THE Survival era (2020)

Survival · Brotherhood · Pressure · Proof

The Survival Era was not about chasing success — it was about proving that success was possible at all.

In 2020, I was still living at my mom’s house, fully immersed in music, performing frequently, recording constantly, and living the lifestyle without a safety net. Music wasn’t a side pursuit anymore — it was the center of my daily existence. Every decision, every relationship, every risk revolved around whether the music could move forward.

This era was loud, fast, and emotionally dense. It carried momentum from the previous years but added pressure from every direction at once.

What I Was Surviving

Everything.

The Survival Era was shaped by overlapping weight:

unresolved trauma and grief
mental health strain
financial instability
street pressure and environment
identity confusion
industry frustration
pandemic isolation

Nothing was cleanly separated. Life and music happened simultaneously, in real time, with no pause to process. The only way through was to keep creating.

Brotherhood & Chaos

This was a deeply collective era.

Brotherhood saved me, but it also fueled the chaos. I was surrounded by people, energy, and movement — yet often felt alone internally. The era revealed who was real, who was present for the work, and who was only there for the moment.

The music reflects that duality: unity and fragmentation existing at the same time.

Creative Output & Intent

The music of this era was not calculated — it was reactive and urgent.

Projects and songs were created to:

process life as it happened
escape reality when it became too heavy
speak directly to the people around me
prove something to myself
prove something to others

There was no separation between living and recording. Tracks were made quickly, honestly, and without polish becoming the priority. The goal was momentum — staying alive creatively.

Live Performance & Validation

The defining moment of the Survival Era came on February 20, 2020, with the Oil Palace performance in Tyler, Texas.

This was the largest live show of the era — a real venue, a real crowd, real promotion, and real response. It confirmed something that mattered deeply:

This wasn’t imagination. This was real.

The timing is significant. The show happened just before the world shut down, making it a peak moment of outward momentum before isolation and internal shifts began to take hold.

Faith & Inner Shift

Faith was not constant during this period — it was rediscovered late in the year.

As pressure mounted and the lifestyle revealed its cost, faith quietly re-entered the picture, not as certainty, but as grounding. This planted the seed for what would come next.

The Ending

The Survival Era didn’t end because it failed.

It ended because of a conscious decision to change direction.

The volume had proven the point. The movement had shown its strength. The question was no longer can this work? — it was what does this become?

Era Meaning

The Survival Era represents proof through pressure.

It was the year that confirmed the possibility of a real music life — not hypothetically, but tangibly. It forged confidence through repetition, community, and survival itself.

The Survival Era taught me that we can actually do this music.

It laid the foundation for intention, refinement, and the next evolution.