Connect
To Top

Life & Work with Brandon Scaletta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Scaletta.

Hi Brandon, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Music was always what I was most passionate about. It was the only thing consistent in my life, the only thing I felt I could count on. It was going to be there no matter what. I connected so heavily with the artists I listened to because I looked up to them for their ability to articulate and express their emotions thru music. I didn’t even know how to express my emotions as a kid, and most people don’t. But most people suppress them so much that they don’t even understand they got the desire to get them out. For some reason, I always knew I had to get them out somehow, even though my family or anyone else never pushed that type of expression onto me. It was something I had to figure out myself. Once I understood all this, I knew this was my outlet.

Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been far from a smooth road. I was put out of my moms on my own at 18 with nothing but a dream, trying to figure it out. I was determined, but being young and immature, I got caught up in a lot of bullshit and wasn’t always as focused as I needed to be. I always made music, but my stupid decisions and the cards I was dealt held me back for those first few years. I had a lot of pain inside me, but I didn’t know how to maneuver thru it yet. Instead of putting it all into something productive, I indulged in my vices and struggled a lot of cause of that. The passion and drive were always there; it was just the discipline I was missing.

From 18 – 21, I was couch surfing after being evicted from my first apartment. It got so bad that I was sneaking into the UMSL dorms (cause I knew some people that went there) and started sleeping there when I had nowhere else to go. Eventually, I ran into Adrian (my videographer) at a kickback in north county. I don’t remember the exact conversation, but I told him I needed work and was in a f*ck-up position. The next day he got me a job at this warehouse (9 bucks an hour, lol); he was working and let me move in at his family’s house. From there, I drove him to and from work daily, from the southside to Maryland heights. We had a lot of time, so we were usually freestyling on the way. He recognized my talent and pushed me to get behind the mic. At the time, I was focused on being a producer, which was true. But that didn’t come from a place of me wanting to do more than be an artist; it came from a place of not being confident enough to step up and do what I wanted to do. The Crazy thing about your head is that it can keep you from doing something you’re good at if you let it. I had been writing raps since I was 8-9 years old. I had the talent I always did. But all the shit I was going thru held me back. I was in survival mode, so I couldn’t thrive and be confident like I wanted to and had to do to make something like this work. I just wanted to get to the next day.

I knew and was cool with Adrian before this, but this made us much closer. Over the next couple of years, he became my brother. His family is like my second family and welcomed me with open arms from day one, with no hesitation. I don’t know where I would be if they didn’t do that for me.

As far as the music goes, I kept trying to play that producer role over the next couple of years. I was making beats for any and everyone, any and everywhere. Am Apartments, trap houses, in the car. North to south, city or county, it didn’t matter. I was trying to get better and build with people, and on top of all that, I finally got a place of my own again. Things started to look up. I was still around a lot of bullshit—drugs, etc. For whatever reason, most of the people I worked with couldn’t focus like we truly needed to. Myself included. Within 6 months, I was kicked out of my place in Giles and moved in with my girl in Dellwood. I stayed there for the next 6 months. Although it was an unhealthy relationship, the ending of it was a breaking point for me. A week later, Adrian and I flew to Dallas, and I wrote and recorded the first song I released a month later, “Picasso Freestyle 001” He got me a “buddy pass” flight down there for fr so that so I could get my mind off everything. Long story short, we went to the studio. He told me we would make beats but forced me to get behind the mic and record. At that point, I wouldn’t be a b*tch and not do it, so I got on. I made “Picasso Freestyle 001,” which became my first-ever song. I will put it out next month. At this point, I was broke as f*ck, once again couch surfing, and all my projects producing for artists had fallen thru. I had nothing to lose. Everything has been up and down. I finally got on my feet, got a place and a car, and met more good people. The next moment, I lost my job, my car broke down, I got back on the bus, back on the couch, and painful relationships. It’s been a cycle for some time.

Today, the difference is I have a good support system and a stable living environment, and my mentality is so much clearer and different. The mentality is everything. I’m still working. And I won’t stop till I take this where I want to go with it, and that’s pretty damn far. It’s crazy that the people around me and I had to overcome everything to get to this point. Many people would give up, but that was never an option for me and never will be. I want me and the people around me to eat. That’s what it’s all about. Despite everything, I’ve never been more confident about everything we’re doing, and I mean that. We are still just getting started. This isn’t any victory lap. Yet.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Having that foundation of being a producer first + writing songs my whole life helps me hear things differently than other artists. It gave me a solid understanding of how to structure songs, which a lot of people struggle with. My progress as an artist has been more about the execution of my vocals than other things like song structure, writing ability, etc., which has helped me progress as fast as I have. I’m proud of the music I’m making now. Everything is starting to sound polished, and I’m beginning to know the exact direction I want to take. Which is exactly what I’ve been working towards for years. I also bring something unique. Every artist says this, but everything from my voice to my subject matter stands out in an over-saturated genre. I’m raw.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
At different parts of my life, I’ve lived across different parts of St. Louis, both as a kid and an adult. This is something many other people can’t say. Being exposed to different types of environments, different types of people, different cultures, etc., has given me a unique perspective that I don’t think many people have here. I’m not saying that in a way like I know everything or that I’m above anyone else for that. I’m grateful because I believe those experiences made me a well-rounded person.

As far as my musical inspirations go, I got a range. Early on, I heard a lot of Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, etc., which made me always take more to soulful music, lots of Frank Sinatra, and old-school jazz music like that too.

As far as Rap goes, I heard it when I was young, but the turning point was when I was in 4th grade, I got Kanye’s Graduation on CD. Then I found the college dropout, and it was a wrap from there. I grew up through a few different eras, but to keep it short, some of my favorites were Kanye, Isaiah Rashad, Lil Wayne, Drake, Future, 6LACK, and much more lots of R&B music too. Everything from older artists like Anthony Hamilton to the ones I grew up with, like Bryson Tiller. If you’re reading this and want to know what this all sounds like mashed together, come find out. Brandon Scaletta on all platforms.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Mikey Fears, Adrian Mejia

Suggest a Story: VoyageSTL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Local Stories