Today we’d like to introduce you to B3ans.
Hi B3ans, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My gift was bestowed onto me as a child, truly unbeknownst. Since before I entered this world I was being introduced to this rhythmic use of language or rap. My mother was a part of DAL Records and was the lead female in a group called Collizion. She’d opened for many favorites and was produced by Muhammad 2G. I still carry the faint memories of coloring with my brother spending long nights at the studio at the age of 4. Still I had no idea. The next decade or so was marked by the development of my musical catalogue: from dancing to Luther Vandross as a little girl with my grandma, the isley’s, Teddy Pendergrass, etc. cleanup Sundays where my mom would play Maxwell, Lauryn Hill, Kem, maze, Lyfe, Mary you know the typical Sunday in a black home. My stepdad loved Pac, and 50 and beyond was that southern and Houston culture. Scarface, UGK, MJG, 8 ball, OutKast… that’s just a few. They say children are a sponge and that was simply it. I was absorbing it all. Still I didn’t know. I learned how to read music in elementary school which lent itself to me being able to play the recorder, xylophone, and the piano. I’d create these little “songs” and play them for my aunt. That was my first experience as a performer. Yet I didn’t know. Of course, anyone from Houston, truly from Houston, has participated in a freestyle session where they have “came dine” on a many occasion. It’s the culture. I’ve freestyle with friends and family from my middle school to high school years. Still I didn’t know. Towards the end of my high school years, I found a new love, poetry. I loved diction, vernacular, similes, metaphors, hyperboles.. anything language. My grandfather used to make us write words out of the dictionary every day and would quiz us… or else. So I knew a lot of words. I hated it at the time, but I can now see the importance. I spent my college years at the University of Virginia developing my skills as a poet, taking classes, doing open mic’s across the city and using my voice to advocate. That was it. I figured out my gift: words. This voice. I wrote my first song in my dorm, and that’s where it stayed. Post graduation, I matriculated back to Houston and got into education and building curriculum. I graduated in 2018, and right before the pandemic a colleague from High School, DeuceB, asked if I was still “rapping” and I was. I never stopped; I just never started, officially. He asked for a feature, and my very first peace of wax was born, Run It Up. I used a name given to me in college as my rap name, Beans, and replaced the E with a 3 as a node to where I grew up, Third Ward, Houston, TX. The track did numbers, and we recorded a music video… the people loved it so much and were looking for B3ans, this prompted the creation of my social media platforms “officialb3ans”. After creating the platform I immediately was like dang, now I need content. “Frijoles Fridays” was born where I would release a freestyle every Friday for my supporters. Sharpening my iron. Then, one day, I decided I was going to create an EP. The freestyles were generating traffic to my page but also showing me that I could make music. The pandemic was upon us, so I had a beautiful gift, time. My freestyle garnered attention, and I began to feature with more artist on their songs and even working on songs with my mom. This was all the more inspiring because I was learning the craft and meeting great people along the way… Fast forward to 2021, I began the rollout for “The Intro” which was released 9/10/21. A classic struck by tragic. 2 days before the release of the EP, my sister was murdered. This stinted the rollout, but I pushed through as much as I could. Released music videos for the EP & I even released another single following the EP, but I lost the vision. I couldn’t see the point in making music when the person I wanted the most and always cheered and encouraged me was no longer here. Pause. At the top of 2023, I decided to ease my way back, dropping freestyles here and there performing with artist in the city, and doing more features. As I transition into this next year, I am working on the comeback and the rollout of my next project, which I hope to release in the spring.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not always been smooth. Learning the game, generating traffic is always an obstacle, but I was blessed to have my mom, Hershe Da Lyricist, her network, and other great people to navigate the way. Life is the biggest obstacle, chasing this dream and working a 9-5, but also my only sister passed away 2 days before I release my first project, and grief is no friend. It has a start, but no end; the turbulent ups and low downs really do take a toll, for me, on the creative process because as a person I was hurt. Broken. And everybody wants to say out it on wax, but it’s not that easy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work with children in education. I create curriculum for upper elementary mathematics. I’m proud of being so close to the youth and serving as a role model for them. My students are old enough to work the internet, and they end up finding my music, and they love it. It doesn’t change how they see me as a leader in their lives. They respect me enough as Ms. Martin and as B3ans. For that I am grateful; they influence me as well and inspire me to use my words in a way that they can listen. I used to hide myself as an artist from them. I’m proud of my craft. I’ve created classic music, anyone that listens and I share with love it, and that makes me happy. Seeing the outpouring of love, being in high places, and being respected as an artist is a great feeling, especially after falling off and not creating music for a year
What matters most to you? Why?
My impact matters the most to me. We straddle a fine line of Intent vs Impact in this life. I Can control my intentions, but I cannot always control my Impact. I’m always cognizant of ensuring that I’m impacting this rap game in a way that highlights lyricism and creating a beautiful message because we have this huge invisible audience where we don’t know who is always listening. And I want to speak to Them. Especially knowing that part of that audience is my family, former, present and future students, grieving people, people yearning for love. I want to speak truth to power
Pricing:
- Features – $300
Contact Info:
- Website: Linktr.ee/b3ans
- Instagram: @officialb3ans
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@officialb3ans
Image Credits
Abe Concua
