Today we’d like to introduce you to MyBrotha Van.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
One song. That’s how it started. I was a failed sports star working at a carwash. I needed something for my soul’s outlet since sports was gone and I bought a home studio to make music as a hobby. The first song I ever made got everyone at my job telling me it was a hit. And very quickly I went from a guy making beats and songs for myself in late 2016 to wanting to be an independent music artist and dropping my first ep.mixtape in 2017.
I met a group of artists in my town and we started making music together. Went very well. Performed in a lot of cities even outside my area like Detroit, Chicago, etc. And I still was able to do solo projects. And when I dropped my song Ass Pro Shop in 2019, it got me radio play at 93 blx in Mobile, AL. That and because of the strength of my brand in the area, I got to open for Riff Raff at the best venue in my area Dec 2019.
But 2020, everything went downhill with covid. And I lost all my momentum. I decided to move to Pensacola, FL in 2021 and took a trip to Texas to visit a girl and it grew one me. I also saw a lot of potentials for people to really enjoy the music an artist like me makes. I felt I could really take my independent music career to the next level there. So a couple of days before Christmas, I moved to Austin, TX.
I’ve already been fortunate to perform at Flamingo Cantina opening for Cico P and battling it out in @thesmokeoutatx sxsw tournament. My first featured show is at Halcyon Mueller this Friday 2-25-22.
Still goin hard. FOR THE CLAN!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some parts were smooth. Some parts were super difficult. I am from a small town called Navarre, FL. No music scene, resources, or outlets for original artists. So I had to travel to other cities to get experience performing and make fans.
I also was in a collective and had a member steal/use all the money we made collectively for himself.
I have also only really had myself do all the making of music and managing my brand. I performed, made the music, engineered myself. Made a lot of my cover artwork. Ran my merch operations by myself mostly. Funded everything from working two jobs. So I can get overwhelmed or burnout sometimes.
And for most of my independent music career, I was in a relationship and it definitely put some unwanted weight on it that caused a lot of issues.
Plus just learning the business and keeping up with artists with teams can be tough.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a performing artist, beat-maker, and engineer. Most of my work that is published dwells in the alternative rap/rnb worlds. I bring a punk angst mixed with a rap swag. Known for high-energy songs and performances but also able to give you some songs where I’m mostly singing.
Versatility is my specialty.
I am proud to throw the first major rap show in my city, first to get played on the biggest radio station in our region and open for major artists. But I am most proud of being a pioneer to my community and exposing the world to more shades of dope than they have been exposed to. To make a community that I call the clan where we can enjoy something together and use my torch to help keep others lit as they pursue their goals.
What sets me apart is my versatility sonically. I have made my own sound. I can’t be copied. I also come with everything most people want in an underground independent artist. Dope music, dope videos, dope merch, and dope beats… But maybe it’s the fact that I enjoy having fun and making real moments with the people. I will ride that wave to the end.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I am the source. Everything feeds off me.
Contact Info:
- Email: mybrothavan@gmail.com
- Website: mybrothavan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mybrothavan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyBrothaVan
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mybrothavan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIfvNpoCR3Ksd-0vij9NrhQ
- Other: https://fanlink.to/MBV_CyberPunk
Image Credits
Andrew Velasco Sara Jiron WestPunk Media Matt Midyette Justin Zuloaga
