George Clinton once said that style is whatever you want to do, if you can do it with confidence. For Boulevards, born Jamil Rashad, that style is deep-rooted in classic synth funk, something he pulls off with the same type of oddball swagger that Clinton possesses, albeit more in the form of Rick James or Grandmaster Flash. There’s plenty of dip in his hip, upon which he dons tight stonewashed jeans rolled up slightly at the ankle.

Rashad’s aesthetic seems unlikely in his hometown of Raleigh—a place better known for indie-folk, bluegrass and Southern rap—but for Boulevards, funk is the only music he ever paid any mind. Raised on ‘70s and ‘80s funk classics by musician parents, Rashad identified his sound at an early age and proceeded with laser focus, with the exception of a short stint front a hardcore metal band.

Funk means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Whatever it is, Boulevards just wants you to feel it. And if you don’t feel it listening to “Move and Shout,” the single from his latest record Groove! well, you probably should check your pulse.

We're excited to premiere the new tune, which you can listen to above. Below, check out what else we learned from talking with Rashad.

Hometown and homebase: Raleigh, NC

What was your eureka moment when you realized, HELL YES, I'm making music!

When my father used to play Earth, Wind & Fire and Miles Davis, and put me on to all these funk bands and jazz musicians. When I used to hear those bands, that’s when I knew I wanted to create and express myself artistically.

How did you realize you wanted to create funk music specifically?

I wanted to create funk music a long time ago; I was studying different types of music, seeing what works. I was working with different producers to find the sound I wanted to create—it took some time. When I was living in New York, jamming out with a funk band and surrounding myself with artists who loved funk like me, I was like, I’m going for it. This is it!

Who are your biggest musical influences?

Rick James, Prince, Earth, Wind & Fire, Slave, S.O.S. Band--boogie, funk, disco, pop music.

How do you describe your music to someone who's never heard you before?

Infectious. Something you can feel. A driving force.

Why are you called Boulevards?

Boulevards was just a name I loved. I loved the way a female would say it. I also looked up the definition: a wide lane road running through a city. This is my lane of sound, my road, my journey, my boulevard.

You’re from North Carolina. How does where you grew up and live in influence your music?

You’re surrounded with a lot of dirty south trap music, southern folk music, and indie rock. It never really influenced me. Just the music my parents used to play in the house; their taste in music pushed me and influenced me.

Who would you love to collaborate with?

The list could go on. I would love to collaborate with a lot of the old school greats. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis; Nile Rodgers, Rick James, Steve Arrington... those artists have a great sound.

Why did you choose to release "Move and Shout" as a single? Is it one of your favorites from your album?

“Move and Shout” is a dance song. I wanted to release a jam that would be a spring/summer jam that everyone could listen too. That they could dance, too, and feel sexy. It is one of my favorite jams from the album.

Why is your album called Groove!? What does it mean? What themes were you working on when making it?

Because I am groove. My music is about feeling. It’s about making you move, making you groove, it gets your heart pumping with soul. Everything I do is about the groove. It’s essential and important to the music I create.

Trump or Drumpf? What do you think of this whole electoral process? Would you ever incorporate this in your music?

I’m not really big in politics, I’m not a expert in it. However I will vote, I will read, I will watch the news. This election is very important. I don’t plan on using politics in my music.

What's your craziest concert story so far?

At this point in my career, I haven’t had anything crazy happen to me just yet. I guess only time will tell. Who knows?

If you were a hashtag, what would you be?

#letthegroovebewithyou is my hashtag.

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?

I remember rapping in high school. I was on that lyrical rap material. I was just tapping on a desk, I used to record sounds to tape on my father’s boombox. I can’t remember the first song, but I’m sure it was terrible. I’ve wrote too many songs to remember!

Do you have an awesome Myspace-related story as a musician? Can you tell us about it?

I used to be in hardcore band, which if you dig deep, you can find on Myspace. No crazy stories. But I remember the days where you had your top friends, and people used to get mad when they were not in your top friend list. I remember adding as many as people as possible to get your music heard. It was the online hustle that was cool.