Music Matters artist Adrian Marcel is currently soaking up all of the success of his new single, "2AM," featuring Sage the Gemini, but the Oakland native has made it clear that he's gotten to where he is because of hard work and dedication. While his debut LP Seven Days a Week let us into his life, his new LP Weak After Next goes deeper. 
"I want my fans to go on a journey with me and I want them to grow with me. And I feel like if anyone’s ever seen my live shows it’s no different from my recordings. It’s a connection that I’m trying to have — I want them to feel the passion, I want them to feel the energy that I'm putting out because they give it to me."
Beyond introducing his fans to another side of himself, Marcel was very specific about what songs to put on the album, eventually narrowing down 30 tracks to a very specific 16.
"It’s not like let me just record this and record that. It’s like, this is why I do this song, this is what this song means, it all has a purpose and to have to chop some down to bring them into one bundle is the hardest process."

For now, Adrian Marcel is promoting his LP on the road with Oakland's own Keyshia Cole. And the tour has come with lessons and unexpected inspiration.  
"Watching her, you're able to be inspired because she knows what she wants," Marcel noted. "...Watching her control her destiny I think that's the most inspiring thing about her."

Watch Adrian talk about getting a co-sign from Raphael Saadiq in the video below.

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 (Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)