Salles Takes a ‘Leap of Faith’
Behind a gold chain, grey sweatshirt and piles of half-written lyrics is an up-and-coming rapper with hopes to move from his microphone-in-a-box set-up to a professional studio. On Friday, this rapper with a dream released his first album –– a huge step toward that goal.
Frankie Salles ‘22 believed he was going to make music ever since he began listening to rapper J. Cole when he was just 14 years old, listening to 2014 Forest Hills Drive. “I remember just listening to it all the way through and feeling so many different emotions, and from then on I started listening to more of his music and rap music in general, ” Salles said. “This made me want to start doing this as well.”
“Scary,” was the word Salles used to describe how he felt when he decided to release his first album, composed of nine songs written by him and one of them featuring one of his friends. The album, “Leap of Faith,” will be available on all streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
Salles’ keen sense of observation for J. Cole’s work has enabled him to form his own identity. He diverges from the consistent pace and stagnant rhythm by “switching it up” to keep his listeners engaged and “to put my own twist on things,” he said.
The “hype” that Salles gets from his friends is what truly motivates him to continue making songs. “They have the biggest impact on how I write,” Salles said. “I really do everything for them.”
He’s seen the impact that other artists have had on their audience by the tone of their voice, diction and beat. “There’s a lot of decent artists that don't get noticed as much and their stuff tends to be more emotional that people can relate to,” he said. “I want to reach real music fans looking for something deeper than just the mainstream stuff.”
He wanted perfection and steadiness but knew that was unattainable. Instead, he overcame those thoughts and realized that if he didn’t do it now, he wouldn’t know when.
“If I would have waited until I thought I was ready, I would have been waiting forever. I never am going to feel 100% ready for this. It’s art and it’s one of those things that’s subjective,” Salles said.
This is a big step for Salles that led him to naming the album “Leap of Faith.” These feelings he felt were similar to those of Miles Morales, the character in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” that he incorporated in his introduction of the album.
He describes the journey of the nine-song album as a “full circle.” The vision he had for one of his first songs in “Leap of Faith” came from the falling out he had with his friends, while the last song was created after he rekindled his friendship with those same friends.
One of his verses –– “I put my heart and soul in this game, but I'm feeling strange the further that I go the more they say I’ve changed” –– directly connects to his relationships with his friends and to J. Cole’s music.
“This first album was more so for me than anyone else. It was to prove to myself that I can do this. Being completely independent is difficult because there is no one to point me in the right direction. I’m learning everything as I go. It’s a lot of trial and error,” he said. “At this point I feel great about it though. I really did what I set out to do.”
That catchy beat seeps from under the white door and through the tan colored walls of his bedroom –– the creative space where Salles has his musical highs and lows. Nevertheless, he remains diligent about pushing himself in the present.
“Do things that make you uncomfortable. Especially if it’s something you’re passionate about. Don't be afraid to mess it up because that’s how you’re going to learn from things and how you’re going to learn in the beginning,” he said.
Marist student Frankie Salles ’22 releases his first nine-song album, “Leap of Faith.” Source: Frankie Salles ‘22