At only 22 years old, rising hip-hop star Parsa has already become a household name in the industry. Living in Iran with his grandparents when he was a child, Parsa transitioned to California, where he started to learn english and began recording and producing songs in his bedroom. All while being enrolled at the University of Arizona, Parsa has opened for rap sensation Lil Mosey with sold out crowds in cities around the world and most recently has dropped his new project Midnight, Fall. I talked to Parsa about the transition from Iran to California, how he was able to balance music and school, and much more:

James: How did you first get started making music?

Parsa: I first started making music because I became obsessed with R&B and hip hop in general. It's similar if you watch the NBA and you love it so much that you just want to go play. I started making music because I was really in love with it.

I remember one of my homies started producing and was sending beats out to people. I thought I could do better than the songs that they were putting out From then on, I started getting on his beats.

James: Who were and are some of your biggest musical influences?

Parsa: My biggest influences right now are the newer generation of R&B artists. I like PartyNextDoor, Drake, and the whole Toronto scene. I'm really in tune with them, but my biggest inspirations stemmed from the older generations. I was always really infatuated with them and took some of their vibes.

James: What made you fall in love with the Toronto scene?

Parsa: It just resonated with me. It's dark and mysterious. It's like nighttime music and I'm a person who always drives at night. I just love the sound.

James: You were living in Iran with your grandparents before moving to California. What was the transition for you like and what was the hardest thing getting adjusted to?

Parsa: It was hard at first because I didn't speak any English. At that time I didn't have any friends. After a while, I would sit down and try to learn English the best way I could so I could talk to people. I definitely think it's a different culture here. It's a lot different than Iran. It's cool being able to experience both worlds.

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James: How would you describe your unique sound and what would you say separates you from other rappers that are in the game right now?

Parsa: It's nighttime music. It's driving music. My sound is different than other rappers because I feel like everyone can listen to my music. My music's not exclusive to one age group or one type of race or anything like that. It's very inclusive of all sorts of people who listen to it and enjoy it.

James: Can you tell us a little bit about your new project Midnight, Fall?

Parsa: Midnight, Fall is a collection of songs that I did throughout a span of five months. I wanted to capture the whole scene of the nighttime and driving music.

James: What is your favorite track and why?

Parsa: The Fall is my favorite song because not only did we spend the most time on it in terms of production and recording it, but I think it has a lot of elements to it and captures the mood for the whole project.

James: Starting off, your song Dangerous was stolen as a Drake ft. G-Eazy song. What was your reaction when you realized that your song was getting millions of views but not giving you recognition?

Parsa: It was crazy. I found out when my friend's girlfriend was randomly going through YouTube and discovered it. I was like, what the fuck? It had a bunch of views and many people were wondering who it was. I wasn't mad. I was happy that it happened because it was the first time I ever got exposure to a lot of different people. That moment was the first time I was separated from a guy who makes music to an artist.

James: How were you able to balance both making music and studying at the University of Arizona?

Parsa: I was able to do that by being organized and on top of my shit. If you really want both things you definitely can. It's not hard managing both of those things. You just have to want it really bad.

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James: You opened up for Lil Mosey in cities around the world. What was your first time performing like?

Parsa: The first time I ever performed in front of a crowd was when I opened for Mosey in San Diego. I could tell that the crowd was having a good time. It was at that moment that I realized I loved performing. I want to keep performing and hope to do more shows.

James: Do you have any interesting stories that happened along the way?

Parsa: When I did a show in my hometown, a friend I knew from middle school came and he saw me after the show. He had no idea that I made music.

James: What are you doing when you aren't making music?

Parsa: I love to play video games. I'm the type of guy that likes to clear my head, and video games does that for me.

James: What advice would you give to someone that was in your place when you started?

Parsa: I would tell them that you don't have to drop out to pursue your dreams. When I was going to school and making music people told me that I couldn't do both. I believe that stigma should go away. It's not a bad thing to go to college and pursue your dream too.

James: What can we expect from you moving forward?

Parsa: You can expect more production from me. The next set of songs that I am dropping will a lot more personal. I'm hoping this year we make some big things happen. I want to keep on growing the momentum and keep on building.