He was raised by a single mother who suffered from bi-polar disorder. To cope with his home situation, he would spend his nights rhyming and writing. Even as he grew older and dealt with low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, his music was always the one thing that could help him through.
“Growing up in my mom’s house, she was very religious,” Alan said. “So I was sheltered outside of school, and about the only freedom I had was freestyling in my room. That’s when I started writing. I don’t remember how, but one day somebody heard me at school and started praising me for my rapping. The more people talked about it, the more it made me want to pursue it as something serious and more than just using it as a coping method to vent.”
Today Alan uses those difficult life experiences to help propel new songs. If he sees something difficult going on in the world, or if he experiences something personally, he’ll write a song about it. Sometimes just hearing a good beat will inspire his musical passion, and he’ll just go with the rhythm and write something original.
That mixture of diversity is what is showcased in his newest mixtape, “Sanctuary,” which is slated to drop on Nov. 25. He describes it as a collection of original sounds that tap into hip-hop, R&B and pop genres in ways that stand out from anyone else in the game today.
“I believe life leads you through different chapters, and this mixtape is a project that talks about my different chapters of life,” he said. “There are songs that are upbeat and there are songs that are sentimental. But ultimately it’s about making the best of my situation and having the power to do what I want to do in life and with my music. When people listen to it I hope they can take a piece of their own story and relate it to my life and be motivated to keep going – whatever they’re going through they can turn it into something beautiful and powerful. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, just go for it.”
“Sanctuary” is a follow-up to a recent single called “Shcash” that has seen some success since its release. That song, Alan said, is one that talks about where he came from and the sacrifices he had to make to find success. It also showcases his unique personality and style – one which he said makes most people do a double-take when they see it.
“You don’t see anybody who looks like me rapping today,” he said. “I take people by surprise. I have green hairstyles and a kind of merman type of theme going on. But that’s just me. People see my crazy style and wonder what I'm going to say or do next. ”
Alan Rajan will be performing at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 26 at Warehouse Live, located at 813 Saint Emanuel Street in Houston. Fans can purchase tickets for the event at www.aftonshows.com/AlanRaJan
To listen to Alan Rajan’s music, or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links:
