As the title of his 2020 debut project so plainly states, Ant Clemons is happy to be here. Over the course of the past half-decade, the Jersey-born songwriter went from working at Red Lobster, to penning lyrics for Kanye West, to performing at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. Happy 2 Be Here boasted collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, and Ty Dolla $ign, and earned a Grammy nomination for best R&B album, signals the league that this soul virtuoso is ready to play in.
Despite it being far from the easiest time to launch such a burgeoning career, Clemons is abundant with optimism. “Since quarantine I’ve gotten back to the place of loving the things I used to before I did it for work… and I’ve been able to make relationships that I’ve been dreaming about my entire life,” he explains. “I think the current state of the world has affected everyone’s workflow, but I honestly feel hopeful.”
Of course, if you’re going to go all in, you also need to give yourself the space to zone out. In our third episode of our new series created in partnership with Lexus, 25/8, Clemons shows us how he navigates between the two, whether he’s in the studio treating every new song with the tender care of a first single, or letting his steam out in the boxing ring. Peep the full episode above, and head this way to learn more about the new Lexus IS — all in on the sport sedan.
