From Nicki Minaj to Kendrick Lamar, hip-hop has been topping the charts for several years. Now aspiring to make it big in the hip-hop world is Grandview’s very own Bradley Powell.

All stories start with a beginning, for Powell, his story with music began in his home state of Chicago.

“My room was next to a shower and my brother used to always play music in the showers,” Powell said. “So, I would try to sleep and my brother used to listen to Easy-E.”

Powell’s process of making music is very personal and authentic. However, he feels that these days, the creation of music is a bit different.

“The process that works the best is that I’m in the room with the artist. People these days send beats, they send packs and all that but it’s not as authentic,” Powell said. “It’s like going to a fast food place over moms cooking.”

With growing in a diverse neighborhood, Powell draws much of his inspiration from the many different cultures that surround him.

“I’m not Black, I grew up in a more or less non-white neighborhood so that’s just what I know,” Powell said. “That’s just the music I know how to make and the music that I feel like I’m able to have a say in.” 

Powell branched out to different genres of music, but they don’t compare to when he makes hip-hop.

“I’ve made reggaeton, I’ve made western music and eastern music but it’s not authentic,” Powell said. “To some extent, when I make hip hop, it’s more authentic because I come from Chicago.”

Making good music doesn’t always come easy. Sometimes there’s economic barriers that prevent the song from advancing.

“Sometimes when we’re in an actual studio it costs money, but I would get two or three sections of a beat done, and have them just write a hook and a verse,” Powell said. 

Due to this, Powell and his crew use different techniques to produce multiple quality songs all at once.

“We’ll go to the next song and do the same thing and by the end of the night, if we still have time and we’ve already made a solid amount of work, [we’ll] wanna revisit one of these things [and] it’s easier cause all they have is a hook and a verse,” Powell said.

Despite all the obstacles, Powell will always work to pursue his dreams.  

“In the end, I’ll always be making music,” Powell said.

Wanna listen to Bradley Powell’s intense artistry? Here is a link:

https://linktr.ee/crownedmud