ASSOCIATE EDITORF. Virtue started going hard at 12 and has not slowed since. Born and raised in Calgary, Canada, F. Virtue now resides in New York where he represents himself, the music and art collective Fameless Fam, and an ever-expanding circle of crews and sites.
Interview Donovan Blyden
How would describe your sound?
I wouldn’t. I’d be like, just bump it and let it speak for itself. And once you do, don’t try to define it either.
Who are some of your musical inspirations and how have they influenced your music?
My foundation and first love is hip-hop, in all (or most) of its sub-cultures and niches, and that always sits at the foundation of everything I do – but lately I’m most inspired by folk punk (Ramshackle Glory, Pat the Bunny, Paul Baribeau, Kimya Dawson, Apes of the State, Blackbird Raum, and Days N Daze are a few favorites). It’s so raw and unpretentious with themes I connect with at this stage in my life, an antithesis to top 40 music for angry romantics. As far as hip-hop goes, right now I get the most from Ceschi, Open Mike Eagle, Sammus, Milo, and P.O.S.
What was your most memorable party moment?
I used to host a party every Saturday in the Lower East Side called “Massive” run by Melissa Burns and Oscar 1992, and every single one was special enough to be a highlight. But among the most memorable for me would have to be when they held my album release party for “A Single Green Light,” which was exclusively on USB lanyards. It was my first physical drop in the city, so each time a homie walked in rocking the lanyard I died – to feel the support of my people in my favorite space was powerful. XEX was there. Though now that Cardi B is one of the biggest names out, another great moment was when she hosted Massive with us for a Gypsy Sport after party, and rolled into the dingy ass dive bar with security on deck, which at that point was EXTRA. Legendary. This year though the best party moment was brought to us by the Fight Club Leather Cruise – guests showed up to a gated parking lot to be escorted by security (and Infinite Coles) to a narrow alley path leading to a ramp by the water revealing a docked out-of-commission ferry turned into a 3-floor carry… it was something else. Let alone the actual evening.
Favorite party in New York City?
Now that Massive is done, Fight Club holds it down. But Fight Club is more of a pop-up and happens randomly in different venues (find it if you can), so for weeklies I’d say Frankie’s “Something Special” at PUBLIC. I’ll shout Spectrum out cuz they’re always on it – but tbh I don’t make it out there often. I’m a known homebody at times and PUBLIC is like 2 blocks away…
What are the last 3 song you streamed?
Busdriver – “Much”
Milo – “Folk Metaphysics”
MF Doom – “Rhymes Like Dimes”
Describe your clique & community?
Fuck I love my people #blessed – lucky to have a messy entourage of lit angels who make the planet more beautiful by simply existing in visible sight. A community of people who found their community in each other, in most cases after growing up searching for one. We’re unafraid to be expressive, and I think we all have a very deep love and appreciation of the potential of the world, even when we have to constantly face its oppression, because we know that we’re about to change it. So we try to keep getting up every day because we recognize the power in ourselves, and that this shit is ours. All of it. We’re rioters on the front lines, protesting with what we have, whether it’s music, art, outfits, words, or silence, and if you’re not living your truth (or at least attempting to) we don’t see you. Ain’t nobody got time for that in this apocalypse.
How do you describe bizarre? I’d describe bizarre as un-bizarre. To me, anyone living a normcore life that lacks bizarre-ness is absolutely the most bizarre. Like, bruh, you gonna remember what Becky said on your death bed or that time you stayed out just to howl at the sunrise? Not to say everyone has to be crazy to live life to the fullest, but definitely to say y’all are insane if you’re blurring through the days in beige, mundane pattern traps. Yell a little.
Being such a Hip Hop head for so long, how have you seen the Hip Hop world change in being more open to homosexuality?
It’s pretty amazing, hip-hop is one of the most hyper-masculine / homophonic genres, and yet it is tangibly evolving to accept the LGBTQ community (which it should innately as hip-hop was born as a voice for the oppressed, but that’s another conversation). Yes, there’s still a long way to go, but it is going there. The evolution is quantifiable, from the lyrics of straight rappers doing some dismantling (not just Macklemore lol, indie icons like Murs and Brother Ali have also addressed the subject in songs) to the attention around gender-free fashion from dudes like Young Thug and Lil Uzi Vert, to Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, and Lil Peep (RIP) all coming out as bisexual. But most importantly is the change coming from us, the more visible we are, the more open the doors become for acceptance. So as long as we all keep fearlessly getting our shit out there, I believe things will continue to evolve… It’s a huge leap simply seeing LGBTQ artists getting more press, hence more eyes on them – shouts to our come up!
You have the entitled Don’t Tell the TSA .What can you tell us about the rest of the project?
Not sure about this question as the song “Don’t Tell the TSA (there’s a bomb in my chest)” isn’t out yet and there’s no set release date – but I will say this about the upcoming project.
My upcoming project is called “Millennial Love During World War III” and, fuck, I couldn’t be more hyped to share it with you. Damn. It’s the first time I’ve felt like I’m properly representing myself and what I have to offer as an artist. It’s a concept album set in a universe much like ours, but it’s a damned multi-verse where the world has gone to shit and is literally ending, but I don’t really care because I’m drunk and high and the man I love is long-distance, somewhere far from me. It’s raw as hell, honest, intimate AF, and terrifyingly relevant. And i feel it’s the first time I’ve (finally) found my voice… or finding…
Who is up next?
With a big ass smirk, I’d like to say me. But there’s a slew of us… Rozay LaBeija, Shug, Infinite Coles and Dick Van Dick are some of my favorite NYC locals about to pop. And outside of the city, Seraah and Laskaar. Watch for it.