Today we’d like to introduce you to Mescal Miranda.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The origins of EOTR can be traced as far back as 2009 when my homie Jizzo and I began rapping at local open mics and community events. Back then we were known as “Ghetto Galactic” and there’s no real way to describe the music we were making at the time besides raw. I mainly viewed music as an interesting outlet to express myself and have a few kicks along the way, I never envisioned making music my career or really believed I could make a living off of the art form.
In 2011, I was stabbed while leaving a bar in Downtown Los Angeles, the wounds were life threatening and required a lengthy 8 hour surgery and months of rehabilitation. But it was during this dramatic episode that I realized my true love for Hip Hop and lit the fire to pursue a career in music. That same summer as I recovered from surgery with a new 12 inch scar down my belly, I enrolled at the Los Angeles Recording School. In 2 short years I walked out with an Associate’s Degree in Recording Arts and a new found belief in my abilities to create my music and polish my art.
In the summer of 2013, East of the River Productions was born. I began releasing music, hosting events and creating a platform for likeminded artist to share their work. Before long, life began to put certain people in my path and like magic an instant connection would seem to entangle us. The musical crew EOTR was being assembled right before my eyes. And just like that in summer 2017, I find myself staring up at a Paid Dues billboard with EOTR sitting on a lineup of heavy hitters.
In May of this year I launched EOTR Entertainment which operates all branches of the network. We release music, videos, online content, host events, manage a full time recording studio, manage tour bookings and more. Through our experience and talent set we are making a lot of noise in the Los Angeles music scene and I hope we can break records while bringing a fresh perspective on the Eastside of LA.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Moments of smooth sailing with lots of dips, twist and turns. The financial struggle is always near the top of the list for a musician or entrepreneur but running a business forces you to be clever and hustle harder than most. The music business is notoriously difficult and cutthroat so navigating the facts from fictions is always a struggle and requires you to keep your wits and follow your heart.
Besides that, the main struggle is getting people to believe in your story and invest in your calling. Everyday is a struggle to cut through the noise of social media and the widening disconnect between people in general in today’s world. That’s the challenge for every musician in 2018 and moving forward.
East of the River Entertainment – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business is entertainment. We work to give people a dope experience whether it be through music or visual art of music videos or a good time at our events, we want to create connections that last. Our specialty is just real dope Hip Hop. There’s no other way to chop it up, we are where we are because our collection of MC’s bring a unique and powerful perspective to a historically silent group of Latinos. I’m most proud of the love and embrace we get from East Los Angeles, there is a deep pride the people feel towards this area of LA, we are currently providing the voice of that area we feel responsible to keep that standard high. I think you know it when you see us live, our live show sets us apart from anyone else in music. You’ll be hard pressed to find another set of eclectic Latin Hip Hop artist all hailing from the same area of Los Angeles that can rap like us. It just never happened. We are writing history as we go along.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think performing at the Novo in Downtown Los Angeles in front of my mom and being able to bring her backstage. I think about all the times my mom and I would clash over some of the choices I’ve made in my life, but at that moment every choice had led me there so I must’ve done something right.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1946 E 1ST STREET
- Email: eotrnetwork@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eotrnetwork/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eotrnetwork/?fb_dtsg_ag=AdzRnr7m6zcsJgdJRRgQJZ7zFIfcr817OUGgqA_3kszI_Q%3AAdxtV3XQcOpXrsLUuyYqi16QKaAMm4hqXHN6-TC-JAFK2w
Image Credit:
Mighty Muds, Gadzooks
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