Meet Ay Gabe!

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ay Gabe! a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ay , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

My confidence and self-esteem developed from having two very loving and supportive parents. There has never been a point in my life where I felt unwanted, unloved or unimportant. I think that lack of insecurity allowed my confidence and self-esteem to grow naturally over time. I never had to fight for approval or love. It was present all day, every day.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a rapper, producer, engineer, editor, curator and creative director.

I think my biggest strength is that I’m true to myself. I know who I am and who I’m not as a person, and that self-awareness is translated into every creative aspect of my art. I also surround myself with creative people who are tapped into their individuality, which inspires me and enhances my creativity.

I really love experimenting in my music. I always approach the creative process with “what if?” If it’s “industry standard,” it’s definitely not for me. This attitude is what allowed me to create my debut album “objects in the mirror” that released in May of 2024. That album is, pun intended, a reflection of me as a person. From the production, to the lyrics to the album cover art, you can get a strong sense for who I am.

That album was my first real endeavor into becoming a professional artist. The process of creating the album was a lot of work on its own, but I spent just as much effort on the post-release as well — reaching out to publications for coverage, organizing shows to perform the music, creating a business collaboration, making merch. I got a little taste of what it’s like to operate a small business. While it’s been challenging and not always a direct success, I’ve confirmed that this is truly what I want to do for the rest of my life.

This year I’m focused on expanding my creativity. The majority of my music up until this point has been very introspective. I love what I’ve created but I want to also explore my carefree, fun side. That’s proven more difficult to put into the music, so I’m excited to challenge myself and see what happens.

Expect several singles in 2025, along with some cool visuals. And maybe an EP as well.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three most important pillars for my journey have been:
-Decipher which critiques matter.
-Do what you enjoy.
-Don’t make music for other people.

I’ve always been a stubbornly self-assured person. The more people tell me I should do something the less I want to do it. I guess I’m a contrarian. However, I know that a lot of people succumb to peer pressure or people-pleasing. The more you can distance yourself from that the happier you’ll be. And it’ll also go a long way in your art. Everyone’s going to have an opinion. If you take every opinion you’ll never finish anything and you’ll end up with something that is no longer you. Always be open to opinions and critiques but learn how to filter them. And above all else, make sure you like what you make before worrying about what anyone else thinks about it.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

My biggest challenge right now is discipline. I can be a little too reliant on inspiration to appear instead of going to meet inspiration. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what it takes to be a full-time artist and comparing it to what I’m currently giving. While I do want to acknowledge my growth and success I need to simultaneously critique and work on the areas I still lack in.

Any job requires you to work a certain amount of hours per week. If you don’t show up multiple times, you get fired. But it can be hard for me to hold myself accountable in that same way when I’m working for myself. Something I’m trying to make a habit is setting short-term goals and tasks to keep myself in rhythm. Whether it’s making a beat, recording, writing a verse, researching publishing, I need to be tapped into the creative space in some capacity virtually every day.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Alejandro Ramos, Haiden Trinh, Aaron Molo, Charli Hawkins

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