Artist Spotlight: No Regrets Music

A KPU Human Resources student is half an upbeat rap duo dedicated to diversity

Multiculturalism is at the heart of No Regrets Music, a local rap group made up of KPU Human Resources graduate A.J. “Cliche” Gazdar and his business partner, Marcus “Scoota” Lester.

Born in Mumbai but raised in Vancouver, Gazdar works hard to represent this city in all its diversity through his songwriting. Now a long way from home, Lester came here from Alabama, and brings the musical skills he learned there to No Regrets today.

“We’re trying to put both cities on the map and represent where we are from, who we are,” says Gazdar. “We represent two different styles and two different sounds … When we blend that together, that’s super unique, in my opinion.”

Gazdar was still releasing music with No Regrets when he was going to school for Human Resources at KPU. Now that he’s graduated, he uses that education to give his brand a professional and financial edge in a competitive local scene brimming with talent.

“I’ve always believed that music is a business,” says Gazdar. “At the end of the day, there are things artists have to consider, like monetary funds and a whole bunch of stuff that goes behind it like advertising and marketing. All the stuff that I’ve learned in school I’ve used in music, which is really a beautiful thing because a lot of [artists] aren’t business savvy.”

“College students can expand their horizons,” he adds. “Just because you got a degree in HR doesn’t mean you can’t make music.”

Being able to be hands-on with their music has gotten No Regrets to high places. Playing shows with headlining acts like Riff Raff, releasing internationally acclaimed singles online, and still managing to stay active in the local community are some of the group’s proudest achievements.

“We really want to get our hands dirty in the community because it’s bigger than just us, and if you have a voice and people hear enough, it would be nice for people to be inspired by that,” he says. “If you don’t know how to grow, you can’t get out there, help people, and influence people. Our goal is to do that with our music.”

With those goals in mind, No Regrets Music is releasing a single called “Non-Believers”—a song that Gazdar says is about “people who don’t really believe in what we do and where we come from”—through social media on Oct. 17. Afterwards, a “really easy-going song for everyone to listen to and vibe to” called “Eye Candy” will go live, with many more singles planned to follow.

No Regrets Music offers a laid back, fun sound while still retaining passionate and relatable messages. Whether they’re playing at parties, over car stereos, or through your headphones, “Cliche” and “Scoota” are guaranteed to lighten the mood with their catchy beats and one-of-a-kind style.

To hear the new single or more of No Regrets Music’s work online, you can visit their page @thenoregretsteam.