About this user
Cuban-born singer/songwriter/producer 808 is bursting onto
the scene with a new sound—literally. Debut album The New Sound,
dropping later this year on Cutting Records, is 16
tracks of new, different music combining elements of pop, dance, urban and
Latin music.
The New Sound is a
labor of love for 808—who wrote, recorded and mixed the entire album in his
apartment in Houston, Texas—and it's the culmination of the American
dream he's
been chasing since reaching U.S. shores with his mother in 1999. "I came
to the
United States for a better future," said 808, whose given name is Alejandro
Terry. "It's what every Cuban is looking for."
808 worked hard to learn English and found his way to the
Gary Job Corp Center in Texas, where he earned his GED and became an
apprentice
electrician for Alief Electro-Mechanical Inc. It was during his time in
school
that he also discovered his love for music. Friends introduced him to
underground rap groups from Puerto Rico like Tempo and Lito y Polaco. Soon
808
was rapping in Spanish and, desiring to be a solo artist, taught himself to
sing the hooks on his songs. "I got a
good reaction from people with my music," he said, "so I decided to
keep doing
it. Also, I felt good doing it."
808 would create and sell mixtapes for $5, putting his
original lyrics over other people's beats, and spent one year as a
member of
local rap group LMC. He has performed both with LMC and as a solo artist
in and
around Houston, sharing the bill with artists like Bb Mendez and Maximo, but
808 felt it was finally time to reach the rest of the country, and the world,
with his music.
"I would work from 8 in the morning until 1 the next
morning. I never left my house until the album was done," said 808, who
uses Fruity
Loops to make his beats. "The album was inspired by house music. It's
a new
idea to do that type of music in Spanish because it's not something you
often hear."
The collection of up-tempo songs is mostly sung in his
native Spanish, with some English appearing on a few of the tracks.
"Most of my
songs are based on experiences I've had in the past," explained 808,
"because
people can usually relate to that." So far, he's doing a good job
reaching his
new, wider audience. First single "No La Quierdo Perder" is currently
available
on iTunes and through Promo Only and a video for second single "No Te Puedo
Borrar" will be released soon. When The
New Sound hits people's ears, there's no telling what 808 can accomplish.
Hometown
la habana cuba san miguel del padron
Country
United States
Occupation
musico, productor, escritor, etc ..
Companies
cutting records inc
Schools
hillcrest high school gary job corp center
808thenewsound
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