Rising Charlotte rapper Austin Fortson steps boldly into the spotlight with the release of his brand-new 17-track album 'Step Out Nights'. Known for his unshakable authenticity and genre-blurring style, Fortson crafts a project that captures the full spectrum of nighttime moods, from the high-octane rush of the club to the quieter reflections of a solitary drive.
Highlights include the standout single 'Christmas In July', already turning heads with its infectious hook and distinctive sound. Across the record, Fortson blends bass-heavy anthems with smoother, introspective cuts, offering a dynamic listening experience that reflects both his versatility and his creative depth.
So with the new LP out now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
While not being able to play any instruments I did “fall in love” with the piano/keyboard when I was younger since we had an electronic keyboard around the house that I would try to play.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Music that I loved when younger was the R&B that I would hear around the house or in the car. Things like Alecia Keys, Maria Carey, Sade, Keyshia Cole were being played by my mom. My older brother had Rap CD’s like 50 Cent and Ludacris that got me into that.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I think it might’ve been either my brother’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ album or like a Jackson 5 Christmas album lmao. First album I bought and paid for myself was Drake’s Take Care.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I don’t really have one. I don't typically look at other peoples works and wish that I could have done that myself, rather I take inspiration and try to just level up my own works so that someone else could be wishing that they could have wrote what I had.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I gotta hear the beats in the car before giving a song a full 100% stamp of approval. How a song sounds in the whip is a big influence on me when making it.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
It’d really have to be the other artists on my own independent label AV and the people we've been working with. I’ve been so locked in with making this album that other artists have really taken a place on the back burner when it comes to my listening rotation at the moment. There’s a lot of new music I have to catch up with.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
If I could open a show for anyone in the world I’d have to go with opening up AV fest if that means we could get it off the ground. We tried to put on our own festival here in the city of Charlotte, NC but ran into logistical roadblocks that made us have to put it off for the future. I’d ideally like to be a closing act in my own festival but if it meant getting that up and going today I’d gladly open lmao.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
For me the most rewarding part about being a musician is being able to take 1 song and be able to build so many dope creative concepts with it. Whether that be the theme of the song, the way to promote it, the music videos, the cover art, etc. just all the creativity that can come with just 1 song. Basically the impact and the overall experience created is the most rewarding part for me.
And what is the most frustrating part?
In the same token of crafting the overall experience of the music being the best part, the most frustrating part is definitely the self promotion aspect.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Probably the best piece of advice I’ve received as a musician is that you just gotta do the damn thing. Gotta put in the hours in the studio, gotta push through the writer's block, have to do something, can't just sit on things.
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Austin Fortson's new album 'Step Out Nights' is out now. Check it out in the player below.