Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Lanier.
Austin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia. At age 7, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and fully accepted the title of a problem child. By the time I graduated high school, I was battling drug addiction, having anxiety attacks, and on the verge of suicide due to severe depression. At my lowest moment, I decided to give God a real chance in my life. I moved out to Texas with nothing but faith in Him, and He has never left me out to dry. Last year, I signed a record deal, dropped my debut album, and I have been making a living by doing what I love ever since.
Has it been a smooth road?
Well, I think I pretty much answered this question in my previous answer because I can’t really tell my story without discussing the struggles. They are a huge part of my story, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without having to go through them. I would say the biggest obstacle I faced was lack of identity. I embraced a false-identity for most of my life, and it led me to desperate measures in attempts to find fulfillment. When the pursuit of women, sports, drugs, money, and popularity all left me empty, I nearly took my own life. Thankfully, I learned my true identity as a child of God just in time, and now, I have a powerful story to share with the world.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As I stated in my story, I am blessed enough to make a living by doing what I love to do. I make my own music, perform live shows, and speak as a motivational speaker in schools. I would say I am most known for being so present in the public school systems, and that’s exactly where my heart is… with the kids. I stick out because I don’t know of many, if any, rappers that are persistent about making impacts on kids lives through the avenue of school assemblies as I am. I consider it a huge privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the next generations.
I consider myself successful already for many reasons. First of all, and most importantly, I have accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I can never truly lose because of that in and of itself. On a more practical standpoint, I consider myself successful because I have made life-changing impacts on people. Not only that, but I get to make impacts on people as a job. I will never have to look back at my life and wonder what if. That is a success to me.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston was voted as the number 1 city in the US for Christian Hip-Hop, So yes, I think Houston is definitely the place to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.austinlanier.com
- Email: bookin@austinlanier.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/atrainlanier
- Facebook: facebook.com/austinlaniermusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/atrainlanier
Image Credit:
@infphy, @gavindees
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