Ramon Diaz de Leon, A.K.A. “Brown”
Age: 21
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
Major: Advertising
Local hip-hop star, “Brown,” recently released his album “Academic Probation” on iTunes, allowing him to complete one of his life-long goals. It took hard work and a lot of determination and dedication, but the time finally came for him! Her Campus UNL met up with Ramon to talk about what inspired him to start a hip-hop career, his struggles along the way, and what’s next for him after graduation. You won’t want to miss this!
What inspired you to get into hip hop? What got you started?
My inspiration for getting into hip-hop was Eminem’s “My Name Is.” After that, everything else just happened. A few years later, I heard of a Mexican rap group called “Brownside” and thought to myself, “They’re Mexican just like me; I can do this just as well, and even better.” Then it all just kept happening.
When did you decide that this was something you really enjoyed and wanted to continue?
I think since day one it’s always been something that I’ve loved and enjoyed doing, but around Junior year in high school I told myself that this is what I wanted to have a career in. The industry is very tough to get into, and I also know that if I were to get into it, I would only have a certain amount of time before my music is no longer relevant. I decided to do the smart thing and go to college first.
Who have been your biggest influences, and why?
Many people have influenced me. I think that my dad is the biggest influence; my love for music came from him. I remember he and my uncles used to have plans to start a Mexican band when we were kids, but none of them knew how to play instruments! After that, a lot of my influences were different rappers like Eminem, Tupac, Common, Immortal Technique, and Nas.
How did you come up with your name—“Brown”?
I got my name from a Mexican rap group named “Brownside”. I decided to name myself “Brown” because I was just one person and I felt like I could carry on from where they left off.
How has your background and your past shaped who you are today and what you’re writing about?
Well, being a Mexican-American male in America has definitely had a huge impact on what I write about. There are a lot of things that bother me that I feel I can’t discuss with people, so I simply write music. My past is also a huge part of my music. My family and I worked hard to get to where we are. I was exposed to poverty and various things that came along with it at a very young age, and that definitely shaped who I am—not only as a musician, but also as a person.
Have people (family, friends, etc.) always supported you and your music?
My parents are very traditional, so they used to call rap music “the devil’s music”. When I first started rapping, they didn’t really like it, but after a while they didn’t mind it. They never really paid attention to what I was doing though. During my junior year, I came home with an 18-song album that I recorded at a friend’s house, and then they understood that hip-hop is what I loved. Since that moment, they’ve supported me a lot. My two younger siblings have always supported me and have always listened to my music before it’s even recorded. All of my best friends make music with me, so obviously they support me. My girlfriend never misses a show either, so I would say that yes, my friends and family support me a lot. It really means a lot to me because I feel like without them I wouldn’t be able to take the constant pressure.
There are many references to Nebraska and the University in your songs. What made you decide to include these?
I talk about Nebraska and the University a lot because this is where I’m from, this is home. I take pride in being a student at the University, so why not put that into a song and have people relate to it, you know? Another reason behind why I mention Nebraska and the University is because it’s very unexpected to find rappers here, so when people in other parts of the country hear Nebraska this, Nebraska that, it catches them off-guard.
Could you briefly describe the process of making your new album, and how long it took?
This album took me two years to create because of school and my parents’ business. My producer, Heavy Z, did all of the production on it, and T.J. Saddler recorded/mixed/mastered it at Sadson Studios. Usually, Heavy will give me a couple of instrumentals that he creates on his computer, and then I’ll sit down and try to come up with a feeling to each instrumental (minor chord progressions will indicate that I should write on a depressed subject and major chords will indicate more of a party feel). After that, I choose what I want to write about and just go for it. After the song is complete, I show it to Heavy and if he approves then we go to the studio and lay it down. I like to do one-takes, so I usually record two to three songs in an hour if I need to. I like to make my projects 20-21 songs long, so once that number is reached, Heavy and I sit down and determine the order that we want for the track list.
I see that you’re having a celebration for the release of “Academic Probation” in a couple of weeks. What can we expect from that?
The “Academic Probation” party will take place at the Red 9 on November 8th! Doors open at 9 p.m. I will be performing songs off my new album, and taking it back in time too—performing a few of my very first songs! It’s honestly going to be a blast. We have a really cool venue and really cool opening acts, and I think that people are going to have a lot of fun! I encourage everyone to come out and have fun with us and support local hip-hop.
Your hits, “Big Red Anthem” and “This Is Nebraska” are very well-known around campus (and elsewhere, I presume). What are some ways that you’ve gotten your name out there and become so successful? And when exactly did you start getting recognized?
Those two songs were a gift to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and to the Teammates program (If you purchase “This Is Nebraska” on iTunes, all of the money is donated to the Teammates program, not me). I’ve also done a lot of non-profit work performing for charity events, and I also helped the United Way Foundation. I just do a lot of free things so that people see me and hopefully remember me. If not, then whatever I guess. Another thing is that every chance I get, I tell someone about my music. It gets old sometimes, but if I don’t present myself to people, no one will. I think that all of this, combined with the hard work and dedication, has definitely helped. To be honest, though, at the end of the day, it’s all luck. I got lucky, and I’m happy that it happened, and now we’re just trying to keep moving.
So what’s next for you?
I hope to graduate soon, and then throw myself completely into music. There are a few really cool opportunities that are coming up that will hopefully push my team and me to the next level. But at the end of the day, it’s what the fans help us do. We can only go as far as our supporters push us, so please support our local hip-hop scene!
I would like to invite you to check out http://www.facebook.com/itsthebrown and the album on iTunes, or at the 402 (Gateway Mall), or from me anywhere on campus!