Today we’d like to introduce you to A.B. Raps.
A.B., we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It was difficult finding rap music in such a strong cultured Mexican household. Both of my parents wouldn’t allow me to listen to anything outside of music they would clean the house too. Both of my older brothers were my outlet for finding hip-hop. There was a small record store next to the Fiesta off of i10 where they would get their Dope House merch and their mixtapes. Found all sorts of tapes from Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Eminem, SPM, Chingo Bling, Wu-Tang, and much more. Can’t remember how I bought the Marshall Mathers LP, but after that album, I couldn’t stop searching through that shop’s CD racks. 8th grade was really the point in time when I actually
started to write my own rhymes. Always copied the style I would listen to and would always try to freestyle until my oldest brother told me “freestyles don’t get you paid”. That stuck with me. As I grew, I tried my best to dive into different rap artists and actually study how they approached their songs.
In my early high school days, I started to try to write and record my own music up until about 2012 and just didn’t think I could ever break out as an actual top-selling performing artist. 2020 I decided I give it another try and invested more time and money into the art and actually started receiving great feedback. This is something I’ve always loved doing and it’s a genre that is always evolving so I’m highly aware that my time to break may never come, but I can’t live with the fact of knowing I was blessed with this amazing talent and not actually give it a try. I honestly feel like I am up there with Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole’s all I need are the right ears to hear me, so until then I will continue to grow as an artist and keep applying as much pressure to make my presence known around the city and eventually around the world.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Plenty of obstacles. From having a family and being the main source of income, I have to make sure I keep all my responsibilities as a father and husband my first priority.
My spare time is strictly for music. Music videos, studio time, or trying to book shows have now turned into my favorite hobbies. We all have a sob story but we have to keep our chin up and chest out and roll with the punches no matter what we’re trying to accomplish in life. I have to manage my time wisely and make sure I can still function at my day job and still deliver high-quality hip-hop.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work in industrial construction for a living.
All of my spare time is dedicated to trying to create music or some form of content for social media. I must say my proudest moments have come every time I step foot on stage. I don’t really like to speak in front of large crowds but something always takes over when that music cuts on. I’m a student of hip-hop and can’t wait for the moment people start recognizing me for it. The rap game feels really saturated at the moment with almost every new artist sounding exactly alike. Not me, I’m not afraid to step out of my comfort zone and test different styles to try to improve.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I must say I’ve had extremely good luck. Have been meeting great people. All the work I release gets praised. My friends and family are huge supporters of everything I do musically. I can’t complain.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/a.b.raps
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A.B.rapsOFFICIAL?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ABwraps
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CrashLandingTV
Image Credits:
No Sleeps Productions, OG Films, Chad Films, Sonia Villarreal, and Eduardo Gonzales
