Today we’d like to introduce you to Amram Long.
Hi Amram, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Well, I was born in Louisville, Kentucky to my wonderful parents and my older brother who was two years old by the time I was born. April 6th, 1978 I was born at three months premature 2lbs 4 ounces and had a 2-5 percent chance of living and of course I did!
My Mama, my brother and me move from Louisville to Phoenix, AZ in 1986, because my Daddy and My Mama were divorced from my mother since I can remember but He and my Mama felt like we needed to all be together as an immediate family.
So I grew up in Phoenix, AZ for half of elementary all the way through High School.
And since I can remember basketball was my life. However, I didn’t play much because of grades etc.
I didn’t graduate High School because I didn’t care about what school would get you in life and they weren’t teaching anything of value to me.
I actually did go to Community College twice. I went to South Mountain Community College as a walk-on at 19 years old and then had knee problems and I quit. Then I went to Mesa Community College at 22 years old to walk on there and got into a bad car accident the day before practice, that injured my back enough where I knew I wasn’t playing Basketball again. I went into a deep depression.
By this time and in between Colleges I had moved to Wyoming twice and back to AZ. And also lived in Pueblo, CO for 6 months or so. I was an adventurous person that wanted to try everything new that came across my plate, just trying to figure out who I was.
I met my daughter’s Mother the same year I got into the car accident that hurt my back and killed basketball as a career option. We were together for two years and then she got pregnant.
With the strong urging of her family and support in whatever I chose from mine.
We moved to Wisconsin, her first then me after.
And the way I moved to Wisconsin, was her sister and her best friend picking me up during their Spring Break, horrible ride!!!
And then we didn’t work out and I spent 17 years in Wisconsin and was depressed too much of that time.
I wasn’t so depressed that I couldn’t build a fun and achieved a career in music as an emcee, vocalist, and producer from the age of 22 in on the year 2000 to the age of… well ….now …sorry I thought that was funny.
But In my Hip Hop career, I have done some really cool things I am thankful for…
I started out in Arizona under the guidance of my brother Pokafase who had a record deal with Artist Direct Records in the early 2000s and was a huge percentage in terms of timing for my inspiration to be who I am as an artist. I started a group called The Recipe with my friends KB and L Black and did my first shows and flyer distribution etc and thanks to my brother Pokafase, his promoter and still good friend TMC Tyree Michael Carter and Realizm and many more.
And then I went to Madison, Wisconsin and was in a group called The Last Hope with Flip Phil and Vedar One and we did a lot of cool shots in terms of shows, etc.
And then from there, I was in a group called PFC aka Play Fair Cypher with the previously mentioned Vedar One and we had DJ Pain One produce it and that did well and led to me meeting my good friend and Emcee extraordinaire Jason Miller aka Taiyamo Denku
I’ve toured with my Guy Taiyamo Denku who is the head of my crew Cyphaden Music, and signed to Onyx’s label 100 MAD on the East Coast a couple of times for eight days each time and met some great people and had some great shows and did a radio show.
Also, Denku has blessed me with many features that include
Kool G Rap
Canibus
YukMouth of The Luniz
Craig G
DMC
Pace Won
Esoteric
Edo G
Solomon’s Child
And
Chief Kamache plus more
And another guy of which whom I don’t want to mention his name…
Had me feature on the hook and a verse for
King ISO
And
Mix and Master a track by Him and MayDay
And then founded and helped form a group called Outside Voices a crew of some music friends from Madison including Evaridae, BLuv, Reconsiderate, Mr Bombkamp, Neumy, and me and more
And we made some splashes, and then COVID hit!
And Everyone struggled and are still working on getting back on track from that struggle and I made the decision to move to Austin, TX
And have struggled since I got here but also felt determined to strive and push forward no matter what because that was instilled in me since birth.
And since I got hear my car was broken into and jacked up beyond repair. My living situation with whom I thought was a good friend turned into a nightmare and now I’ve bounced back to be working at Celis Brewery and starting my first ever Comedy Open Mic I’m hosting and doing open mics and have done a couple paid shows in Austin while working on Music albums and features/ Singles with many people and Always, always and always pursuing everything which includes Music, Stand Up, Promotions of Music and Stand up, Sketch Comedy, Short film script writing, filming and acting, Podcasting etc.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been smooth. I’ve dealt with struggles of all kinds, from Racism in many forms to just being born and being in an incubator for six months.
I’ve dealt with internal and external struggles. I was a short kid getting picked on till I was 16-17 and grew 6-8 inches.
And then I had the struggle of being really good at what I do musically but being in the shadow of an older brother who was more successful, although that was a springboard to succeed because I always felt like the underdog. It was motivation as is ALL of any struggles I’ve been through.
Many romantic relationships gone bad as well as many creative collaborations gone bad from disagreements. And the list could go on.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in Music, an emcee and vocalist. I consider myself a wordsmith of the purest form. The features I’ve done and the albums I’ve finished I feel like are my greatest accomplishments, touring has been the most fun, or live shows of any kind when you see people and touch them emotionally with your music face to face.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I remember two….
I would constantly ask my Dad to play the song “Man Gave Names to All the Animals” and we would groove to it and I would always mess it up and say “God Gave Names to All the Animals”
Contact Info:
- Website: Bandcamp.com/ RamBunxious Music
- Instagram: rambunxiousmusic
- Facebook: Amram Long or RamBunxious Music
- Youtube: RamBunxious Music
Image Credits
Martel Chapman RemedyBornMuzik Celis Brewery Tiffany Runge Martel Chapman Me Amram Long Beat Locker Live Jason Denku Miller Grind Mode Cypher Credits in order
