Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Ortiz.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Anthony. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
So pretty much life started out for me as a skateboarder. My whole family living in Tampa, FL at the time skated and it became something I aimed for as a profession haha. Eventually, my dad saw you know that I was racking up quite the medical bill and took my board from me when I was like 17 and I was sooo freaking sad about it but it honestly made me just try to figure ways out to get a new board! So I came across this video on YouTube of a guy playing songs with his guitar case open to the streets (busking) and I thought to myself dude I can totally do that. So never playing a guitar or sang in my life, I learned some cords on about a day and went for it. I knew about this bridge in Down Town Tampa on this river walk and thought that would be a dope place to try it out. I thought I’d wing it because I didn’t really care what anyone would think I just needed 60 bucks for a new board, haha. So that day I went out and within like 2 hours I made a few hundred bucks!
So I was like bet! I started going everyday making sooo much cash eventual my parents caught on and though I was dealing drugs, haha my whole room was flipped backward from them trying to find a stash or something. But as time went on, I got a call from this tv show “The Voice” and that’s when my parents kinda found out what I was doing. So they were pretty shocked, hahaha. But when they flew out to LA and watched Adam Levine turn his chair they saw something in me, I was trying to show them all this time and now they have my back on this whole thing 100%. So when the show ended, I skipped out on the flight back home and pretty much backpacked it in LA and figured out my living situation pretty fast, made some homies and started dropping songs. That’s pretty much the whole shabang, haha.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Defiantly hasn’t been the smoothest of roads but I was raised to get over obstacles. Sometimes I would just stay up at night thinking “ what the actual heck am I doing all the way out here by myself”. But I pushed myself because I’m hungry for it and get more driven everyday.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I just make songs I think are dope. I want people to hear my messages and hopefully find something they were looking for that can help them on their personal life. Whether it be “you’re right I am a baddie you can’t mess with me” or “now I’m inspired to do something good”. I’m here to motivate and create a good aura at the end of the day.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
So HUGE credit has to go to my homie Eryk who went to high school with. When I was in LA, I had him come out on the show with me because I wanted my best homie there and he’s smooth with the pictures too he’s a dope photographer. He was super quick to tag along on this journey with me and he moved to out here to the city with me. And for that, I am forever grateful to have a friend like him. Major credit to him and his beliefs in me. Your environment everything.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/anthonyortiz
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/anthonyortiz
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/anthonyortiz
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kiCkMJHLchcrQByu2yHDk?si=Fc3L0QlFRq-D1IJ75W5HSg
Image Credit:
@eryklapitz
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