'5 Questions With': Adrian Marcel

Bay Area rising R&B Star Adrian Marcel wants his fans to understand a few things about his creative art form: be your organic self, live in your space, follow in your faith, and focus on your goals. “I want my fans to see what true passion, love, and respect for what you do can bring you,” says the singer. “I’m not afraid to lay the real on the line. I’m not trying to be so clean cut and simple with my R&B. Being from East Oakland you can’t be too soft.”

The singer has also had the chance to work with Kelly Rowland, Snoop Dogg, and Sage the Gemini already this early on in his career. “Getting to work with Kelly Rowland was one of my first experiences in the industry. She is such a warm and tender spirit. She made sure I was always comfortable when it came to working alongside her. She still to this day is one of my most unforgettable artist-to-artist experiences. There is never a dull moment when Sage and I are in the same room together. Nothing short of good times. As far as Snoop goes, he is a legend and a huge inspiration on my musical journey,” the singer says.

EQUATE sat down with the budding R&B star to talk about his roots, his mentor, Raphael Saadiq, and who is next from the Bay Area.

Words by Robert Frezza

EQ: You are from Oakland but spent some time in Atlanta? How was that?

AM: Being from Oakland and spending the time I did in ATL gave me a broader perspective about music and the way it is created. In Oakland or The Bay back then it was not a lot of camaraderie as much as it was competition. So at home I learned what it was to be fearless and to go for what you want with maximum effort. We call that beast mode! In ATL, everyone works with everyone, you go in one studio to work with one individual and end up working with multiple creatives you didn’t even expect to. Working as a team to get to one goal, which makes fire records. Both gave me what I needed to be who I am as an artist and creative nonetheless. It took some time getting accustomed to the switch though. Oakland is a melting pot of cultures and people, where ATL is BLACK Hollywood. So I had to get used to the different ways of moving.

EQ: How important was it for you to attend Oakland School of Arts? Did attending help you find and hone-in on your craft?

AM: Attending Oakland School for the Arts was definitely imperative to my career today. Everything I’ve gone through and been able to succeed at has been because of what I learned then. How important being on time is, how important being prepared at all times is, how important being ready at the drop of a dime is, how important being versatile is, how important immediate adaptation is, and how important knowing every part of your craft is all came from OSA. I learned the stage there. I fell in love with the stage there. Working with so many different genres allowed me to be a chameleon in my music today. There is no stage or no audience you put me on and in front of that I can’t adapt and succeed at doing what I do. I’m universal because of the training I was put through at OSA. Breaking through your fear, not allowing it to destroy you but instead build you to be stronger came from that school throwing us in our craft 1000%. So though I’m 100% nervous every show, big or small, it doesn’t hinder me, instead it makes me a beast when I take that first step on to that stage. OSA taught me whether it’s 5 people, 5,000 people, or 5 million people in the audience you leave it all on that stage! I give 1000% EVERYTIME. The type of training I went through taught me to handle everything that can go wrong on stage as a professional. Taught me to be a Jack-of-all-trades when entertaining.

“We have been working on 2022 since the end of 2020—so there is a lot more to come.”

- Adrian Marcel