A.R. Believer: a rap artist

¨Words and noises. Just in a hella dope order.” This opening line on the website of the young upcoming rapper pretty much sums up the artist. Abdur Rahman Hassan, or more commonly known as A.R the Believer, has been recording and performing live at numerous venues for the past year.

A.R the Believer is not like most other artists. All of his music has meaning to it and he purposely designs it this way.

“I’m looking to push a message, and I want to have actions to go along with my music,” said A.R the Believer.

A.R the Believer raps about injustice, poverty and other day to day struggles he faced living and growing up in Oakland. “My background defines my music, more than anything,” he said.

When I spoke with him, he said that growing up he listened to artists such as Immortal Technique, Kendrick Lamar, Rage against the Machine, and Tupac. The musical styles of these artists managed to make their way into his own works.

A.R the Believer and his works can be found on YouTube, Soundcloud, Instagram, and soon Spotify as he looks to expand and spread his music to more listeners. His new songs will be more personal but he assures the public that his music will remain charged and socially aware. Towards the end of the interview, he also hinted that new music would be dropping soon and to expect an album towards the end of this year or early 2018.

Choosing a favorite song was difficult for me, but one of his singles, “YGs” was one that definitely stood out to me for its message and overall flow and sound. I really enjoyed his styles and patterns that blended high and low tempos combined with many different flows and the vibe of his music.

A.R the believer might not be for everyone but next time you aren’t sure of what to listen to, put on Oakland’s next big thing in the rap game and you won’t be disappointed.