Years ago I came across Austinâs YouTube channel, who goes by the moniker of IAMTHEREALAK . He's originally from South Brunswick, NJ and his shot to stardom on YouTube came from a remix he made of Desiignerâs Panda song. The video alone has received over 18M views.
I can't say I've every been a fan of rap largely because the majority of whatâs said now is beyond comprehension. It all revolves around the typical topics of sex, smoking, drinking and the only element thatâs ever kept my attention might have been the beat. Coming from someone whoâs not well verse with the genre, all I can say is that there was never a story from any rapper which I felt made me a true fan.
For me, IAMTHEREALAK has taken my understanding of rap to an entirely new level. My initial criticism of his music was that his remixes felt too short and I wish they were longer but I eventually came to accept that as a benefit. The sheer amount of stories, metaphors and enthusiasm in which he delivers his lyrics has so much depth that youâll undoubtedly find yourself having to go back and listen multiple times to detect all the nuisances that make his music so great.
The level of storytelling in his lyrics is incredible. You donât necessarily have to know Austin in person to get a level of understanding of his thought process and vision because he lays it all out in his lyrics.
Iâve enjoyed every single one of his remixes but if I had to choose 5 that I recommend listening to they would be: F*ck Up Some Commas, Lights Out, Nocturnal Rainbows, Issues and Tunnel Vision.
As a creative, hereâs 4 things Iâve learned from following IAMTHEREALAKâS meteoric rise:
- We all go through personal struggles in life and itâs up to you to utilize those obstacles to create something by which other people can relate to you and feel inspired by
- Stay in your own lane. Donât worry about what other people think of your work because in the end we all have a story to tell and itâs the fusion of both that will make you unique.
- The setting in which you create your work doesnât define you. The work itself does. As a quick example, simply look at the backdrop in which Austin recorded his videos/music. He could care less whether it was aesthetically pleasing. The emphasis has always been on whether you can listen to what heâs saying
- You donât need fancy gear to create. Just a willing to put in the work consistently.
Austin has such a bright future ahead and much like all the support heâs received thus far, Iâll be right there continuing to buy his music.