Cullen The Great of Arizona-based rap duo The Lavish Crew has released his latest single, and it is called ‘I’m Sorry.’ The song blends pure guitar strings with trap beats for a distinctive effect, while the verses are deep and to the point.
The song begins with a beautiful guitar melody with a distinct Mexican vihuela feel. Soon after, the trap rhythms come in, revealing the song’s real character. The rhythms then make the song pop, setting the stage for Cullen The Great to deliver his verse.
In I’m Sorry, the rapper is speaking to his partner, apologising for the pain he has caused them. At the same time, he wants to make it clear that he is not apologetic for what he said. He feels trapped by his lover’s bottled-up feelings, which they must release in order to have a good connection.
The chorus is instrumental music, with only the rap verse keeping the beats going, creating a stripped-down chrous that feels incredibly sincere for a song called “I’m Sorry.” The trap beats maintain it faithful to the artist’s passions, allowing him to fully express himself.
I’m Sorry is a fantastic song that reminds us why Cullen The Great is regarded rap royalty in Arizona’s up-and-coming music scene. And what better way to understand what makes him so great than to talk to him? So I sat down with a few questions for him, and here is what he had to say.
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The Lavish Crew has started a sort of underground movement; you guys have helped many less-known artists break into the scene. Do you think this was because of the experiences you had before you became well known yourself?
“Oh definitely. One of the most difficult things about starting out as an independent musician is the lack of support you receive from your area. That’s because you have to earn it. But the catch 22 was there was no one in our area that was willing to provide the opportunities we were looking for. We had to create our own opportunities to grow ,and it just sort of became who we were in the area. (There is so) much talent is in the Arizona rap scene. We swore to ourselves that we were going to do everything we could to put on. We actually used to have this saying, ‘When one of us makes it, we all eating.’ So we support every artist we can by providing them opportunities no one else has access to.”
I love the way you have used the guitar sounds in this track, where did the inspiration come from?
“To be honest with you, once I heard the guitar riff I was sold. Shoutout to the producer, Hippy Jack for that. I was really digging the sort of Latin influence. Once I heard it I knew I had to write something to it. I thought the instrumental provided the perfect blend of an upbeat sort of dance-y vibe, with a vague sense of some slightly somber attitude hidden in the verses. Once I had the beat in my possession I adjusted the EQ on the two track to make that guitar pop even more. The guitar riff in this song makes this one of my favorite beats.”
Every rap artist has a few of those gurus he looks up to. These are the founding fathers who shape up your style, delivery, rhythm in a way. Who would these be for you?
“Oh man, I have such a crazy list of inspirations when it comes to my music. When I was growing up my dad listened to classic rock artists like The Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Tom Petty. My mom would listen to artists like Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, and Garth Brooks. But once I developed my own music taste, musicians like Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Wiz Khalifa helped shape the idea of who I wanted to be in the music industry. Right now the two biggest motivators in the game for me are Russ and Jack Harlow. Although he gets a lot of hate, I respect Russ’ grind as an independent musician and Jack Harlow? I mean c’mon, who doesn’t like Jack Harlow right now!”
I’m Sorry is an emotional song to me. It’s vulnerable, but it’s also about putting your foot down in a relationship where the other person keep taking from you. What do you have to say about the inspiration of the song?
“This song has sort of a personal resonance with me. The inspiration behind it came from the relationship with my last girlfriend. I constantly found myself apologizing for things whether I felt it was my fault or not. And it eventually led to this point of animosity within myself. I remember I was thinking ‘Here we go again,’ which is actually the first bar in the first verse. There was one day where I realized it was my fault for allowing it to get to this far. This led to me writing this song. I’m Sorry sort of glorifies things but it provided the perfect outlet for people tired of constantly apologizing to rally with.”
What would you like to tell your fans and our readers as a parting note, and what should they expect from you next?
“I just want to say thank you to everyone out there who has supported me along this journey. Expect a more focused, more creative, and much improved version of Cullen The Great. This is only the beginning and I promise I’m gonna make y’all proud.”
Listen to Cullen The Great – I’m Sorry here:
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