DMV Artist Reemerges with New Creative Direction After Lengthy Hiatus

Written by: Xavier Serrano 🇵🇷

“Shadows Collide” painted by AMARI (Xavier Serrano)

A man of many hats and creator out of the DMV, AMARI, reflected on his current creative ventures and expressing himself through more than one outlet  in a sit-down interview on Friday, April 3, 2026, 

Creativity is the freest form of self-expression that we have, and Vinicius Gayoso, better known as AMARI, exploits that philosophy tenfold. 

AMARI began his career as a producer, developing his sound over boom bap production while working with other local artists. The curator expressed a desire to stretch beyond hip hop production to a preferable transition to live instrumentation.

“I’ve been making beats on the beat machine that I have at home, I got the two guitars and the bass,” AMARI said. “I’ve been mostly playing live instrumentation, really. I just got tired of making hip hop beats ‘cause I don’t rap and people — I felt like people were expecting me to do that? So I just had to step back,” he said. 

The curator explained the evolution of his thought process behind his current workflow as he experimented with jazz production following his boom bap-esque work. “Slum Love”, an album by AMARI features noticeable jazz influence, a nice contrast from the usual hip-hop instrumentals fans are accustomed to. 

Like a frog hopping on lily pads, AMARI continues to leap to other avenues of musical curation as he trickles down the list of genres he is trying to burst through, including psychedelic rock. The artist named George Harrison, a member of the Beatles, as someone whose work he admires and learns from. 

The curator continued his informative rant about sound quality in music, giving props to the likes of Jimi Hendrix for his sonics and well-mixed song quality. AMARI described the mixing of Hendrix’s music as something that elevated the listening experience. He would go on to mention the Red Hot Chili Peppers — specifically guitarist John Frusciante as another influence of his. 

The transition sonically is one that is fascinating to experience from a listener’s standpoint, as it showcases the ability to step out of your comfort zone and see whether or not you sink or swim. 

AMARI touched on the topic of hip-hop again, regarding the lackluster state of the game he once loved. 

“It’s just repetitive right now; it’s a lot of the rage trap, more towards the dark side of trap, where it’s kinda bragadocious, but at the same time it’s chaotic. I liked it until it started popping up, popping up, popping up, I got tired of it,” he said. 

The curator mentioned an exceptional orifice in The Alchemist as a producer whom AMARI can confide in with full confidence to deliver on all cylinders. 

As AMARI continues to experiment with his artistic direction, the curator showcases his talents in other facets, such as painting, which match the psychedelic vibe that encompasses the talented 23-year-old. 

The sky’s the limit as we wait to see which direction the curator decides to take.