Dallas rapper, singer, and creative RAVS was recently featured on the entertainment reality show “The Voice.” Contestants from around the nation compete in blind auditions and on stage for the title of “The Voice.” The local talent was able to not only pass blind auditions but make it to the big screen.
How did you get the opportunity?
I was reached out to from “The Voice.” I didn’t know if it was legit at first. I actually ignored the email for two weeks, until I remembered and was like, “I have to respond to that.” Because I was still thinking like, “Do I even want to do this?”
I never really saw myself being on that platform, but when the opportunity presented itself to me, it was kind of hard to say no.
What do you feel like you learned from being on the show?
What I gained from that experience is a taste of what the industry is like at that level, understanding the business of it, and really how the entertainment industry looks at you as an artist. I think that’s what I took away the most. Now I kind of understand what I need to prepare myself for in the future, you know. I think there were a lot of positives that came from it.
What were your challenges and how do you feel like you overcame them?
I know I’m not alone in this. I think one of the biggest challenges you face is impostor syndrome. It’s like you’re with all these other amazing singers that deserve to be here. So there’s always that ounce of competition that’s in there. So I think that definitely plays a part in the stress. You know, you could essentially be cut at any time. You just have to constantly remind yourself that the only thing that you can control is what you can control.
That’s why I can walk away from this knowing I literally did everything I could have.
What would you say to artists who are trying to make a name for themselves?
I’m at a place where I feel like I know who I am as an artist and I probably couldn’t say those things last year. Like, I think there’s so much that it takes to get to this point.
I have a marketing background, so this is where my brain goes — Start a brand that will allow you to grow into it. So start a brand that is fairly broad in the beginning and then just build those blocks each time you discover something new about yourself.
Where you start as you develop your brand or develop your artistry will always go back to your childhood. Like who you were, what you gravitated towards, what you maybe wanted to do but you didn’t have the access, or didn’t have the support to do it; that’s the starting point.
See RAVS perform live
You can see RAVs + The Akrylx every Sunday at the Free Mans Cajun Cafe at 7:00 pm.
