Born in South-East Colorado during the Golden Era of Hip-Hop, Mista Los has collaborated with rapper JohnnyBlazeMusic to release his new single “Still Bangin.’”
Raised by his single mother after the tragic loss of his father, he developed his passion for music early thanks to his mom who always filled their house with melodies. Mista Los was a young prodigy and began to write his own verses at age eleven.
Through his invincible-minded teenage years, he hit a rough patch that taught him countless life lessons, too young. It takes a strong person to learn from such experiences and channel his emotions into a productive outlet to come out on the other side.
Mista Los has flipped his life upside down and has recently been growing his fan base performing live across Colorado.
Picture Ocean Boulevard’s snail-paced lineup of lifted, exotic cars on a Friday night in South Beach, Miami, “Still Bangin’” would be one of the songs shaking the subwoofers so hard that the neon light kits are visibly vibrating onto the street.
Mista Los has stayed true to his upbringing by giving the soundscape of “Still Bangin’” flavors of 90s Hip-Hop with its high pitched melody layered within the backtrack. The 808 trap beat places extreme emphasis on its bass about every four beats – a real subwoofer shaker.
Mista Los’s gravelly, deep vocals fit seamlessly into the mesh of contemporary and Golden Age Hip-Hop. “Still Bangin’” is the type of song you will want to have on a loop to soundtrack a memorable night with your crew.
Hello Mista Los and welcome to BuzzMusic. It's wonderful to have you with us. What was your inspiration during your songwriting process for “Still Bangin?” Could you tell us a bit about the lyrics?
I had the beat for “Still Bangin” for a couple of years, n always saw the direction it was going in. But the words never came, the melody never presented itself for the chorus. I never force that, no matter how dope a beat is. Don P called the instrumental, “Compton Streets” n the vibe definitely matched. So when I came to terms with the fact that this record wasn’t gonna be a solo effort, the universe yelled out, “JohnnyBlazeMuzic”. He’s been killing the game for a hot second n we had mutual respect for one other. The collaboration was always in the cards because of this. But like I said I hate forcing sh*t. Anyway, I couldn’t leave this beat alone, n when I heard the yells, it made sense. This was the collab we’d been waiting for. He’s a Pueblo Native n I’m a Rocky Ford native, both from Colorado with similar upbringings. When I presented him with the beat n vibe I wanted to portray, everything started falling in place like clockwork. . The words I used to describe what I wanted were simple, all I said was, “ I wanna talk about Colorado Streets” and he hit me back with the chorus. I was lost for words when I heard his rough draft. It’s like we talked about it in detail. But really it was just our similarity and what we convey in our music that brought it full circle. He understood what the beat spoke and from that, the lyrics came naturally. We knew what needed to be said. To individuals that been associated with that thug life, and the street code, we elaborate on what they’ve endured. Thus “Still Bangin” was born.
Can you tell us a bit about your rocky experience growing up, what you have learned from it, and how it has shaped you into the person you are today?
Sheeit, where do I even start haha. Umm, well, my Dad was murdered when I was 9 months by his first cousin. Since birth, death has always been an arm's length away, so of course, that shaped who I am as a person. I wasn’t a straight goon because of it like most woulda been haha. Nahhhh who am I kidding, I was running a muck from 8-24, smh. My brother Ru calls me a chameleon cause certain situations to bring out certain parts of my personality, so I’ve never been outta place. I was blessed, with books and street smarts and I definitely used them to my advantage. The crazy little country town I call my hometown was like gladiator school, it was so diverse, it’s wild. I mean it still is but a bit different these days. I got in my first fight in ‘99 when I was like 6 or something, so that says a lot. It didn’t help that all my boys were either gang bangin, hustlin, or getting faded. So I got this “f*ck it” attitude way too early. Naturally, I dabbled in everything the streets had to offer, I was a wild child, to say the least. But all that craziness solidified my morals, as y’all probably know, there’s a code in the streets, and I’m no stranger to it - a matter of fact, I still live by it. Loyalty, family, dignity, honor, etc weigh heavy in how I move n the things I approve of or accept.
Could you tell us about your collaboration with artist JohnnyBlazeMusic, and what he brought to the table for “Still Bangin?’”
Like I was saying in the first question, I didn’t have really anything but the idea for this record. He took what little I told him and made one of the hottest songs to come out in Colorado, and I'll stand by that statement. JohnnyBlazeMuzic is an extremely talented artist with a vision. He speaks knowledge but ain’t too preachy with it. Definitely gotta check out his discography. But Still Bangin’ has to be one of my favorite records I’ve ever done. The vibe, the melody of the chorus, and how we flow with the beat with some real lyrics made this a top tier record.
How does “Still Bangin’” compare to your other songs? How has your music evolved over time?
“Still Bangin’” is one of my favorite records I’ve done, as of yet, but as far as my evolution with music, I’m always trying different things. I love music as a whole, every genre, all of it. I was an alto sax player throughout my school years, so yes, I love music. Honestly, I’m excited to see what’s next cause I really haven’t even scraped the surface of what I intend to do with the music.
What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?
The battles that everyone around me, including myself, have been faced with. 2020 has been headhunting, but I ain’t going out without a fight. It’s been tearing up families and all, but my team, my family is still standing cause we stuck together and helped each other instead of being selfish. Loyalty has been tested like a motha, but when you are who you say you are, it speaks volumes. What's kept me inspired in 2020 is not being able to turn down a good fight.