Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Jimenez.
Patrick, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am a Father, husband, and Hip Hop artist by the name of S.A.G.A. Emcee. The acronym is Survival Against Great Animosity because people tend to hate on those following their dreams for some reason. I was born and raised in Southern California. I’m half Dominican (my father’s side) and half Salvadoran (my mother’s side). My parents split and my mom married my step-dad. My real dad ended up being killed in a hit n run when I was 4. That definitely changed my path as well as me mentally. It was difficult for my mom and she never really talked me through it. I knew he was gone for some reason which hurt but didn’t really know until I was a little older. My stepdad is white and growing up that confused a lot of people as to what I was ethnicity wise. Judgments were passed because people didn’t know if I Hispanic, half white half black, or what. We moved numerous times and friends and identity was something I struggled with early on. Commutation wasn’t always open with my parents so music played a key role in my life.
Growing up my parents played all types of music but what wasn’t played was rap and Hip Hop. They didn’t get it and the beats bothered my mom even to this day. I remember hearing people talk about Hip Hop at school and I would low key nod like I knew what was up. It wasn’t until Tupac died that I really wanted to know. I remember hearing snippets of the songs and paying a friend a couple bucks to write the lyrics down for me. My mind was on overload reading it.
I remember another friend letting me borrow his DMX album It’s Dark and Hell is Hot in 8th grade. That was the first Hip Hop album I got to listen to and I was blown away how raw and passionate he was. It was so different from what I was used to. My mom of course found the cd. She was pissed and made my friend come get it. By the time she had found it though, it was too late. I had played it hundreds of times and already fell in love with Hip Hop, and never stopped since. I started writing poems and battle raps. Then that led into making songs. I still have my old rhyme books.
Music definitely helped raise me in terms of finding myself, opening my eyes to new ideas and concepts, and being an outlet. Writing out what I’ve experienced helps me stay sane. I strongly feel sharing my views or what I’ve witnessed is a form of paying it forward.
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?
As with anything you put your heart and soul into it can be rough when rejection happens. You express your true self, putting your character on the line. You battle through uninterested listeners, haters, and playing empty shows searching for the ones who feel your vibe. On top of that being a father and husband makes it hard to get into a rhythm sometimes. It isn’t always easy telling your wife and kids that you gotta record or shoot a video. But, you gotta just stay focused and play the long game. Covid hasn’t helped much either because now instead of connecting with people face to face and pushing your artistry you gotta do it almost entirely online. I will say it made it so you gotta be more creative and delivering good content is as important as it’s ever been.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
You gotta have the drive. Sometimes it fades or gets stretched thin but you must find ways to stay motivated. I also keep in mind that its all a big race but my position in it only really affects my family and me. So when I catch myself thinking about what others got I just think about what I do have and what I want to achieve. Just being genuine with people helps too. I don’t treat people like they own me or that if I’m nice to them they will give me something. I show respect and if it isn’t shown back I respectfully keep it moving. At the end of the day, I always remember that I’m not here to be quiet!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sagaemcee.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/sagaemcee
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAGAEMCEE
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT-aUjqdykZMY_LSpgzXdCw
Image Credit:
Noah Say
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