Meet Brandon Rodelo | MC / Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Rodelo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
“If you wanna get a grip, you gotta roll the dice.” – Me… This is a mantra I live by. While some things are purely “coincidental”, I feel that most meaningful things happen when one or more people get out of their comfort zone- otherwise you grow stagnant.

Risk taking has giving me life. My father came from Mexico at age 17, illegally crossing the border, with no shoes, and no promise of making it to “the other side”. Everything in my life stems from taking risks, and charging head first into the unknown. Sometimes I take risks, because I know the alternative is misery… Other times I take risks when I am comfortable, knowing that life could be even better. Either way, “If you wanna get a grip, you gotta roll the dice”.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Like many of the greats before me, my art is a reflection of self, and personal experiences. Whether it be a memory of the past, a thought of the present, or projections of the future, I do my best not to limit my creativity. As an artist, I feel that there should be little to no filter during the creative process, and that things can always be refined after the fact… What’s most important, is that you capture a mood, an authentic vibration- Good, bad, or indifferent.

What most separates me from others is my commitment to my craft, my willingness to take risks, and honestly just being myself. Especially in today’s world, with so many “influencers”, it is increasingly rare to find originality. To me, the most special thing an artist can do, is be unapologetically themselves. I also believe that one must be as skillful and knowledgable as can be, in order to facilitate their own creativity to the fullest.

If there is one thing that I am most proud of, it’s that I keep going. I’ve met a lot of aspiring artists along my journey only to watch them give up, not embrace who they truly are, and not put in the time it takes to get better. I truly believe luck is when opportunity and preparation meet.

I made it to where I am today by honing my skills, learning from the greats before me, reading books, and engaging with the community. Practice truly makes perfect. So many legendary minds have left their mark on this world, and I take notes. I do my best to remain humble and I always look for the lesson in any given situation. I know I can always be better but I don’t let the stop me from living in my truth, today as it stands. For some, it’s not easy to be true to yourself but in my opinion, it’s even harder to fake it.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way is that we are each unique, like a fingerprint. Each of us has our own set of strengths and weaknesses, which we must embrace in order to achieve our wildest dreams- no matter how big or little. If something is important to you, don’t let anybody tell you how to feel about it, just hold it near and dear to your heart.

I don’t particularly want any one to know anything about me or my story, I just know that I am living in my purpose for a number of reasons… I used to question it but I don’t anymore. I am who I am and there are a lot of things that people can learn about life just by watching me, listening to my music, and simply having a conversation with me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a friend visit the area and I wanted to show them the best time ever then we would start by going to Tru | Med for some of the best herb in the state. After the weed shop I’m headed to get tacos, which tacos and where depends greatly on my mood for the day. Once we’re all fed and baked, I’m taking yo *ss up Piestewa Peak to see what your made of, and so we can enjoy the view at the top of course. Upon descent, we’re getting cleaned up and headed to the studio… Either at the crib or one of my other favorite spots depending on the budget. Now that we got a fresh banger to ride around to, we’re getting baked and stepping out, prolly to downtown Phoenix or to a concert somewhere.

After your first fun filled day with me in Arizona, we’re leaving the city and I’m taking you up to Show Low via Highway 87. On the way to Show Low, AZ we are stopping in Payson for free fountain drinks at the Casino and to put $1 in the slot machine and see if we hit it big, prolly not though so the party moves on. I’m taking the long way through Payson though so we’re going to Water Wheel falls on the way out of town. Nothing like an afternoon meandering around the Tonto National Forest. Once the sun starts going down, we’ll head further up the mountain until we finally reach our destination.

Depending on the time of year I’m either taking you horseback riding and skipping rocks by the lake, or we’re headed to the ski resort to tear up the snow and show people how flatlanders get down. We’ll spend the next few days enjoying the fresh mountain air, then make our way back to the city. We might even take the scenic route on the way back and stop at the Grand Canyon because you’re only here for a week and this is all made up anyway, so why not??

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I was not prepared for the Grammy speech so I’m just going to go ahead and SHOUTOUT AZ baby!!! I love my state and the community that I am honored to be apart of. I was born in Phoenix and raised all around the Southwest and West Coast, only to end up right back where I took my first breath. Arizona is in my blood, and the culture is what I represent to the fullest… Tacos, tequilia, tumble weeds, plaid, Classic Rock, old school Country music, crunchy weed and the whole 9. So if I have to Shoutout anyone or anything thing, I dedicate it to my birthplace.

Other: Just type in Brandon Rodelo on your favorite streaming platform and if you need some fire beats then go to www.hiphoptimesllc.com