Who Is Clever? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

This week we are highlighting a unique talent in the music industry, an artist who goes by the name Clever. Clever has been penning music since he learned to write, and has deep dived into all different genres throughout his blossoming career. Lately, Clever has been honing his songwriting as a country singer-songwriter. Keep reading to learn more about the artist’s interesting path, including why he has the support from artists like Justin Bieber and Post Malone.

“I’m from the great state of Alabama. Still living here to this day. I’m from small town U.S.A. […] I’m still here, because I’m basically the mayor here. I’ve built up a big following here for a long time, kind of that hometown hero thing, and I just never left,” began the singer. “I started doing poetry at an early age, and it kind of transitioned into writing songs. Clever recalls always using poetry, and later music, as an outlet for what he was feeling and going through. “I needed an escape. I think for creatives, all of us, we need an outlet, I was always looking for that escape from reality, and poetry though it was doing the job, I was still yearning for something more, and music made so much sense.”

Despite growing up in a more conservative family, Clever’s music education spanned many genres. “Early on, I listened to what my parents listened to. My dad was a big Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin fan, The Allman Brothers, that sort of thing, and my mom listened to ‘Cool and The Gang’, and ‘Earth, Wind, and Fire’, which makes sense for the hip-hop with this big vocal on top of it. I was also raised on Vince Gill and Travis Tritt, and Garth Brooks.”

Clever also shared a liking for hip-hop music, something he discovered on his own. “When I started diving into my own music, I went a little edgier, like Korn, and Limp Bizkit type stuff, but I was a huge Jay-Z fan and Lil Wayne fan. It kind of explains the poetic side of me and the lyrical side of me with a cool vibe.”

The Turning Point:

At just around thirteen years old, Clever discovered that he could rap and freestyle. I did some freestyle, battle type of stuff early on in my career, maybe around thirteen, fourteen, and I got a gig on the radio station in Birmingham Alabama. I started taking phone calls live on the air and freestyle battle callers,” he shared. Adding, “I got this CD insert and I was reading the lyrics and I started reading the lyrics, and I thought “this is trash.” […] I was saying that I can outdo this, I wanted to make my own music, and I was kind of a wild kid for someone who was raised better.”

The radio gig led Clever to have his own radio show in his early 20s, which eventually led him to do things for radio and BET in New York. “I dabbled with radio here and there, and I started making hip-hop music in the beginning of what I would consider hip-hop. Nobody really called it hip-hop when I was doing hip-hop, and I expect the same out of most of my country listeners. I kinda do what I do, I don’t think you can really put it in a box, but the production of it is definitely more of a country thing that we do now.”

The artist was making waves in the music industry, and despite, getting into a bad record deal, he was still writing music for many publishing companies, trying to find a way to keep releasing his own music simultaneously. “I ended up writing some songs with Snoop Dog and a bunch of California OGs back in the day and eventually linked up with David Foster, and started to write some songs with him,” he shared.

“Around 2018, I got noticed by Juice WRLD, and I ended up signing with Juice, and I was touring with him, and featured on his album in 2019, and eventually did a deal between me and Post Malone and Juice together, and signed with Post Malone at the end of 2019, and then the next day Juice passed. […] It was a weird transition there for a while. It really put us at a standstill for a while.”

At the same time, a lot of artists were looking to collaborate. “I was blessed to work with artists like Justin Bieber, Post Malone, Juice, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, the list just keeps going, but fast forward, I started making some country records, I’m from Alabama, it’s in my blood. I was kind of raised on country music,” he shared. Adding, “I started writing for some country artists. I had never written a song for myself and with the country transition, as soon as Jelly Roll started making his way, I started getting phone calls with people saying that I should try to do this sort of things.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Clever is embracing country music. Recently, the singer-songwriter released a self-titled EP filled with six songs that speak to the singer-songwriter’s unique talent as an artist. 

“My goal was to release this huge 30 song album. […]  I wanted to put together this huge body of work and release it, and I did a distribution deal, and before you drop an album, you need to make some singles shake, otherwise no one really cares to hear a full album and you really need some solo songs to do well, so we kind of shortened it to putting together this deal that entails six mini EPs of five or six songs, and of course, it’s subject to change. We’re just playing it by ear right now.”

Still armed with a dream to release a massive project, Clever is chugging along, garnering more and more fans with every single release. “‘Candlelight’ was one that caught the attention and really grew my fanbase here on TikTok. I love the style and production, that sort of thing. “Billy The Kid” stands out to me because it’s the first song I wrote in this country direction. “Trainwreck” was the only song I did that wasn’t a solo write”

Fans can expect a whole lot more from Clever as we head into the top of 2025. The singer is already sitting on a ton of new music and is primed for a huge new year. Stay tuned for the singer, as he plans new tour dates and maybe even jumps on tour with some of your favorites soon!

Connect:

To keep up with Clever, follow him on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

Clever’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.