Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesus Rivera.
Jesus, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always been a fan of music as a kid listening to Hip hop, R&b, rock, and metal but my music introduction didn’t start until I was in 9th grade at Crenshaw high in 2009, I was motivated to start because I always felt like I had an ear for sounds and Records that just sounded good so I started off making beats on a small midi keyboard I bought online and just tried to learn the platform I was working on and develop my craft day in and out.
It was a difficult starting point because at the time I was well reserved and timid on showcasing my art because I didn’t want to be judged, I fell in and out of music because of self-doubt and situations at home that lead me to chase other aspirations and work different small jobs but I always noticed when I was at my lowest and at my highest the thing that always made me feel whole was making music. I spent two years out of high-school working on and off and feeling like something was missing, so I had a talk with my good friend Stoney Willis and he said if I wanted to elevate my knowledge and take the music serious I should study it. So I enrolled to the La film school in Hollywood around 2014.
I went the audio engineering route and I was never a fan of school but this was different I would often catch myself having fun working and learning on music. As I was in school, I would try and engineer my friends so I can learn How to work with clients in a real studio setting just to gain experience and stay consistent with my craft. Within months It was second nature to me and I felt comfortable in the studio because it was an environment where I can be myself and express myself without fear of judgment. I would always have a journal with me to doodle and jot down ideas, my thoughts and take notes and stuff like that. One day my childhood friend convinced me to write a verse for a song he was working on and I said why not so I tried it out mind you, I had no idea how the structure of a song went or how to even start a verse because I was on the technical side not the creative, he just told me “Put on paper how you feel” and from there I wrote a 16 bar verse of just raw emotion and I feel in love Instantly. From that moment forward, I knew that this was for me and I was driven to get better at writing and creating songs expressing myself and painting a picture with my words. I was inspired by my neighborhood and by artists such as Nipsey Hussle, Rick Ross, Gangstarr, Big Pun, Curren$y and Big L. I love music with a message and what makes you feel something when you listen so that’s what I drove myself to create.
Today I’m focused on creating a platform for emerging entrepreneurs in the music sector and improving its community. This is an important goal in my radar so it led me to create the independent record label Vicious Cycle. Under the motto of “Break The Cycle” and Vicious Cycle aims to break generational curses, financial instability and emotional trauma. What I’m putting in place is a real motivational Movement and Lifestyle aimed at young people, which passes through My music, the involvement of the community, and My clothing line. I am extremely motivated because I had an opportunity of an internship for Nipsey Hussle & David Gross in their co-working space Vector 90 where I Honed in on my business aspirations and the hunt for knowledge and growth in the Entrepreneur world and music industry.
I’m working with the motto “never let your current situation determine your future outcome” always front and center, I create music and clothes as an instinctive artistic expression of my experiences, based on how I feel about the moment is what gets created.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth ride but there has its smooth moments when I check a goal off of my list and accomplish something in line with my plans. So with ambition comes struggle its a natural part of life and I understand that. I came to realize a lot of the things that held me back was myself. Doubt, fear, and personal struggles I was dealing with, I had to learn that I was in control of the outcome. My thing is if it’s not going to matter in five years, why should I spend more than 5 minutes worried or upset about it. I like to go with the flow and not worry about the things I’m not in control of & that has made this journey smoother than when it started but Like I said, its life and life is a learning experience. You just have to trust and have that faith in yourself.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
Most people know me as Big Zeus The artist, others know me as Big Zeus the businessman. I consider myself Big Zeus the Mogul because the main platform I have is music but I am the owner of the Record Label Vicious Cycle. As a business, we specialize in content creation, Music, Visuals, artist development and overall growth in our community and helping the progression of our people and clients. My personal specializations are storytelling through songs and painting a vivid picture with my words I can make you relate and take a look through my eyes with audio and I feel that its a gift I have.
I’m most proud of my progression as a whole and who I have become because everything that I have learned and own today is because I worked hard for it made sacrifices and did my own research and not a lot of people are willing to make some of the sacrifices needed to elevate yourself most people want the stability and I’m more of a radical I feel uncomfortable with stability. What I feel makes me different is my point of view and what I radiate, I’m all about the uplifting of our people, ownership, higher forms of thinking, and generational wealth. The way I can relate to people and explain things that normally would be confusing to them within a record or a conversation I can make them grasp ideas and motivate them. Another big thing I mentioned earlier was the sacrifices I have to make daily to create these opportunities for myself and my company. It’s not as easy as it looks and my work ethic and mindset are the core to those sacrifices.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Our city is the perfect place for a business like mine because this is a cultural hub and its one of the biggest media hubs of the world. Fair warning it snot for the faint of heart because opportunities are not just handed out. You’re going against the top dogs of the industry so if you aren’t solidified with yourself and ready to bet it all, I suggest you rethink your destination. There is only one downfall to this business and that is the over-saturation of upcoming artists. A lot of artists are in competition with one another. I feel we can work better with each other rather than against each other that’s how we make noise and create a movement.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://viciouscyclerecords.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/official_bigzeus
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigZeusRecords
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/yobigzeus
- Other: https://linktr.ee/lord_zeus
Image Credit:
@Psgee, @Filmovrfood, @DMTVC, @Sznoftheczar
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