“It’s very important for me to show off my versatility outside of pop before I’m known for one specific style,” says El Barbaro. “I want to show a bit of my lyrical side, especially since white boys usually can’t rap.”
El Barbaro started out in the music industry at the young age of 15. At first, it was for the wrong reasons. “I was around the wrong people, in bad situations at home,” he says. “I was an emotionally troubled teen who just wanted to let it all out in the form of freestyles in my bedroom.”
As much as pop music now seems to define his focus and brand, that’s not how things originally began. “I wanted to be a rapper—the best rapper. Once I felt like I’d proven that to myself, I didn’t feel the need to prove it anymore.”
Music is in his blood. His father, a former orchestra director, introduced him to classical music at an early age, helping him develop a sharp musical ear. “When I went into studios, I knew nothing about production, but I could get producers to make exactly what I was hearing in my head,” he recalls.
“I used to think singing was for girls,” the artist admits. What started as a coping mechanism soon became something much more. “I was good from the jump, so I said, ‘Let’s make the best music I possibly can.’ I deviated from the rap roots that started my journey and actually fell in love with music for the right reasons.”
Determined to change his life, El Barbaro began by reinventing his appearance.
“That’s when my rebrand started. I dyed my hair, shaved clean—to look as young and seductive as possible, instead of the typical rapper who tries to look the ‘meanest.’”
If you’ve noticed that El Barbaro rarely smiles in photos, that’s intentional. He’s made it a signature part of his image, even creating a logo that looks like a serious face: ._. He turned that symbol into a clothing brand called Unbothered.
“Everything about my demeanor is unbothered,” he explains. “I exude confidence in every room I walk into, and that’s how I want the clothing and music to make people feel.”
The confidence is real, but where does it come from?
“It’s the result of a lot of self-love. That’s the biggest message I want to get across: love yourself so much! It doesn’t diminish others when you truly love yourself—you feel so whole that you only want to give to others. That’s what happened to me when I started making pop music. It’s a higher frequency.”
When it comes to his preferred style, El Barbaro enjoys switching things up.
“I go back and forth between the two. I love a great-sounding pop hit, but there’s no substitute for the raw, real expression you get with rap. You’ll see me moving between both throughout my whole career.”
Watch the official ‘ROCKERFELLER’ music video:
https://youtu.be/Yqs-sH0z7k4?si=ycds4SaSD1GNQrJ8
Follow El Barbaro:
Instagram: @el._.barbaro
TikTok: @el._.barbaro
Stream El Barbaro’s Music:
Apple Music
Spotify
Get in touch:
[email protected]
