A few weeks ago, my friend Tim Simmons asked if I wanted to go to a record-release party that a former student of his was holding at Forever Changes record store in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. That former student, John Coleman goes by the stage name Frostbyt3, and he also happened to attend the institution where I work. Though I never taught him myself, our paths crossed somewhat frequently, so I was excited to see check out his music and see what he’s been up to lately. Turns out, quite a lot!

What’s your history as a musician and producer? How did you get involved in music, and how did you evolve into the songwriter you are today?

I would say that as a kid, I’ve always had music living through me. In elementary school, I started writing poems and playing the drums. Then in middle school, I started discovering different artists like Daft Punk, Chance the Rapper, Skrillex, and Pharrell Williams which would fuel my inspiration for creating, writing, and producing my own music. I honestly just love listening to different genres to really hone in my skills of songwriting. I believe that going through an experience as well as listening to the thoughts of others has helped me evolve into a better songwriter.

How did the name “Frostbyt3” come to you?

So when I was younger, I posted a lot of my music on SoundCloud. I was at a point where I had all this music ready to release, but I never created a stage name to go by. At that time it was during the winter break of 2012 and as I looked outside, it was snowing. Winter is one of my favorite seasons, so in my mind I was coming up with all these names that had to deal with snow and ice. Frostbyt3 was the one that clicked the most.

Family is a major theme in your new LP, This Lil’ Light of Mine. How has your family influenced your music?

I feel like my family have always been the ones to keep me grounded. Not only with my faith but also trying your best to be a good person in general when the world tries to pull you down, which is one of the themes on the new album. You can even relate it back to black art in general during time periods where black people time and time again have turned pain and suffering into beautiful pieces of art. My family has always been super supportive of my music journey. They played a huge part in this album, but I believe it even goes further than just the family I have now.

You also meditate on expectations and even stereotypes that people might have with respect to your identity as a young Black male. Can you talk a little bit about that?

I’ve always listened to different genres of music. Of course, I always go to my roots, R&B, Soul, and Gospel. But I’ve always had a love for Rap and EDM. As a DJ, I always have an ear for new genres too. I listen to everything. Chord progressions. Influences. History. I personally feel like there’s so much more to me than just RAP. Can I rap? Absolutely. Am I only rap? Not at all. I feel like if I’m called a rapper, that’s throwing a label on to me. The stereotype of “this young black man has a microphone in his hand. He must rap.” Is stupid to me and off-putting. I know that’s how I’m viewed and that’s a barrier I’m trying to destroy. I’m not just rap. Anxiety Filled Swimming Pool isn’t rap. DIZZ KNEE WORLD isn’t rap. As a matter of fact, when you listen to the new album, I think you can hear a lot of different genres weaved into one another.

Your song “Jericho” echoes the Biblical story of Joshua, who brought down the walls of that city. What walls are you trying to pull down?

One barrier is the one I mentioned before with rap and the stereotypes behind rap music. Another barrier I’m trying to tear down is this sigma that if you’re an independent artist, that you won’t be as successful as an artist who is signed and has a label. As we can see now, I lot of artist who are signed and now wanted to free themselves from their label and want to go independent. A great example of this is Taylor Swift. Love her or hate her, she has shown how much power an artist has. Although she is signed, she still has the power to own her masters and has a contract that gives her lots of creative freedoms. I’m fully independent as of now and I’m so happy I am. I can release music when I want. I can share when I want. I love the freedom I have. I know a lot of upcoming artists can benefit from being independent. Chance the Rapper is another great example. The fact that he won 3 Grammys off of his fully independent mixtape, Coloring Book, not only made me more of a fan but showed the world that independent music can prevail.

What do you think musicians and artists more broadly can do to subvert the dominant powers of the music industry — the labels and streaming services?

I spend so much time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears into my music. I zoom in on every single detail. Everything must sounds right. I would say that musicians should find ways to take more control over their music that they create. Start off by finding websites and connections that are more focused on the artist rather than the services that can potentially screw the artist over. When I put my new album out on Bandcamp, I learned so much about the service and its goal to help independent artists. There’s so many things you can do now straight from your own home. Its incredible. People think you need a huge studio, big speakers, and lots of audio equipment to make music. Everything I have released has all been from my house. I think just that statement alone says a lot about artists can now go about making art and get paid. I also believe in buying physical media. I grew up buying CDs and now I’m collecting vinyl records. Artists should find ways to make sure their fans have something to take with them. It gives a sense of connection while, also helping the artist make money.

Of course, music is about more than tearing things down. It’s also about building things up. What are you doing to develop a fan base?

The 2020 pandemic was a curse but also a blessing in some ways. During that time, I felt like the music industry had a pause. No gigs. No live music. Even releasing music to get new listeners was a bit difficult. At that same time, I believe that this was a moment for musicians to reinvent themselves and the learn how to improve on their skills. That was me. My last two releases were back in 2020 and 2021. The music was there but I was hard to reach new ears. Now, I feel like I am finally able to get out of the house and really start to market myself the way I want to. That is my main goal. Listeners hearing my music is one thing. Seeing the person behind the music and having that connection with them is another.

Along similar lines, what’s your music community like? Who’s in it? How do you cultivate relationships with other musicians and artists?

I love to learn from and about people. Especially when it comes to music. I love working with other musicians because I believe it helps me become a better musician. Connections are everything to me. If I love your vibe and what you bring to the table, I want to make sure people know who you are. As a producer, it’s my role to see where I can fit you in as much as I can. That’s my favorite part of the music creating process. Involving other people into my art.

You recently held a listening party at Forever Changes record store in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. How did you get involved with them?

So one of my good friends, Anthony C, who makes music, introduced me to the store owner, Shaun Cephas. From there, Shaun was a huge fan of my music and I was a huge fan of his store. In 2024, I had just started collecting vinyl records and going to different record stores. Phoenixville has always been home to me. He also hosts live events at his store and when I told him my plans for a small album listening party, he was super excited. I feel like our relationship has grown even more since then. We will talk about the history of different records. Who our favorite artists are. What new releases just came out. Life. What’s going on in our communities. We just have great conversations in general.

What are your plans for the future?

It’s been a wild ride but, as of right now, all my focus has been putting the spotlight on my new album and doing some shows. Getting that word out. Market myself and keep pushing. I’m already in the process of making a deluxe album for THIS LIL’ LIGHT (OF MINE) and a bunch of other projects. I really just wanted to give my fans music they have been waiting on for about 3 years. I’m super excited to just have music out. Definitely tune in!