Brad Urba
Los Angeles, California, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014
Music
Press
Brad Urba, a rising hip hop artist, has lived all over the country but has now settled in No. Ho. so he can “BLOW UP.”
He seems to be well on his way with an upcoming show/album release party at The Roxy, Hollywood next Friday, February 19th. The line up includes El Vuh, J RockA and Sarai Knowledge, legendary KRS-One and others.
Brad’s interview with LAHHE gives you more than enough reasons to pick up the new album Love Story, released just in time for Valentine’s Day, and check out the upcoming show!
LAHHE: I noticed that you used to perform under a different name, ElionAi (a-lion-eye), what happened to that?
Brad: People already called me Urbs and Urba and I’d been told that ElionAi was hard to spell, pronounce and sounded more worldly than my own name. About a year ago I polled the family and close friends and it came out to about 20 to 4 for my own name. And I felt like it was a step up, a sign of maturity and basically I want my music to just be me anyways.
LAHHE: So when you decided to get serious with music you were doing everything yourself writing, beats, mixing...do you still do it all?
Brad: I started making my own beats out of necessity. I had a friend that made beats but he only gave me leftovers. I got pretty good at it, I'm not horrible. (laughs) But there are so many talented producers out there that are passionate about making beats and I consider it as one less thing to worry about. And I can focus on doing what I am more passionate about, which is writing and rapping. I still make a beat every once in a while and write to it but with Love Story I co-produced a lot of the tracks with Mike Geier at The Hidden Studio over on Sunset and Gower. He’s a phenomenal musician. I took him a lot of beats I’d made and he’d switch out the drums and play real drums...he plays everything. I want to make the best songs I can. Before when I was doing everything on my own it was about me, me, me and I was isolated. Collaborations are so much better.
LAHHE: Speaking of collaborations did you collaborate with many other artists on Love Story?
Brad: Mike is an amazing engineer as well, he mixed and mastered the album, he has a great ear and he's savvy technically. It was a collaborative effort though and I worked with other producers. Also Nick Briggs and Chad Michael Smith sang some of the choruses. But lyrically I wrote practically everything, except a few choruses. I co-wrote the one Nick sings with him. One of them was given to me by the producer, who was feeling it [as it was when he brought me the track] and I thought it really fit well with the album.
LAHHE: So we’ll see all of that in the liner?
Brad: No the liner is really a simple elegant design for album artwork, its really cool, all credits will be on my website.
LAHHE: I saw your BETAcoustic session (video below), will your set next week be like that?
Brad: No, but the show will be really cool! Nick will sing the chorus of "Falling Apart" and Mike is going to play guitar on one song. But I got with a dancer and choreographer, Joanna Burke, and we have worked out this skit that acts out the songs as we perform them. Its going to be something people have never seen before.
LAHHE: That sounds really exciting!
Brad: Love Story is a concept album, it plays out like a movie and this is the first time we'll be performing it. I'm also working on a sequel, which I will hopefully release this summer or early fall 2010.
LAHHE: What else would you want people that have not heard your music before to know?
Brad: I’m definitely not your stereotypical hip hop artist. When people see me and I tell them I rap they are like "What?!" Then when they hear my music they don’t expect the quality and style of music that comes out of me. I actually say something positive, political, I’m not a candy-coated rhymer, I try to tell stories. Like the show, the album itself is something that people have never heard before.
Be one of the first to see the Love Story live Friday, February 19th. Contact Brad by email bradurba@sbcglobal.net to buy your ticket direct for $22 and receive a free copy of Love Story at the show!! UPDATE : March 3, 2010 You can purchase 'Love Story' online right now at www.digstation.com/bradurba!
Also, visit Where ya at? for pictures and video from the show!! - Regina Quaynor for The Examiner
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
"They say that I'm rich, but they don't see that I'm straining. They see it as a gift because they don't see all the training..."
Clever words that describe this hard working, multi-faceted, multi-talented artist and producer who seamlessly bridges the gap between mainstream and underground music. Breaking barriers and earning the respect of fans from all genres, Brad Urba's music compliments the ear with a variety of smooth, melodic beats, professional production and inspiring, thought provoking lyrics.
"I've always had my head in the clouds,
I've been dead in the now,
I'm looking to the future ready to steady it now, but it's heavier now... If ever it was ready... Then that ready is NOW!!!"
Quickly learning that he was the only one that would control how far he took his dream, Brad started producing and engineering his own music in a make-shift studio in the back of his parents garage. Performing out regularly and gaining fans along the way, he realized that he needed to take his music to the next level and truly start to understand not only the complexities and the science behind the art of music, but the business aspect as well. He left the comfort of Portland Oregon and enrolled at The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in Tempe Arizona with the goal of eventually moving to California.
"Wouldn't you rather be a big fish in a small pond?"
Brad knew there would be advantages and disadvantages in whatever path he took but still he decided to move to the Greater Los Angeles area to pursue a profession that would already be packed with "would be's" and "could be's" but, the potential and opportunity that would and could arise in such an entertainment mecca would far surpass that of the underground hip hop scene that was currently in Portland Oregon. After graduating from the Conservatory, Brad continued out west to join the millions of other "dream migrants" inhabiting the sunny cities surrounding the hills of Hollywood.
Since setting his sights and reaching his determined destination, Brad has performed in many of Hollywood's hotspots and has shared the stage with notable acts and artists. His resume is growing just as fast as his fan base and notoriety. With unforgettable performances at such places as The Key Club, The Roxy, The Knitting Factory and The Rose Festival, and with such artists as KRS-One, E-40, Chingy and The Ying Yang Twins, Brad Urba is quickly becoming one of hip hop's hottest rising stars. Stay tuned...
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