Being born and raised in Baltimore City, Aaron Adkinson bleeds orange, purple and black. He got his degree in industrial design from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Under the stage name NVSV (pronounced “NASA”), Aaron makes music and owns/operates a recording studio in Baltimore, and you can find his music on all major streaming platforms. Cannabis is a heavy influence on the culture he is creating, finding commonalities between himself and other artists in the space. Head down to ReLeaf Shop in Baltimore and give Aaron a shoutout the next time you’re in the city!
How has the city shaped your creative outlook and your work as both an artist and designer?
I went to high school right down the street from MICA, so I was always encapsulated in art. Artscape, AFRAM and other community events had me involved in art frequently with my family and friends. When I came of age, I wanted to get outside of my comfort zone and leave Baltimore. Upon moving back, being gone for 11 years allowed me to see from afar how the art scene here flourished, being handed down to the right people to nurture it and let it grow. Baltimore is an extremely talented city. I went to school for industrial design and have been considering going back for my master’s in architecture. I have an interest in sustainable living, and I want people to understand that nice apartment buildings going up in your neighborhood aren’t just gentrification; they are for everyone. Baltimore gave me my sense of artistic integrity and reaffirmed I should be creating art that isn’t just easily digested.
Your new album, “Magic Man,” just dropped. What inspired this project, and what message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from it
The album is called “Magic Man” because it was really supposed to be a disappearing act, but once I got into it fully, the art took the form of sleight of hand. I speak on socioeconomic issues and direct people to pay attention to the right things that society is distracting them from. Next week, I will be in the Baltimore Beat, who is also covering the album. I want to create dialogue with my music. The internet has created an echo chamber for virtue signaling versus people actually standing for something they believe in. People need to have their own opinions and thoughts, and that’s what I did with “Magic Man.” Lines like, “How you got an iPhone and you militant?” That gets people thinking about the meaning behind the words.
How do you think Cannabis influences your artistic approach/expression?
I grew up with a single mom as a black kid in Baltimore, and I have an older brother in prison. My mom tried to keep me away from a lot of things as a kid, which led me to explore and find out certain things about the world on my own. Thankfully, the thing I discovered was that the art world is mirrored by Cannabis. I started smoking when I was 15, and my mom knew about it even though I was hiding it. When I got to college, I smoked more freely and started having discussions with my mom, who has multiple sclerosis. I told her she could use Cannabis, and she got her medical card despite the stigma she knows surrounding Cannabis. Going to school in Pittsburgh, I was peers with Mac Miller and shared space with him. This showed me how Cannabis can bring people together and how artists can make Cannabis a part of their character and dialogue. If I’m trying to express myself in a way that I can fully be myself, Cannabis is a part of that process.
Is Cannabis a big part of the creative scene in Maryland?
I see how Cannabis is pairing with the arts in the community. There still aren’t very many spaces where you can smoke a joint in the same space you could drink a glass of wine, but it’s changing. Once it becomes more accepted in that way, people will start to come out of their shell more surrounding consumption.
What advice would you give to other independent artists trying to build something sustainable in their hometown?
Know what you like. Something that I’m noticing is that there are a lot of forced opinions and people not having their own unique thoughts about what they like, especially for music. A lot of artists are pigeonholed into whatever genre or subgenre they are in and miss out on a lot of chances for artistic exposure. Also, make what you like versus chasing the cycle of making what people want to hear.
What do you think about violence in modern rap music?
That is one of the reasons I recommend people branch out and listen to other artists outside mainstream rap. We need to figure out why labels are glorifying violence versus self-reflection in music. I don’t want to get deep into conspiracy, but this is a topic definitely worth looking into.
