Denver-based multi-hyphenate pop star N3ptune is a singular figure. On a local and national level, there isn’t an artist out there quite like him. Enigmatic yet deeply relatable, his music is visceral like a broken heart, pulsating with hurt and anger and empathy. It feels like being party to some hedonistic sermon, a gospel for the broken and the rejected. In that respect, it’s all-encompassing, like being wrapped in darkness and finding a warmth that exists too rarely in this ever-colder world. His powerhouse vocals, riotous production and lyrics, prescient on both a personal and global scale, reach into the hearts of those who hear them and get them beating so loud and fast that they threaten to shatter ribcages.
N3ptune’s talents are not solely relegated to music, however. In addition, he’s an actor, a director, a clothing designer, a choreographer, a champion for the people and more. All these talents are fully on display in his new song “WMD,” and its accompanying visual, which dropped at the end of February. Ahead of a performance on March 7th at No Man’s Land Film Festival, N3ptune spoke with 303 Magazine about the song and video, his dedication to creativity in all forms, seeking excellence rather than perfection and much more.
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N3ptune was born into music, saying his family “was wildly talented both on the maternal and paternal side.” He described his own interest in making music as “inevitable,” saying “I don’t remember a moment when I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I want to do music.’ It’s always been, ‘I’m going to do it.'” He said much of his family’s musicality stems from his great grandmother, a seamstress who composed sheet music. Growing up, his grandmother had a piano that N3ptune said he “spent so much time on, singing around.” N3ptune’s great grandmother passed her talent down generations, with N3ptune saying his grandmother, mother and sister also have incredible singing voices and ears for music.
N3ptune attributes his voice to his mother. He recalled a story he was told throughout his early teens in which his family was “in the house listening to Whitney Houston on the radio.” His mother — who eventually had to have thyroid surgery that ultimately changed her singing voice forever — was singing along while making something in the kitchen. The rest of the family quickly turned the radio down to listen to N3ptune’s mother instead of Whitney. As N3ptune grew older, he would be told by his family that “he has his mother’s voice.” If that’s the case, N3ptune’s mother must be a true powerhouse because N3ptune has the kind of voice that shakes the very heavens.
This musical immersion, being surrounded by such talented women growing up, was also compounded by his biological father’s side, which N3ptune said was filled with guitarists, drummers and bassists. This all gave N3ptune a fully-rounded musical education that has lasted his entire life.
Music, however, was never N3ptune’s sole interest, saying acting was the art form that he first took notice of. He recalled when he was “super, super young” watching Big Momma’s House with Martin Lawrence. “My little brain thought, ‘Whatever Martin Lawrence is doing, I want to do that.'” This, combined with all the music surrounding him, opened him up at a young age to the idea of endless possibility.
As he grew, he’d listen to songs or watch videos and pick them apart piece by piece, trying to understand how a sound or visual was achieved. If he noticed a certain production style, he’d learn it. He questioned how dancers were able to be in sync in videos and began to learn how to choreograph. He learned what directing was, what a manager did, how to craft elaborate outfits and much more. He taught himself to learn in as versatile and diverse ways as he could and that skill has carried him to where he is today.
Now, N3ptune describes himself as a “renaissance man.” He said, “I pride myself on being able to do everything. I write. I’m a vocalist. I produce, not just the music, but also the visual work. I’m an actor. I am a director. I’m a dancer. I’m a choreographer. I’m a stylist. I’m a designer. I’m all of these things.”
Incidentally and by no accident, RENNAISSANCE is the title of N3ptune’s debut album released in 2021 with a remix version of sorts titled RENNAISSANCE (The Revival) released in 2023. The album received widespread acclaim for its haunting pop coupled with elements of dark gospel, heavy rock and hardcore hip-hop. It helped propel N3ptune to the forefront of the Denver music scene, in which he quickly solidified a name for himself with his outspoken nature, striking appearance and unbelievable live shows. He’s now one of the most sought-after artists in the city, Denver’s population hungry for anything N3ptune touches.
As evident by his sound and persona, N3ptune is interested in extremes. He said, “I love the drama of the music. I love the drama of the art. I love when I can feel something in the extremes. I think when the music and the art can be just as extreme as reality, it makes it 10 times easier, at least for myself, to be able to lean into it and immerse myself in it.”
It should be noted that, despite the intensity of N3ptune’s art, he is an incredibly warm person. He has this willingness to acknowledge his many, many strengths while also understanding his imperfections. He speaks with a palpable confidence but also said that he is not humble but instead “grounded,” as “‘humble’ by definition means to lower oneself which [he doesn’t] do.” When talking to him, he walks this fine line between intensity and humor, treating his work with the passion and severity it deserves before then laughing at himself or a story or something his friend said. He also sings a lot, which is lovely. He’s as simultaneously enigmatic and vulnerable as his music and artists as unique as him make this world a better, vastly more interesting place.
When creating, N3ptune seeks excellence over perfection. Describing himself as a somewhat reformed perfectionist, he’s learned that though perfection is largely unattainable, excellence is not. As such, he aims to strive to the very best of his ability in all things. He said that this has both a positive and negative effect on him in that he is proud and comfortable with the fact that he gives his all but also recognizes that, being the multi-hyphenate that he is, constantly operating at the highest level can wear on a person. He’s always working, even through injury or sickness, saying that taking time off work is harder for him than constantly creating.
All the work is paying off as evidenced by N3ptune’s new song, “WMD,” and its accompanying visual. The song continues many of the sonic themes found on RENNAISSANCE, featuring a pounding beat and soaring vocals, but the true power lies in its lyrics. N3ptune, staying as enigmatic as possible, said the song and video are both deeply personal, describing them as “audio-biographical,” the result of a heartbreak he alluded to vaguely that also may have resulted in an empty chapel and a broken altar. This can be felt in both pieces of media, the song starts out rather open and melancholic before devolving into anger and confusion and the video follows suit.
Though he wrote the song about personal experience, it has been received rather differently, with many interpreting it as a response to the current state of the world. Lyrics allude to the commodification of his body, bombs dropping above him, horror and terror surrounding him. He said it took him about a year to disassociate from the song and recognize that his writing “might be bigger than [him]self.” These multiple interpretations are hallmarks of a great song that can mean many things to many people. It speaks to N3ptune’s ability as a creator, his versatility potentially his greatest asset.
The visual for “WMD” further melds the personal and the bigger picture. It depicts N3ptune entering an empty chapel in a wedding dress barely hiding the black and red bodysuit — designed by Altrd Apparel — beneath. As he dances through the pews with mascara cascading down his face, the intensity grows, the heartbreak becoming more apparent. When he reaches the altar, joined now by backup dancers acting as bridesmaids — played by dancers Jezznia Ford and Amy Eichman — he comes face to face with his groom — played by Mohammed York who N3ptune described as “one of [his] lifelong best friends.” Here, N3ptune’s acting ability is fully on display, the stages of grief playing out across his face as he realizes that the relationship — among other things — is doomed. He tosses his bouquet to the ground and tears off the dress before erupting into dance as the groom stands, forced to watch what he gave away flourish. N3ptune then writhes his way back to the chapel entrance, defiant and angry but also glorious. As he crawls his way through the doors, he’s met by people in hazmat suits — played by Honour Indigo, Vinci the Last, N3ptune manager Kori Hazel and Kyle Hartman — who then watch as he struggles down the steps. The video ends with N3ptune getting into a car guarded by one of the people in hazmat and driving off into the unknown night. It’s a haunting display of what happens when you break the heart of someone overflowing with unbridled creativity in a world that’s becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
The video was directed and shot by Justen Key. Kori Hazel also served as the production designer. The flowers featured in the chapel were from Brandon Homell. Armando Maldonado produced it. Lucas Lacy served as camera operator and editor. Tim Bulger served as the gaffer and J’von Keller designed the title.
N3ptune is an artist that this world has so rarely seen the likes of. His art provides spaces for those out there lost and seeking sanctuary, and in that, there is hope. Hearts break, the world devolves into turmoil but at least there is N3ptune to remind us that each of us has the ability to reach into the ether and find warmth and music and solidarity within. As long as we can create, love, dance, share sorrow and pain, joy and elation, there is hope. N3ptune can show us the way.
Get tickets to No Man’s Land Film Festival where N3ptune will be performing on March 7th here.
Do you have thoughts on “WMD”? N3ptune would love to hear them. He encourages anyone to reach out to him via Instagram @n3ptunemusic!
