For the past 13 years, Mesa resident Zach Lewis Beck has made a name for himself rapping as Futuristic.
However, when he decided to do the recently released pop-punk album “Never 2 Late”, some fans found themselves scratching their heads.
Beck says he’s proving to listeners that he’s so much more than a rapper.
“I’m tired of being put in a box,” he says. “Making the pop-punk album was super fun and I enjoyed it, but I think people realize that I can do anything and I’ll do whatever I want to do.”
Growing up one of nine siblings in Danville, Illinois, he was exposed to all types of music. He particularly gravitated towards the vulnerable lyricism and aggressive rhythms of the pop-punk movement.
“I had a brother who was crazy on the guitar and loved listening to Metallica,” says Beck.
“My dad always listened to funk. My sister loves the country. My other brother and I liked rap and I liked pop-punk stuff. I grew up loving everything.
His love of the genre was further heightened in 2017 when he took part in the Vans Warped Tour as one of two rap groups on the ride across the country.
“I was one of the only rappers there, but I had one of the biggest turnouts every day on my stage,” Beck said. “People liked my stuff, knew the words and were fans of mine.”
Although he had long admired the genre, he didn’t delve into it until he met members of the pop-punk rap-fusion band Mesa This Modern and its singers Marcus Reardon and Tim “Timo” Willsey. .
Beck had heard about the duo’s home studio through pop-punk artist Mike Weakley of the band FigureItOut, with whom Beck hoped to record.
Ironically, some time before Beck walked into the studio unannounced, Reardon approached Beck about working together.
“Funny thing is Marcus was the first person to DM me when he saw I was changing lanes, but screwed up,” Beck laughs. “I went (to the studio) with the intention of getting some guitar licks and maybe adding them to songs I already had.”
They would do more than that.
“We recorded a track called ‘Dead To Me’ that day and we recorded the ‘Never 2 Late’ album in a month,” says Beck. “This album wouldn’t be possible without these guys and this album only exists because of them.”
Although the album was a departure, Beck says the work received rave reviews. He notes the reactions to his commitment to be transparent.
“For me, I can kind of break the mold and get into all these different paths as long as I’m myself and my intentions are good,” he says.
Adding to the album’s fanfare are features with artists like up-and-coming pop-punks Magnolia Park and Loveless and esteemed rapper Tech N9ne.
“I’ve gotten involved in a lot of different things and worked with a lot of artists that are maybe outside the realm that people expect,” says Beck, a former student of McClintock High School in Tempe.
“It’s cool to have these different audiences.”
Pop-punk isn’t the only genre Beck plans to dabble in this year as Futuristic. He plans to release a remix of a country song, three songs that deal with love and relationships with hard-rock lyrics and tracks with This Modern and Phoenix-based trap-metal band Dropout Kings.
“For me, it’s just about giving the world as much value as possible and not letting anyone put me in a box,” Beck says.
However, he also plans to release a lot of rap this year as Beck plans to stick to a regimented routine throughout 2023, giving new meaning to the phrase “No days off”.
“Basically, all year round, I release at least one song a week,” he says.
“Every Friday I will drop a music video. Every Saturday I will post an educational video on my Indie Amplify platform which is about the music industry. Every Monday I will post a public performance where I go out in public and I’m playing a song. Tuesday I’ll do what I call a “hard love talk” in the form of a podcast-like music video. Wednesday I’ll do a remake and Thursday I’ll donate with my love hard part of the clothing business,” says Beck.
Futuristic
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