As a young child growing up in the Philippines how often did you take trips to your native land and how did growing up in the Philippines influence your sound?
I was really young when I was brought to the Philippines to live with my grandparents. As a kid, my earliest memory of music was sitting on my uncle’s piano playing random melodies without knowing what I was doing. I guess that was when I sparked an interest for music.
You moved from New York to California in the 90’s. How big of a culture shock was that for you at the time?
It wasn’t until my return trips to New York in my later years that I got a true sense of the culture and lifestyle there. I was born in Queens, where my parents lived at the time, and soon after, my Dad and I left for the Philippines and my mom and brother stayed in New York. We were all reunited in Dublin, CA. My mom found a job as a live-in care-giver at whats called a “care home”. We didn’t have too much growing up, we all lived in a single room of the “care home” for a good part of my childhood. I remember always dreaming of someday having our own crib and nice cars just like I saw all around me. That was the biggest shock for me, how different my life was from everyone else.
When did you decide making music would be your calling and what age did you start experimenting with music?
When I got to college, I was asked to write a rap verse for fun and it quickly became an addiction because I’ve always loved writing songs since I could remember. I decided to pursue my dream a few years ago and I just want to be heard. It took me a while to believe that my story was worth telling, but on God’s time, I am exactly where I want to be.
You are currently promoting your ‘The Life’ album. What was the process behind that from the art cover, the production etc.?
The Life is a glimpse into what I’ve been through. The highs, the lows, the moments you I can never forget and the dreams I have for the future. The Life is also focused on helping the listeners “let go”. We sometimes get too caught up in the grind of everyday life that we forget our time is borrowed. I especially hope the ladies love this album. There’s a lot of songs on there for you. You can find the album now on all music outlets such like Apple Music, TIDAL, Spotify, PANDORA, and of course available for purchase on iTunes. I also have another EP coming out soon entitled, “Those Days” so be on the look out for that, dropping just before the holiday season on all music outlets!
