If you were to ask CharlesInCharge to define his music, you’d be greeted with blissful silence. The Minneapolis native—who has immersed himself into the artistry of performing, producing and writing—prides himself on surrendering to the dynamic nature of simply creating art without having the need to identify what it means. “I am the one who gave it life, brought it into existence from nothing, but I will not be the one to define it,” he says. “That will be up to the audience, those who appreciate and relate to what has been created. I will let their response be the determination of what my music means to them or how it makes them feel.”

Born Charles L. Coleman II, the now-Houston local grew up with an interest for music, playing the trumpet and piano as a child.  His career in this industry didn’t truly begin until he became an intern for a small label and publishing company in Minneapolis that was signed to A&M records and Sony/ATV publishing. It was then that he got a closer look into the business of music and gravitated toward the process of making records. CharlesInCharge decided to dip into the production pool by collaborating with a few local artists, and instantly fell in love with being a producer, calling it “the single greatest asset to being an artist. You can execute on what you envision and translate that to your collaborators.”

However, having passion and talent with numerous musical outlets, CharlesInCharge set out to release his own music, and has spent the last year perfecting his upcoming project, Un·prec·e·dent·ed. The 15-track album, which also includes the single “Cheat Code,” features collaborations by three-time Grammy Award winner Focus (Dr. Dre, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, John Legend), three-time Grammy nominee Dem Jointz (Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Dr. Dre, Anderson Paak), and Grammy-nominated Trevor Lawrence Jr. (Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Dr. Dre). The project, which is slated to drop in October 2017, will be released as three unique five-song experiences.

Despite having affiliations with well-known names in the game, CharlesInCharge chooses to remain independent, a route that has been proven to be difficult for artists in the past. However, he won’t let the potential struggle interfere with the power of having control over his work. “When you truly have vision, as I do, you expect to have a contribution in just about every facet of what you do.”

And while he may choose to leave the definition of his music blank, CharlesInCharge shares that the motive behind creating is quite simple: “Life is a process, a unique experience that only occurs once. I am an artist so my message will always be about life from my perspective. I just tell stories and if you can relate, there is a message for you. If not, I hope the music makes you feel something.”