When I see people tweeting my lyrics or when they tell me that my songs helped them in any way shape or form, it makes my day
Tell us about yourself and what you do
My name is Paradox Flow, I’m an 18 year old rapper from Dallas, Tx. I’ve been making music for about 4 years and have Produced/Mixed and Mastered music since 2013. My songs are usually about my life, politics and current global issues.
Who has inspired you in your life and why?
I started rapping because of Nas’s Illmatic album. At first, I didn’t even listen to rap, but one day during the summer of 2013 my friend John Hintz showed me one of the Greatest Rap albums of all time, “Illmatic”. Nas’s syntax, diction and lyrical content blew me away and completely changed my opinion on Hip-Hop ever since. That album changed my life. Listening to the issues going on in Queensbridge at that time really made me empathize with artists like himself and has influenced me in my music ever since.
What is your greatest achievement so far?
My greatest achievement isn’t about the artist features I’ve done, and it isn’t about seeing a return on investment when selling my music. My greatest achievement is an ongoing process. When people talk about my lyrics, or read them on websites like “rap genius”, it becomes the greatest achievement an artist could ever ask for. I got into rap to connect with an audience on issues that are important to me; So when I see people tweeting my lyrics or when they tell me that my songs helped them in any way shape or form, it makes my day. Because in the end, I never made music as a means to make money. I made music for an outlet of inner expression, and that’s what fans are. They are projections of your personal thoughts. By replaying your songs, they are agreeing with your values in customs.
Do you have any tips for our readers that are trying to break in the industry?
If I could give any tips it would be “understanding the concept of perseverance.” I was terrible at rapping when I first started but I consistently trained, researched rhyme schemes and made rap an everyday job, not just a hobby. I wanted to quit in the beginning but luckily my friend John Hintz convinced me to stick with it. It was the greatest advice I’ve ever been given. You can’t just “kind of” want to succeed in this industry, if that’s your attitude then you need to get out now. This area of music is cut throat and there are tons of artists trying to make a name for themselves, what separates good from great is work ethic. I work about 13 hours a day on rapping, producing, mixing/mastering and promoting my music. I’m grateful to have fans that reward me for my hard work and purchase my songs at the end of this long process. But if you want to get into this industry, rapping has to be your life. It has to be a part of you, not just a side job.
