Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Niko Martinez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Niko, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

What I have learned from my past job as a business owner is unfortunately a lot of management positions I have seen and passed on are huge company’s relying on someone young and still hopeful to push their life into a 50-60k salary. To me that is insanity and I do understand having to do what you have to do to pay the bills and I am not shaming anyone for that but to me when I see people my age in management I really believe they have not found their purpose in life or they do not have power in other positions of making money. Now I know that doesn’t account for everyone on this beautiful earth but my experiences in this city is that. I tried to do management at several places and I knew it would be easy since I had put together and ran my own LLC since I was 19 but after just maybe a handful of management positions I learned pretty fast it wasn’t for me; that the stress from a huge company paying me pennies to their dollar would never be worth my time, my stress, my abilities and so from there I stepped down from ever wanting management positions. For me owning my own business and making multiple marketing and media ties is what keeps the hustle in check and thriving. Coming in to deal with corporate attitudes with beer money just did not suffice for me especially here in my more mature age.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Niko Martinez I am a Denver Native with publishings and art displays inside of local libraries to schools, to venues, and more but besides that fact I am just someone who escaped poverty inside Denver as it blew up out of control from gentrification to housing to everything in between. I knew I was destined for something bigger then me because the thought of not contributing my own to the world bothered me and I knew when I was a teen I had to start then. I was always rapping in hallways and making art selling prints at the local Santa Fe art walk and to my teachers. I was always on the move trying to make money to promote my music and my art and I kept at it because in the end that was the only voice that I was given and boy is that a powerful fact to even be aware of. I know a-lot of guys that talked about doing music and doing this and doing that in high school and I see their timelines now and they are barely figuring out they can do management, they have either given up their dreams or it was just never for them. Me however I realized a few years ago to really make it with music you need money. BIG money. It costs to promote online nothing is free for a artist you gotta pay it all. The beats, the equipment if you make you’re own, the producers time for recording and mastering you, the visuals and music videos, the accounts to put you’re music out, and all this is not even touching the very bones of promotion and how you get heard out of you’re city. Denver unfortunately for Hip Hop and Rap is very ego driven and to a standard, controlled. What I have discovered in purpose is to inspire people because if you can come out of all of these things like me you can do anything. Manifestation is real. That is what my brand stands on no matter if its my future cook book, lyrics, paintings, or auto biography this is real and my life is without mercy a testament of that and I am here on this Earth to inspire those that will listen. It is believing in yourself and remember that no wall was built in a day but if you lay a brick every day it will eventually grow to a wall, to a home, to living and walking in you’re own manifestations.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

To start I was never given fair cards as a child. I was born to addicts that yes loved me, but loved the drug more. I grew up writing and finding my voice in that because it was never really heard besides that and it was something I enjoyed doing even alone as a kid in a room with boxes left unpacked. I think when you are so young you find ways to push out you’re creativity even if the only tools you could ever afford to hold was a paper and pencil. My father passed away when I was 8 and my moms half son moved in straight from prison. It was hell. Needles and spoons in bathrooms, terrible living conditions, physical and mental abuse, and still there I was trying to get my thoughts out on paper because that is something my brother could not take away from me. When I got older I was very strong minded and was out on my bike all the time on 16th street desperate to get away from the abuse at home. Id go on daily all day adventures with my friend who is now like a brother to me taking acid and mushrooms and just cruising till no more sweat could pour out of our pores. It was my escape. I would go stay on a old friends couch where he knew I was struggling bad and would record me for free. That’s when I found the power of voice through recording oneself. I grew to be addicted to it and kept at it. Through trials and tribulations that microphone to me is one of the most powerful instruments and tools of life and by just that device you can be heard by millions and inspire countless people. It gave me peace, it gave me honor, it gave me the chance to do what I have always done. Use my voice. Luckily I never grew addicted to anything I don’t even drink at this point of my life and my book will discuss that to more detail once it is ready and published. But here I am working on my sophomore album taking my time yes and also focusing on a bigger piece to this puzzle of purpose of inspiring the people. Just stay tuned.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What I believed helped my build my reputation is my patience. For years I have watched new and old people flop and drop with this music. I am still young in it and I believe their is no age or time limit on music. Look at Nas, look at Drake. I started young to I got the records out but my mental now is on a more grown aspect and I can’t wait to see what I grow into, spiritually and as a genre to you just never know. My pen has seen horrors that you would never wish on you’re worst enemy and when you hear my music you can hear it and know subconsciously that wow this guy gots something there! You ever listened to anyone before they blew up and then they did and you were just a proud person cause you called it in you’re spirit? No? Well I know without a doubt in my spirit that will be the feeling when people see my next huge business leap. To inspire and my skill is what built my reputation through and THROUGH, however the patience will pull off the show.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/socialsystem
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialsystemofficial/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/youngdivinci