources, workshops on starting your own brand, and overall setting yourself up to be stable once you transition out if you followed the rules. I was able to go to an independent living home that really helped me get on my feet and build myself up from there, which I’m eternally grateful for! I want to shoutout Journe- @journeproductionsllc for being the first person to show me the industry world and how it works, Tati- @justianoproductions who I met the same day for inviting me to an open mic that lead me to situations and decisions that grew me in ways I likely would have taken longer to do without. Shoutout to Cassius- @thelastkingofchicago, who gave me a great deal on my studio speakers and receiver for producing, as he saw that I was truly doing this out of love. (Ya’ll should really be on offerup if you need equipment.) I want to shout out the culture and music of soul and rnb, reggae and Rastafari, as I have learned a lot and continue to learn more and more about myself and the world through it, and for opening my mind to be able to explore on my own as well. And shout out to all the open minded hippies and everyone that has supported me or wishes well to me and my mission, which is spreading love through my art and leaving a positive impact on the minds of our youth and people. And shout out to these that hurt me or want to because I’ve learned that type of thinking and living only keeps you down, and I wouldn’t truly know that in my heart until if I never felt it.

Website: https://friioonthebeat.wixsite.com/harryfriio

Instagram: @friiomusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009195980921

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HarryFRIIO

Other: Business Email For Collaboration- friioonthebeat@gmail.com

I perform every week, every Wednesday at Access Restaurant Lounge in Mableton, from 9-12, come see me there between 9-10!

Image Credits
Modeling Pictures- Reggie Garrett