RESPECT. Interview: Chris Porter on Fashion, Fears, and Art

The intersection between music and fashion continues its prevalence stepping into 2017; many fashion designers utilizing icons in and out of the industry to push their products and clothing ideas, many artists using fashion as a gateway into a sphere where the creative and restless can further admire and build upon their sonics. Additionally, both fields have been used as mediums where messages and concepts can be pushed and emphasized via deeper, sometimes more ambiguous depictions. From feminism to race relations to gender identities- the largest intersectionality between the two fields is most certainly the end goals of creating some sort of aesthetic, vibe, or essence.

Chris Porter remains prominently involved in delivering music that can easily accompany the footsteps of a runway model, with the two culminating into an inexpressible aesthetic. The visual for “Catwalk Killer” features this exact idea, with Porter shown in Columbia with cuts of models strutting about.

Chris Porter spoke with RESPECT. about his fears, fashion, and collaborating with Pitbull.

RESPECT.: What are you afraid of?

Chris Porter: Not living up to my potential. We are all blessed with our own unique set of talents and gifts but most people never fully nurture those gifts to the level of excellence. Falling short of reaching what I personally believe is my full potential is the one thing I’m afraid of. That goes for my life in music and beyond.

RESPECT.: How have those fears (or lack thereof) driven you?

The fear of not living up to my potential drives me to put in those extra hours and that extra effort to reach each next level of success in my life. So everyday I do whatever it takes to improve myself, my situation, and get closer to my dreams.

RESPECT.: What is the intersection between music & fashion? What are the similarities in the purposes of the two?

Hip hop is not just a genre of music. It’s a lifestyle in which fashion is one of the driving forces. I believe that fashion and music are ways that people express and project their own unique personalities out to the rest of the world.

RESPECT.: Creating a club/dance hit is difficult because overthinking melody can kill creativity. Was overthinking the songwriting/creative process an issue for you?

Never. Music is art and it should always come easily to the artist. It should be a beautiful, free stream of consciousness and not a forced, over thought process. When I’m making a song, no matter what type of song it is, I really don’t think at all. I just turn the music on, vibe out, and let it all come to me.

RESPECT.: Where are your sources of inspiration/creativity?

Creativity comes natural to me but I actually draw the most inspiration from movies.

When I see the way that people react when a film takes them on an amazing rolling coaster ride from beginning to the end, I always try to figure out ways to take people on the same level of ride through my music. I’m in the process of making my first audio version of the matrix. Meaning one bad ass album that shocks the world and breaks records.

RESPECT.: Is fashion art? Have you ever seen fashion being used to convey a message?

Fashion is art. And the perfect outfit is like a masterpiece. What you wear and how you wear it talks to the world around you and definitely does convey a message. It can say I’m loud, I’m sexy, I’m powerful, or whatever you want it to say. Fashion is like an unspoken language to me.

RESPECT.: How did you end up working up Pitbull?

About a year and a half ago I linked up with DJ White Shadow, who had produced on major projects for Lady Gaga. Him and his team Life on Planes already had a working relationship with Pitbull. They played The Water Dance for Pit, he liked it, jumped on it, and the rest was history.

RESPECT.: What are you currently piecing together?

Within the coming weeks I’m releasing my new single “Look at me Dance”. I have a crazy campaign attached to it and I can’t wait to hit the red button and let it ring off. Just making the final touches and then it’s game time.

Keep up with Chris Porter via his Twitter and Instagram.

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