Noah can't be put in a box

This young creative is not only a producer, entrepreneur, musician, and video maker, but also a reporter for Nieuwe Nor. After all, why should he limit himself to just one role?

Noah is one of the eight participants in Life Cipher, an initiative by SCHUNCK Museum and Kool Cult. This project helps young creative talents from Heerlen develop their entrepreneurial skills. While traditional disciplines often have plenty of educational opportunities, it's much more challenging for young creative talents like producers, breakdancers, and streetwear designers.

TWENTY7THREE

If there's someone who definitely doesn't fit into a traditional box, it's Noah (22). He produces his own beats, writes lyrics, and performs regularly, which has earned him a loyal fan base. “You forgot music videos, I make those too,” he laughs. “In addition, since 2022, I’ve founded a platform called TWENTY7THREE with my partner Jeff. With this, we help talented young people by bringing them into the studio, where they can create music as a collective. We also ensure their work gets released.”

Except for drumming, Noah has taught himself all of his skills. “I play drums, piano, and guitar, and I sing. Since I was sixteen, I've also been rapping. In 2022, I released my first EP, which was well-received. That motivated me to keep going. My friend Valentijn later joined as an engineer and creative partner.” Noah self-produced, mixed, and mastered his EP, all self-taught.

In the time he has 'left' outside of his artistic projects, Noah is studying to become a Video Specialist at Vista College. “I’m in my final year. Although I’ve learned a lot, I’m still looking for something new. I feel like I already know a lot, and I love variety. I’ll probably continue at the art academy in Interdisciplinary Arts. I don't want to be tied to one discipline. Video, music, and a hundred other things—I can combine that at the art academy.”

Just Call Me

That suits Noah well because he’s ambitious. He wants to be the founder of a new hip-hop movement in the south. “Our collective includes a lot of guys from the region with a unique sound. I’m inspired by my partner Jeff, who has a label, Raising Grounds, that mainly represents rock artists. I started there as the only hip-hop artist. That inspired me to start my own platform, where other hip-hop artists can also join. Jeff is the boss; I’m more of the creative side,” he explains.

With and thanks to Life Cipher, Noah sees many opportunities to further expand his platform. “We often brainstorm and make valuable connections. Recently, we had a dinner where I spoke with a councilor and someone from Filmhuis De Spiegel. That was really cool, he said: if you want something, just call me. It can be that simple.”

Soon, Noah wants to head to Berlin, a city that he says is just like Heerlen. “Well,” he laughs, “Heerlen, but bigger, grittier, cooler, and more creative. Heerlen as it should be.” Together with his creative partner Valentijn, he wants to experience the vibe of the German hip-hop culture and record an EP. “I can already see it: I want to immerse myself completely in the culture, like a method actor, before I start recording in my hotel room.”

Local Fame

Meanwhile, Noah is becoming more and more known in Heerlen, partly due to his videos for Capital Hiphop, the hip-hop branch of Nieuwe Nor. “That started by chance. I was working as a cameraman on a few videos for the Nor. Then last winter I had to perform there, along with a few other artists. That’s when we came up with the idea to go out on the streets and ask people if they knew the artists and what they thought of them. It went pretty viral in a short time. So now we do it more often. Cool, right?”

Noah is certainly not lacking when it comes to showcasing his talent. However, he also notices that it's difficult to get an artistic career off the ground. “I think there’s a shortage of education opportunities. But that also makes people like me work harder. It’s not available, but we still want it.” In terms of business, he would especially like to improve in marketing. “I notice that marketing the ‘product’ is the hardest part for many people, even though it’s probably the most important. If you don’t get that, how do you expect others to hear your music?”

Connection with Heerlen

Despite his ambitions, Noah also wants to maintain a connection with Heerlen in the future. “I want to keep a foothold here, no matter where I end up. I want to make this city big because there’s not much here right now. People do come to events, but my target audience isn’t really here. Fortunately, I have a studio and workspace at Outpoet, and I can always hang out at Backrooms, where my friends run a skate shop and clothing brand. Things are starting to happen, but it could be more.”

Noah emphasizes how important it is to support artistic young people. “We are key to the local culture, and there’s too little of that for young people. There’s carnival, and luckily we have the IBE. But it could be bigger and more frequent. For example, set up a mega halfpipe on Pancratiusplein; that would create interaction and connection. That’s why we are important. What’s the point of life if there’s no culture?”

Noah on sparring at Life Cipher: