Yeah, this might be one of the biggest mysteries anyone's ever tried to figure out lol.
Nah but for real. To put it simply, I am a music artist and all around creative...
...But that's not it.
Growing up in an Afro-Latino (Dominican) household in New York, music & art has been a big part of me since birth. Although I always loved music, all genres (except maybe Country)... I didn't get my start making music until I was about 14/15 years old.
But getting from that kid that just enjoyed music to the artist I am today, creating albums, packing out venues, and inspiring others was no easy task.
It's crazy because at first I didn't even want to be a rapper, I just wanted be behind the scenes producing all the fire beats. (Never cared too much about the spotlight.)
I had got the software FL Studio on an old busted up laptop and tried making beats. Honestly, they were sooo bad in the beginning but I just had fun creating melodies.
Music turned from a hobby to a passion that Summer and I literally spent about everyday working on making beats & learning how to get better and create different sounds.
I knew I had to learn an instrument if I really wanted to tap into producing, so I taught myself to play piano over the years & my beats got 100x better.
I didn't start writing lyrics until years later in about the 8/9th grade!
My English teacher made us keep a journal where we would write poetry & that got me into writing. That was cool but something was missing for me.
That's when I decided to take my producing & my writing & actually put songs together.
At that point, I was selling beats to local rappers, doing freelance graphic art & even started a small clothing brand while in high school. (Entrepreneur mentality)
Eventually I had saved up enough money for recording equipment. I began recording myself at home & the rest is HISTORY!
I actually met with the major label Atlantic Records back in my senior year of high school when I had produced songs for a colleague of mine, and there something happened...
With that meeting, I was reassured that I knew I had what it takes to go far with music.
I didn't leave with any record deal, but in that meeting I also learned that you don't need one to succeed!
My whole perspective about the industry changed & I knew that remaining independent would be the right path for me
I didn't want fast, easy, inflated "success" while having to be a slave to a label.
I wanted to succeed on my own terms, building up to the top while really connecting with people on every level & earn it myself.
& Most importantly, have my FREEDOM.
That's because I need people to feel me and be motivated by my story for real.
And that's what I've been focused on ever since.
I don't want you to think of your dreams as unattainable fantasies but more as visions & goals that you can achieve if you actually apply yourself.
If nothing else, that is the message I hope to send out with my music, brand, & movement.
That your goals are not out of reach, and you can live the life you want to live regardless of what you feel is working against you.
I’ve spent so much time perfecting my crafts & figuring out exactly what I want to do with it, I want to thank YOU for being a part of this journey, whether you’ve helped with anything specific or you just enjoy the music I create!
It means the world and I hope my music can positively impact your life & continue to do so in the future to come.
So to answer the question, Ariel is me. & I'm just a person trying to do some good with my time here on Earth. (While giving y'all dope soundtracks to blast at any given moment! Hopefully you fall in love with music the way I did)
If you’d like to hear the latest piece of my journey, you can listen to my project Not 4 Nothing HERE
