As the newest artist in the Popular Nobody crew, Influsense has teamed up with Producer and Popular Nobody Founder, Ariano, to release his debut album Sixth Sense, which features Def-i, T.R.3. and Sage X Price, MC Slader and the beautiful accompanying vocals of Dasha Barnes.
“Good Intentions” is the first single off Six Sense, in which Influsense invites his listeners first-hand into his lyrical ceremony. This song depicts the overwhelm we are faced with in our daily life and the choices we all must make to survive our existence. Two significant events occurred simultaneously in Influsense’s life that contributed to the writing of “Good Intentions.“ While working as a line cook, his manager, Mario, would repeatedly tell Influsense and his coworkers to “do better” at their jobs. Paralleling this, Influsense heard the Ab-Soul song, “Do Better.” With this resounding message from the universe to “do better,” in the face of overwhelm and societal anxieties, Influsense responds with his remedy of coming back to oneself and one’s community with love. Through Ariano’s masterfully woven sample of a traditional 1940’s Tabla powwow drum, we are oriented back home and greeted with Influsense’s lyrics that bring us full circle. “Better hug your grandma in December, just remember to love yourself, drown the noise with my good intentions, call your family if it’s been a minute.”
Bringing in the talents of Director Carlos Martinez and Editor Maurice Johnson, the video takes us to the mountains of Durango, CO and beaches and trainyard of San Diego, CA. It is a visual response to Ab-Soul’s “Do Better” video, depicting what Influsense refers to as “pockets of vulnerability” and circles back to the resilience found within our Southwest culture. May we drown the noise with our good intentions.
You can find “Good Intentions” out now and available on all platforms.
Check out the video above.
About InFluSense:
Raising the vibration in the Four Corners hip hop scene, 24-year-old indigenous MC, Influsense, is here to share his message about love for oneself and community. As a youth, Influsense had the experience of living in Phoenix, AZ and on the reservations of Montana and New Mexico. He is currently living in Durango, CO. His mother is from the Salish Kootenai Flathead Tribe and his father is part Diné and Filipino. With a direct lineage to Hastiin Chʼil Haajiní (Chief Manuelito) of the Diné People, there is no question this young MC is destined for great things.
Influsense is no stranger to the underground culture. As a youth, his father, journalist Rick Abasta, introduced him to the punk and zine culture while his uncle, Manuelito Betsoi, introduced him to the hip hop and graffiti culture through the Foundations of Freedom crew, where he met MCs Def-i and Wake Self. His association with Southwest Underground Hip Hop culture continued to gain momentum and led to his first performance with the legendary MC and dancer, Supaman. Moving out of the battle rap culture to a more vulnerable place, Influsense transforms the atmosphere of his live performance by coupling his lyrics with the talents of saxophone player, Nico Todd.