With a fresh pair of sneakers on & a scarf tied around his mic, Alfred Banks adds a touch of individualism to Hip-Hop. From his reputation for his energetic live shows to his never ending hustle, Alfred seems to have found the formula for success.

Raised in New Orleans, Alfred earned a full scholarship to Loyola University of New Orleans and decided to accept because of their strong music program. Initially, Alfred balanced a Job, school and music, but becoming homeless was the key factor in him leaving Loyola to pursue music full time. During his time there, Alfred teamed up with fellow Loyola alumni and superstar G-Eazy and created the song “My Style”. Around this time, Alfred also created UnderDogCentral. The term’s definition is: “The place where the overlooked go to hone their skills, to return and become the admired”. UnderDogCentral serves as Alfred’s label and social network handle, but most importantly a place where he can connect with his fans.

“If I keep the same motto of hard work pays off, I don’t think there is anything that can hold us back”- Alfred Banks

UHH: How is the tour going?

Alfred Banks: The RiverKingsTour is awesome man! Me & Marco Pave having a lot of fun right because these shows are doing pretty damn good. We did Memphis, Oxford(ms), Jackson(ms), New Orleans & Cincinnati, OH! I love being on the road.

Are you planning on releasing any new music while you are on tour?

I don't plan on putting any new music out this run. Maybe the next one for sure. For now, Just gonna focus on the shows & meeting new fans. That's the main goals.

How did you end up getting in the Volkswagen X Beats by Dre commercial?

Once we put out the song "HomeComing", we were contacted by a Licensing company on behalf of Volkswagen. They flew us out to Spain to film and it was an awesome experience. Much love to those guys!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ECT8Q2KVg0&feature=youtu.be

How has your fan base grown since the release of that?

Exponentially. I became more valid of an artist when that dropped & it's shown in my show attendance and plays on the songs on my website. More people are watching what I do now. It's super exciting.

What has helped you get this far in the music industry as an independent artist?

Being super tenacious about everything I do. Always looking for ways to measure progress. I set goals and then chase em. Keeps me going and such. I talk to people who have done what I wanna do & ask for advice. That's a big one for sure.

What inspires you to make music?

It's all about energy for me. I don't write everyday. I go months without writing sometimes. But, When I'm inspired I can't stop writing. A new tour, Buying new kicks, if I had a good day or something cool happening can all be the reason for me to create.

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Why do you love shoes so much?

Haha, I've just always been a shoe person man. That's my way of expressing myself. Sneakers are just cool as hell to me man. I love em. I got a bunch of pairs now.

What's next?

I'm going to Germany to do some shows, Preparing this new album to drop & tour, tour tour! We can't stop if we wanna accomplish these goals ya know?

Connect with Alfred Banks
www.underdogcentral.tumblr.com
Facebook.com/underdogcentral
Twitter.com/UnderDogCentral
Instagram.com/Underdogcentral
Youtube.com/oande900