#Lit360 with battle-rapper, Barak Jacuzzi
Barak Jacuzzi poses for a picture during the Blankets and Wine Festival held on 10th December 2017 at the Uhuru Gardens. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU
What you need to know:
- Barak grew up in South Carolina and had started rapping by the age of 11.
- But it wasn't until he came back to Kenya in 2012 that he started taking music seriously.
- He competed in rap battles, where he usually won, and this was what actually encouraged him to start recording his music.
Rapper, Actor, events host, Self-proclaimed ‘lifestyle connoisseur’, Barak Jacuzzi isn’t about to run out of words to describe himself.
He says if he was not rapping he would have been a psychologist, a field he feels that he would do very well in.
However, his dream took a turn when he moved back to Kenya from the US, when he switched to study media.
“Being born and brought up in South Carolina, music has always been a part of my daily life. And at the young age of eleven I was already rapping,”
He reveals, while being interviewed on the Lit360 show that airs every Thursday at 10pm on NTV, that it wasn’t until in 2012, when he came to Kenya, that he started taking music seriously.
Barak started competing on rap battles, where he usually won, and this was what actually encouraged him to start recording his music.
“I recorded my first song called “The Juice” and most of my fans liked it and I knew there was no turning back.”
KENYAN MARKET
Although he started his music journey in the US market, it was important for him to establish himself back home.
He says, surprisingly, the Kenyan market is much harder to tap into; it takes a while and an artiste has to be persistent.
“A lot of people usually wonder why I did not establish myself in the US market, where they think is like the “Mecca” for any artiste to make it, but I believe it does not matter where you are; as long as your music is great you will always be heard worldwide,”
Barak says he is looking forward to working with other musicians like Nameless - whom he refers to as a mentor - boy band Sauti Sol, rapper Nyashinski among others.
Apart from his music he is also the founder of “Bar4Bar”, a rap-battle league that allows aspiring rappers to take part in competition.
“Battle-rapping is what made me, because you challenge yourself and compete with other talented artistes. It also helps in putting you out there because you never know who is watching,” says Barak.
He adds: “I appreciate platforms like the Lit360 show which gives artistes a space that enables for the world to see their individual talent.”
Catch the repeat of the Lit360 show tonight at 10pm on NTV.
