With a core sound that blends country and hip hop with a faith-based message of hope and perseverance, Rare of Breed’s music has spread across the country and will be appearing live in Biloxi for the first time this month.
Rare of Breed has amassed tens of millions of plays across streaming platforms. It’s an impressive following for an artist who has prided himself on remaining independent since the beginning, pushing forward with a career based on inspiring people at a grass roots level and always challenging himself to keep things fresh. For Rob, the artist behind Rare of Breed, it’s the authentic connection and shared experiences with his fans that fuels his music.
“Music became a way of expression, it became a way of being able to talk about the things that I bottled up for so many years… A lot of people can relate to my music because, hey, I’ve been in those shoes,” he said.
Rob’s youth was turbulent. Hailing from North Carolina, he spent time in foster care before being taken in by his grandparents. He was expelled from high school for selling prescription medications and found himself in military school, which he successfully finished. Not long after though, he found himself walking the wrong path again, which landed him behind bars. His bleak outlook turned around after getting involved with the church at age 21, where he found a sense of hope and renewal. He committed himself to take his life in a new direction.
Rob had been encouraged by his therapist to write out his thoughts during those troubled years, and through those writings he found the early inspiration for his music. It spawned a style he calls “GodTwang,” blending hip hop beats and production with rap vocals as well as country style singing and instrumentation. His early writings got the ball rolling, but as his career progressed and he connected with others who had walked a similar path, new inspiration for his message continued to come. His top-streamed song “How it Feels” is one such relatable tune, touching on the struggle of feeling as if things are at their worst while holding on to hope, a relationship with God, and the faith that a brighter future is still to come.
“Right Now,” another favorite, is a fast paced jam that encourages praying for those in need, and was inspired by a fan Rob met on the road who asked him to pray with her to help someone she cared about overcome an addiction. At another event, he met a fan who had discovered Rare of Breed while in prison. The music spoke to him there, and when he later sought Rob out at a live show he was clean, free and looking forward to life. These are the kinds of stories that Rob counts as the most impactful part of what he does, and a major source of inspiration as he continues to crank out new music at a remarkable pace.
Rare of Breed’s latest single “Pressure” touches on the struggle to stay inspired. The song grew from a period of his career where he felt pressure from within to release new music, to stay fresh, and felt the call to find a way to continue with his message.
“We all go through different seasons in life… there’s times when you go through the valley, there’s times your on the mountaintop,” Rob said. “When I was in the valley I just felt like I was being pressed down, but there was a reason for it. I knew that a lot of other people were feeling pressed… in your family life, your spiritual life, your work life… I mean how many times do you feel pressure, right? That’s what this song came out of, that season of pressure.” With a strong hook, mid-tempo beat and rapid fire lyrics, the song came out swinging and is rapidly becoming a favorite in his catalog. It seems that feeling of ‘pressure’ did work out for itself after all.
“It’s not an easy thing to walk through, it’s terribly difficult,” Rob continued. “But when you come out and you look back, you’re like ‘oh, there was a reason for that.”
Rare of Breed’s tour is taking them through churches, parks, amphitheaters, festivals, event centers and more. Rob and co have even been known to set up a full production out in a field. Their aim is to create a fun and neutral space, a welcoming concert experience people of all ages and different walks of life. They are planning to keep the energy high for their first stop in Biloxi.
“You have to be there to experience it.”
Rare of Breed is joined by Adam Thompson Music, Just Nate Musik and DJ Winn.
The brand new single “Well Done,” from the upcoming next installment of the GodTwang album series, drops on June 7th. Rare of Breed is streaming on all major platforms.
Get out there and catch a show!
scott@coastobserver.com
@scottiredd9
rareofbreed.com
@rareofbreed
