By Rebekah Frank and Alla Drokina

EWU sophomore James Fleming recently received an email offering the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles to compete in the Team Backpack contest.

Team Backpack is a collaboration to bring new talented artists together with their fans and help establish new fans. People submit their YouTube videos to the Team Backpack website in hopes of being invited to perform in Los Angeles. Those artists who are invited to compete have an opportunity to reach their fans and gain more exposure.

The Team Backpack website says, “Our ultimate goal is to create and promote a positive environment to connect individual artists to their fans without the major labels.”

James Fleming is one of the artists who received a callback and will be performing May 16-18.

His main concern is not winning. He said his idea of a successful outcome is networking — establishing necessary connections and gaining a certain kind of exposure by making connections with other bands.

James Fleming works with his brother and fellow Eagle, Cameron Fleming, when producing his music. Both brothers started rapping at an early age. Being the older brother, James Fleming began rapping first, and Cameron Fleming followed quickly behind when he formed a rap group in high school called the Omegas.

Cameron Fleming said his music back then was just for fun with his friends. However, James Fleming noticed Cameron Fleming improving with each production. Looking back now, Cameron Fleming said his work with the Omegas makes his ears hurt due to the immaturity of his skills.

Now, the brothers have made great progress in their music, and James Fleming said he has had many people contact him about how much they enjoy his music.

James Fleming’s desire is for others to discover a relatability in his music. He describes a kind of vulnerability that is necessary to put out certain material. Although James Fleming enjoys party music, his true goal is to make music people can use as a sort of outlet.

“There’s party music which I like to make because when you perform at a show everyone just gets bucking. They jump up and down like crazy, and then there is music I like to speak to people specifically with,” said James Fleming.

He wants his music to reach people in a relatable way, especially teenagers. James Fleming said he has a great passion for helping people. His main goal is to give kids someone to look up to and to be a leader for them.

James Fleming explained that this passion comes from not having much of a mentor while growing up. His mother and his brother were his main supporters when he was younger, and he understands that many kids do not even have that.

“Get to the younger kids and let them know,” said James Fleming. “Keep your mind right. Keep the right path.”

He said he really appreciates his brother’s help with his music. Cameron Fleming does most of the beats and final touches for James Fleming’s songs.

“It seems like a studio just took my tracks, my raw vocals and turned it into something … amazing,” said James Fleming.

EWU alumnus Dominique Small has worked with both brothers while producing music. Small said these two are great to work with and have a passion for what they do.

“Cam and James [Fleming] are two awesomely personable guys with a very clear passion for the art of hip-hop. You don’t even have to know them at all to see it. Just to see their energy on stage and the way it transfers to the crowd, it’s an experience for sure,” said Small.