Years ago I came across Austin’s 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 Desiigner’s 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 what’s said now is beyond comprehension. It all revolves around the typical topics of sex, smoking, drinking and the only element that’s ever kept my attention might have been the beat. Coming from someone who’s 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 you’ll 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 don’t 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.
I’ve 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, here’s 4 things I’ve learned from following IAMTHEREALAK’S meteoric rise:
- We all go through personal struggles in life and it’s 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. Don’t worry about what other people think of your work because in the end we all have a story to tell and it’s the fusion of both that will make you unique.
- The setting in which you create your work doesn’t 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 he’s saying
- You don’t 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 he’s received thus far, I’ll be right there continuing to buy his music.