It’s been ten years since we last saw Greg Raposo — at that time Greg was touring the country with the boy band, Dream Street; which he had been a member of for nearly three years. Since then, Greg has released a solo record, played in several bands, and performed countless shows to a slew of new fans, and dedicated followers from his “DS days”.
These days Greg wants to use his musical talent and lend his voice to give back to the community, and those less fortunate. When we caught up with Greg backstage at the “Four Years. Go” benefit in New Jersey, he talked about his musical journey from Dream Street, to the music close to his heart, and what he’s into now.
Well, obviously it’s been a long time since we’ve seen you!
It has been! It’s so good to see you guys again.
How has your musical style changed since the “Dream Street” days?
Well, since Dream Street days, a big thing would be the fact that I didn’t write Dream Street music, I just sang it. I then started to write my own music, so that in itself is going to be a pretty big change. But then as my own music, because I’ve already been doing my own thing for a little while now, that’s changed a lot through the different people that I work with.
You know, just whoever you’re co-writing with is a pretty big influence on the song, and I’ve been co-writing with a lot of different people throughout the years. I’ve had a lot of different band names even throughout the years, so you know it depends on the team that you’re working with and that’s definitely been a big part of how I’ve progressed throughout the years.
You put out a solo album after Dream Street ended, and you were with bands, but you’re doing solo again. Do you have plans for another album?
Right- yeah, I mean I’m recording stuff on my own, you know I’ve got a little studio and I’ve just kinda… in all honesty, everything that I do now, forward, is honestly being done because I truly…it’s just who I am. I’m just doing it because, you know like a swimmer swims, a songwriter writes songs, and a singer sings. So, I’m always going to sing, I’m always going to write songs, in all honesty everything… I’ve actually reached a point, a great place to be where I’ve really let everything go essentially and really now it’s just about, you know when I’m in my car and I want to listen to music, probably eighty percent of the time I’ll listen to stuff that I’ve done on my own just because it’s what I enjoy.
It’s what I like, so a lot of times I’m writing because I want an album to listen to for myself. A lot of the music that I’m writing now, a lot of the stuff that I’m doing, is with that intention. [watch the video]
So, you’re doing other things but you just can’t shut off that part of you that wants to play music.
Right, exactly! Exactly, it’s just no matter what I do business-wise or career-wise…
Will you always come back to that?
No, it’s not that but no matter what I do, it doesn’t change that I’m still ‘Greg Raposo, the musician’ inside and that I’ll always be.
Once a musician, always a musician.
Yeah! It’ll always be…it’ll always be there.
Do you still keep in touch with Frankie [Galasso], Jesse [McCartney], Chris [Trousdale], and Matt [Ballinger]?
Of course! Yeah.
Matt actually messaged me the other day about his band [Open Till Midnight], would you ever want to work with them?
Yeah, I’ve done a few shows with them.
Your fans have grown up with you, technically we were all around the same age at the same time. It was prominent teen years, what was your favorite memory from that whole experience?
The most memorable thing? I’d have to say of the Dream Street thing, one of the most memorable things – because there were so many – would have to be the last Aaron Carter tour that we did. It was an arena tour where every night we’re playing for a minimum of six thousand people up to fifteen or twenty thousand people.
I think, for us, that was a very…probably the pinnacle of where we were at. We kind of broke apart right after that, but that was a great experience. [watch the video]
I always liked going to those shows, it was such a hang out.
Me too!
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You just went, hung out, and watched the show; we went to one of the Aaron shows too.
Oh yeah!
So, what are performing tonight?
Well, I have a couple of throwbacks, I’ll have a couple covers for the fun of it, and then I have a special guest to come out on stage with me. I’ve also got some new music that I’ve never ever played before. [Editors note: Greg was mum on the covers and special guest, but it turned out to be none other than his younger sister Nicole who he performed Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling” and Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You” with!]
You said that you listen to some of your own music still, what are some of the other bands or artists that you’re into?
I’m into a lot of different stuff, honestly. You know- everything from Story of the Year to Train to John Mayer. Recently I’ve been listening to Rascal Flatts.
Oh, Rascal Flatts…
Yeah, awesome-awesome, love it!
We saw them live.
Me too, yeah- a couple of times. So yeah, I don’t discriminate really.
So, what’s up after this? Are you going to playing more shows here and there?
You know, honestly, I think that musically a big thing that I’m focused on is sharing my music in a more charitable way.
Is that why you got involved with this show tonight?
Yeah! Everything that I’m doing has been really for a purpose.
I remember you use to do this with Kids 4 Kids, for Muscular Dystrophy. You’ve always done that, I wasn’t surprised to hear you were involved with this show.
Yeah, yeah! I’m not trying to make this crazy career out of being an artist anymore. I’m really just…I work in real estate, which is what I do. That’s where I have my career, that’s where I do business, and then like we were saying before I’ll always be this songwriter, I’ll always be this performer, this musician and I love it! If I can use that to help make a difference, make a change, and so some good things with it then how could I not? I’ve been given this gift and I think that the least I can do is use it.
FOR MORE ON GREG CHECK OUT:
· ReverbNation
· Follow Greg on Twitter
· Four Years. Go.
For more videos from our interview, visit our YouTube Channel.
photography: Chanelle Justice ©FANVASION