Buffalo, NY – Buffalo New York is continuing to prove itself as a mecca, leading the new wave raw, independent artists climbing over the rubble left when Griselda knocked down the wall. For Buffalo native Che Noir though, her career didn’t begin with looks from the storied label. Instead, it was her affiliation with Trust Comes First Music Group, founded by Rochester (New York) rapper/producer 38 Spesh.
“I was friends with 38 Spesh] on Facebook for a month before I even sent him music,” Che tells HipHopDX. “My friend was trying to push me to send him some music, but at the time, I didn’t have anything that I would say is pressionally mixed.”
As she explains, a few months before connecting with Spesh, she had gone to Chicago to record a project with a producer out there. Things didn’t go the way she hoped with the planned EP, so she consequently ended up releasing one the tracks as a single.
“I sent that single to him, and within like maybe three minutes, he got back to me,” she says with a laugh. “That next day, my cousin and I drove out to Rochester … he told me immediately he wanted me to be a part the team.”
Spesh has been bubbling since the release his Out On Bail project. He’s since released ten solo albums in addition to collaborative projects and become a staple on the scene. Taking Che under his wing, he produced the entirety her breakthrough Thrill Of The Hunt 2 project.
With a slew buzz-worthy guest features floating around, but her ficial debut LP The Essence looking at a late 2020 release, she assures us she going to leave her fans in a drought. She is putting in work and notes that she plans to drop something new before the ball does on January 1.
“I can’t announce the name the producer, but I have an album that I’m working on with a very, very dope producer,” she says. “I’m also working on a project with Spesh called Gun Crazy … It’s inspired by the early Bonnie and Clyde film.”
Though many are just getting interested as late, she points out that she’s spitting at her current caliber for more than a minute. “That’s how I was rapping on my first mixtape. You know, I didn’t have the resources at the time that I have now.
“I get a lot people that come to me and tell me I help them get through the day … that’s always been a goal for me to help people get through whatever they got going on,” she adds, explaining that her buzz had prompted new fans have begun exploring her back catalog music.
“I rap for kids that had similar situations to me. Even the ones who didn’t have similar situations … I aim to inspire people,” she says.
Che’s ability to attain notoriety for her skills without having to pander her brand to any mainstream pressure is something she doesn’t take for granted in any way.
“When I started taking my music seriously, I had a lot people in my ear telling me that I had to have a certain image to get heard by people. And my response is always, ‘I’m going to be myself,’” she says. “I can’t be anybody other than myself.”
She recalls advice she received while in Atlanta for a show.
“This guy told me, just be yourself. Continue to be yourself in your music. Always stand out, but just be yourself. Don’t try to be and portray yourself to be something that you’re not,” she says.
“As a woman, we’re ten stereotyped in the industry. So, if we’re tired being stereotyped, why continue doing things to perpetuate that?” she asks as the interview comes to an end. “My goal was just to stand out and do something different.”
For updates on Che Noir’s upcoming releases, you can follow her Instagram.