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CARVILL

Biography

 

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Out of the Bay Area, California resides Carvill, a Rap and Hip-Hop artist who has built up a name for himself for his gritty, old-school flow and hard-hitting bars. Characterized bya West Coast lean, his music acts as a collection of his personal memoirs, a reflection in the mirror of his past and present-day battles. For Carvill, music is therapy.


Born in Shreveport, Louisiana but raised in Compton, California, Carvill’s childhood wasno plain sailing. Still illiterate and uneducated at age 8, he bounced between foster homes before finally being adopted by his foster mother, Ms Ruby Vance. Fortunately, his life took a turn for the better, as Ruby set him on the right path with disciplinary methods that had him putting pen to paper more than he ever had in his life. Rewriting Bible chapters, newspaper articles and solving crosswords was baked into hispunishment as a child, an ingenious move by Ruby that formed the foundation for Carvill’s future musical greatness.


It wasn't long before Carvill became an avid reader and writer. He grew to love words, and by the time he was 10, he was a straight-A student, known at school as “the kid with the words” due to his advanced vocabulary. Through this innate ability to selfexpress through language, Carvill recalls: “Rhyming was so easy to me, it was like a second language. People would tell me I talked in rhyme or in a rhythmic flow. Back then I didn’t understand it, I was just talking.”


As a Compton native, Carvill was unfortunately pulled into street life. He had his first criminal charge by age 12 and spent the rest of his childhood in and out of juvie, camps and institutions like Camarillo for bizarre acts of violence. He was eventually put into a group home where he met his close friend and collaborator, Kool Aid, who introduced him to the artform of Rap. Kool Aid was later shot and killed, causing Carvill to lose his desire for music, and forced him down a challenging path of survival.


After experiencing many challenges and setbacks, Carvill picked up the pen and began to write again. In his early 20’s, he began to pursue his musical career more seriously.


Opening up about his creative process, the rapper states: “I’m moved by memories of my past, whether it’s personal experiences or observations. Different facets of life inspire me to write, things like police brutality, poverty, loyalty, love. I pull from the universe. I’ll pour me some coffee, close my eyes and write. My music is therapy for me, so I like futuristic and positively charged themes infused with spiritual pointers that help people appreciate not just the beat but the lyrics too, reminding them that there’s a greater force in and around us.”


From his tough Compton upbringing, to overcoming life or death struggles in prison and on the streets, Carvill’s success story is ever present in his music. Motivated by fatherhood and leaving a legacy for his children, Carvill’s drive to make music also stems from wanting others facing the same challenges as him in the hood to have a voice through him — a voice that speaks up for hope, encouragement and guidance.


His upcoming debut album ‘Bullet Proof Soul’ sees the rapper explore fragments of his troubled past through raw, honest lyrics that tackle his unsettled childhood, struggles on the streets, and his dealings with anger.


Released on February 22,2021, the single ‘Change' featuring Alonda Rich, is a soul food gumbo of West Coast and Southern Rap influences, seasoned with East Coast flavor, and tied together by Carvill’s distinct delivery.


His melodic flow sees him bare all on tracks such as ‘My House’, a dark Hip-Hop inversion of the iconic ‘80s pop record “Our House” — an upbeat song about workingclass family life that sees Carvill unapologetically reflect on the life experiences that shaped him.


Having performed at open mics, talent shows, showcases and poetry slams throughout his life, Carvill is now gearing up for the promotion of his single, ‘Change’ featuring Alonda Rich, which is now available on all major streaming platforms.

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