Spotlight: Tim Gent Aims To Put Clarksville, Tennessee On The Lyrical Rap Map
Today (January 25), Clarksville, Tennessee MC Tim Gent is releasing his latest project. For The Love is a free effort by the impressive sensation, who balances precise lyricism with the trends of today. Already with individual videos reaching beyond 30,000 plays, the 22 year-old not only shows promise for putting his city on the Rap map, but making lasting impact on Hip-Hop.
In celebration of his just-released For The Love, Tim spoke to Ambrosia For Heads about his new project (and its relation to his son, and life stage), his city, and his gratitude to Kanye West’s influence.
“For the Love really stemmed from the birth of my son The artwork has a ‘The Creation of Adam’ [by Michelangelo] type of vibe,” Tim explains. “I thank God for blessing me with my son; so it’s me paying homage to Michelangelo and praising God all in one picture. As far the the content, I felt like with my last project (Clarksville Nights) I focused more on creating songs as opposed to just having a blast rapping. This project is really me getting back to just having fun and doing this for the reason I started.”
Speaking to the Kanye West influence heard in songs like For The Love track “My Predictions,” Tim responded. “I feel like Kanye [West] inspired this culture in crazy ways man. I grew up listening to nothing but Gospel music, R&B, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, and Kanye. I have all of Kanye’s albums and [other works], so sometimes I just feel like I have to show dude some love and pay homage.” With a laugh, he admitted a wish list future plan. “I’d definitely love to throw on a G.O.O.D. Music jersey one day.”
“Rising Son” is another talking point from the EP. “The beat is fucking nuts, man,” Tim professed enthusiastically. “Free P produced that, and I can’t recall the sample. But when I played it after he sent it to me, I immediately starting writing to it. It’s definitely one of my favorite collaborations between the two of us. Even if you don’t like what I’m saying, I feel like the beat alone keeps you indulged.”
In 2015, Tim released a la carte track “Additional Charges.” The song is a strong display of Gent’s lyricism. “Shout to RmurBeats for that one though, man. He put that instrumental up on [his] Soundcloud, and I shot him a text and let him know I had an idea. I did a little freestyle to come up w the first few bars and after that everything just flowed as far as the pen and pad goes. I definitely had to cut in [while recording] a few times.”
“I love my family,” declared Tim, who frequently mentions his family in his songs—including his son, and his mother. “They’re a huge part of everything I do. From the support, to the love, they just keep me inspired and grounded man. Moms definitely keeps ‘Timothy’ in check too, often.”
In Tim Gent’s visuals, Clarksville is prominent. For a city not often thought of for its Hip-Hop community, the hungry MC has bigger plans aligned with his own trajectory. “Honestly, I would let them know the city needs more recreational programs and centers for not only the kids, but the young adults. There’s so much talent here amongst the people but sometimes it feels like the opportunities are slim. All the locals I’m cool with or meet always tell me I have to leave in order to see any real success. [What they tell me] makes sense, but Clarksville is apart of me. It’s where I was born and raised. I love it here. I always feel like the underdog. God’s will, I’m going to elevate to a point where I can financially make some things shake for my community.”