We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ruben Carrillo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ruben below.

Ruben, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I Started off writing lyrics to popular rap song instrumentals. Mirroring my favorite artist’s flows and cadences. That’s how I started putting together songs. I got a laptop and got FL Studio and started learning how to record and edit the vocals to make songs to put out. Watching YouTube to teach myself the program I got a little more proficient in the program. But there was an issue, I realized that you can’t just use instrumentals without permission and you have to pay to sell music using other people’s beats. Finding beats on YouTube took hours, that is, if you’re lucky enough to find one that you like and made you feel inspired. Combine that with the money you have to pay in order to use the beat and that’s a big investment. I started watching beat breakdown videos on YouTube from hit songs at the time. Noticing that most songs were simple patterns, I decided I would attempt to learn how to make them myself. Slowly learning by drawing in patterns with a mouse. Later I invested in a keyboard and started learning how to play it. Again using google to memorize basic chords and trusting my ears to put together arrangements. I put together my first album ‘Time’ all by myself with no formal training or schooling. Continuing with it almost daily has gotten me to the point where I can almost play what I hear. That’s the end goal right there. One thing I could have done to speed up the process was pay attention in music class. Just a little basic knowledge in music theory would have helped a long way. Persistence is the key though to learning anything. Especially in those moments where you feel like there’s been no progress. Persistence is definitely a skill that helps you get very far. The only thing that impedes me from advancing now is time. But everything’s about to change with that.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started writing songs when I was around 13 or 14 unknowingly as a form of therapy. I was always self conscious about it and rarely showed anybody what I was up to. Seemed a little farfetched because everyone was doing it. When I moved out to Houston, my friend Rigo had heard me and encouraged me to try it on my own. Being that he was a DJ he already had a microphone and had gotten FL Studio. It was my first foray into recording music. Shortly after I was hooked. I got my own laptop gotten the DAW and was off to the races. Now I Produce, Write, Record, Mix and Master my own songs. Direct and Edit my own Music Videos. And do the artwork and marketing for all my releases. But at the heart of all that the thing that I feel separates me from the rest is my brutal honesty. Everything I am is on full display in my art. All my strengths, my flaws, my confidence and my insecurities. I give it all of me, good and bad. It’s the only way I know to share information is to give you all the details and let you decide for yourself what to make of it. And that’s my core mission at the end of the day. To help. The thing I’m the most proud of is the fact that I taught myself how to do it almost entirely by myself. Just determination and curiosity fueling the entire thing. And so far it’s been paying off.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want to help my family doing what I love. Which means, be able to provide opportunities for employment that we can all benefit from. Build a platform that could help propel any goals that they may have. A machine that will continue to run even if I’m no longer around. And hopefully one day be in a position to help people like me who yearn but don’t have the means or resources to fully pursue what we want to do.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2017 I was in Houston when Hurricane Harvey hit and flooded the city. We lost Everything. I had just finished building my studio that I had spent a year and thousands of dollars to remodel and turn into my own. I only had it about 3 months before it was flooded August 27th. All that time and money gone overnight. The only thing that really helped me get past that loss was continuing to work on music. That light at the end of the tunnel, that glimmer of hope that things will get better. It took half a year to rebuild the house and the studio never got rebuilt. I did focus on being a better producer and engineer though, and I’ve came leaps and bounds from when I first started. Now I’m churning out music much more consistently and with a higher quality.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/rhotheartist
• Instagram: @rhotheartist
• Facebook: Facebook.com/Rhotheartist
• Twitter: @rhoofficial
• Youtube: Youtube.com/rhotheartist

Image Credits
Hustle Town Network Samone Bailey