Braille: On Task
04-21-2008
by Kevan Breitinger
Syntax Records artist Braille has had a life long passion for hip-hop, and after meeting God at an early age, these two focuses became the driving force of his life. As well as the clear direction of his Syntax debut, out this month, The IV Edition.
CMCentral (Kevan Breitinger): Hey Braille, thanks for making the time. So let’s talk about The IV Edition on Syntax Records.
Braille Brizzy: Definitely.
I like the mix of social commentary and personal stuff.
As a writer, I’ve always been interested in pouring out everything I’m soaking in. We all soak in a wide variety of stuff, including what we gain from our relationship with God. Every time we walk outside we soak in a whole gamut of experiences, through our senses and emotions. It’s part of our human experience. I try to express all those things and filter it through my perspective as a follower of Christ.
And a lot of that comes across, too. I pick up on a strong sense of mission on the new album.
It’s crazy because sometimes without even knowing it you’re walking down the pathway God laid out for you. Starting back at age 14 I was taking the Greyhound bus to other Oregon cities to concerts, and I loved the whole experience: getting on the bus by myself, going to a new place with just my backpack and a change of clothes. My family moved to New Jersey during high school and that opened up a whole new world. So at 16 I was going on my own to NYC, to Baltimore and Phillie. My parents trusted me and gave me the freedom, so I’d save up my paychecks and just travel as much as I could around the East coast.
Then after high school I took a bus to LA and lived there for a year, in people’s garages and things like that. Eventually doors began opening for my music. After I got married, the first two years we lived out of our van and traveled around the country doing free shows. Then God started opening doors for us to travel internationally. Wherever He sent me I was willing to go. Being around that variety of people and places has given me a passion for people. Every place has something beautiful to look at, but ultimately it’s the people that I leave in my heart.
Man, you’re a lucky guy. And on top of that, you married a woman who was willing to do it with you!
We got married very young. I was 20 and my wife was 17. I was basically a homeless guy at the time, and she was just out of high school, but we knew we wanted to be married, to start our life together. We spent about a year of a semi-normal life, cleaning out repossessed homes. But after a dream my wife had, we knew we were supposed to be out doing the music. So we put all our stuff in storage and hit the road.
It’s definitely had its ups and downs but we’ve loved it. We’d sleep in nurseries and gymnasiums at churches on our little blow-up mattress. Then we moved on, ended up buying a house and having our daughter. But now we’re selling the house so we can take the family on the road again and share the experience with her. We actually just got back from a 3 week tour with our 15-month old daughter, and it was an experience for sure. But she was so good, she did really well. We made sure to have a hotel room every night so she’d be comfortable. As a family we just want to do what we’re supposed to be doing together. We just have to position our lives in such a way as to make it enjoyable.
That’s a beautiful picture of dedication. You’re laying it all on the line. If you had to put into words the goal you know you’re called to, what would it be?
It’s funny. When I was young, it’s almost like I gave myself no other options. It’s hard to communicate the whole picture, but essentially I was the kid that came home alone after school and worked on my music for the rest of my day. My parents were divorced and both worked so it was just me and my music, and that’s what I loved doing. I ended up not even finishing high school because my mom ran into some financial problems and we were so far away from the school that I had no way to get there.
So my difficult circumstances built up my tolerance for hard times. God has allowed me to taste some beautiful things in life, but He’s also had me build up a tolerance for the hard times. But when I look at my life and my background, I see that there is no area in which I can be more effective in than music. The emails and interactions I receive at concerts give me confirmation of this calling, and I need that confirmation. I’m daily questioning my own motives and wondering if this is all a selfish dream. But to me this isn’t even a dream of trying to be famous or anything like that. Those type things are the least of my concerns. I don’t even want the stress that comes with fame. Of course, if God wanted me there, and had prepared me I would serve.
Pride comes before a fall, and it’s hard to stay humble sometimes when you’re doing shows and people are coming out and getting all excited. We have to guard ourselves. But it’s bigger than just trying to become a famous musician. It’s really that I’ve invested so much time into this and God confirms it to my spirit through others, to the point that to do anything else doesn’t make much sense to me.
Well, you don’t sound prideful to me, Braille, you sound focused.
I struggled more with insecurities growing up then I did with pride, and that was just part of being a quiet kid. In school I had acne and braces, and in the schools I went to hip-hop wasn’t something most kids were into. It made me an outcast rather than popular. And then I got saved at age 15, so I even more so didn’t fit in anywhere. So I spent a lot of time by myself. So I was more insecure than prideful.
Then when it flipped and people started paying attention to me, I knew I couldn’t take any credit for it. I know where I came from, and I know who I am. None of this would be possible without God’s hand over my life. I am so confident of that that I can’t put any confidence in the flesh. I have moments where I think I’m Mr. Cool, but it wears off quick, because you realize how much you pale in comparison to God.
You’re right. You sound like you got your head on right.
I appreciate that. I’m excited about this record and going back to my roots as an underground hip-hop artist. Not underground in terms of low budget, but in terms of being that one kid sitting on the bus with head-phones. What I was listening to was my world, and I know there are a lot of kids like that still. I aimed this record to target those people. I tired to lay out everything that was going on in my life on the record in a manner that communicated the emotions so people could relate. I’m excited to continue progressing as an artist and to see this record serve its purpose.
Good for you, I wish you big blessings with it, brother.
I appreciate it, thanks for the call.
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