Faith based hip hop artist Ty Brasel is not afraid to lay everything on the table through his music, an attitude which carries him into a place of public interest as an elevated voice in crossover christian music.
Brasel’s latest track, “Destiny,” sets the tone for an intensely honest year as he broaches personal topics with the support of the christian hip hop community behind him.
Following collaborations with respected names in the inspirational, religious genre including Lecrae and WHATUPRG, Brasel gave American Songwriter a look into his hopes as an artist for the coming year and how he envisions his music reaching a specific community.
As your audience has grown over the last year, how would you describe your goals as a faith-based artist in the hip-hop space?
This last year has been a crazy journey, but seeing my music connect with people just never gets old for me. It’s very humbling to see the growth, because I know how difficult it is to break through in the music industry. As far as my goals, I feel like my main focus is to make the most impactful and inspiring music that I can. I want to continue evolving and growing as an artist, and I feel like the rest will take care of itself if I focus on that.
Specifically with “Destiny,” what do you hope listeners take away from the message you bring to the table?
With Destiny, I wanted to give people motivation to keep going in life, and to keep chasing their dreams. This last year has been really tough on everybody, and I know personally how hard it can be to recover when life breaks you down. It can get real discouraging and make you want to quit. So I tried to create an anthem that would help people to stay inspired and not give up.
Your path as an artist has been much more than a simple, linear progression into creativity. How would you describe the process that lands you where you are now, with your platform and collaborations?
During my career I feel like I’ve experienced a lot of highs and lows, but I see it all as a blessing because it made me the artist I am today. I think the best way to describe the process is that it’s been slow and steady and consistent. When I look back, I know I owe a lot to the people who played a role in helping me along the way. Everyone from my family, to friends, managers, media outlets, my producers, my label, my supporters, and most importantly God. I wouldn’t even be close to the position I’m in without the support I’ve had throughout the years. I just try to do my part in the equation and make the best music I can, and try to be the best person I can.
How did working with Lecrae on the track “Rich & Famous” impact your perspective as an artist? What would you say inspires you to continue creating music in this realm?
It’s crazy because Lecrae’s music changed my life when I was like 10 or 11-years-old. I had my first real spiritual encounter while listening to his album After The Music Stops, so having the chance to work with him was a full circle moment for me. When the song dropped, I definitely took some time to appreciate the moment and reflect on my journey. He was at the forefront of blazing a whole new trail in the hip hop space, and I just hope to continue expanding on the foundation that he and so many others laid before me. Knowing the impact first hand that this music can have on people, is probably my greatest inspiration to keep creating.
Following your album The Divine Storm, and this new track, what can listeners expect to see from you in 2021; what are you most excited about in the months to come?
The pandemic created some tough challenges for me following The Divine Storm’s release in 2020. I had big plans for the post-release rollout of the album including multiple music videos and tours, and they all fell through because everything was getting cancelled. It was tough for me, but I had time to learn and adapt to the new way of life and became more strategic and creative with my approach. I’ve been working on a new album for the last year, and I’ve been really focused on getting it finished and getting the rollout going. So for 2021, you can expect new singles, new videos, new merch, new album, new features, new virtual shows, new everything. I think this music is my best yet, so I can’t wait to get it to the people.
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