Feature: Jeremiah Brazzell
There’s never a dull moment to be had in your college years, and few students exemplify this more than rapper, trombonist, content creator, student leader and senior communications major Jeremiah Brazzell.
When asked about how he got into music, Brazzle had this to say, “I started playing the trombone in middle school, and I’m really thankful my band director. As I got older, I started listening to more music than what I was exposed to as a kid. I got introduced to rappers like Chance The Rapper and Childish Gambino and realized that rap is more than what people think it is. Listening to rappers that do more than just rap got me into rapping myself.”
Brazzell spoke further on his journey into rapping, “I really enjoyed how creative rapping let me be when I would just freestyle with my friends. I used to joke about dropping a mixtape through high school, and people would always tell me nobody would ever listen to it. That made me want to do it for real. I released my first song, “People Talk”, and I realized that people want to hear my songs. I used to write poetry, and now rapping is giving me another outlet to say what I want to say, and that’s really important for people our age [late teens and early twenties]. In my recent songs “I am” and “Cherry Blossom”, I talk about being insecure, but those songs prove my ability to do this overcomes people's opinions of me.
When asked about advice for anyone who wants to start rapping, Brazzel shared, “Don’t rush yourself or the process. You’re finish line doesn’t have an expiration date. Nowadays, everyone is putting out music and content. You have to give yourself time to grow; you can have the best song in the world and people might not hear it. If you're doing music just to blow up and be successful, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. If you really want to make music, you have to say something that reflects who you are, or your audience is going to connect to someone who isn't there.
Apart from music, Brazzell also has a YouTube channel named “Digital Reality”, where you can find comedy videos over videogame gameplay. When asked about this channel, Brazzell shared the following, “The channel started with Alejandro Hernandez who had the channel already before Pedro Lopez and I joined in, and I want to give them a huge shout out because they’re like my family. The channel is a group effort, and I love the opportunities the channel gives me to work on things that I learn in my classes here at USC Aiken. If you’re thinking of becoming a content creator, don’t be afraid to get a head start. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and use your platform, as your platform is bigger than yourself.
Brazzell is also a student leader in USC Aiken’s Black Student Union. When asked about his involvement in BSU, Brazzell had this to say, “It was a learning experience. I’ve grown both mentally and spiritually from BSU. Throughout my life, I’ve felt like I let myself down because I’m not meeting a certain standard that I set for myself. As a leader, I don't want anyone else to feel like they have to prove people wrong. I want people to know that no matter what you are good enough. There are times where I second guess myself, but I can't because I don't want other people to feel that way. Part of being a human is messing up, and I hate myself when I mess up, but I take it as an opportunity to learn and better myself and my organization. BSU helps me see that we're all good enough, despite our insecurities. Even if there's people that look down on us, there's people that look up to us too. Black male leaders are scarce on
campus. Don't be afraid to step up if you're passionate about something. I always felt like I couldn't stand up for what I wanted, but now I am.”
Brazzell had a final message to share, “Stay safe, stay beautiful, thank you for reading and thank you for you." Check out Brazzell on Spotify and YouTube to show some support!
